SHINE, SHIMMER & SPARKLE

Hello!

I NEED to do this .. I NEED to use all my eyeshadow palettes which I've been buying buying buying because they look so pretty and feel so good ... I've used them occasionally but they need to be used and showcased more often!

That's not the entire lot - there's more from where THAT came from ....

So I thought I'd do Palettes-A-Plenty - where I shall use and focus on the virtues of one palette (multi-shade, quint, quad or duo) in each entry. I'm starting off this series with one of the palettes I reach for pretty often - Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs Les Aquas which premiered for Guerlain Spring 2012.

A sleek gold compact encases 4 complementary eyeshadows in slate grey (satin finish), deep cobalt  (shimmer), golden aqua (shimmer) and silver (high-shine frost). 

I love how the aqua shade has such a golden tone about it - it makes this an amazing shade to blend with gold. The shimmer is also not too dominant so I like using it in the outer crease and blend the gold highlight shade into it. 

My favourite is of course the blue - it is rich and deep but there's a brightness about it too - it has blue pearl in it that gives it some oomph when worn. 

All the 4 eyeshadows in this palette can be worn either dry or wet - I prefer using them w a damp brush because it just makes the colours pop a little more. Using them with a damp brush does not leave a wet spot on the eyeshadow.

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I just wanted to point out the weight of the newer packaging - although the older quads have smaller compacts and smaller looking eyeshadow pans (like Bronze Doré on the left), both the new and old palettes weigh in at a hefty 7.2gms - each individual eyeshadow in the quad is a generous 1.8gm. 

Notice how Bronze Doré is brand new?

See how badly I need to do this Palettes-A-Plenty?

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Among all the new palettes I have, I reach for this a little more often - I've gotten a couple of people asking me what eyeshadow I'm using when I wear this out. More often than not, I use the deep blue and aqua combination, although I've used the silver and slate grey occasionally.

In this look, I've done exactly that - I focused more on the blue and aqua shades, keeping the look Les Aquas :)

See the blue pearl in the deep blue shade? It reflects light beautifully. And I love how the aqua blends into the gold.

I've used this palette with both deeper and lighter lipsticks and I think both work well. 

Base: Olay White Radiance Sunblock; Smashbox Photofinish Hydrating Primer; Burberry Sheer Foundation in #10; Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage in SC-7, Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder in Golden Orange

Eyes: MUFE Aqua Cream #20 (sheered out as base); Guerlain Les Aquas (deep blue on lids, golden aqua on outer crease and beyond); Inglot AMC Shine 26 (gold highlight); Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Eyeliner; Clio Gelpresso in Navy Chic (waterline)

Mascara: Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Cheeks: MAC Fleur Power; Guerlain Cruel Gardenia

Lips: MUFE Rouge Artist Intense in 29

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In the second look, everything is more or less the same, except the lips and cheeks

Base: Olay White Radiance Sunblock; Smashbox Photofinish Hydrating Primer; Burberry Sheer Foundation in #10; Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage in SC-7, Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder in Golden Orange

Eyes: MUFE Aqua Cream #20 (sheered out as base); Guerlain Les Aquas (deep blue on lids, golden aqua on outer crease and beyond); Inglot AMC Shine 26 (gold highlight); Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Eyeliner; Clio Gelpresso in Navy Chic (waterline)

Mascara: Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Cheeks: Illamasqua Hussy; Bobbi Brown Cranberry (as a cheek contour) Guerlain Cruel Gardenia

Lips: Guerlain Shine Automatique in 263 A La Parisienne

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I really love Les Aquas - for someone like me, who loves blues, Les Aquas is a great combination of shades although one part of me wishes the slate grey was more of a shimmer or frost finish as opposed to a satin finish. Nonetheless, all the 4 shades in this palette are immensely workable - smooth, pigmented and the blues are gorgeous. 

I've been swatching and you know what? Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs Les Gris is very very pretty also ... #justsaying.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fab friday!

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Disclaimer: Guerlain eyeshadow palette featured was provided for consideration. All other products were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hola!

The new Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill landed in our DFS at Scotts Road last week and I got my hands on them as soon as I heard they were in!

As usual, the intention was never to pick up more than 2 but once you start swatching, it all goes in a different direction. I picked 3 out of the available 4 shades - I skipped #22 Ecailles since it read a bright blue-toned silver on me - which I have enough of in my stash.

Obsidian Black was on my wishlist the moment I saw promotional images!

I know a lot of reviews say that the magic of the blackened teal disappears once it's on the eye but I thought it looked visible enough. It's best applied wet or foiled.

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I didn't think I'd like Obsidian Grey as much as I did - it's totally different from #4 Pulp Fiction which is warmer, dirtier in comparison. I wore Obsidian Grey to the Pink Dot event and I really liked it - it's bright and very distinct on the eye and really pops with black eyeliner.

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And finally, Madre Perla - it reminds me of the iridesence of dragonfly wings! It is amazingly beautiful in the pan and just as pretty on the skin with the flashes of bright silver white, pink and teal-green but it was almost impossible to capture with the camera. I bought it primarily to layer over other deep shades for an iridescent effect.

Here is an example of such a layering combination - I was playing with the ETKs at DFS and layered Madre Perla over Obsidian Black - I took the shot with my iPhone so it's not the clearest but I hope you can see how it adds dimension to Obsidian Black

I decided to try it on my eye too - this is an eyelook I took for an upcoming post - in this shot, I applied Obsidian Black all over the lid and in the outer crease and just blended a bit of Madre Perla in the centre of the lid for a little "lightbulb" effect. 

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I'm really glad our local GA counter at the DFS decided to bring these in - I heard from my chums that these were totally sold out in Taiwan and selling like hotcakes in Hong Kong. I love all my ETKs - I have quite a sizeable stash and I can't pick out one that I could say "hmmm, why did I buy this?". They're great for creating statement eyes in a flash. 

The Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill retail for SGD$41 in Singapore.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

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Disclaimer: All products featured were purchased with my own money

Hola!

The new Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill landed in our DFS at Scotts Road last week and I got my hands on them as soon as I heard they were in!

As usual, the intention was never to pick up more than 2 but once you start swatching, it all goes in a different direction. I picked 3 out of the available 4 shades - I skipped #22 Ecailles since it read a bright blue-toned silver on me - which I have enough of in my stash.

Obsidian Black was on my wishlist the moment I saw promotional images!

I know a lot of reviews say that the magic of the blackened teal disappears once it's on the eye but I thought it looked visible enough. It's best applied wet or foiled.

*********************************************************

I didn't think I'd like Obsidian Grey as much as I did - it's totally different from #4 Pulp Fiction which is warmer, dirtier in comparison. I wore Obsidian Grey to the Pink Dot event and I really liked it - it's bright and very distinct on the eye and really pops with black eyeliner.

********************************************

And finally, Madre Perla - it reminds me of the iridesence of dragonfly wings! It is amazingly beautiful in the pan and just as pretty on the skin with the flashes of bright silver white, pink and teal-green but it was almost impossible to capture with the camera. I bought it primarily to layer over other deep shades for an iridescent effect.

Here is an example of such a layering combination - I was playing with the ETKs at DFS and layered Madre Perla over Obsidian Black - I took the shot with my iPhone so it's not the clearest but I hope you can see how it adds dimension to Obsidian Black

I decided to try it on my eye too - this is an eyelook I took for an upcoming post - in this shot, I applied Obsidian Black all over the lid and in the outer crease and just blended a bit of Madre Perla in the centre of the lid for a little "lightbulb" effect. 

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I'm really glad our local GA counter at the DFS decided to bring these in - I heard from my chums that these were totally sold out in Taiwan and selling like hotcakes in Hong Kong. I love all my ETKs - I have quite a sizeable stash and I can't pick out one that I could say "hmmm, why did I buy this?". They're great for creating statement eyes in a flash. 

The Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill retail for SGD$41 in Singapore.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

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Disclaimer: All products featured were purchased with my own money

Hello!

The Green Files is a series of posts showcasing green-themed nail polish and makeup in honour of Earth Day 2012

This Green Files entry features some shades from Make Up Forever's Spring 2012 Collection, La Bohéme.

The MUFE La Bohéme Palette contains 6 baked domes of eyeshadows in a range of warm and cool shades.

Apart from the earthy brown and green shades I picked to feature from this palette, the La Bohéme palette also complements our Earth Day theme perfectly. The eyeshadows are packaged in a beautiful recyclable carboard palette cheered up with a patchwork of vibrant paisley and floral prints that just sits so well with the Earth Day theme :)

Here are swatches of the 6 eyeshadows:

L-R: Lagoon Green (Light Aqua); Natural Green (Golden Olive); Beige (Light Gold); Parma Violet (Light Purple with Silver Sparkles); Brown (Shimmering Chocolate) and Coral (Pale Orange with Silver Sparkles).

Some shades, like Lagoon Green and Coral, apply more softly and sheerly than others, requiring a little more layering. They can be used dry for a soft wash of colour but I really prefer using these wet - smoother and more even application of colour. While at first look, Lagoon Green struck me as the prettiest, the rich tones of the golden olive and chocolate shade cajoled and lured me away.

Here, I used the shimmering Brown on my lids - to make the colour pop, I buffed a thin layer of MUFE Aqua Cream in 14 first before applying the Brown. On my crease and beyond, I applied a thin layer of Estee Lauder Stay In Place Cream Shadow in Precious Jade and then buffed on Natural Green. Interestingly, where Brown and Natural Green met (i.e smack on the crease line), they mingled to turn a nice warm gold!

And here is the complete look - I liked the shades so much, I wore the same combination twice :)

Cheeks: Lunasol Glowing Powder Cheeks in Coral

Cheeks: MAC Early Morning Mineralised Blush & Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Pure Colour Illuminating Powder Gelee

In both looks, I am using the Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in FOLK that was released with the La Bohéme Collection. I love the packaging - as opposed to just the plain white print of the brand name, MUFE included a metallic lilac and orange print as well as a pretty flower insignia to complement the bohemian chic vibe of the eyeshadow palette.

The Rouge Artist Natural departs from the solid, creamy opaque formula of the Rouge Artist Intense (I have #29 from the original range) - this applies with more glide for a softer, juicier lip - think MAC Lustre formula. The shade Folk is a lovely reddened coral with just a touch of shimmer

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The MUFE La Bohéme Collection is currently available at Sephora and the MUFE Boutique with the eyeshadow palette retailing at SGD$59 and the lipstick retailing at SGD$35.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead!

Have you gone Green yet? :)

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Disclaimer: Products from the MUFE La Bohéme Collection were sent for consideration. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hello!

The Green Files is a series of posts showcasing green-themed nail polish and makeup in honour of Earth Day 2012.

Today's Green Files entry features a not-so-typical green eyeshadow - the RMK Ingenious Eyes in SH-10 Greenish Gray.

RMK's Spring 2012 collection, Sprinkling Colours featured 2 new Ingenious Powder Eyes, Greenish Gray and Gold (SGD$59 each)

These glimmering eye shadow singles are very very attractive - there are a couple in the permanent range and I end up swatching a few everytime I pass by the RMK eyeshadow counter. To be honest, the high price point really had me gagging the first time I asked but I've since heard that there are real silver particles in the formula.

Greenish Gray is really beautiful in the pan. In some angles, it has this khaki grey cast while in other angles, you can see the green glimmer in it.

Stronger lighting and flash photography really bring out the green tones...

Swatch it and you will be surprised at how smooth it feels - no chunky, gritty glitter at all. It is not very pigmented in the first swipe - the use of a good base and about 2-3 layers will help you achieve the desired opacity.

I like my eyeshadows a little stronger so I used a coloured base, Sephora 12 Hour Jumbo Crayon in Khaki with Greenish Gray. In the look below, I just used Greenish Gray all over my lids and my crease, blending a gold eyeshadow near the crease and into the brow bone.

In the shot below, you can see the greenish reflects peeping through (I really like this shot in particular; the eyeshadow has that looooovely glimmer!)

And in this deliberately blurred shot, you can see all that greenish glitter!

And with all that glimmer in the eyeshadow, you might be inclined to think that there might be fall out or migration of the particles - I didn't have any such problems. I took this shot about 8 hours after I applied my makeup and you can see how everything is pretty much intact

And here is how the whole look turned out.

And what complements green tones for eyes better than orange or coral cheeks? In the shots above, I used RMK's new blush duo, Sprinkling Cheeks in ORANGE

I'll confess - there is an order in applying the cheek colours. The smaller pan actually contains a "creamy base colour" (the gold) and that is supposed to be applied FIRST and the actual cheek colour (the orange) is supposed to be layered on top. However, the creamy base feels like a wonderful powder highlighter - it has the glide of a creamy base but really feels like a powder highlighter so I did my usual routine of applying the orange blush first and swirled the gold on top. Good news is that it still worked!

Orange is part of the new Sprinkling Colours Collection and shares the Limited Edition spotlight with 2 other blushes, Pink and Brown (swatches of Pink and Brown below!)

Brown is actually a very pretty combination to create that sunkissed bronzed look ... didn't realise how pretty it was till I was cropping the photos!

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The RMK Sprinkling Colours Collection is available at RMK counters located in Isetan stores and Takashimaya.

Thanks for stopping by. Have you gone green yet? :)

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Disclaimer: Both RMK products featured were provided to me for consideration. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hola!

As the title suggests ... there are several other editions of undeclared hauls .. :O and I just need to get this off my chest before I share my first purchases of 2012! :P

Starting off with the polishes ... I finally decided to pick up the MAT TOP COAT. I really like shiny shiny nails but there are a couple of really awesome nailpolish blogs I often visit where mattified flakies and glitter is often featured. Mattifying flecks, glitter  and flakies often highlights the shape and color of the particles, adding dimension to it

Since I am a major fan of glitter, fleck and flakies polish, I decided that I should get this. Also, the BA's "this is the last bottle" statement sort of sealed the deal for me. I always fall for that.

In the shot below, I have Essence Choose Me (teal w gold flecks) on my index and middle fingers; Revlon Top Speed Royal with a layer of Essie Shine Of The Times on my ring and pinkie finger.

Then I added one thin-medium layer of the Chanel Mat Top Coat ... it "suede-ified" the nail colour

And the Mat Top Coat also did nothing to interfere with the duochrome nature of the flakies in Essie Shine Of The Times. I really like how the Chanel Mat Top Coat adds dimension and intensifies the texture of the polish. I think this will work awsome with a black-silver fleck polish too!

I bought STRONG a looong time ago and have used it several times but I never got around to talking about it so I just threw it in here); it debuted with the Soho Collection where I bought the blush palette and never talked about either! Sneaky shopper I have been.

The newer acquisitions are GRAPHITE and PERIDOT. I got Graphite (which is sooooooo pretty and I have no regrets!) when it launched but stinged on Peridot and got the Sephora polish, Diving In Malaysia, which was touted as the Peridot dupe (Click HERE for swatches of Diving In Malaysia). But at one of the last METRO 20% sales, I just decided to get the real thing and be satisfied. I mean, how do you resist the lure of that molten-metal-duochrome look?!

Then more recently, totally on a whim, I picked up ROUGE CARAT from the Holiday 2011 Collection. Yeah, its a red .. just a red .. but there is something really nice about this red. It also applies really really well; almost a one-coater. I forgot to take a shot of it with my camera and so I only have the shot I posted on Instagram

Stylo Yeux Waterproof in ROSE PLATINE ... Can't say anything because I keep forgetting to use it!!!! :O

OK HERE IS WHERE I'LL EAT SOME HUMBLE PIE - when the Illusion D'Ombres debuted for Fall 2011, I was horribly disappointed. I swatched and swatched and swatched the shades, especially EPATANT because I loooooooved how that shimmery golden pewter looked. And then each time, I'd howl in disappointment given how the swatches would smear all over my hand. I found myself scouring every other brand for an eyeshadow that matched EPATANT but to no avail. So I said "WHAT THE HECK!" and bought EPATANT anyway!

Looks nice in the pot ...

It comes to life when spread out! Look at that glitz!

I realised that the shimmery silver creme shadow from The Body Shop Holiday 2011 palette could be worn on top of eyeshadow with no creasing issues so I tried the same with EPATANT and it works well! In the shot below, I applied it over the pewter-taupe shade from the Chanel Enigma Quad.

So I liked this so much, I went out and got FANTASME also - a smattering of silver white, pink and green crystalline micro-shimmer. I had a bit more trouble with this one - I think I use a little too much and I have glitter fall-out (I checked with Sarah who is a fan of FANTASME and she advised using the tiniest amount only).

U see this? That's my Chanel Enigma quad - I totally hit pan on the pink shade (surprising cos I only use it when I use this quad!) and flattened the silvery-pewter and deep taupe. So .... that justified picking another quad up! :P

Chanel MYSTIC EYES is another very pretty quad ... I'll say that ENIGMA and Lancome ERIKA F (G40) really changed my mind about lighter shades for the eyes. Its not neutral still but I really do like how they turn out.

Its a little bit of a rip-off seeing how little product you get for the price (in comparison to some other brands) and not every single quad may be awesome in terms of texture. But the 2, Enigma and Mystic Eyes that I have are long-wearing, have good texture and apply easily. Plus I love the glimmer in the shades!

My only regret? Not getting the TOPKAPI quad that released with the Byzantin Collection! *cries*

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Ahhh, ok, got that one out of the way .. there are more UNDECLARED items in my stash and I will get to them soon :P

Have you any skeletons in your cosmetic closet? :P Share!

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Disclaimer: All products featured purchased with my own money. I am not affiliated to Chanel

Hola!

I couldn't resist - with all the cinematic references, I just had to rummage through my DVD drawers for my copy of Wong Kar Wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE.

Acclaimed movie director Wong Kar Wai's collection was hotly anticipated by many in the beauty circles and indeed, several pieces in the collection aim to add a little drama, a little sparkle and a whole lot of pizazz to the holidays.

In this entry, I share with you the swatches of the 2 eye and cheek palettes of the collection as well as the palettes in-action.

Revolving around themes of red and blue, the eye and cheek palettes draw inspiration from Charles Bukowski's poem "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" - "dancing in fiery red and icy blue, she is reborn in glittery gold" p is perhaps the most apt phrase that describes the colours in the 2 palettes which retail at SGD$115 each.

Similar to the winking Barbie eye of the Stila Loves Barbie range, the palettes are adorned with dramatic images that shape-shift when viewed at different angles - the stills are from the scenes from Wong Kar Wai's short film, "Mask" which Wong specially created for Shu Uemura to pay homage to femininity - the "movement" of the images reiterates the cinematic theme of the color collection.

Drowning In Flame will appeal to purple lovers - a rich red-toned purple is complemented by glimmering pinks and lilacs

And if you know me at all, you'll know that that deep blue of the Burning In Water palette will stop me in my tracks! The deep blue is offset by a pastel lilac and a glimmering sky blue.

Here is are 2 simple looks I did, using the Burning In Water palette.

Here, I applied the deep blue all over the lid and the pastel lilac in the outer crease; I then applied the sky blue to meld the 2 contrasting shades together.

In this second eye-look, I just switched the colour placement slightly for a subtle variation. I applied the pastel lilac in the inner corner of my eyelid and the deep blue in the outer corners and tied it all together by applying the sky blue in the outer crease.

In both looks, I applied the shimmering silvery gold glitter shade from the Burning In Water palette atop MAC Carefree eyeshadow. I'm also wearing Shu Uemura P Red 14 blush in both looks (from the older range of Glow-On Blushes) - it has excellent pigmentation with a soft sheen that I amplify with a gentle buffing of MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder.

What I liked about the palette was that the eyeshadows were smooth and applied true-to-pan - these eyeshadows are definitely on par with the eyeshadows in the regular Shu Uemura eyeshadow range - I'm really glad to see this given that of late, some brands appear to be churning out value-for-money holiday sets with sub-par quality products. I also was able to use them both wet and dry but I preferred using them wet.

While these shades may look similar to some of the eyeshadow shades in the existing Color Atelier collection, they are not identical, as confirmed by the BA when I enquired.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend!

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Disclaimer: Product was provided by Shu Uemura. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hi, My name is Kas and I'm an eyeliner junkie.

Yep, I have a multitude of liquid and pencil eyeliners in a wide range of shades and I use them faithfully (I'm trying to get out of the guilt-trap) - upper lashline, waterline, lower lashline! So when there's a new eyeliner out, especially when it says "waterproof" and the magic word "sparkle", you know I will not be able to sit still and resist.

There are a total of 8 sparkly shades of the STILA SPARKLE WATERPROOF LIQUID EYELINERS and I picked up 4 - I purchased 2 via Iris who had them CPed (thanks Iris!) and I got the other 2 at Escentials @ Tangs yesterday.

They retail for SGD$32 here but Escentials is currently having a promotion (till 30 Jun 2011) where a purchase of 2 regular items entitles you to a 15% discount. So the price I paid for the 2 here was somewhat comparable to what I paid for those purchased in the US, where they retail for USD$22.

Here are the swatches of the 4 I picked up:

L-R: BORA BORA, ELECTRIC, SEQUINS, ROYAL

• Bora Bora is the typical blue I'm drawn to - Cerulean, bright-in-your-face blue; it dries down to a lovely solid satiny finish

• Electric is a sparkling bright green which applies a little darker but with almost a foil finish - the gold-green sparkles in this is lovely!

• Sequins is a deep black with loads of silver sparkles; when it catches the light, it looks a little multicoloured too but I doubt it'd be that obvious on the eye

• Royal - is amazing. Its a (duochromey) violet purple that flashes blue, pink and purple. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

The other shades are ROCK CANDY (warm brown); FLASH (olive khaki); STARRY (gunmetal) and CURACAO (violet blue). Here are swatches of the rest of the shades

L-R: SEQUINS, FLASH, CURACAO, ROYAL, STARRY, ROCK CANDY

I honestly find it incredibly easy to apply - the pointy, slim felt-tip applicator deposits the eyeliner easily and the texture is such that its not dribbly and runny - the eyeliner stays and dries down exactly at the place you apply it.

In the shot below, I hurriedly applied BORA BORA to my lower lash line and I didn't have much application issues despite the frenzy.  I also found it remained budge-proof and intense several hours later

You can check out Iris' swatches and EOTD with ROYAL HERE

I love these as much as I love my MAC SUPERSLICK EYELINERS (I have them in GOLD, SILVER, PURPLE, NAVY and BLACK) - just as easy to apply and long-lasting. Several reviews have pointed out how these are both super similarly packaged. Case in point:

But I'm not complaining! I love them all!

Now, to conquer at least one from the MUFE range - a hot pink maybe? LOL!

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

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DISCLAIMER: I paid for these products myself.  I am not affiliated to STILA or Escentials. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hellooo!

This all started because of Ms Iris and Ms Mag - all the oohing and ahhing over TOPSHOP's new makeup collection, SANDSTORM and all their swatch-shots brought me to TOPSHOP not once, but 3 times! Of course, the first trip, I managed to psycho Amy (Purplio) to go with me (and buy!!!)

Ok, let's see my socks first? :P I MUST wear socks to sleep (Ok, SOOOO GLAM right?) because I'm a super fidgety sleeper and I have like 500 soft toys + a giant bolster on my bed so half the time my comforter is half-crumpled on the floor. And I sleep in cold aircon - so when I get a muscle pull in your calf in the middle of the night .... excruciating excruciating EXCRUCIATING!!!! I find that wearing socks prevents such muscle pulls.

And since I'm going to wear socks, might as well get something whimsy looking right? Topshop has loads of cute, whimsical designs, all at SGD$9 each (there was a "Buy 2 at 20% off" promo at that time) and the quality is really pretty good - not something that slips off your ankles in the middle of the night.

The bunny wabbit .. rabbit I mean, is printed such that the rabbit face is on your toes! I like the carrots and the cheery yellow

You know that song that goes "SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS" by the Eurythmics? LOL! That was exactly what was playing in my mind when I spotted this!

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And on to the makeup!!! Some of these were purchased during a "Buy One, 2nd Item at 40% off" promotion, while some others were purchased during the recent Double F3 Points promotion.

TUNDRA Cream Eyeshadow - Amazing golden taupe cream eyeshadow base with a tonne of gold sparkles. The sparkles just make shimmery, glittery eyeshadows look even more sparkly. Which means, "I LIKE" :P

Case in point: look at how lovely the Bourjois Little Round Pot Baked Eyeshadow in #11 looks over Tundra?

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Then, I picked up ZEPHYR Eye Crayon

Super smooth shimmery deep gunmetal - the silver shimmer is so fine, I don't even feel it. It reminded me a little of another Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil I almost bought earlier in MERCURY; though ZEPHYR might be a little darker. Its tenacious once set - doesn't quite budge.

The beauty of such shades, it enhances even coloured eyeshadows so you need not restrict yourself in using it only with blacks, greys, etc.  Case in point, Urban Decay Vert Eyeshadow:

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And because I'm a little in love with dark, blackish, sparkly eyeshadow bases, I caved and finally picked up DARKNESS Cream Eyeshadow which I had been eyeing for a loooong time. This is from the permanent collection

Ok, before anyone asks - yes, 3 of my recent cream eyeshadow acquisitions are all blackish and sparkly! :P Here is a comparison shot with some thoughts:

• BARRACUDA - is the most glittery of the 3 - it has chunkier silver glitter; the base colour is a medium-deep charcoal and the texture is a little drier than the other 2 (more like a crayon)

• ZEPHYR - is NOT black actually but more of a silvery gunmental shade; it glides on but sets pretty fast so if you're going to be blending, you might need to work a little fast

• DARKNESS - is the creamiest and wettest of the 3 and also has the deepest base shade, which is practically black. The silver glitter is not super-fine but it's not gritty and enhances glittery eyeshadows.  You also need very little.

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I love mineralised, baked eyeshadows and a smokey duo? Yes pls!

As I expected, both shades in SOLAR CELL are super smooth and are laced with very fine micro-shimmer that gives off more of a glimmer, rather than sparkle. And the formulation itself is great - smooth, pigmented, easily applied / blended. When swatched dry, they're ok but over a base or with a wet brush, they look fantastic! In the shot below, I swatched SOLAR CELL over Darkness Cream Eyeshadow - look at how the light reflects almost a golden tone in the grey-blue shade

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Impressed by Darkness Cream Eyeshadow, I decided to pick up another shade - this time, in SNOW STORM (complete opposite!) Ok, I confess - I almost picked up a Lunasol Shining Ocean Eyes (water-based cream eyeshadow) at Metro recently but put it back given the price-tag. I convinced myself to make do with this instead since it was SGD$13 :P

And here it is in action - the first shot shows a couple of glittery shades from the Urban Decay Alice In Wonderland palette - troublesome eyeshadows where the glitter just ends up almost invisible on the eye; the second shot shows the same shades layered over SNOW STORM. The difference is rather pretty!

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Then I decided to toss my existing pink cream blush, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry which I've had for way toooooo long and the logical, affordable alternative was the Topshop Cream Blush in PINCH! Not too blue-based, not too purplish - just nice bright pink

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And finally, a Coloured Mascara in BLAST ... MY WEAKNESSSSS!!!

I like how the bristles on the brush manage to get in-between the lashes to coat them nicely and I found there was minimal clumping.  I also liked how the blue didn't dry down to a terribly dark navy - there was still some brightness left.

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And here is a look using some of the products from this haul:

BASE: SHU UEMURA UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE in PINK

FACE: MAC STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER in NC45; BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR in DARK PEACH (under eyes); ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE-WEAR FOUNDATION in WARM BRONZE; ANNA SUI PROTECTIVE LOOSE POWDER

CHEEKS: NARS POWDER BLUSH in AMOUR

EYESHADOW: TOPSHOP CREAM EYESHADOW in DARKNESS; TOPSHOP BAKED EYESHADOW DUO in SOLAR CELL (deep gunmetal on lids; grey-blue on crease and beyond); I NUOVI METALLOGY EYESHADOW in GOLD (highlight)

EYELINER: KISS ME HEAVY ROTATION LIQUID EYELINER (upper lashline); MILANI LIQUIF EYE PENCIL EYELINER in BLACK (waterline)

MASCARA: TOPSHOP COLOURED MASCARA in BLAST

LIPS: DIOR ADDICT SHINE in ARTY

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Thanks for stopping by! Have a good week!

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DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated to TOPSHOP; all products featured were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Hi!

I recently got the chance to try out SHU UEMURA's UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE SPF30 PA+++ and 2 of the ROUGE UNLIMITED lipsticks - both are from a Limited Edition Collection featuring art designs by much-lauded Japanese photographer, MIKA NINAGAWA.  Mika is famed for her "pop-and-sweet wonderland" style that lends a touch of Japanese kawaii cuteness without compromising real feminine beauty.

I really do love the promotional posters (and in Shu Uemura counters now), the almost pop-art like background of cherry blossoms of various shades ranging from baby pink, petal pink, bubble gum pink and straight up fuschia, accented by bright blue - cheery, attention-grabbing and feminine all at the same time!

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The stars of this collection are one of the best-sellers of Shu Uemura's makeup collection - the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE SPF30 PA+++ (SGD$78 each). These are literally legendary and are currently available in Limited Edition Packaging and in 2 shades, Pink and Beige

The new UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE formulation is now empowered with "SILCOAT" smoothing technology which is diffused into the patent-pending liquid foaming stabiliser.

SILCOAT:

• maintains the ideal balance between gas and water phases, protecting the gas bubbles from breaking.  As such, the mouse is able to hold more powder while also retaining an amazingly light and soft texture.

• allows the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE to retain more UV filters, which provides higher SPF protection.

Apart from SILCOAT, the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE also contains hydrating ingredients such as AQUATORIL, HYALURONIC ACID and BETAINE.

I've been hearing people RAVE about these mousse bases for years.  But I will admit this - seeing the shades of beige and pink and how the mousse looks almost pasty when dispensed, I've always shied away from trying it, fearing it will go on all ashen on my skintone.

• The BEIGE shade is meant to "catch the light to create a subtle effect for a natural, healthy-looking complexion"

• The PINK shade is meant to "tint the complexion like diffused rosy haloes of light"

Before even opening the 2 canisters of the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE I was given, I went to the Shu Uemura counter in ION to swatch them. And I realised something:

#1: It IS possible to pump out a small amount (like I have done in the swatch shot above)

#2: It is IMPERATIVE for me to USE ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT - a full pump is waaaaaay too much for me (and I think it looks a little pasty when I try a full pump)

As you can see, a small pump actually spreads out to quite a large patch - a little is really all I need.

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Along with the 2 UV UNDER BASE MOUSSES, Shu Uemura also released 6 shades in its ROUGE UNLIMITED Lip Colour Collection (SGD$39 each).

Infused with "sakura hybrid pigment" the 6 shades are mostly pink and in tribute to the cherry blossom flowers.  The lipstick case is also accordingly tinted a delicate pink

PK 341 is a bubble-gum pink shade with bronzed-gold micro-glitter in it.  The micro-glitter is so fine, you really don't feel ANY grit at all.

PK 356 is an HOT HOT HOT pink creme.  When I first applied it, I thought, "Ok, its a little sheer and has a bit of slip" - then as it settled, I realised it was mostly intact after my meal. And my lips were still pink after I had removed all my makeup and showered. Wow. And PK 356 is apparently not available in Japan!

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And so, I decided to put these products, especially the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE, to see how it applies and settles on skin.  Given my initial worry about the shades of the base, these were the things I looked out for, while testing both the BEIGE and PINK mousses for about 2 weeks:

• amount needed for application (which I addressed above)

• reaction to foundation

• whether it looks ashen

• longevity vis-a-vis perspiration and the oilies

I also put it to test several times because I didn't want a fluke result - some days I'm out for long periods but mostly in air-con while others, I'm out for 2 hours but running out in the sun.  So I wanted to make sure about the results.

Why the need to MAKE SURE? Simply because I was impressed from the get-go and I didn't want to kid myself :P

Here are the IN-ACTION shots of both the BEIGE and PINK UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE:

UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE in BEIGE

FACE:

SHU UEMURA UNDER BASE MOUSSE in BEIGE

ESTEE LAUDER Double Wear Foundation in WARM BRONZE

BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR in DARK PEACH + MUFE FULL COVER CONCEALER in #14 (undereyes)

MAC SELECT MOISTURECOVER CONCEALER in NC45 (spots)

ANNA SUI LOOSE PROTECTIVE LOOSE POWDER

EYES:

SHU UEMURA Pressed Eyeshadow in ME GOLD 331 (lids)

MUA COSMETICS Polychromatic Eyeshadow in LAVA (outer crease)

I NUOVI METALLOGY Eyeshadow in GOLD (highlight)

KISS ME HEAVY ROTATION Liquid Eyeliner (upper lashline) + MAC PEARLGLIDE INTENSE in BLACK SWAN (waterline)

MAC HAUTE and NAUGHTY LASH Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Cream in Your Coffee Cremesheen Lipstick

Swatches and Close-Up of the eyeshadows - I really like how rich the Shu Uemura eyeshadows are - I had forgotten how smooth they applied (I had lent Mom my ME GOLD 331 and she ... likes it A LOT :P)

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UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE in PINK

FACE:

SHU UEMURA UNDER BASE MOUSSE in PINK

ESTEE LAUDER Double Wear Foundation in WARM BRONZE

BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR in DARK PEACH + MUFE FULL COVER CONCEALER in #14 (undereyes)

MAC SELECT MOISTURECOVER CONCEALER in NC45 (spots)

ANNA SUI LOOSE PROTECTIVE POWDER

EYES:

SHU UEMURA Pressed Eyeshadow in ME OLIVE 471 (lids)

SLEEK I-DIVINE Palette in GRAPHITE (dark charcoal; outer crease)

I NUOVI METALLOGY Eyeshadow in GOLD (highlight)

KISS ME HEAVY ROTATION Liquid Eyeliner (upper lashline) + MILANI LIQUIF' EYE in BLACK (waterline)

ANNA SUI DOLLY GIRL MASCARA (FULL + VOLUME)

LIPS:

SHU UEMURA Rouge Unlimited Sakura Collection in PK 356

Swatches and Close-Up of the eyeshadows - ME OLIVE 471 is an amazing shade which is one of my more recent acquisitions.  It catches light and can look different in various angles

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For both the PINK and BEIGE UV UNDER BASE MOUSSES, they apply almost transparent.  What is amazing is that they create a smooth, even canvas for foundation and concealer to go on.  They don't seem to react with the foundation and change its colour either.

Ok, so it looks smooth and might I say, glowy when freshly applied. But really, how does it hold up?

The first time I tried the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE in PINK, I was out the entire evening with Amy and Jerlaine and we went all over town, to Holland V (up the hill and 3 storeys to buy our OPI Pirates of the Caribbean nailpolish) and I was rather impressed to see the foundation mostly intact without a powder touch-up.  But that was only about 6 hours of wear.

So, I put it to a longer test and more of a typical day for me, to see how it would hold up:

I put on my makeup at about 1130am yesterday and met my former colleagues for lunch.  Then I headed to campus (parked at open-air carpark and trudged up the hill), had a consultation, drove off to Orchard to run some errands, long drive to East Coast Park with my parents and dinner at Serangoon.  The entire day, I blotted my face TWICE (GATSBY film blotter) and had ONE powder touch-up (with my little Bourjois brush) just before I left Orchard for East Coast.  I took this shot at 1030pm, just before I took a shower.

It does not wear off in splotches and it keeps that smooth even complexion - I'm super pleased with its longevity!!!!

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EDIT dated 7/4/2011:

So I keep using these 2 bases and I really want to stress like I did in my latest reply to Elizaheartyou: the magic of the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE is that the smooth canvass that it creates for a clean and dare I say, flawless complexion, holds up so well under perspiration and the oilies, that really, even after a long day, foundation does not disintegrate and disappear - all you need is a blot with blotting film and it looks fresh. I just had to reiterate this :)

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I really think the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE holds up really super well despite perspiration and the oilies - I haven't touched my MUFE HD Primer ever since I opened these 2.  I think I might prefer the UV UNDER BASE MOUSSE in PINK to the BEIGE and this is DEFINITELY A REPURCHASE FOR ME. Well, at the rate I'm pumping out the teeny pumps, I'd probably only need to repurchase a good 3, 4 months later :P

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week. Be sure to look out for the cherry sakura-themed store displays if you pass by a Shu Uemura counter! :)

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DISCLAIMER: All Shu Uemura products from the MIKA NINAGAWA collection were provided to me for review.  All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.