[Review] Laneige two tone lip bar in #2 Red Blossom & #3 Pink Salmon

Gradient lips! It’s the lip trend in Asia now hailed from Korea and I find it really clever and flattering. It’s basically the technique of focusing more intense colour in the inner lips and gradually fading into the lip line with a nude / skin / another lip colour. The effect is gorgeoussss. Clever marketeers cuz we now have to get more lip products – lip concealer, at least two lippies, maybe a lip stain as a base omg. 

Today I’m going to review the Laneige two tone lip bar created for the very function of gradient lips that has two lip colours in 1 lipstick! Gradient effect in one swipe, it claims. I was so intrigued by this and it is still the only product in the market like that. Let’s get down to the review!

Brand: Laneige
Product: two tone lip bar
Shade: #2 Red blossom & #3 Pink Salmon
Type: Lipstick
Price: SGD34 (or around USD30 online)
Origin: Made in Korea
Website: Laneige website

THE PACKAGING

  

A rectangular lip bar packaging, different from the typical round lipstick. 

 
 See the little button at the side? Slide that down to get the product up. 

 
Innovative yea? It is retractable by sliding the same button up. But guess what, after photographing these, one of the sliders malfunctioned and it won’t retract even with sliding up! Gosh! Had to use a tissue to push the product back in so the cap can close. Thankfully it wasn’t too hard but don’t play with the sliding up and down unnecessarily!

THE PRODUCT

  

Song Hae Kyo is the prettiest!

   

They have 10 shades. #2 red blossom and #3 pink salmon suited me well when I tried it at the counter so into my bag it goes! 

THE SHADES

      

#2 Red Blossom has a bright red-pink and a nude pink-beige colour. 

# Pink Salmon has a bright true orange and a baby pink colour. 

Love these two lip bars as the colours are really complementary and brings out the gradient very nicely. Some of the other shades have more contrasting colours if you like, and some not even much contrast (like 7 cashmere nude) which defeats the purpose.

On my lips!

   

I find both shades brighten up my complexion in different ways! I don’t own any red red lipstick yet but I find #2 red blossom works on me! 

The texture is smooth and glides on easily. It also feels comfortable on lips, just like a moisturizing lipstick. The lighter colours may accentuate lines so lip balm or scrub first. 

The gradient effect is not achieved in one swipe though. Although I like the diagonal slant which helps create a softer effect, you need a Q-tip to blur out the harsh line between 2 colours. Fingers (even the last finger) don’t do the job as it ends up smearing the line too much that you lose the gradient and end up with one mixed colour on your whole lip. I also tried to use the lipstick edges to blend but then you kinda get both colours onto your lipstick, which you need to clean before your next use so you waste product. 

Staying power is so-so, maybe 3-4 hours? I haven’t found any lipstick which can last beyond 3-4 hours. Except Etude House play 101 pencil #11 with a very matte/dry texture. 

MY VERDICT

Pros:

• Gradient lips with less fuss! No need two different lip products. 
• Innovative design, fun product
• Sleek and light packaging 
• 10 shades, each made with complementary colours and good range from light to dark colours. 
• Comfortable moisturizing texture and wear on the lips

Cons:

• Still need a Q-tip to blur out the gradient line. Fingers too fat. 
• Need to be careful with button sliding thing as mine malfunctioned before using!
• Find the size of the product quite little (only 2g) for the price. It is not as wide as typical round lipstick due to its small rectangular design. 

Overall, I had fun! I’m especially happy with #2 red blossom since I could finally add some red to my lipstick collection. I put #3 pink salmon in my pouch and it is great for daily use and the bright orange really brightens my face with one light swipe. 

You don’t exactly need these lippies to create a gradient effect. Sometimes I actually prefer to use different products and play around with my collection, but for something to carry out and you want gradient lip as quick touch-up, then this is great 🙂

[Review] Etude House Play 101 Pencils in 1, 6, 11, 15, 41, 43, 44, 47 & 50

After watching PONY’s YouTube demo, I was amazed at how she could only use pencils to do a full face makeup! That thought never crossed my mind~ although the video was also sponsored by Etude House (ie. it is an advertisement), I was still inspired to try and eventually got myself…9 of these. Power of YouTube. 

Brand: Etude House
Product: Play 101 pencils
Shade: 1, 6, 11, 15, 41, 43, 44, 47, 50
Price: USD$6 (official website) but can be cheaper on some websites or if you buy in Korea
Type: everything! Can be eyeliner, blush, lipstick and even concealer
Origin: Made in Korea
Website: Etude House website

 THE PACKAGING

  

I bought mine in Jeju Korea while on a holiday and they had a lovely promotion that if I buy 8, I’d get this gorgeous pink pencil case made to house 8 pencils! It was love at first sight with the pencil case, and of course I had to get 8! Not a difficult task lol XD

  

Keeps 8 pencils perfectly. I have 9 🙂

    

Laying the boxes like that make it look pretty, no? Colours of the boxes match the shade of the pencils. 

  

The back of the pencil tells you the shade and is also a sharpener! Another innovation from Korea cosmetics. This is really convenient although I realised I dun use it much – just lazy XD. 

It is also a roll-up system which is great cuz I hate sharpening. So I basically just roll the product up and and when I use them, I try to auto-sharpen it without using any sharpener. It won’t be very sharp but acceptable. 

THE PRODUCT

From Etude House website:

Easy and fast makeup pencil type eyeliner with 50 various colors and textures. Pencil for from beginning to finishing of makeup. 

 – Simply full makeup: Various pencils which could be used for eyues, lips, cheeks, etc.

– Rich color with a single drawing: Rich and pigmented colors that do not need layering over and over.
– 5 various textures: Creamy, matte, glossy, shimmering, and glitter types available. Pick your favorite texture and experience the easy and fast makeup
– Long lasting waterproof function: Made of ‘highly functional waterproof polymer’* for long-lasting makeup.
(*’Highly functional waterproof polymer’ is NOT applied to some of glossy type items)

Color System

– Creamy: Soft drawing texture with rich colors.
– Matte: Soft drawing but powdery finishing. Recommend to use as eyebrow, eyeshadow, concealer, and base.
– Glossy: Moist texture that can simply fill up crease. Recommend to use as blusher and lips.
– Shimmering: Delicate glittering color for urbane look.
– Glitter: Glittering texture for dramatic and fancy makeup.

PONY filmed a new video while in Etude House Singapore using shades outside the 50 classic shades and I was told those are like limited edition and available only in Korea 😦 

THE SHADES

  

• 6 – Glittery champagne pink. Good for inner corners or highlighter. 
• 11 – Creamy orange, for lips and cheeks
• 15 – glossy satin coral peach (my fav!), for lips and cheeks
• 41 – Creamy matte ash brown, good for brows
• 43 – Glitter rose pink and gold, good for all over lid shadow base or highlight 
• 44 – Shimmery bronze ash brown
• 47 – shimmery bronze orange brown
• 50 – Creamy dark brown
• 1 – Creamy black

I tried to use all the colours I have to create a look and tada!

All shades are used except black, as I picked dark brown to be the eyeliner. 

Close-ups!

 

For brows, PONY uses 41 or 42. Mine is 41 and it creates the softest brow look of all the brow products I own. Texture is really creamy and easy to draw. Lasting power is decent too. 

For eyes, it’s abit difficult to spread and blend pencils on lids, but they work great as liners – be it the typical liner or tightlining , inner corners and under eye outer corner lining.  The textures are really creamy and colours pigmented and true to its shade.  The highlight shade, 6 is abit dry and settles into fine lines 😦 

For lips, the pencils are kinda dry, especially 11. 15 is glossy satin texture so it’s better. Lip balm is still a must though. But I notice if you use less lip balm and more product stick to the lips, the lasting power is realllyyyy powerful! It’s the most long lasting lip experience I had, with 11 especially. Expect some product to stick to the dry parts, but both colours are gorgeous. Good as precise lip liners too 🙂

For cheeks and highlight, glossy satin texture like 15 is easier to blend than the others. But the warmth of our fingers can still do the work for other textures, you just gotta work fast. 

MY VERDICT

Good for:

• Many many colours (50 in all!) for you to play around. I recommend the creamy and glossy textures. 
• Eyeliner, tightlining, detail work around the eyes (1, 50 or other dark creamy eyeliner type of colours) 
• 41 for brows creates a really soft pretty look 
• Lipstick for glossy satin textures (15), lip balm recommended.
• Lasting power really awesome for 11 though abit drying. 
• Lip liner, can be really precise and pigmented 
• Cheap!

Not so good for:

• All over lids, not so easy to blend 
• Still need brush if you want a very sharp line for eyeliner. Tip is more suitable for smudged look rather than sharp.
• Glittery 6 abit dry and settle into fine lines in inner corners for eyes

Overall I really enjoy playing with these pencils. I use 1 and 50 almost daily as eyeliners and tight-lining, and also 11 and 15 as lippies. The other colours meant for eyeshadows are kinda ignored unless I want to line the crease or under eyes with 44 or 47. 

 

Which shades have you tried and which are your favs?  I saw Smashbox has a Always Sharp liner product that auto sharpens to a sharp tip (sharper than these play 101 pencils) every time u use it.  I really want to try them next! See how much I hate sharpening? Lol XD

[Review] YSL baby doll kiss & blush in #4 Orange Fougueux and #8 Pink Hedonista

Hi everyone! Today I would like to review YSL baby doll kiss & blush! I really like how YSL comes up with their product names 🙂

Brand: Yves Saint Lauren (YSL)
Product: Baby doll kiss & blush
Shade: #4 Orange Fougueux and #8 Pink Hedonista
Type: Lipstick, Lip tint, Cream blush, Cheek tint
Price: US$40 (I got it at SGD45 duty free)
Website: YSL website

 THE PACKAGING

Comes in a clear square-cut container where you can see the shade clearly. And signature YSL gold tube handle. Simple and sweet! Light and won’t hurt to squeeze a few in your pouch XD

  
The applicator is like felt material with a pointed tip and a round pop in the centre. Overall it picks up the product very well, not too much or little at one go. 

The pointed tip is good for dabbing a few spots on the cheek before blending; and the round pop is great for spreading colour onto your lips. Truly made to work for both lips and cheek huh?! Clever people at YSL!

The bottle opening is made to be as small as possible but sometimes I still worry about air going in and out whether it will dry up the product *paranoid*

THE PRODUCT

On YSL Website:

Kiss your cheeks. Blush your lips. Play with color and mix and match your lips and cheeks. Yves Saint Laurent introduces the latest innovation in the edgy Baby Doll attitude. This 2 in 1 ultra blendable air whipped mousse beautifully highlights your lips and cheeks with a sensual soft matte finish. Available in 12 signature YSL shades.

What’s inside:

• – Hyaluronic Acid Spheres
• – Moisturizing action emollients
• – Softening action
• – Pomegranate extract
• – Antioxidant action
• – Candellila Resin
• – Protection
• – Mineral Pigments
• – Bright sheer color

THE SHADES AND TEXTURE

Edit    

Sorry the lighting is on yellow side. The  pigmentation is really high and colour difference is so clear with flash. 

#4 is a really bright orange coral while #8 is a sheer baby rose pink. Both are just my type of shades 🙂

The texture is really light – truly like air whipped mousse indeed and I love it! Nothing like it elsewhere. 

Blended look below! This shows how it might look on cheeks when you blend it out. 

  

You achieve also this finish when you dab product on lips or cheeks for natural look. Colour depth is certainly adjustable if you layer on concealer on lips or sheer foundation on cheeks. 

You need to dab rather quickly on cheeks to blend it out nicely before product settles. I use bb cushion or concealer to blend out the sides to avoid any harsh lines 🙂

Next, on mua lips!

  

It would work awesome to apply on cheeks too for a matching look, but I was lazy XD

 #4 suits me well as a my-lips-but-better product isn’t it?  #8 really brightens up my face, as with how coral / orange lippies work on me.  What I love is its consistent soft matte texture and gorgeous colour… 

The staying power is ok on lips, and longer on cheeks. I haven’t found a lipstick that truly stays anyway LOL. Because of its matteness, it could feel abit dry on lips and accentuate some fine lines. I also notice it leaves a tint of colour on lips even after product fades – which is a good thing although the tint tends to cling to the dry parts of lips…

MY VERDICT

Pros:

• Love the soft matte texture on both lips and cheeks
• Buildable colour from sheer to highly pigmented
• Wide variety of gorgeous shades (#4 and #8 suit me well but I’d love to get the whole range!)
• Truly dual function where it works well for both lips and cheeks – travel friendly!
• Staying power on cheeks are good! Colour can also be adjusted if you layer on sheer foundation. 

Cons:

• Pricey at US$40 if not duty-free. But product probably will last a long long while. 
• Abit drying on lips and may accentuate lip lines
• Staying power on lips not that long although it leaves a tint on dry parts of the lips which looks fine from far (not so much from near)

Overall 

I carry #8 in my daily pouch now and works great as quick touch up to both lips and cheeks when I need it! I keep #4 at home for us during weekends when I want bright lips 🙂 it’s also a great dual product perfect for travel. 

I tend to always get a natural sheer colour and a bright coral / orange shade for lippies but I’m really tempted to get other shades of this range like #5 as recommended by beautifymeeh YouTuber. The only thing stopping me is the cost and the chance to try something new from a zillion brands out there.  Till I figure what to do, I’m certainly happy with my purchase  and probably won’t ever need to repurchase since quite a lot of product in there XD

I’m just infatuated with YSL, you know?

[Review] and [Comparison] – NARS Contour Blush in #5180 vs MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in #Medium Dark

Hi beautifuls! I always considered contouring / shading to be advanced makeup skills that only pro-makeup artists can handle, but for the past year or so, this concept has boomed so much that any new makeup junkie like me can learn the tricks of making my face look slimmer without exercising *hooray!*

Today I’ll be reviewing the NARS Contour Blush in #5180 that I bought in Japan, and also doing a comparison with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in #Medium Dark (gosh what a long product name). 

Brand: NARS
Product: Contour Blush
Shade: 5180 Olympia (ivory/rose)
Price: US$42 or 4200yen 
Type: Blush / Contouring
Origin: Made in USA
Website: NARS official website

THE PACKAGING

   

  

Classic black NARS packaging with velvet-matte finish very nice to the touch. 

  

Love the NARS font – so classy. Decent size mirror. Larger area for contour shade (rose) and lesser for the highlight shade (ivory). 

THE PRODUCT

From NARS:

A LUST FOR BLUSH

A duo of contouring blush shades to create natural-looking dimension for the face with a lightweight luminous finish. A deeper shade enhances definition while a lighter shade illuminates the high points of the face.

  

Closer look at the powders. They are TOTALLY MATTE. No shimmers at all, so double thumbs up for me! 

There are 3 shades from NARS for this product and this is the lightest and probably the only usable one for fair or Asian skin tone (I am NC/NW20). The other 2 shades are much darker suited for darker skin tones. 

Also love the fact it has both highlight and contour shade in one compact! Good for travel. Just gotta remember to pack a contouring brush along~

Now onto comparing with MAC!

  

Regarding MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural:

A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect light coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day. New mirrored compact.

I was introduced to this by a MAC salesgirl when I told her I am looking for a contouring product. This powder has a thousand shades and she picked #Medium Dark for me. It is really a natural light powder that can be a foundation, setting powder, etc and I never would have thot it could be used for shading. Thanks to the helpful MAC salesgirl!

THE SHADE AND TEXTURE

  

The contour shades are quite different. NARS has more of pink/red hues while MAC definitely lends more to a brown/beige shade. 

The contour shade in NARS is called Rose and I feel it is very apt. A rosy pinkish shade that can be a blush on its own. 

  

Swatches! Reconfirming the rosy hues of NARS and brown hues of MAC. 

On texture, NARS feels really smooth and silky while MAC powders are really fine though not as silky to the touch. 

Both are MATTE. No shimmer. 

  

Just nose shading only. It’s amazing how a small dab of powder makes your nose look taller/sharper. 

  

Nose shading comparison only. Can you see the shade difference? Sorry it’s really subtle. 

I think you can pick the colour that best matches your eyebrow colour or overall makeup look. 

Now onto cheek shading! I’m still super amateur in this so pardon the skills please!

No other blush product applied~

NARS definitely create a more rosy pink look while MAC is slightly darker. Both offer great contouring and definition!

I think you don’t need another different blush product for NARS whereas for MAC, perhaps a pastel lighter colored blush might be good to brighten the face. NARS also has the white highlight shade so it’s really convenient. 

MY VERDICT of NARS

Pros

• Super silky and smooth texture
• Easy to blend, hard to get unnatural blotches
• Fully MATTE
• Contains both highlight and contour shade in 1 compact
• Sleek flat portable packaging with mirror (but no brush)

Cons

• Packaging can get dirty easily with foundation stains from fingers on the matte surface
• Need to buy good contouring brush (no brush included)
• Rosy shade may not suit all skin tones (but it suits mine well!)
• On the expensive side?

Overall

It took me awhile to open this NARS product as I was using the MAC whenever I wanna do shading if at all. Still learning the technique. But I think the rosy hue of NARS probably suit me better than MAC, especially for natural neutral makeup daily. I also love that it has a matte white highlight shade! Don’t really like shimmers on face as I could end up looking like a shimmer ball. 

MAC probably suits a darker makeup look better but I’m definitely happy I have both! Can pick and choose to suit whatever look I have on the day 🙂

Btw for the brush, I use MAC angled contouring brush #168 or Hakuhodo angled highlight brush #B512 / #G512. Both work greattttt ~ 

[Review] YSL Rouge Volupte in #13 Peach Passion

Its been so long since my last post! Today I want to review a YSL lipstick that I hauled recently in USA 🙂 I think this is probably the most famous lipstick in the world and finally I own one of it! 

Brand:  YSL
Product:   Rouge Volupte – Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick
Shade:   #13 Peach Passion
Price:   US$36
Type:   Lipstick
Website:   YSL

THE PACKAGING

  

  

I love EVERYTHING about the packaging!

Classy elegant gold reflective casing. Beautiful YSL engraved detail. And my fav part is, the background colour of YSL engraving matches the lipstick shade!  I dislike lipsticks where I have to turn over to squint at the label in minute font size 2 to see what shade it is…. Certainly YSL folks understand the pain to come up with this clever design! 

Also, it won’t steer you from getting more of the same range cuz the displaying different shades just makes your vanity pretty ^^

THE PRODUCT

  

Quoting from YSL: “An object of desire, this award-winning lipstick is wrapped in a romantic, elegant gold case that exudes luxury. Each signature shade saturates lips in captivating color that’s intensely pigmented, and imparts an irresistible glossy shine. The long-lasting, comforting formula is highlighted with a unique Color-shine Complex that leaves lips visibly smoother, plumper and more radiant. Light, silky texture smoothes on a veil of satiny, sensual color that’s altogether alluring.”

An object of desire – how true! Seriously, a luxury to have 🙂

  

The texture, just like the name, is silky sensual. It glides on your lips SO smoothly and it feels SO moisturizing! 

This is seriously one of the most moisturizing lipsticks I have! Almost like butter. 

The scent is also a pleasure and very mild. Nothing too strong to remind me of anything but I like it 🙂

THE SHADE

  

I love the name of the shade. Peach Passion. 

In natural daylight (pic above), you can see how it exudes a gorgeous peachy colour! Not too bright, not too dark. Just right and perfect for spring!

  

It looks gorgeous with flash too! The pigmentation is certainly rich enough to show colour but makes you look naturally beautiful!

  

I love how it adds colour to my lips yet achieving such a natural look! I am a fan of neutral natural makeup 🙂

Certainly the choice for my daily work days and also any casual outing. The shade matches my skin tone (MAC NW/NC20) so perfectly that I can also use it as a nude shade where I want a smoky night look. 

Notice it also looks very smooth on my lips, not accentuating my chapped lines – thanks to the moisturizing formula!

There are not many days in a week (or month) that I sport a hot red or flashy pink lipstick, so this was such a gooooood buy for me! I use it almost daily for any occasion XD

MY VERDICT

 Pros:

• Elegant gorgeous packaging. Whipping it out of your bag exudes luxury!
• Super moisturizing and buttery texture
• Does not accentuate lip lines or chapped lips
• Rich pigmentation (yet looks natural!)
• Gentle mild scent
• Lasting power pretty long at 5 hours or so. But I love to take it out for touch ups as it is just a joy to look at these lovelies!

Cons:

• Pricey. You can get Korean lipsticks (also good quality) at probably half price. 
• In very hot and humid weathers (like Singapore), lipstick could become too buttery so beware not to store it at places with high heat. 

Overall:

I LOVE THIS!!!!! Holy grail quality. 

Now I wanna get the whole range. Sheez. 

  

Semi Smoky Look x Cafe Brunch

Hi everyone! So I tried out a semi smoky look for my weekend brunch in a cafe.  Weekends are like my best chance to try smoky looks since I don’t really go clubbing or partying at night XD  This is also my first post relating to a cafe so I’m excited!

So first, the look!



For the face: 

• Concealer: Shiseido spot concealer foundation in S100
• Base / Foundation: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in #21 
• Finishing powder: Innisfree Mineral Ultrafine Pact pressed powder

For the cheeks:

• Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheeks in #12 Nudy Peach

For the brows:

• Étude House Play 101 Pencil #42
• Innisfree brow pencil in #3 

For the eyes:

• Eyeshadow: Naked 1 palette – Sin all over lid, Gunmetal in outer corner, up to crease line, and also under eye outer half, Creep to smudge eyeliner and Virgin under eye inner corner
• Eyeliner: Étude House Play 101 Pencil #1 and Clio Penliner in #KillBlack

For the lips:

• Maybelline Babylips balm
• Laneige Silk Intense lipstick in #36 Beige Chiffon 

What do u guys think of the look? It was my first time adventuring into Gunmetal and Creep on Naked 1 palette and I LOVE it! Can’t wait to wear it again!

So I had brunch in Natick Mall, Massachusetts in their newly opened PAUL Cafe originated from France 🙂





Wow 125 years history! Gotta be good. 

I ordered Cafe Latte and Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. I swear that every time I see Eggs Benedict on a menu, I will order it 99% of the time. 





Even looking at the pics as I post makes me hungry. The latte is not so sweet – which is good. The eggs are great too, though I think it can’t beat my favorite eggs Benedict place – Sarabeths. But definitely still better than a lot of places in Asia that I’ve tried. 



The best moment of eating eggs benedict – the yolk oozing out haha. 



I really enjoy sitting at cafés to just relax, people watch, read blogs on my phone, blank out into space and dream of setting up my own cafe someday. 

Leaving USA in a couple of days and although the food portions here are wayyy too large, I’ll miss the different atmosphere and lovely people here 🙂





Best BB Cushions for Oily Skin – HERA (Long Stay) vs Laneige (Pore Control) vs Innisfree (Long Wear)

I’m always on the hunt for the best base makeup for oily / troubled skin, and it sure is a difficult mission.  Sometimes it seems impossible to find the dream balance of coverage, matte yet non drying finish, troubled-skin-friendly formulas, a shade that matches your skin tone and the list goes on.

Among power foundations, liquid foundations, BB / CC creams and BB cushions – my clear favourite today is the Korean-invented BB cushion.  I have tried the following 3 brands for over a year now, and would like to share my opinion on which I think is the best!  Hopefully this helps to make your hunt easier 🙂

HERA UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21  (full review here)
LANEIGE BB Cushion Pore Control in #21  (full review here)
INNISFREE Long Wear Cushion in #21

All 3 are ‘long stay’, ‘long wear’, or ‘summer friendly’ versions best-suited for oily skin and in the most universal #21 shade.   Note the difference to their more dewy and more moisturized finish counterparts.

So let the comparison begin!

THE PACKAGING

For the top of the case:  HERA – Glittery purple.  LANEIGE – Skyblue.  INNISFREE – White.

HERA and Laneige are both manufactured by the same parent company – Amore Pacific – so they have exactly the same size and width.

Innisfree is less ‘thick’ and smaller than the other two, and is lighter.

HERA is slightly dome-shaped for the top cover, where the other two are flat surfaces.  You can also see from this pic Innisfree is less ‘thick’ than the other two.

HERA and Laneige has shiny reflective sides, while Innisfree is just pure white throughout the entire case.

All 3 has a mirror inside, and a central area to house the BB cushion pot.

HERA and Laneige cases are interchangeable – meaning a Laneige BB cushion pot would fit perfectly into a HERA case (and vice versa).   But Innisfree is a stand-alone and no inter-changing for this one.

Winner on Packaging:

To me, HERA win hands down in this category with its beautifullllll shimmery purple casing.  Since all 3 packaging are almost the same, the deciding factor is really the colour.  Next up, I love Laneige’s Sky Blue top too.   Then, Innisfree.   Don’t get me wrong – Innisfree’s pure matte white casing is very sleek and clean-cut but looks a bit boring next to the other two XD

THE AIR PUFF

HERA’s airpuff is the firmest of all.   Followed by Innisfree.   Laneige is the softest of all.  Laneige and Innisfree has blue airpuffs, and HERA’s airpuff is purple.

I find Laneige’s airpuff is the best for its softness and flexibility – and hence could bend to the natural contours of the face for better application.   HERA and Innisfree are abit too firm to apply smoothly around the nose area where surface is not flat – but can still be done.   Just that when you try all 3, the difference is pretty clear.

Winner on Air Puff:

Laneige – for its softness and flexibility that can bend to any contour of the face.  For this fact, I find it easiest to clean too!

THE SHADE, TEXTURE AND FINISH

The colour you see from the BB cushion mesh.  This is not good representation of the product colour itself since the mesh can be of a different colour.  Nevertheless, you can already see that Innisfree shade is the brightest out of the 3.

Tada!  About 2-layer swatches of each product.

The shade:  Innisfree is clearly the brightest – almost the same as Laneige #13 shade (brighter than Laneige #21).  Note that all 3 swatches are #21 but different brands certainly have a different shade despite the same number.

Laneige has the best match to my skintone, and is also the middle shade out of the 3.  HERA is darkest out of the 3, and has a stronger thicker colour – a bit more yellow tone maybe?

The texture:  Oohh… HERA is clearly the most dewy / shiny – and hence my least favorite texture.   On the opposite, Innisfree has the most matte and dry-est finish.  Laneige seem to have cleverly balanced both matte and dewy (but not shiny).

Now I will blend and pat the product and wait for it to settle to observe the finish.

This is the blended finish look!

HERA’s dewi-ness is toned down by the blending – but still has the most moisturized/shiny finish out of the 3.   Innisfree really looks matte… almost dry eh?  Laneige, again seem to achieve the clever balance of matte yet non-dry finish.

Winner on Shade, Texture & Finish:

This is a very personal thing – some people prefer abit dewy, some people prefer all-matte.  And everyone has different skin tones.

For me, Laneige is the winner here.  Not only its shade offers the best match to my skin tone, its texture and finish is also my favourite.  High on matteness, but has slight moisture retained so it is not drying.  Innisfree felt too dry for me, and HERA is way too dewy for my liking.

THE LASTING POWER

I think you can guess this one.  HERA lasted the shortest on me because it is already rather dewy to start with… I definitely needed to pat off the oil and touch up by lunch time.  Laneige and Innisfree has similar lasting power on me, and looked fine for a good 7-8 hours!  Of course I will turn slightly oily by the end of the day, but touch-up is more like a nice-to-have rather than a must.   However, Innisfree had some oxidation around nose area while Laneige stood pretty strong on this one.

Winner on Lasting Power:

Laneige and Innisfree is a draw here.  Lasts all-day… what a saviour!  Innisfree had abit more oxidation than Laneige around the nose area, but also nothing too disastrous. 

THE COVERAGE

Trying to cover up a dark brown eyeliner with BB cushion *mad*

I applied about 1-2 layers, waited for it to settle, then applied another layer on top.   I think all offers pretty good coverage!  If I had to pick a loser, it would be Innisfree because of its brighter tone hence less likely to cover up marks or scars.

Winner on Coverage:

HERA and Laneige is a draw here.  All 3 offers good coverage, but because Innisfree has a brighter tone, and HERA/Laneige has better undertone, they do offer slightly better coverage.  But don’t pack on too many layers, they may turn cakey – especially HERA.

THE SCENT

Winner on Scent:

Laneige (1st).  Innisfree (2nd).  HERA (3rd).

HERA’s scent is a bit too strong for my liking – especially in the morning.  Abit like artificial fragrance maybe?

Laneige and Innisfree scents are very pleasant and lovely.  A bit like spring, a bit flowery.  Mild and just nice, not too strong.  So refreshing in the mornings and makes me smile 🙂

THE PRICE

Gmarket sells all 3 products online and ships worldwide.  Off to the prices and links!

HERA UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21 – KRW48,000 (About USD 45)

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in #21 – KRW37,000 (About USD 35)

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion in #21 – KRW19,000 (About USD 17)

Note!  HERA and Laneige comes with free 15g refill so there are TWO BB cushion pots.  Whereas Innisfree does not have any free refill – so don’t get mistaken that Innisfree is half-priced.

Winner on Price:

Innisfree (1st).  Laneige (2nd).  Hera (3rd).

Just ranking from cheapest to most expensive.  No frills.

SUMMARY!

Laneige wins on shade, texture, finish, coverage, lasting power and scent.  It also has the best airpuff.  (See full review here!)

HERA wins on packaging and coverage.  (See full review here!)

Innisfree wins on lasting power and price.

Pretty obvious – the overall winner is Laneige Pore Control BB cushion for me!

And yes, it is my daily holy grail base makeup.  I’m pretty skeptical I’ll find a better alternative to this, but always waiting and hoping for the next launch of a ‘long wear’ ‘summer-friendly’ BB cushion 🙂

Please share with me your finds for great base make-up for oily skin!

[Review] Too Faced – Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette

I received this as a gift together with Naked Original Palette!  How beautiful right ^__^  One thing for sure is my obsession for eyeshadow palettes just grew stronger and it is literally dangerous to walk into Sephora now LOL XD  So many beautiful eyeshadow palettes there!  I’ve heard good things about this one, so let me do my own review~

Brand:    Too Faced
Product:  Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette
Price:    SGD 69 (or USD 49)
Type:     Eyeshadow Palette
Size:     0.95g x 14 shadows + 2.2g x 2 shadows
Origin:   Made in USA
Website:  Too Faced website

THE PACKAGING

Comes in a pretty pinkish box.  Actual palette is housed in a Chocolate Bar design ~ yum!  I love the glossy chocolate plastic finish – simple and sleek.

Back view~

When you open the Chocolate Bar, the first thing that greets you is the smell of chocolate!  Think this is a first in makeup product history – so innovative 🙂  You also see a mirror of decent size – can fit your eye frame perfectly; and a piece of transparent film with the shade colours imprinted on it.

There is no space for brush. I don’t know about you but my fat fingers can’t do the intricate work of inner/outer corner detail smudging/blending so gotta remember to pack your brushes when you travel.

Taking off that film to show the shadows more clearly 🙂  Don’t understand why they can’t print the shade names below the shadow (like the Naked Palette)?  Make things much easier isn’t it hmm…

THE SHADOWS

“The eye shadows are pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and includes 16 matte and shimmer shades of natural browns, delicate pinks and luscious plums.”

Wow cocoa powder!  That explains the wonderful chocolate scent 🙂

There are 2 larger pans (2.2g each) for the highlight shades – White Chocolate and Champagne Truffle.   The rest of the 14 shades are equal size at 0.95g each.

10 shimmer shades. 6 matte shades.  (Wow 6! I’m a sucker for matte stuff)

SHIMMER shades

• Gilded Ganache – Khaki green with gold tone shimmer.  Love the variety shift from typical browns.
• Marzipan – Pink, rose gold shimmer shade (love this as a lid colour). Abit like Sin from Naked, but darker.
• Hazelnut – Coppery brown shimmer shade.  Like milk chocolate ~
• Creme Brulee – Gold~~ great as centre highlight of the lids
• Haute Chocolate – Dark brown with gold shimmer.  As fine as dark chocolate~
• Black Forest Truffle – Another dark brown with deep plum tone and multi-colour shimmers.
• Candied Violet – Cool purple shade with multi colour shimmer.  Another beautiful change from typical browns.
• Amaretto – Burgundy with gold shimmer.  (I looooooove burgundy shadows)
• Cherry Cordial – Plum and brown.  Looks really plumy but swatch appears more brown.
• Champagne Truffle – Beigy light pink highlight shimmer.  Universal global-must requirement.

MATTE shades

• White Chocolate – Matte white.  Brightens eyes with just a swipe under eyes or brow bone.
• Salted Caramel – Deep pink, light coral matte.  Special isn’t it?
• Milk Chocolate – Middle brown shade.  Kinda in between Naked & Buck in the Naked Palette.  Universal transition shade.
• Semi-Sweet – Deeper brown than Milk Chocolate, but lighter than Triple Fudge.
• Triple Fudge – Deep dark brown.  Yum.
• Strawberry Bon Bon – Light and cool bright pink shade.  Think would be a great brightener or even sweet blush.

There are enough matte shades to create many looks without even touching the shimmer shades, yea?  Gotta try an all-matte look one day!

SWATCHES

LEFT SECTION (3 columns)

The matte shadows can be a little powdery (which means greater tendency for fallouts) and need a couple layers to show the colour more clearly.  Marzipan, Creme Brulee and Haute Chocolate has beeeauutiful shimmer, but the other shimmer shades seem to have lower concentration of shimmer in it.  Not a bad thing I guess lol, but you can see a difference.

RIGHT SECTION (3 columns)

Love the colour of Milk Chocolate and Black Forest Truffle.  Wish Amaretto and Cherry Cordial could have more reddish / burgundy tone – they look more brown when swatched.  Champagne Truffle is just like Virgin in Naked Palette – beautiful beautiful highlight shade.

MY VERDICT

Pros

• Superb variety and versatility. Can’t even count how many looks can be created with just one palette.
• High pigmentation on most shades
• Great value for money.  16 shadows, girls!
• 6 matte shades!  Love the variety on matte shades alone.
• Compact and sleek packaging
• Anti-oxidant cocoa powder based with chocolate smell.  Yum.

Cons

• Some powdery / less pigmented shades.  Plumy shades don’t look as plum as it appears.
• Some fallouts when applying.
• No space for brush.  Gotta pack separately.
• Flimsy transparent film to know the shade colours

Overall

I feel pros outweigh the cons, and it is no doubt a great palette to have.  If you love brown, warm shades only – Naked Original Palette would be a better pick for you.  If you like some fun to play around with more matte shades or Khaki Green or Violet, then Chocolate Bar will satisfy your needs. 🙂

Sample look with Marzipan all over lid.  Semi-Sweet and Cherry Cordial in the crease and outer corners. Creme Brulee in the centre of lids. Triple fudge to smudge my MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in #LordItUp (see review here).  Champagne Truffle in inner corners of eye.

And of course wonderful ‘Vintage’ camera filter on the LINE camera app lolxxx.

[Review] HERA – UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21 Cool Vanilla Cover

I’m more or less sold for Laneige Pore Control BB cushion (see review here), but as a beauty junkie, I can’t resist from trying another brand after raving reviews about HERA UV Mist Cushion – especially when they launched a Long Stay version for oily skin or summer weather! *eyes widen* *money flies away*

HERA is a higher-end, more luxurious brand stouting models like Shin Min Ah and most recently national Korean goddess, Jun Ji Hyun.  Enough said!  Maybe it is human psychology but I find myself succumbing to ads or branding gimmicks, somewhat believing a more expensive product usually gives better result.  I know it is not always true but… *weak heart*

Brand:    HERA
Product:  UV Mist Cushion Long Stay
Shade:    C21 Cool Vanilla Cover
Price:    KRW 45,000 (about USD 45)
Type:     BB Cushion / Foundation
Size:     15g x 2  (one refill included)
Origin:   Made in Korea
Website:  Hera website (in Korean)

THE PACKAGING

VERY classy reflective light purple box 🙂

Oh-so-gorgeous light-purple case with a reflective circumference.   Love~~~~~~

Comes with sturdy packaging with mirror.  As HERA and Laneige belong to the same parent company – Amore Pacific – all their cases are the same size so you can put a Laneige cushion in a Hera case or vice versa!!  This is a superb plus point for me cuz I really love this luxurious case and will continue to use it even if I don’t repurchase the HERA cushion.

The back of the air puff is purple too!  The pic looks slightly blue but it is a gorgeous purple, matching perfect with its luxurious case.

Safety seal ~ Don’t understand the Korean words but not important haha.

THE PRODUCT

Hooray to English translations for the product details insert!  Finally someone in the manufacturing team knows there are tons of global buyers who does not understand Korean 🙂

Basically a super duper multifunctional foundation.

Versatile 5-in-one
Mist + Foundation + Sun Block + Brightening + Cooling effect

5 secrets of UV Mist Cushion
– Natural makeup like professional makeup artist
– Mineral Clay Water with fine water particle moisturizes skin as if spraying on a mist
– Powerful sun screen (SPF50+/PA+++)
– Brightening effect
– Lowers skin’s temperature

Mineral Clay Water
Fine sea water clay particles are melted in Mineral Clay Water.  It controls osmotic pressure of skin and moisturizes skin. And reduce dead skin cells, impurities and sebum and maintain skin clean and moist. Mineral Clay Water lowers skin’s temperature and keep it cool and fresh.

Magic makeup
Everytime pressing the cushion, stabilized emulsified formula passes through the dense cells of the cushion. It covers skin thinly and cleanly and illuminates the skin.

Antioxidant effect & damage prevention
Powerful sun screen level (SPF50+/PA+++) protects skin from UV rays. Extracts from 4 kinds of berreis with antioxidant effect act as a shield.

THE SHADE

There are a few versions of HERA UV Mist Cushion and the Long Stay one has 2 shades only.

• No. C21 Cool Vanilla Cover  (the one in review now)
• No. C23 Cool Beige Cover

There is also other versions like the Ultra Moisture one which gives you super moisturized and dewy finish – but that’s a no no for me.  Oily skin in hot summer weather all-year-round AND dewy foundation just can’t marry unfortunately.

Super fine and intricate cushion mesh just like others I’ve seen.

Oooh.. the air puff is firmer than the Laneige one.  Seems to capture product more easily, but the firmer texture could be slightly harder to apply in the natural curves of the face.

The scent is pretty strong.  Still a pleasant scent but I find it abit strong when I put it in the mornings.  Prefer Laneige scent anytime~

Can you see the superb coverage there?  But the layer of foundation is kind of obvious yea?  It gives me the impression of “I-am-wearing-foundation” look.  Personally I prefer a more natural finish like second skin but this one may turn abit cakey if you slap on multiple layers.

I’ve seen many reviews and they all mention a ‘very matte’ finish – but I beg to differ.  It is not as matte as Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion, and in fact, I see some dewiness and moisturizing glow in it (see above when I mention dewy + oily skin is a no no).

MY VERDICT

Pros

• Superb coverage
• Gorgeous gorgeous case and packaging
• Balanced finish of dewy + matte – suitable during winter or dry countries (but not favored in hot-summer Singapore)
• C21 is truly a natural beige (other brands #21 is a tad brighter and may not suit most skin tones)
• Lasting power…a good 3-5 hours?  Less if it is really hot and humid weather.

Cons

• Slightly thick finish with “I-am-wearing-foundation” look.  Could turn cakey.
• I don’t like the slightest bit of dewy and this one has that so.. this is a con for me (but maybe a plus for others).
• Scent on the stronger side but still pleasant
• Only 2 shades for the Long Stay version.
• More pricey than other brands offering the same function

Overall

I’ll be honest – I don’t like this as much as Laneige Pore Control BB cushion.  Proven more expensive product does not always mean better!  *slap self* I could wear it during winters in Japan, but in Singapore no….  It is already the Long Stay version but I am still fussy it is not as matte and long-stay!

If you have slightly dry skin, this could be best pick for you as it does give you some moisturizing dewiness.  For me…MATTE is the way.

Can you see abit of the dewy finish?  I don’t like dewy LOL XD  It means makeup sliding off my face a couple of hours later -_-

Have you tried any great MATTE BB cushions besides Laneige Pore Control?  Please let me know! 🙂

[Review] MAC – Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in #LordItUp #Undercurrent #DesignerPurple & #PetrolBlue

Once upon a time, I went crazy over MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliners and bought four in one go.  Considering the price, it’s quite crazy just for 4 ‘pencils’.  Thinking back, I surely wasn’t rational but then which girl is when looking at pretty things? 🙂

Brand:    MAC
Product:  PearlGlide Intense Eyeliner
Shade:    Lord It Up
          Undercurrent
          Designer Purple 
          Petrol Blue
Price:    USD 16
Type:     Eyeliner
Size:     1.2g
Origin:   Made in USA
Website:  MAC website

THE PACKAGING

Well, nothing special about eyeliner pencils packaging yea?  Just a pencil LOL XD I like that the shade colour is clear on the end of the pencil.  Easy to grab the colour you want when you put them together with 50 other eyeliners haha…

Freshly sharpened tip 🙂  Can you see how rich the colour is?

I recommend getting the MAC sharpener even though it is a tad more expensive than typical sharpeners.  I used other sharpeners and they cause the liner lead to break!  I ended up losing quite alot of product by having to re-sharpen. Ouch!!

THE PRODUCT

“An eye pencil that provides rich, luxurious colour with a touch of shimmer and sparkle. Soft, smooth, creamy formula glides on for a perfectly intense line, yet its soft texture allows you to blend. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof.”

Rich, luxurious colour — oh yes, very rich and creamy deep colours 🙂

Shimmer and sparkle –– yes again!  I can’t get enough of how fine and pretty the shimmers are!

Long-wearing and smudge-proof — well I like to smudge this abit to create smoky look but after it dries, yes it lasts a pretty long while 🙂  I can’t draw a thin line with this pencil so I prefer to smudge it for more blended look ~

I do notice fallouts when i use it and also maybe it’s very soft and creamy, a little product sometimes get caught in the eyelashes.. when that happens and I blink, I may get panda eyes by the product smearing my under-eye area 😦  It could be because of my eye shape though 😦  Do you guys get this problem, or is it just me?

THE SHADES

Petrol Blue – I love this blue.  It’s just perfect – not too dark not too light and the shimmer is the right amount and right shade too!  Perfect to create deep blue sexy eyes for that special night.

Lord It Up – Brown is most wearable and you can even use it for daily look.  Pretty high shimmer for a brown.  I find myself grabbing this colour most cuz’ of its wearability although the colour is kind of boring haha.

Undercurrent – My favourite!  I find the other 3 colours would have many cheaper good dupes (like Maybelline, Etude House) but this one is just too pretty I can’t find a dupe yet!  The green is so special and the shimmer is intense!  This really brightens up your eye look and have people’s attention on it right away!  Can’t stare enough at the colour whenever I have this on hehe.

Designer Purple – I’d say this is a typical purple shimmer eyeliner.  Among the four, shimmer concentration seem to be least for this one or just less noticeable to the eye.  But overall still a beautiful purple of course.

Let me try it on the eyes…..

Two colours on each eye. I think all are pretty… but Undercurrent! Love love love.

MY VERDICT

Pros

• Rich, intense colour and pigmentation
• Super creamy and soft formula.  Very easy to glide on eyes.
• Very beautiful shades and very fine shimmer.  (Thumbs up for Undercurrent!)

Cons

• Some fallouts (don’t know whether it is my lousy skills or the product..)
• Needs sharpening (yes I am a very lazy girl haha)
• Can’t draw a thin thin line.  Even with sharpening line cant get as thin as liquid liner style so I always smudge this out for more smoky blended look.
• Pricey.  Many cheaper dupes out there that more or less have a similar colour or result (except Undercurrent haha).

Overall

I am tempted to try the Black Line shade (Black with khaki green tone and shimmers) of this range, but other than that, I don’t think I will repurchase my current shades – except UnderCurrent!

I am quite happy with Etude House play 101 pencils and they come at fraction of the price and no need sharpening! Hahaha.  Have yet to try other dupes yet~

But I’m still thankful to have found this Pearlglide Eyeliners as they kind of started the eyeliner craze in me XD

Do you know of other great pearl shimmery eyeliners out there? 🙂