[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] 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 ~ 

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 🙂





[Review] My Beloved Hakuhodo Face Brushes in K002/B002 and G512/B512

If you like makeup brushes, you must know Hakuhodo.  I only started going crazy over makeup about a year ago and before that, I could never understand why people use makeup brushes.  I mean, I would settle for products that already include small brushes as part of the packaging, or I’d be just fine with Q-tips and what not.  That’s before I got into the world of eyeshadow palettes, K-beauty craze, youtube tutorials where everyone use brushes… so… now I own a bunch myself too LOL XD

I chanced upon the Hakuhodo store in Shibuya Hikarie when living in Japan.

Just look at variety!  VERY wallet-dangerous place to go.

I own brushes from other raved brands like MAC too, but I think Hakuhodo is my favourite for brushes.  Maybe I am just Japan-crazy haha.

A LITTLE HISTORY

“The Hakuhodo head office is located about 20 kilometers east of the city of Hiroshima. Hakuhodo was founded in 1974 in the town of Kumano and for around 200 years Kumano has had a long history in the production of brushes. At our main factory in Hiroshima we manufacture approximately 500,000 brushes a month. Our efficient production process which is based on the traditional techniques of truly skilled craftsmen continues to support this. We do not rely on machine manufacturing. In order to maintain the high quality of production, all our brushes are hand-crafted. We have obtained a patent for a method of arranging a brush head which enables us to achieve mass production of quality brushes. This ongoing production policy has enabled us to achieve the honour of receiving the first Prime Minister’s prize of Monodzukuri Japan Grand Award.”

Craftsmen.  All brushes hand-crafted.  No machine manufacturing.  

In today’s world???  WOW. さすが日本。(meaning Japan is amazing)

Let me move on to the brushes! I would like to share the #002 and #512 lovelies~

In its brand-new unopened state.  A cute little Hakuhodo booklet on how to use and maintain the brushes but in Japanese only~

After you snip off the outer plastic casing, there is another plastic cover for the brush!  This one with an opening at the top, so you can continue to use it when travelling.

First…. let me review the ultra-luxurious K002 / B002!

Brand:    Hakuhodo
Product:  K002 / B002 Powder Brush Round and Flat
Hair:     Blue-squirrel (the softest possible on earth)
Price:    JPY 7,344 (~USD 70 at time of posting)
Type:     Makeup brush
Origin:   Made in Japan
Website:  Hakuhodo website on K002

“Suitable for dry, sensitive skin. Bristles made from blue squirrel have little spring but are ultra soft, coverage will be natural and sheer. Less durable, so use the surface of the bristles gently with the handle held flat. Although it works well for lucent powder, it is not suitable for liquid or oil based products.”

Use application	Finishing, Powder, Highlighter
Hair	Blue squirrel
Handle	Wood black (I got the limited Gold one!)
Ferrule	Nickel-plated brass
Size	Brush length:190mm　Hair length:50mm　Hair thickness:14.5mm

Some countries call this brush K002, some call it B002… so I shall just refer to this as #002 for simplicity 🙂

Gorgeous gorgeous thick gold handle.  Super classy and beautiful.

Brush length 190mm.  It’s light and perfect for travelling.

Hair length 50mm.  On the long side.  Dome-shaped best for that sheer natural finish.

Hair thickness 14.5mm.  The denseness is JUST RIGHT – not too dense where you pack on too much because this is meant for a thin layer of natural-finish loose lucent powder, and not too thin where you can’t pick up enough powder.  Seriously, JUST RIGHT.

The top is tapered to reach the natural contours of your face like the nose area or under the eyes.  Even though the brush area looks large, the tapering makes it possible to reach all intricate parts of your face – perfectly.

The girl at the Hakuhodo counter told me this is made from blue-squirrel hair and is the softest possible hair used for makeup brushes.  I was like…o_0 “blue squirrel?” What animal is that? haha.

This is it.  Omigosh so cute!!!!

I wish I could tell you how ULTRA-SOFT it felt on the face.  It is seriously the softest-ever material I ever ever felt in the world!  A luxury, really.

Trying to “show” the softness.  I hope you can feel it.  It is really an indulgence on the face.

Of course, before I give it 5000 points (out of 100), there are 2 down-sides.

1.  The cost.  USD 70-80 is not cheap for a makeup brush – it belongs to the high-end class.  But if you apply loose powder daily, you NEED to try this brush.  The hair used, the shape, the amount of product-pickup, the sheer natural finish it gives, the overall product quality.  I seriously can sense how much thought and care the Japanese put into hand-crafting this product.

2.  Another is that this is natural hair and the sales girl told me to wash it only once a year??  Crazy.  As I have acne prone skin, I try to keep my brushes clean and wash them at least once weekly.  But water is not good friends with blue-squirrel hair (apparently) and she said the hair quality may change if I wet it alot (what a threat!).  Well, so far I didn’t notice any change at all, but I will continue to take special care.

Next up………. the G512 / B512 Highlighter Blush L Angled.

Brand:    Hakuhodo
Product:  G512 / B512 Highlighter Brush L Angled
Hair:     Blue-squirrel + Goat
Price:    JPY 5,400 (~USD 50 at time of posting)
Type:     Makeup brush
Origin:   Made in Japan
Website:  Hakuhodo website on G512

“This highlighter brush is carefully designed to apply makeup around the eye. When you use this brush, use light strokes as if you are removing excess product . This enables you to achieve a natural but glamorous finish.  You can also use it as a blush or shading brush.”  

Use application	Highlighter, Blush, Shading,  Contouring
Hair	Blue squirrel & Goat
Handle	Wood black  (I got the Gold version!)
Ferrule	Nickel-plated brass
Size	Brush length:164mm　Hair length:34mm　Hair thickness:10.2mm

The brush length is 164mm.  Shorter than #002.  Very agile and good control on all your face-shaping, face-highlighting needs.

Hair length 34mm.  Shorter than #002 again as it is made to place product more specifically where you want it.  It is really a multi-tasker to me – for blush, highlight and shading / contouring.

Hair thickness 10.2mm.  It is much more denser than #002 (which is really fluffy soft like dreamy cotton balls), but the density helps you pick up product abit more easily to place them exactly where you want it.

Hair is made from blue squirrel AND goat so it is slightly firmer for its very purpose for cheeks and face contouring.  But because there IS blue-squirrel hair in it, it is still as luxurious to touch it on your face and feels really soft too.  Definitely the softest-yet-firm-enough cheek brush I have tried (compared to for example MAC #168 large angled contour brush).

Because it is mixed with cheaper goat hair, the price is not that unreachable ~USD50 (although still considered pretty high-end).

MY VERDICT

 Pros

• Unbelievably superb quality – from hair to handle to ferrule.
• Hair type, hair shape, hair length, density, softness level perfectly meets the purpose of the brush type. K002 fully blue-squirrel for extreme softness to achieve that all-natural sheer finish.  G512 with mixed blue-squirrel and goat for better firmness for specific face contouring.
• Made in Japan. I like.
• Travel friendly.  Length below 190mm.  Some MAC brushes are too long to fit into any pouch.

Cons

• Cost.  Not cheap.  (but I will urge you to still get it! haha)
• Maintenance.  Must dry with brush straight up, hair on-top and the shape must be in original state when drying.  Cannot lay brush horizontal in its ‘wet’ state as that will flatten one side and change the shape. Apparently, should avoid washing too often so that the ‘hair’ last longer.  Gosh, a thousand rules.
• Hair type suitable for powders only.  For liquid / creamy products, stick to synthetic-hair brushes.

Overall

I really count myself lucky to have chanced upon this Hakuhodo store in Shibuya.  As a new makeup junkie, I thought I was crazy to splurge on high-end brushes, but I can’t be happier with my purchase now that I have tried and tested them.  It is really awesome, muuuuuuch better than any face makeup brush I have tried so far (MAC, Innisfree, etc).

So, have I learnt why people need makeup brushes?  Yes.  Yes I definitely understand why now.