Review – Tom Ford Eye Color Quad No. 02 Cognac Sable

Also on loan from Jacqueline of My Beauty Hoard, today’s review is all about the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad No. 02 Cognac Sable. The colors are beautiful, and personally these are the type of colors i would have made a move on myself. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Product Description: (taken from Saks website)

The centerpiece of the Tom Ford color collection. Each Eye Color Quad is designed with four opulent complementing shades that achieve multiple looks, from a bold, smokey eye, to a sexy slash of color and everything in between. Formulated with advanced color processes, the four luxurious finishes – sheer sparkle, satin, shimmer, and matte – offer a spectrum of intensity and effects and deliver incredible shade fidelity and outstanding adhesion. Two custom applicators included.

My thoughts:

If you are in the market for quality eyeshadows that pack a punch, go visit the Tom Ford counter. Yes, it will burn a hole in your pocket at S$100 a pop. I say, even if you don’t buy it, go swatch it and feel for yourself. I don’t have many words for it but just remember that it is soft, buttery smooth and glides on like a dream. Even the glitter in that sparkly copper shade is so fine damnit! You are right, these colors are nothing unique, but i personally love the quality, and they are so easy to blend. However, despite how amazing i think this palette is, the dark brown shade (bottom most in the pic above) is slightly less pigmented than the rest, i had to swipe my finger over the pan a couple more times than the rest to achieve that intensity in the swatch above.

Here’s a FOTD where i’ve used the Cognac Sable palette on my eyes. On my cheeks i’m using Tom Ford Cheek Color 03 Flush (which i’ve reviewed here)
What do you think? Does this FOTD suit my coloring?

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – Tom Ford Cheek Color in 01 Love Lust and 03 Flush

Part of my Project Swap with Jacqueline of My Beauty Hoard, I had the opportunity to play with her Tom Ford treasures! Today, i have for you a review of  the Tom Ford Cheek Color in 01 Love Lust and 03 Flush. You may remember my review of Frantic Pink, which didn’t work that well for me. So apparently, i needed a brush with bristles that were more dense so it can pick up more color. I will try that once my new Hakuhodo blush brush arrives.

Let’s have a look at these lovelies before i tell you more.

(Left – 01 Love Lust, Right – 03 Flush)

A closer look at 01 Love Lust

A closer look at 03 Flush

And here, are the swatches of both (in natural light)

My thoughts:

The feel of these blushes are amazing, it contains very fine shimmer, and they are so extremely soft and finely milled. You know you are definitely getting quality goods here, which is to be expected at the price of S$85 a pop here.

When i first saw the swatch in Jac’s review of Love Lust, it reminded me a lot of the Sleek Rose Gold blush and i mentioned it to her. She did say that the Sleek one has more gold in it. I agree with her, and of cos needless to say the quality is worlds apart.

Of these 2 colors, i’m more drawn towards Love Lust (gives me a warm healthy flush) as compared to Flush which is a bright coral pink. Somehow or rather, i tend to favor warmer colors. Both are equally pretty shades though, and very pigmented. I have no problem with these shades showing up on my cheeks. With Flush, a lighter hand is recommended as it is a bright shade and you can slowly up to your desired color intensity. They last an entire work day, no doubt about that.

So it is worth the price, you may ask? Absolutely – every penny. Like i said before, this is one of those that you need at least ONE. ;p

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme in Pink Pearl and Silver Leaf

I hope all of you had a great Labour Day holiday! Even though it wasn’t a long weekend, i must say it was a nice mid-week break. The week seems much shorter and more bearable cos of the break in between.

Today, i will be doing a quick review of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme in 2 colors – Pink Pearl and Silver Leaf. Here are some pictures for you before i tell you more about it.

Product Description: (Taken from the Nordstrom website)

Stay-true color. 15-hour wear. Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme delivers intense eye color that lasts and goes on fast. It’s stay-true color at your fingertips with matte to demi-pearl finishes. Creamy formula goes on smoothly, blends easily. Seamless coverage won’t crease or fade. Can be worn alone or layered under powder eyeshadow. For all skin types and ideal for mature skin, as it minimizes pulling and tugging of the delicate eyelid.

Here’s a picture of both ShadowCremes swatched on the back of my hand

My thoughts:

If like me, you have oily lids coupled with hooded eyes, i think you will love cream shadows. Not only are they budge proof, they are great as a base for powder shadows. They really do help your eye makeup last all day, even without a primer (for me, at least!) But when i know i’m going to be out all day, i still do use a primer most times, just to be on the safe side. I have had too many embarrassing panda eye incidents in this life time. I do not wish to relive those moments again if you know what i mean

The pearl pink is what i would expect from its name – a pale frosty pink. Silver Leaf looks like a brown in the pot, but really it’s more of a taupe with traces of lilac depending on how you see it in the light.

These cream shadows here gives a pearlized finish – very pretty IMHO. It’s very easy to apply – i find it easier to layer the color evenly on my lids using my fingers. That way, the build-up is more consistent; depending on your desired color intensity. There are 2 ways I use these. 1) Use it as a base, and layer with a similar colored powder shadow, then use a darker shade for the crease to create depth 2) Spread it all over the lid, up to the crease and blend quickly. I would layer for increased color intensity, then use a darker shade power shadow for the crease. It works well for me both ways, and i have enjoyed using both of them paired with other colors. I chose fairly neutral shades so there’s flexibility to use with other products if i wish to. The only thing about cream shadows in general is that the color tends to set quite quickly, so you need to be quick to blend.

Thanks for reading! It’s Friday tomorrow, woohoo!

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Face of The Day – Suqqu Kakitsubata

Just wanted to share a face of the day i did using my newly acquired Suqqu Kakitubata (you may read the review here if you missed it). On my cheeks i’m using Tom Ford Cheek Color in 01 Love Lust, which is part of a Project Swap with Jacqueline of My Beauty Hoard. A review will be coming up soon, so stay tuned for that!

Here’s a recap pic of my Suqqu palette.

There are several ways to wear the Kakitsubata palette, but here is one of the ways i like to wear it. I’ve used all 4 shades here in this look – the light gold and matte navy on the lids, the bronze in the crease, and the matte cream on my browbone.

What do you think? How would you use it? Do share!

Thanks for looking! Have a great week ahead ladies!

Review – Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow 01 Kakitsubata

Got my hands on this baby from one of Sophia’s (makeup blogette) blog sale, and i’m glad that i finally had the opportunity to try an eye palette from Suqqu. It’s very pricey, but you absolutely get what you pay for with this high-end product. Before i tell you more about this palette, here are some photos of Suqqu’s Kakitsubata for you.

And here are swatches of the 4 shades

My thoughts:

The packaging is very simple and straightforward really, and it’s incredibly lightweight. It’s nothing like the luxe vibes you get just by holding a Tom Ford palette, but that’s totally fine with me. The quality of these eyeshadows more than make up for whatever else is lacking. There are 4 shades in the palette – 2 shimmery (top row) and 2 matte (bottom row). They are incredibly fine to the touch, and very silky smooth. I used my fingers to swatch the colors, and you can see that they are very pigmented, except for the navy blue shade. However, it’s easier to pick up more color when i use a brush on the navy.

The Kakitsubata is actually a neutral palette, if not for the matte navy. And this makes it a very versatile palette in that sense, i.e. you can create looks for day and for night.

My eyelids are quite oily, and because i have hooded eyes, eyeshadow is usually quite prone to creasing especially without the help of a primer. These colors held up well, especially the shimmery shades which lasted 8 hours with no creasing or fading. The matt shades didn’t quite hold up as long – about 4-5 hours or so. Overall, I’m super pleased with this buy and i think (again!) that if you love makeup, you need to have at least 1 Suqqu palette in your arsenal.

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base

It’s very fortunate how i came about to have this product in my stash. Fortunate for me that is, but not so for Jacqueline of mybeautyhoard. It didn’t quite work out for her, apparently she was suffering from breakouts after the use of this product. And so she passed it to me since she wasn’t using it. Thanks again babe! You are so generous

Let’s check out some product pix shall we?

Product Description: (Taken from the Chanel website)

Ingenious multi-tasking oil- free fluid ‘primes’ skin perfectly for makeup, while adding subtle contours and radiance to the face. A unique blend of powders reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines for smooth, even, flawless finish.

Here’s a swatch of the product on the back of my hand. (Pls excuse me, i put a tad much here for a mere swatch ;p)

My thoughts:

Encased in a frosted glass bottle with a black plastic twist cap, the packaging is simple and very minimalist-looking. Elegant and sophisticated – completely Chanel-esque. My only complaint here is that more thought should be have been put in to the packaging (beyond the exterior). As you can see, there is no pump or whatsoever to dispense the product, and that is why I poured out too much onto the back of my hand for the swatch. With a pump, it would have been perfect.

The product is a luminous white liquid, the texture is quite runny and very easy to spread. It also has a lovely scent – a plus for those who are suckers for pretty scents. It does help to even out the skin tone a little, but as its name suggests, it is indeed very sheer so don’t expect any form of coverage here. What it does it that it gives you a subtle glow, with that dewy effect. In my opinion, it does feel somewhat hydrating despite its sebum control abilities. I’ve noticed that with the Shu Uemura UV Under Base Fluid, the sebum control is better. But it is also more matt/dry at the same time. I realize they are not the best products to compare, as it is not an apple to apple comparison. But i’m comparing what i have in my stash to explain how it can work for different skin types and also what effect you are trying to achieve.

Even with sensitive skin like mine, i haven’t experienced any breakouts or rashes. I’m not sure how much it costs here in Singapore, but it’s going for US$45  as listed on the website. Overall, i think it is a good product if you love the dewy effect and the subtle glow. It will work well for those who have semi-oily skin. If you’re looking for something to help with severely oily skin, this will not cut it.

Hope this review was useful! Have a great week ahead everyone!

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink No.06

I know…lots of ‘firsts’ these days. It’s a phase i tell you. I was trying my best to convince myself i didn’t need all these new goodies, but i guess you know by now i’m not so good at saying no to myself. Lol! So here we have the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink!

The palette comes complete with a velvet pouch, along with 3 mini applicators. (not photographed here) I definitely prefer using my own brushes, so i’ve left them untouched till now. Just like its Light Glow and Sheer Powder, the packaging incorporates a magnetic closure. A feature i definitely appreciate

Let’s take a closer look.

Product Description: (Taken from the Burberry website)

• A quartet of densely pigmented, coordinating eye colours that enrich the skin and remain vibrant all day
• The formulation of each shadow has been customised to give a targeted texture for a specific use: luminising base highlighter, two medium colours to add shape, and an intense liner
• The skin protecting, glide-on formula is blended with satin smooth silicones and enriching conditioners

This swatch was photographed against direct sunlight.

My thoughts:

With the exception of my Sleek eyeshadow palettes and the crazy colors, most of the other eye palettes in my stash are mainly neutral. This is no exception, i need colors which are wearable, versatile and work-friendly. Do you have in mind the same criteria when shopping for a quality eye palette? However, this is a little different from what i already own – the plum shade is what sealed the deal for me. In terms of quality, Burberry has not disappointed me. These eyeshadows are soft and smooth. So easy to apply, it glides on your lids like a dream and so easy to blend. No fall outs! Absolutely S$85 well spent. I can’t wait to do a proper FOTD with this eye palette soon.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – Burberry Light Glow in Coral Pink No.09

My first Burberry Light Glow Blush from their Spring/Summer’13 Collection! This is yet another product that i told myself i need at least ONE!! Whoops, can you tell i’ve been over-indulging lately?!?! Lucky thing i got it when they were having the 12% rebate at Tangs some weeks ago.

Product Description: (Taken from the Burberry website)

• A lightweight blush that gives the skin a bright fresh glow
• Burberry Light Glow contains silicones for effortless and even application and wild rose extract for moisturising benefits
• The complexion glows with natural looking radiance
• Apply to the hollow of the cheeks to slim the face or apply to the cheek bone to highlight

I’m happy just looking at it… so pretty… and i love the embossed trench pattern. It took me a while to actually start using it, cos i just didn’t want to ruin the pattern. LOL!

My thoughts:

What i really like about the packaging is the magnetic closure, it is definitely one factor that sets it apart from blushers of other brands. The texture of this blush is super soft and finely-milled. It applies smoothly like a dream! Do not be fooled by the name ‘Light Glow’! With a matte finish, this dark pink blush is more than decently pigmented. It also has pretty good lasting power, lasting up to 8 hours or so. It gives you a nice healthy flush on the cheeks, and the quality is IMHO, outstanding. It is well worth its S$61. I didn’t really see the point of getting this and Hydrangea Pink which is the other blush from this Spring Collection. They appear to be kind of similar, just that this is a warmer shade and the Hydrangea Pink is more cool-toned.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Mini Paul & Joe Haul

Just an ‘almost mid-week’ sharing of my mini haul from Asos.com!

These are my first Paul & Joe purchases, even though I’ve always been drawn to the flirty & feminine persona of its products. A tad late i know… especially now that they’re no longer available in Singapore.

Image taken from Asos.com

Anyhoooo…Here are some pix of my purchases – the Paul & Joe Face Color in Cinema & Eyebrow Powder.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! Hang in there… the weekend is almost here!

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.

Review – NARS Blush in Torrid

The perfect blend of shimmery pink and peach – NARS Blush in Torrid

Product Description:

The ultimate authority in blush, NARS offers the industry’s most iconic shades for cheeks. Natural, healthy-looking color that immediately enlivens the complexion. A light application of even the highest-intensity hues delivers a natural-looking flush.

• Silky texture in matte and shimmering shades
• Micronized powder ensures soft, blendable application
• Iconic NARS shades

Here’s a swatch of Torrid – (Bottom) Before blending, (Top) After blending

My thoughts:

Not quite a coral, it is a beautiful blend of pink and peach. Before blending (bottom) it leans more towards a tangerine-like shade, but once blended you get a pink with peachy undertones (top). I LOVE it so much. Most of you are no strangers to NARS, so you’d be familiar with how well-pigmented and long lasting their blushes are. Even as a shimmery shade, it gives you a subtle glow. Don’t worry about looking like a disco-ball. This color can last through a typical working day for me, i.e. 9:00-6:00. The color intensity is definitely buildable, and i think this shade is one that would suit most skin tones well. NARS blushes don’t come cheap, but i think they are well worth the price for its quality.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and have not been influenced by PR companies or advertisers. Products featured/reviewed are purchased with my own money, unless otherwise stated.