Friday, April 29, 2011

Makeup Review: Eyeshadow Review - Silky Girl Bedazzled Duo Shadow...

Makeup Review: Eyeshadow Review - Silky Girl Bedazzled Duo Shadow...: "On the left is Freshie Queen (Green), on the right is Mystery Babe (Blue) Pros: 1)Pigmentation: The dark green is really quite p..."

Eyeshadow Review - Loreal Open Eyes Chrome Intensity Acquadistic

Loreal Open Eyes Chrome Intensity Acquadistic
I bought this from Watson during the buy 2 Loreal products get 1 free. I hardly use much Loreal products but was too captivated by this eyeshadow quad, so I had to force myself to get something.

Moreover the quad seems to be hardly available anywhere now, as the new quads are being introduced. I had also seen tutorials using this quad.
I applied this over my existing eyeshadow at Watson with the tester and was impressed by the color payoff. However this was not the case when I reached home.


This is more true to the acutal color.






Cons:
  • Very very low in pigmentation. I had to use a primer, a cream eyeshadow stick and a dense brush to pick the product up. And when it finally showed up, it did not really apply evenly.

Swatched with brush


Swatched with Sponge Tip.
  • The dark color below the white, shows up almost black (and yet not a true black)...boring. And the pigmentation is not even good !
  • The dark blue (bottom left) shows up almost black (why would I need 2 black shades) but is slightly on a blue tone (more acceptable)
  • The white is not too attractive, as the shimmerish effect is lacking. If used for blending, it is not creamy enough.
  • Pretty expensive IMHO for this lack of quality.
Pros:
  • Love the green blue shade. Very special , almost like the colors of a peacock feathers. But I rather get it from Bourjois or Mac.

Conculsion:

Using Loreal's words ''Because You Deserve It'', do get a better eyeshadow. This product is horrid. Would have thrown it away if not for the price.



Eyeshadow Review - Silky Girl Bedazzled Duo Shadow Freshie Queen


On the left is Freshie Queen (Green), on the right is Mystery Babe (Blue)

Pros:
1)Pigmentation: The dark green is really quite pigmented and was darker than I expected. But it is a lovely green (not black or grey), very khaki in color. The whitish shade has a lovely slight green tint. Less pigmented, but good as a wash of color.

2) Costs : CHEAP. A huge pan is approx $11. But personally if they had similiar color (the dark green) for the regular Silkygirl duos, I would get those, as those are more pigmented though more expensive in terms of quantity you get. 


$2 Eyeshadows from Daiso

Went to Johor with Dad during the long Good Friday weekend. Insisted on going to a Daiso store which is at Aeon Shopping Centre. Going there was easy but getting out was not, we were lost for an hour! I bought 3 Daiso eyeshadows made by Ellefar brand. A blue, purple and green. Although all are from the same brand, the quality differs.

The packaging looks even better than cheapish brands like Silkygirl.

My fav : The Blue One
 Sitting Pretty , reminds me of Kate

Swatched with a sponge tip, once. My hand already applied foundation.
Can see it is really pigmented , with slight shimmer. Lovely
The Green and Purple

There were no testers but I read in another blog this is good. But when swatched I was a tad disappointed .

The color is very weak and the secondary color does not show up. Only the primary color does e.g. Green = Yellow, Purple = Pink. Weird!

But I have come to like it more now, as a lovely wash of color with no shimmer but gives a lovely sheen. For $2 it is great as a highlighter / japanese effect wash of color.

 Looks like a lovely purple, but is Pink

Swatched with sponge tip. Tried it with brush and it barely showed up.

Eyeliner Review - DoDo Club Stylish Pearly Eyes Pencil

Green, Blue, Gold and Silver
(There are also brown, sky blue, white in the range)

Green goodness. I never owned this type of light green eyeliner.


Green, blue, gold, silver


My lunch kahki told me this K mart at Novena got this one for one sale. I always scoffed at DoDo Club makeup due to a expensive and horrible makeup glitter I bought once.

However I could not resist the offer. This was  originaly at $7.50 each, but now approx $3.50 each. I tried the tester (a brown shade) and was impressed by the dark brown and smoothness etc.
However, the colors I purchased do not have testers.

Pros:
- Soft : Which means no crazy painful tugging of the eyelids. After I apply loads of eye shadow, it can be hard to apply still eyeliner. The softness can be a con if you only use eyeliner without eye shadow.
- Wide range of exotic colors: There was even an electric blue which I did not get. The gold is a little too light and cool for my liking. Love the silver and blue.

Cons:
- Too soft ? : The blue one seems to be melting away. I actually use the silver one more often and it is perfectly fine.
- Blunt Tip : Upon use, the tip can become blant , but all can be soloved with those mini eyeliner sharperners (I use my Rimmel's one, but Revlon e/l also have)

See my blue one, melting off , wasted as I like this color a lot.

On hindsight:
Should have bought the brown one :(. And will die die not buy this if it was full price. Even at $3.50, I feel I should have saved my $ and buy Revlon or Rimmel.

Brushes Review - Manicare Cosmetica Rounded Contour

Normal length, easier for storage

My very first bushy brush. I think it is synthetic fur. More animal friendly.

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This brand of brushes seem to be only available at Guardian. May be Guardian's way of counter attacking Watson's Eco-tool brushes?

I have recently been hooked on You Tube makeup tutorials and could never get the outer V right. After getting this brush, it makes application for outer V so so so much easier. I really love this brush. It is cheap (around $7), easy to wash and dry and picks up the colors well as it is a dense brush. LOVE this.

I saw another version of this bushy brush that is longer. Not too sure what that is for though.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Eyeshadow Review - Silky Girl Bedazzled Duo Shadow Mystery Babe

I have always been on the lookout of a navy blue, and having used Silkygirl duo e/s I was pretty confident this would work well as I LOVED the duo. However I was a disappointed. The texture is very different from the duo.


On the white, there are these weird lumpy things. And the "dazzling" effect, comes from those strange flakes of shimmery thingy ("flakies").

Cons:
- Not as cream as the duos.
-The white's color payoff is not too strong, but good enough for blending / highlighting. Can turn up chalky.
- The white turns up with flakies and gives a sheen (no shimmer, super tiny ugly glitters) . Hate the flakies, but they are not really noticeable, just irritating to look at. The flakies make the makeup look messy closeup, as you can see spots of white
-The blue looks almost black on me, wished it was more blue

Pros:
- OK level of pigmentation for the price, but you will need primer and lots of patience.
- When used with a good brush the overall effect is still nice. A grey that is not too dark so it is still work apporpriate

Guilty Admission:
I bought the blue as a set for $14. Consisted with e/s, blush, lipstick and a glitter pen. Did not care for the glitter pen or lipstick, but it is so worth it, as I used the blush before and loved it.

Alacarte prices for the blush is $8, e/s is $11. What a fantastic deal. So.........I bought the green one although I hated the blue. I swatched the green one and recalled it was more pigmented.

Will review the rest seperately....

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Storage - Spray Bottles


Spray bottles come at different prices. I always try to get mine from an accessory shop near the Tanjong Pagar Market (think the shop is named May). It is so much cheaper there, compared to other shops. Watson ones are way overpriced.

I use spray bottles for toners, my SK2 water, my hair leave in conditioner etc....for everything:)

Lipstick Review - Revlon Color Burst in Soft Nude



In the last picture, I applied the lipstick over my lower lips only. In real life, this lipstick is less red compared to my natural lips.  If I apply it thickly over my lips, I look like I have no lips.

I bought this after seeing lots of rave reviews on this nude lipstick on foreign boards / you tube, but am left disappointed by the color. It accentuates the redness of my face, as now my face is redder compared to the lips. This is my second nude lipstick (the first was a disaster too).

The texture of the lipstick is good though. Very light on the lips, no scent, does not really accetuate the lines on the lips etc.  I have found  a good use for it now:)

I use it as a lip primer. In some mu books, they recommend using foundation on the lips, so that the color of the lipstick is more vibrant. Hence instead of using foundation, I use this first, before applying my lipstick.

Lipstick Review - ZA Pure Shine Lips PK1




In the last picture, I applied the lipstick only on the lower lips only. I was initially hesistant to buy it, as I own lots of lipsticks, but the color was so cute...so bright and pink. I think this suits people with perfect skin seeking a light glossy look (but not for me). The product gives a super glossy bright pink, but I find that the product looks too oily on my lips, and accentuates my lip lines ....not too attractive.

Storage - Nail sticker folder




I am sure as a little girl, most of us would have a sticker book. However now that I am all grown up, I still have a sticker book. A nail sticker book that is. I bought this at a stationery shop (less than $4), and it is now very easy to look through which sticker suits the nail color best, and pick up the sticker (without smudging my still wet nails), and than put the sticker back in place. When bored, I also enjoy flipping through my sticker conquests.

Purchase of the day - Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel


With rose petal scent ...smells heavenly.

Makeup remover - Aloe Vera Makeup Remover Tissues LUS


LUS means Lovely Your Skin and the product is from Guardian. This product caught my eye as it was the cheapest makeup remover I could find....only $3.90 for 24 Sheets from Guardian. I have tried Biore, Nivea and Beauty Formulars, but this is better.
- Cheaper
- Thicker tissue
- Wetter formular
- Tissue does not dry up that easily
- Tissue pulls out sheet by sheet and not all togehter

The only pros is that, like all the others I have tried, this may not remove super water proof makeup (e.g. certain mascaras). But this removes my Revlon Color Stay Foundation well, and my water proof mascara...hence it is still a great product.

Storage - Daiso Fake Nails


As I own lots of nail polish, it can become a headache when deciding which color you want for the week. With this fake nails, I feel like a professional manicurist. Bought several pieces for $2 from Diaso. It was a hassel coloring this nail plate, but the effort is worthwhile.

Eyeliner Review - L.A. Girl Eyeliner in Black



L.A. Girl Eyeliner in Black




I love colored eyeliners. But somedays I still love my basic black. In the past, I used to use Revlon Color Stay Black Eyeliner. However I decided to switch to cheaper ones. This is the best I have found among the cheapies. This costs $5, and gives a nice dark black, very pigmented, does not smudge easily, does not skip on the eyelids, does not irrirate, easy to sharpen, etc ....no complaints. Cheap and good.

Body Oil - Loccitane Honey and Lemon


I have the Green Tea one (will do a review), and read other boards that there was another oil (an orange scented one), that smells very good. However that was limited edition and I missed it, hence I got this instead.
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The smell reminds me of lemon candies. Very fresh but not overwhelmingly sweet. It gives a powder like scent after ''dry-down''. I use it on my arms before I work, and the scent can last till after lunch. It does not feel overly oily, but sinks into the skin relatively well. However this product is not moisturising at all, as I still get dry spots. But I am using it for the scent factor, as this oil is more value for money compared to the perfume.

Makeup purchase - Leopard printed Powder puff



Leopard printed Powder puff




Found this in an accessory shop at Toa Payoh. So cute!

Lipstick Review - Estee Lauder Tea Rose




I have collected three of these as full sized GWP from Estee Lauder over the years. I think Estee Lauder loves to give out this lipstick as the color can suit any skin tone. In the last picture, I applied the lipstick on my lower lips only. As seen, the color is very close to my natural lips. It is a MLBB color, very natural looking and imparts a lovely sheen to my lips, without looking too oily.

This lipstick is from Pure Color Range, called Rose Tea. It is a relatively boring color, and I think Revlon has a dupe.

Japan Home - Kitchen Wipes

Bought this 40 Wipes from Japan Home at $2. Means 5 cents per piece. I love it, as the cloth does not break and tear easily as it is comparably thicker. It also has an apporpriate wetness to it. The size is also larger than wet tissues, hence it can clean larger areas. Love using it to clean my office surroundings and home.

Lipstick Review - Revlon Color Burst in Fushia




This is one of the first bright lipsticks I own. I usually do not lipsticks, as most seem to look like a layer of colored oil on my lips, very ugly. However this lipstick is different. It is very pigmented (in the last photo, I applied on the lower lip only), does not look overly oily on the lips, feels light on the lips (always like a matte l/s feel), and when used sparingly looks like a lip tint. Simply love it.

NOTD January 2011 Nude Beach





NYX Nail polish in Luxie. Love the nude color. However the polish does not last well on me.

NOTD January 2011 Red for Chinese New Year



From Sasa Tinnie. Do not like the color as it is super duper bright...reminds me of Snow White.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Hair Product Review - Revlon Color Stay Hair Dye





The Story
I used hair dye back in my schooling days, but once I went to work-force, I was too lazy to dye. I tried Loreal and Revlon. Revlon suits me better, as the color gets absorbed by my hair and love the fact that it is amonia free. Once I reached 30, I noticed white hair :(. Had to cover them up...boo hoo.

The Price
$9.90 during sales at Watson. Sometimes Revlon has a promotion, where you get a lippie free with each hair dye. Totally worth the money.  If you go to those cheapish dollar shops at Clementi e.g. Value Mart/ Japan Home etc, you can get them at a lower price ranging from $7-$8. Save!

The Product
Pros
- Ammonia free. Ammonia is usually a main ingredient in hair dyes, and is used to bleach the hair color so that the dye will sink into the hair. Prolonged use, means white hair. (according to what I read). Hence I insist on ammonia free, and in Singapore, it seems this dye is the only Ammonia free range (other than Henna, which I feel is very drying for my hair).
- Color sinks in. This depends on individual, but this hair dye works for me and my dad's grey hair.
- Cheap

Hair Product Review - Shampoo Schwarzkopf Supersoft

This costs $3.90 for 400ml and is only available in Mustapha.

Story
Over the years, my hair has become dry (dying, perming, rebonding, growing them longer). Now I dare not really try those commercialised brands easily available in Watson / NTUC as I find that they generally can be harsh on the hair. On the other hand, I do not want to spend too much money buying expensive ''branded'' shampoos, as I had a bad expensive experience with Sebastian.  Buying shampoo is a major headache, because once the hair is tangled up , hair loss is inevitable. But for conditioner, most are similiar

The better shampoos I have used are the following
- Schwarzkopf Supersoft
- Schwarzkopf BC Repair
- Tsubaki Red (I buy from Chinatown and not Watson, as it is so much cheaper, the white one was actually harsh for me)
- Rejoice
- Essential pink (the orange range is more moisturising)

They do not wash the hair very well, hence I also use harsher shampoos in between.
- Men's range of ''Clear'' shampoo, which feels minty and nice

Shampoo Schwarzkopf Supersoft
Pros:
I am reviewing the Yogurt and Coconut shampoo. I have tried other flavours (Peach, grapeseed) etc, they are similiar, except that Promegranate is different. It is a gel, while the others are cream. The Promegranate one was harsh on my hair.

- Very gentle on my hair, it really leaves my hair supersoft. Often when I shampoo, my hair feels so stripped of moisturise and it all tangles up. But with this shampoo, my hairs does not tangle up. I sometimes feel lazy and skip my usual routine of conditioner.

- Smells heavenly. I really love the coconutty smell.

- Is cheap. I acutally use quite a lot at one washing, because the container makes it hard to control how much to pour out. But luckily it is so cheap.

Cons
- If you have oily scalp, I would not advise the use of this, as it does not really clean out the scalp very cleanly.

Mascara Review - Silky Girl Blackest Black Lash Prism

Story:
I bought this during a one for one promotion, hence each is like S$6. I swear by Maybelline Unstoppable, and usually do not change brands, as one mascara lasts me months even though I use it daily. However I decided to try this out, as I read in other forums that this makes lashes grow. Moreover I liked the mascara wand, as it looks similiar to my VOV mascara (which I love).

My needs:
Dramatic yet natural (ie impactful but discreet), Lengthen, Volumnises, stays well on my oily face, does not flake, does not give me spider lashes, does not droop during the day (I do not use eyelash curler).

Special request:
I go gym after work, hence I cannot use tubing mascaras. Because once I shower, the tubes end up on my face. I also need a relatively waterproof mascara that is easy to remove and yet stays on well enough.

Pros:
- Is a relatively wet mascara, and yet not too wet that it smudges before you apply finish. Due to the wet finish, it gives a nice even coating to each lash, and does not make the lash look brittle. However due to the wet texture, it can clump up your lashes. Hence I always spend time removing excess mascaras with a tissue, or ''draining'' the excess over the mascara opening.

- Adds volume and length. Mascara adheres well and evenly on each hair, hence giving volume.

- So cheap, better than Rhomlon, and just a tad lousier than Maybelline Unstoppable. Unstoppable gives more volume.

- Soft lashes, that do not droop.

- Relatively waterproof. I will not want a super waterproof mascara (e.g. Fasio), because they can be very hard to remove and hence harmful to the lash itself.

Cons :
- I find Maybelline unstoppable easier to use. Could be due to the brush. This mascara does not grab the lashes at the outer corners of your eyes. Hence you cannot make do with just one quick swipe. You need to angle the brush differently for the lashes at the corners of your eyes, where you use the tip of the wand to apply instead. If not, you will end up with unevenly mascared lashes for those lashes at the corner.

- Compared to maybelline unstoppable, you will more likely get unevenly applied

Eyeshadow Review - Daiso $2 Eyebrow Powder



I found this gem in Daiso Dhoby Ghaut. It comes in two tones, one dark grey black, another in a dark coffee brown. I bought this to use as a eyeliner / eyeshadow as I find it hard to find matte e/s in Singapore. The only matte I know of is Revlon matte, but the pan is super huge.

For this price, this is great. It is almost comparable to my Vicent longo Timeliness trio, which has a black e/s.

Pros:
-Really love the color, as it is very natural and makes the eyes pop. It is not a harsh dull flat color, but an interesting yet natural shade. Both shades work well for me.
- Non chalky, hence no messy black powder all over my lower lids. However the brush that you use to pick the product also matters.
- Stiff, almost unblendable texture. This makes the product wear on very well and easy to control. You will need patience though.
- Well pigmented, and yet not too overly pigmented. If it is overly pigmented, often you will end up with a hash look. ( In the past I always thought the more pigmented the better, until I tried my friend's coveted Shu eye brow pencils. That pencil was so difficult to use, as no color seems to come out. But apparently it is most raved about. )

Cons:
- Wished it was a tad softer. The product is not very spreadable. Hence it is like using a pen without much ink. You always need to ''refill'' by brushing against the e/s.