Dior Summer 2014 (Transat Edition) eyeshadow in Pavillon

I have to admit that I can be sometimes retarded in recognising a gem in sight. Honestly, I cannot believe how long I took to fall in love with Dior Summer 2014 (Transat Edition) eyeshadow in Pavillon.

Lately I have been going 'naked' on my eye makeup due to the morning rush so if I intend to do any eye makeup, my preference is to go simple with just a shade of eyeshadow and eyeliner. Pavillon came at a good time when I am looking for a nice, peach golden shade.

The intertwined tweed pattern on the pan looks so pretty that I can't bear to destroy it.

Ain't the shade gorgeous? Pavillon carries the right amount of peach tone that does makes my monolids puffy and the metallic golden tone looks so safe and subtle without looking too dramatic. If you like your shade to stand out stronger, just apply Pavillon with a wet brush. Texture is smooth and making it a breeze to pick up and apply the pigment on the lids.

Dior Summer mono eyeshadow does not come cheap at $50 for only 2.2oz of product but the quality and shade of Pavillon eyeshadow more than justify the price tag.

Charlottle Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Uptown Girl

Other than Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess which I picked up, I also purchased The Uptown Girl in the same order. It is seriously difficult to just stick to 1 palette from this beauty line!

The Uptown Girl is a beige-grey combination palette which is almost as versatile as a neutral palette. I always felt it 's impossible to go wrong with this combination.

Similar to Golden Goddess that I reviewed earlier, the 4 shades are classified under 'Prime', 'Enhance', 'Pop' and 'Smoke'. My favourite has to be 'Prime' and 'Enhance' as they felt smoother than the other 2 shades.

From left  to right: Prime, Enhance, Pop, Smoke

I would say comparing Golden Goddess and The Uptown Girl, I would prefer Golden Goddess better as the shades in Uptown Girl is more frosty in comparison. Nonetheless, it is still a beautiful palette that one can use for both day and night.

Surratt Beauty.... just gorgeous

Thanks to online shopping again, I managed to score some items from Surratt Beauty from Barneys New York. You might be wondering what is this brand, and who is the founder so I googled it and found an interesting link on the founder, Troy Surratt.

Similar to brands like Addiction, Bobbi Brown, Inglot, Surratt Beauty allows you to create your own palette with the concept of mix and match. For those who are not willing to spend for the extra casing to house your eyeshadows and blushes, don't worry. The individual eyeshadow or blush comes with a plastic sliding cover which is pretty sturdy.

This is how my case looks like with 4 eyeshadow pans and 1 blush, perfect for travelling! One thing to note is that you have to stick double sided tape at the bottom of each pan so that it sticks to the case, as the pans are not magnets.

So what did I got for myself? I got blush in Ponceau and eyeshadows in Dore Rose, Ombre, Tyrian and Patine.

Ponceau (blush): Matte coral orangey
Dore Rose (eyeshadow): My favourite! Shimmery champagne gold
Ombre (eyeshaodow): Matte brownish taupe
Tyrian (eyeshadow): Satin finish in plum purple
Patine (eyeshadow): Shimmery dark taupe

I have to say the texture of Surratt blush and eyeshadow is very very GOOD. The blush is smooth and pigmented and I have been using Hakuhodo Yachiyo brush with it. Application of the eyeshadows is also a breeze because it is so easy to pick up the colour from the pan. It is almost as buttery as Burberry Beauty, Shu Uemura or SUQQU.

Price at USD 32 for a blush and  USD20 for an eyeshadow, the killer comes due to the extra shipping cost that has to be incurred to ship to Singapore. My suggestion is to pick this up if you happen to go to the States or if you have a few friends whom you can collate and share on the shipping cost.

NARS Tropical Princess Eyeshadow Duo

The eyeshadow duo that I will be introducing today is one which I never imagine picking up, you will see why later. This is none other than NARS Tropical Princess Eyeshadow Duo.

NARS Tropical Princess Eyeshadow Dup is part of NARS Adult Swim Collection for Summer 2014 and is a limited edition shade. Initially I thought I would be drawn towards the other eyeshadow duo, Lost Coast but when I checked out the counter in person, I went for Tropical Princess instead.

Tropical Princess Eyeshadow Duo is made up of a neon green shade and icy lavender shade. Honestly, these 2 shades are not part of my usual 'eyeshadow wardrobe' but I was sooo impressed by the shade and especially texture when I swatched it at the counter.

As you can see from the swatch below, for 2 light looking shades, it looks pretty pigmented. And here is what blown me away, the TEXTURE. It is sooooooo smooth and soft. It is almost impossible to not pick up any pigment from this palette.

How I have been applying this eyeshadow duo was using the graduation method with the neon green nearer to the eyelashes and icy lavender above it. The trick is to go easy with the pigment and slowly build up. Without eyeshadow primer, Tropical Princess last a reasonable 5 - 6 hours on my oily lids which is fairly reasonable. I love how the neon green gives my mono hooded lids a nice wake up look.

I know many have been really unhappy with the rubbery case of NARS that looks disgusting after some time. I usually store NARS product in the box that it comes with and they haven't gave me any problem. This could be a tip that might be helpful. :)

Have you check out NARS Adult Swim Collection? Do share with me your haul. :)

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Golden Goddess

This post is yet another much delayed post of an item which I purchase quite some time back. Sorry that I haven't been able to keep up to speed on my blogging post but I am definitely trying! :)

Today I am sharing my thoughts on Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Golden Goddess. As it is not available over the counters in Singapore, I purchased mine over Selfridge & Co. for £38 (before shipping charge).

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette for the eyes is housed in a sleek plastic case that has a mirror but no brushes or applicators. It might not be travel friendly if you prefer a palette that has everything all in that you can just grab and go. However, this is hardly an issue for me since I usually travel without any eye makeup.

This is a close up look for the 4 shades in this palette.

Each of the 4 shades serve a different purpose in the application and it's helpful that it is indicated at the back of the box.

Ler's check out the swatch, shall we? :)

From left to right: Prime, Enhance, Pop, Smoke

In terms of texture, Prime and Enhance feels smooth and satiny, which is absolute love for me. Application is such a breeze. Smoke does feel slightly drier in comparison but definitely not difficult to blend when I apply on the outer V of my crease. Pop, with the golden shimmers in it, felt slightly grainy but fallout is not an issue.

Golden Goddess is my first Charlotte Tilbury palette and although I am not blown away by it, I like them better than Chanel palettes where their eyeshadows feel drier in terms of texture.

Have you tried any of Charlotte Tilbury palettes? Any more recommendations? :)

Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Jardin Zen

Today I will be sharing with you my thoughts of one of the items in Chanel Jardin de Camelias Collection. It is none other than the eyeshadow quad in Jardin Zen.

Other than the fact that I am a sucker for purple shade, the embossing on the quad is also catching my attention. I feel kinof sad that by using it, I will be destroying the design, but well.........

I love how Jardin Zen is a versatile quad that gives the girly feminine look and it can also be transformed to give a smoky look.

The texture of Jardin Zen quad is smoother than the usual baked formula and it's a breeze applying and blending these shadows. The black shade is the only exception that feels dryer. However, since we do not use much of it, the issue is manageable.

Other than Jardin Zen quad, I also picked up Rouge Allure in Fleurie (which I have yet to  break into, hahah). Below are the swatches I took of Jardin Zen quad, Rouge Allure in Fleurie and Sakura Blush over the counter.

Have your picked up any items from the Chanel Jardin de Camelias Collection? Do share with me your purchases. :)

Lancome 'Warm' Holiday Beauty Collection - swatches

Happy Boxing Day! How have you spent your Christmas and are you still unboxing and tearing open your Christmas gifts? I had a simple and cozy dinner with a good friend at my place with simple dinner made by yours truly and I am glad the food turns out decent. Nothing beats having good company over a nice meal and we can just yank and yank non stop.

Today I would like to share a Lancome holiday set which was purchased over Nordstrom. I believe I bought it over a month ago and honestly I cannot remember the details (probably a purchase with purchase) except that this big box of beauty cost USD59.50. Let's unveil this set!

Lancome has 2 holiday beauty collection on sale over Nordstrom and they are differentiated by 'warm' and 'cool' colour tone. I opt for the warm set considering my warm colour tone. The items comes in a huge 2 tier make up pouch which is great for storing stuffs. So what do we have in this set:-

1) Blush in Sheer Amourose

2) 3 eyeshadows in Kitten Heel, Madison Avenue and Latte

3) 'Bi-Facil' Double Action Eye Makeup Remover

4) Advanced Genefique

5) Lipsticks in Pink to The Club and Sugared Maple

6) Juicy Tube

7) Mascara

8) Pencil eyeliner

9) 'La Base' Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer

10) All Over eyeshadow brush

11) Eyeliner brush

It is a pretty well valued set considering the stuffs that comes with in it.

Swatches from left to right: Pink to The Club (lipstick), Sugared Maple (lipstick), Juicy tube, Kitten Heel (eyeshadow), Madison Avenue (eyeshadow), Latte (eyeshadow), Sheer Amourose (blush)

After trying out the items, there are a few touch and go for me. 

Love:-

1) Blush in Sheer Amourose

2) Eyeshadow in Kitten Heel (felt smoother than Madison Avenue & Latte)

3) Lipstick in Sugared Maple

4) Juicy Tube

5) Advanced Genefique (have been using it so this is great for travelling)

6) 'Bi-Facil' Double Action Eye Makeup Remover

7) Mascara

Meh:-

1) Lipstick in Pink to The Club (too frosty for my liking)

2) Eyeshadows in Madison Avenue and Latte (texture abit dry)

3) Pencil eyeliner (smudges on me)

4) All Over eyeshadow brush (I am too spoilt by good brushes from MAC and Hakuhodo)

5) Eyeliner brush (tip too big for an eyueliner, I felt)

Although I did not fall in love with all the products in this beauty set, USD 59.50 is definitely a good value set especially when you are purchasing stuffs and this set becomes an 'along the way' purchase. Otherwise, do take note of the shipping cost. :)

Chanel Illusion D' Ombre in Initiation

Chanel Illusion D' Ombre in Initiation was a gift to me by a very sweet angel. I'm glad to have this for free (cheapo me!!!) because Initiation is indeed a gorgeous shade!

There have been a lot of rants on the blogsphere about the quality issue of the this collection of the ombre and I can see why. It is not as bouncy as the usual batch and you can also see from the picture below that the eyeshadow does not touch the side of the pot as well.

The saving grace, on the other hand was that the texture is still smooth and the colour was not compromised.

Initiation is a beautiful bronze shade which is absolutely versatile for day or night use. I have been using Initiation on it's own in the morning and it is super convenient. Pat it on my eyelid using my finger, draw on my liner, sweep on some mascara and my eye makeup is done in 5 mins!

For a heavier night makeup, just pair Initiation with a darker shade such as Burberry's Mulberry, MAC's Satin Taupe (and the list goes on.....) and you are all ready to party for the night. :)

YSL Holiday 2013 Avenue Marceau eyeshadow palette

I have always have a thing about purple eyeshadows and I'm not sure why. Whenever I check out any counters for their eyeshadows, I will always swatch the purple and neutral shades first. While shopping for the holiday collections of 2013, YSL Holiday 2013 Avenue Marceau palette immediately called out to me.

Don't you just feel happy looking at the case?

Opening out the case is just another happiness. I love the feminine mix of colour in this pan with a shimmery pink and almost white pale pink on the top row and a gold and purple shade on the bottom row.

Let's check out the swatches, shall we? In case you are not aware, YSL Avenue Marceau can be used dry or wet. I personally prefers to use my eyeshadows dry for hygiene reasons (I am paranoid that using a wet brush to dip into the pan will invite germs and bacteria) but for ladies who prefers the colours to stand out better, you have to use these shadows wet.

Swatches (dry)

When swatched dry, it takes quite a bit of effort for the pigmentation to stand out so the swatches above is very heavy. When using a brush, the intensity of the colour is very much reduced.

Swatches (wet)

The swatches above are using a brush which I had wet with MAC Fix+. Although the colour intensity came out similar to the picture above, it requires lesser effort and is with  brush instead of finger.

On a overall basis, I am quite happy with this palette that doesn't gives me any fallout. My only complaint would be the gold and purple shade which feels drier than the other 2 shades. I need to apply more of these 2 shades in order to get stronger colour intensity.

Make Up For Ever Blue Sepia Palette

I'll be honest with you when it comes to eye makeup, I am NOT adventurous. I work in an environment whereby 60% of the ladies do not even apply makeup. Thus, I always tend to tone down on what I am putting on my face so as to not bring attention to myself. However for ladies who like your neutrals and also the flexibility to kick some ass, do take a look at Make Up For Ever Blue Sepia Palette.

What would Blue Sepia palette be without a blue shade?? You can see a nice dark turquoise blue right in the middle of this palette.

 

Swatches below:-

I'll be honest, I do not think this palette have the best texture (once again Burberry and Urban Decay beats hands down). The black shade especially feels the driest. BUT I love using this shade as a eyeliner. If you are like me having mono-lids and like non-defined eyeliners sometimes, this shade is perfect. It can almost give you that subtle smokey look.

Pigmentation of Blue Sepia palette lives up to MUFE's name. I have tried using it with and without primer and both works fine. The colours come out stronger with my Too Faced Shadow Insurance and without any primer, it stays on fine and fading off lightly after approximately 4 hours of wear. Jacq did a few looks using this palette which looks amazing, do check it out. :)

I'm not sure if Sephora still carry stocks for this palette but for ladies who are keen, MUFE Blue Sepia palette is retailing at $75. 

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in 30 Rose Popillia and 34 Blue Beetle

It has been a while since I last purchase any form of eyeshadows because I have not been using much of them for a while as I have been keeping my make regime simple so that I can be done within 5 mins. But when I saw the new Fall 2013 Kaleidoscope Collection Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill online, they really called to me. Thanks to Jacq who are also ordering online, I managed to hitch on her order. Thanks babe!

My choices from this collection goes to 30 Rose Popillia and 34 Blue Beetle. It was tough choices but I was a good girl and only got 2, haha.

30 Rose Popillio looks plum-ish grey in the pot. Honestly, I don't see much of the 'rose' though.

34 Blue Beetle looks gorgeous! The blue teal-ish shade looks amazing. On a side note, I am disappointed that this batch of ETKs looks more flaky and doesn't adhere to the pot as well as the rest of my ETKs. :(

Now, on to the swatches..... Just like the name of the collection 'Kaleidoscope', the swatches looks different from different angles.

I tried to do a comparison with the existing ETKs that I got and I'm glad to say they are unique and not dupeable so far.

ETKs never fail to impress me with their long-lasting formula (even without an eyeshadow primer) which really helps to save time on the application. You can have the option to apply it with your finger or blending brush and I personally find the finger works better. :)

Chantecaille Tiger in the Wild

Thanks for lovely lady, J who was doing her spring cleaning, I managed to purchase Chantecaille Tiger in the Wild from her. Chantecaille is a brand that is new to me and I have never tried any product from them so thought this might be a good idea for me to give it a try.

Housed in a dark gun-metal shade of metal case, it does look kind of classy but is a terrible finger print magnet though. It even comes in a pouch to keep it from getting scratched.

Tiger in the Wild palette comes with 3 eyes shades and 1 cheek shade. Each pan comes with a tiger embossing which is in line with the name of the palette.

Before we get to the swatches of this palette, I really got to rant a bit. For a brand like Chantecaille which sells their palette easily S$100 and above, I wish they could do better on the quality of the packaging. While trying out this palette, I noticed the pan for the light beige shade and blush shade to be loose! No, it's not dropping out yet but I am able to turn it clockwise or anti-clockwise. This is definitely a first time for me!

So anyway, over with the ranting, let's get back to the swatches.

The light beige shade is indeed very light and I really like the taupe shade on the top right hand corner of the palette (then again, I am a taupe lover, haha!). Both the light beige and taupe shade are shimmery and satiny which is lovely but I find the blush shade quite common and dupeable. The darkest shade was one that gives me a pleasant surprise. It looks like black in the pan but when swatched turned into a deep purplish-black shade.

The texture is not the best in the world since Burberry and Le Metier de Beaute win hands down, but it is not difficult to apply and blend and I also did not experience any fallouts.

One of the advantage of Tiger in the Wild Palette is that it incorporates eyeshadows and blush in a palette which is very travel-friendly. The neutral shades are suitable for daily use (for work) and for that special night out with a smokey look, depending on your application. However, the disappointment is the quality of the packaging. Having a loose pan that turns is not cool. :(

SUQQU Blend Color Eyeshadow Palette EX-13 Ginusudama

This post is dedicated to the other SUQQU eye palette which I picked up during my Tokyo trip and it is none other than SUQQU Blend Color Eyeshadow Palette in EX-13 Ginusudama.

Similar to EX-11 Sumiredama, EX-13 Ginusudama has a duochrome shade as well. It consists of a pearly pink, warm bronzy brown, duochrome purplish grey and matte ivory.

The texture needs no further raving because it is just great. The pigmentation is impressive and I really love the duochrome purplish grey shade. It looks complex because you can't really tell if it's purple or grey.

Some of you might be wondering what is the difference between EX-11 and EX-13, because honestly, they really look quite similar in the pan. So here is a comparison for you.

EX-11 Sumiredama (left), EX-13 Ginusudama (right) (Hate it that the pan look so 'dirty' after swatching it :()

In order to see the difference, you really have to swatch it to see it. :) EX-11 Sumiredama is cooler in comparison and you can see the duochrome shade is more purplish whereas EX-13 Ginusudama's duochrome shade has more grey in it.

EX-11 Sumiredama (top), EX-13 Ginusudama (bottom)

Do you need both EX-11 and EX-13? I say they are both different (that's why I got them both, haha). If I have to choose 1..... I would go with EX-11 Sumiredama because of the taupe shade. :)