Addiction Blush in Gorgeous and Rose Bar

Next up on my blush fever are blushes from Addiction. Can I believe that I didn't get them for myself during my Tokyo trip in April earlier and actually got them CP-ed by kind Elaine when she went Japan for business trip? Haha. Anyways, here they are! Gorgeous and Rose Bar!

Gorgeous is a pink powdery pink shade with subtle gold shimmer. It looks light in the pan but would go well on ladies with fair complexion to get that 'I got some blush but you can't see it' glow. Lol. I personally like it enough on days that I really want to achieve that 'no makeup but not tired' look.

Rose Bar is a matte dusty peachy shade.

Here are the swatches. :)

Rose bar and Gorgeous in indoor light and under sunlight

The texture of Addiction blushes might not be the best that I have tried (Burberry Beauty win hands down) but I like it enough to not regret my purchases. :)

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. :)

Guerlain Rouge G lipstick in 862 Madam Reve

Other than Guerlain Madam Rougit blush which totally caught my heart and I have blogged about here, I am also keen to try out the Rouge G lipsticks. There have been many raves on the blogsphere on how smooth this range of lipsticks are that got me intrigued and curious. So I took this chance to get 1 from the Fall Collection and my choice went to 862 Madam Reve.

Unlike the usual boring lipstick case which are usually plastic and just comes with a cap that snaps in place, Guerlain Rouge G lipstick case are bigger and heavier due to the metal case and build-in mirror that makes touch up so much easier. The unique-ness in design for Rouge G Fall Collection is the black 'lace' design that is on the bullet case.

862 Madam Reve is a sweet medium pink shade that gives a nice shine on the lips when apply. It looks pretty light when swatched but I like the look on my lips when it is applied. I can certainly see the colour appearing on me. My lips feel moisturised with this lipstick on despite me having dry lips and I don't have the habit of applying lipbalm before it. 862 Madam Reve last approximately 4 hours on me after a cup of latte and sandwich, which is quite acceptable for me. :)

From left to right: Under sunlight, indoor light

Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks retail at $68, which is considered hefty but I think it is worth the price considering the solid case and quality of the product. I doubt I will be stopping at 1 Rouge G lipstick, haha.

Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Revelation & Destiny

With the review of Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage previously, today I am sharing my review of Revelation and Destiny.

Revelation is another popular shade from the Le Blush Creme de Chanel which I see alot of gaga over the beauty blogsphere. It is a lovely warm pink peach tone which I think most ladies can carry.

Destiny is a brown tan shade which works perfect as a bronzer.

In the following swatch picture, I have included Presage for your benefit and you can see that Presage and Revelation looks different. Revelation clearly has pink tones in it whereas Presage is indeed more orangey. I love my choices in this Le Blush Creme de Chanel as the shades are different. :)

Just as per my post previously, the texture of Le Blush Creme de Chanel is smooth and creamy and a little goes a long way. Stippling brush works best for me so far when handling these blushes. However, if you are considering using Destiny to contour, my suggestion is to use a dense goat hair brush instead. The effect comes out flawless and makes your contouring looks more natural as compared to a stippling brush.

With a good lasting power of approximately 6 hours on me, I really love these blushes to bits!

Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage

Hello all! How are you enjoying the long weekend? I am really enjoying it, spending time with my family, caught up with my reading and now finally getting around to blog about Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage!

Le Blush Creme de Chanel is the latest addition to the blush collection for Chanel. Housed in the signature plastic black case with the Chanel logo at the top, it look sleek and chic. It also comes with a mirror in the case which makes it friendly for touch up.

Presage is a matte orange-y shade when we look in the pan. When swatched, I can see hint of pink in it as it does not turns out just like orange.

Left to right: Heavily swatched, blended

The texture of Le Blush Creme de Chanel is creamy and smooth. The pigmentation is extremely pigmented as well and you really need to go easy at the beginning and slowly build up the colour intensity. I noticed using my finger for application can be tricky. I would suggest using a stippling brush to slowly blend it to the intensity that you want and still looks natural. Presage last approximately 6 hours on my combination skin and even at the end of the day when the shade looks much lighter, it has a light stained look which I love.

Presage is a shade that is limited edition so I would suggest for you to purchase it soon if you really like it. :) 

BRAND'S Essence of Chicken - Are Brains the New Beauty?

How many readers out there are being 'coaxed' or 'forced' to drink essence of chicken during an examination during your schooling days? I am, hahaha because my beloved mother believes that it will boost my brain power for the exam.

It has been years since I last drank essence of chicken and I am glady surprised with the variety of flavours BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken. Other than the classic flavour that I grew up with, BRAND'S has came up with flavours to include American Ginseng, Cordyceps and Tangkwei.

Today I am very privileged to blog about BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken and even had the opportunity to interview Dr. Philip Tsang, Chief Scientist of BRAND'S® Health Science Centre to find out more about our mysterious brain!

Miaka: When does a child’s brain get fully developed? 

Dr Tsang: Yes, it is true that some parts of our brain may not be fully developed till our early 20s. But until now, there is currently no definitive answer to how exactly our brain develops at different stages of development. Our brain grows to about the same size of an adult’s brain between the age of 2 to 5. Some parts of the brain (e.g. amygdale, which controls emotion and fear) may not be fully developed until the age of early 20s. More importantly, our brain undergoes a continuous process of fine-tuning that is influenced by many factors including nutrition, environment exposed, etc.

Miaka: How do we simulate ‘brain growth’ in a developing child?

Dr Tsang: It is important to keep the brain active of a growing child. Jigsaw puzzles and games crafted for kids should be given importance. Besides, maintaining a mentally active lifestyle is important as it engage the brain to actively acquire and integrate new information from our environment. This is the principle of “use it or lose it”. As the child learns, he not only increases his knowledge, but the brain is also changing its very structure and increasing its capacity to learn. Unlike the computer, the brain is constantly adapting itself. The more actively the child in engaged in various cognitive activities, the more efficient the brain will become so that the child can learn and perceive with greater precision, speed, and retention of information. 

Miaka: What are the types of food that you would recommend to enhance brain development in a growing child? Will your recommendation defer in an adult? 

Dr Tsang: Nutrition plays an important part in the healthy development of children. When a child reaches the age of 2 - 3 years old, this is the most crucial part of the brain development. The right nutrition and mental stimulation during this period can help boost the potential physical and mental development. For active and growing children, proteins help build muscle and provide energy. Good sources of proteins include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Vitamin B rich food is the energy nutrients and that fuels the child to go about his daily activities. Iron is important for concentration and physical activity. Meat and green leafy vegetables are good sources of food rich in Vitamin B and Iron. DHA and Taurine are brain foods and are optimal growth and development of the brain. DHA and Taurine can be found in eggs and fish.  When the child is unable to intake all these nutrients as a part of the diet, it is important to start him on supplements. Certain supplements can be taken to also specifically promote a child's physical and mental well-being. One such supplement is BRAND’S® AlphaMynd Essence of Chicken with Vitamin B Complex.

Dior Diorblush Cheek Creme in Pareo and Panama

The trend lately seems to be running on cream blushers and I am unknowingly (or knowingly) drawn into it. I was previously not a fan of cream blushers because of my combination skin. Somehow, I feel uncomfortable piling more cream to my existing oil field. But thank goodness for the ever changing product quality of products in the highly competitive beauty industry, consumers benefit from these wonderful products.

The cream blushers I am reviewing today is from Dior Summer 2013 collection and honestly, I am not sure if 'cream' is the right description for it. I will share more later. There are 4 shades of cream blush available in this collection and I am sharing 2 of them: Pareo and Panama

Dior Diorblush Cheek Creme comes in a small glass pot with a screw on top. The opening of the jar is wide which it easy for you to get the product out using your finger or a brush.

The first shade I am introducing is Pareo which is a bright fuchsia pink shade and it looks stunning. That was the first shade I swatch when I saw it at the Dior counter. It almost look like the 'elder sister' of Capri which is a lighter pink shade.

The next shade in my collection is Panama, a orangey shade.

Here are the swatches I got of Pareo and Panama and I included Capri as a form of comparison for readers out there.

I would say medium toned ladies would look better with Pareo and Panama as Capri seems too light. 

Now, back to my comment that I feel the description of 'cream' is misleading..... The texture feels more like a mousse than cream. It feels powdery after application and yet it stays on VERY well. After 6 hours of wearing it, I can still see the colour on my cheeks (even though it looks lighter).

The SA told me that there is 2 way of applying Dior Cheek Creme: 

1) After foundation and before setting with loose powder

2) After foundation and loose powder

I tried both methods with my finger / stippling brush and both work fine. It all boils down to your personal preference.

Dior Diorblush Cheek Creme is retailing at $52 over retail counters and $43 at Changi Airport DFS. The savings is pretty substantial at DFS so if you happen to be going on a holiday over the long weekend, do check these blush out. :)

I currently on a cream blush high and is still reviewing Le Blush Creme de Chanel and I am totally excited!! I shall leave a picture here for your anticipation!!