YSL Blush Radiance No. 6

YSL Blush Radiance in No. 6 is part of Project Swap which I had with hot mama, Jacq sometime back and I finally managed to blog about it, lazy lazy me. 

YSL Blush Radiance No. 6 is a matte bright pink shade that look pretty intense in the pan. Honestly, if you showed this blush to Ruby a few years back, I would not have thought I would touch it, especially so because it is matte as well. I have always have a preference for slight shimmery blush and it still holds true now.

Housed in a gold shiny case, it is a terrible fingerprint magnet. But considering that I don't bring it out for touch up, I can certainly love with it.

Pigmentation is impressive as you can see from the swatch below so you do want to go easy with the application initially and slowly build it up. It stayed on pretty well on my cheeks for about 6 hours in the horrible humid weather in Singapore.

I dug out some of the pink toned blush stash that I have and tried to do a comparison to be if YSL Blush Radiance No. 6 is dupeable. Here are the blushes I used.

And here are the swatches in the same order as above (under sunlight in the top shot and indoor in the bottom shoot).......

Burberry Peony and Illamasqua Unrequited looks more powdery candy pink and Paul n Joe Cheek Colour in No. 07 has a stronger coral tone. Tom Ford Wicked looks closest in comparison with the exception that it has shimmer whils YSL Blush Radiance No. 6 is matte.

Overall, I am very satisfied with YSL Blush Radiance No. 6 that I caved in and purchased it IMMEDIATELY when I saw that it was on sale on one of Sophia's blogsale! Yeah to good deal!

Illamasqua blusher in Lover and Unrequited

Illamasqua is another brand of makeup that is unavailable in Singapore. Good thing INTERNET exists in our time and age that there is such a thing as ONLINE SHOPPING.

You can be sure to get pigmented and high quality products when you purchase from Illamasqua. In fact, I was afraid to try out their products as I have always like makeup that is sheer and natural. But needless to say, I caved in anyway and absolutely love their blushers.

I only owned 2 of Illamasqua blusher, Lover and Unrequited. One thing about their blushers is that it comes in matte finish which initially quite turn me off as I always prefer my blusher to have slight shimmer.

Illamasqua blusher Unrequited (left) and Lover (right)

Unrequited is a soft baby pink which not only look lovely in the pan, it also gives a glow on the face that makes you feel kawaii. Lover, on the other hand is a peach coloured blusher which gives a healthy glow when applied on your cheeks.

One thing to note about Illamasqua blushers is that they are heavily pigmented, thus you have to apply it with a light hand. With my usual MAC powder blusher, I usually had to use my Shu retractable brush to swirl 2 rounds in the pan before application to get a subtle colour on my cheeks. With Illamasqua, I can only lightly dap my brush in the pan, tap off any excess before brushing it on. Any heavier, I will end up looking like the latest clown in town.

If you are keen in trying Illamasqua products, you can easily purchase it online. Delivery is made to most countries at a flat shipping rate of GBP8.50. Happy shopping!

My current wishlist (ever growing......)

Just a few days ago, I decided to come up with a wish list of stuffs that I would like to get over the next few months. I can already foresee that this list will just increase and not decrease, haha, which is super bad news. I seriously have to prioritise what to get and what not to get.

1) Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection

As what I have blogged last week, this item is definitely on the top of my list since my current Ettusias UV block is running low. After trying out the sample that L gave me, I definitely fell in love with the light, watery texture.

2) Lunasol Ocean Scene Eyes (Spring 2011)

Given my limited eye makeup skills, I always try to avoid matte eye shadows since the colour tend to come out stronger. If I apply it correctly, good for me. Otherwise, I am screwed since given the amount of time I have in the morning (which is very tight), I have no time to remove and re do it again. Lunasol eye palettes are usually shimmery and lighter in colours which is what I like. People might say it's a waste of money to spend $77 and get a palette that does not seems to show up the colours. But this is actually what I like, I do not need a palette that has strong colours, I want a palette that does show up the colours but in a subtle and natural way, my personal choice. :)

So anyway, I am torn between 01 Warm Ocean (a mix of pink and purples) or 04 Smokey Ocean (a mix of beige and dark blue, seems like a good choice for beginners to try out smoky looks).

3) Chanel Rouge Coco Shine

I am definitely getting Boy and Libertine from this range of lipsticks. Since they are permanent, I can take my time to get them, no hurry!!! :)

4) Paul & Joe 2011 Summer Creation

This collection is so calling out to me!!! I have already shortlisted a few items (limited edition) that I would like to get!!! Dammit.....

I have been a fan of P&J eye gloss and had 2 of them. They are easy to apply and great when I am in a rush as I only had to apply 1 colour on my lid, gently smudging it upwards and I am ready to ZOOM out of the house. 002 Fathom is definitely coming home with me as I have been looking for a brown and silverish eye gloss.

I like the swirling pattern in this lipgloss and I am torn betweem 002 Swept Away and 003 Sailor's delight but I am more inclined to getting 003 for the tangerine, coral shade.

Lately, I have started to appreciate the invention of bronzer. It gives a healthy glow on my face and at the same time I can also use it for contouring (which I still sucks on it but I am definitely practising!!). The fish embossing on this P&J bronzer is damn cute!


4) Chanel Lift Lumiere liquid foundation

I am still considering getting this liquid foundation after trying the sample and falling in love with the medium coverage that looks natural. Perhaps coupled with Chanel loose powder? Hmm....

5) Illamasqua

I am lemming for the following:-

• Blusher in Rumour and Unrequited
• Cream pigment in Hollow and Delirium from Toxic Nature Collection
• Nail Varnish in Stagnate from Toxic Nature Collection
• Pure Pigment in Involve and Furore

This could be a huge hole in the pocket which is why I need to consider carefully before getting them.

6) Dior Nude Glow Aurora Healthy Glow Summer Powder

Cafe Makeup has excellent pictures, swatches and review on Dior's 2011 Summer 2011 Collection bronzer and Aurora particularly caught my attention.

Ok, I think this is ENOUGH for 1 wishlist......... dammit..........

Illamasqua DWS nails

I do not usually paint my nails since my nails are naturally small and short and I am not used to having long nails. Having short nails always give me the feeling that they will look ugly when painted. However, I noticed that painting short nails look all right after a while as I like it, who cares right? Hehe.

Anyway, I order some Illamasqua items with Tracy some time back and 1 item was a highly raved nail polish, DWS. It's a matte grey nail polish with a very smooth consistency that is seriously impressive.



The brush of Illamasqua is quite broad (like OPI) which makes it quite idiot proof for amateur 'painters' like myself. The colour is thick and smooth which makes applying 1 coat sufficient to bring out the colour (for other polishes, we usually need 2-3 coats to bring out the colour). I have painted 2 coats above to make the colour stronger and more consistent.

I have to say that I am truly happy with my Illamasqua products and is seriously tempted to order more stuffs from them. Anyone wanna share shipping cost with me?? :)