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!

Paul & Joe Cheek Colour in 07 Prima Donna

After my first purchase of Paul & Joe Cheek Colour, I knew I am hooked and I cannot stop there. So I added 07 Prima Donna to my collection.

07 Prima Donna is a palette of bright candy pink with light brown shade. Both shades contain slight shimmers which is just lovely.

Initially, I was thinking that perhaps the brown shade can be used for contouring but after testing it out, I thought it look redder than in the pan so I will still stick to matte bronzer for contouring. The bright candy pink look warmer and peachy after swatching as well which is absolutely love. After mixing the 2 shades, you get a brownish peachy shade.

From left to right: Light brown, candy pink, mixed

Among the 3 Paul & Joe Cheek Colour that I purchased, 07 Prima Donna is the only shade that gives me 3 different blush shades. I would definitely recommend anyone to check out this shade. :)

Just a preview of the next part of 'Project Swap' with Jacq, she has passed me the following products to play!!! OMG, it's alot of toys and I still has 2 items from the earlier swap which has yet to be featured in this blog so do stay tuned for the 2nd wave of Project Swap. :)

Another week has passed.......

Time certainly flies, doesn't it? I always suffer from pre Monday blues on Sunday and before I know it, it is mid week and yes, Friday is here! My week has certainly been up and down but let's focus on positivity!!

Check out naughty Astro! Sneaking into a bag when he has a chance, lol

And here we have blurry Titus who is snuggling beside BC

More Paul & Joe from Beautybay.com. I can't get enough of them!

I can finally eat cold stuffs after my cough has subsided, yeah!

Paul & Joe Cheek Colour in 02 Re Belle

In the same online purchase where I got Paul & Joe Cheek Colour in Cinema, I also purchase the other shade Re Belle.

Honestly, when I initially chose Re Belle, the picture look like a brown shade and thus I chose it as I thought I could use it for contouring. But when the item finally arrived, the shade look more like a pearl coral with plum pink shade. With the shimmers in the pan, it look more like a highlighter to me. It is a pleasant surprise.

Below show the swatch with pearl coral on the left, plum pink and mixed on the right. Doesn't the swatches look different from what we see in the pan? Surprise surprise!

The colour is actually quite light so I really had to swatch very heavily to get the shade to appear in the pictures. For me who is NC30, I used it more to layer with other blushes than on its own. However, for ladies who are fairer and like that subtle glow or colour, you can use it alone.

Paul & Joe Cheek Colour in 04 Cinema

I have been grossly disappointed since the departure of Paul & Joe from the shores last year and thank goodness for the advance of technology, there is still the possibility of online shopping. In my recent online purchase, I have added the new Paul & Joe Cheek Colour to my purchase because I just cannot resist Paul & Joe and the colours are just too yummy-looking. The review today would be cheek colour in 04 Cinema.

Paul & Joe Cheek Colour are sold as refill and separately from the case. I did not purchase the case as I don't see the need, considering it comes in a plastic case. I have been keeping it in the original packaging so far. (I accidentally nicked the blush while taking this pic and my heart has been hurting! *cry*)

04 Cinema is a matte blush from this collection. It consist of 2 shades: a warm bright coral pink and light coral. Both shades are matte and texture is smooth. When the 2 shades are blended together (1st swatch from the right), the intensity of the warm bright coral pink is toned down and seems to have a pearly finish.

Similarly to most japanese cosmetic products, I do notice that the colour in the pan is much stronger than it actually is and Paul & Joe Cheek Colour is no exception. The picture above shows up better as it was heavily swatched.

In terms of application, my personal preference is to apply the lighter shade first and followed lightly with the stronger shade for the pop of colour. The reason I apply this way is because I felt that the lighter shade seems to blend more easily than the darker shade, thus I rather go easy on the dark shade instead.

For ladies who are interested in purchasing Paul & Joe, Asos and BeautyBay do sells them online and provide free international shipping. Happy shopping!

My love.........

Everyone like things that are pretty or cute and I am not exception. Throw in a kitty into the equation and you got me immediately. I love cats and all my friends know this fact. Any accessories that has kitties in it, I love it. If it looks cute or is in pink, I HAVE to get it for sure.

Today I am posting this totally random post on my love for kitties and I hope I am not boring you with it. Here are some of the kitties stuffs (other than my 4 life fur babies) I have :)

Paul n Joe has some of the the cutest design and in some collections, kitties are incorporated into the design. Make up + kitties = winner for Ruby, hahahahaha. As you can see above, other than the face & eyeshadow palettes that I have used, the highlighter stick and lipstick are still brand new. This is especially so because I can't bear the thought of the kitty head losing a ear or hat. In any case, I shouldn't just leave it brand new and should really start to use them. Yes yes, Ruby.... Stop being a hoarder. :)

Above is 1 of the few Hello Kitty hand phone case that I purchased after getting iPhone 4S. There you have it, cute + pink + kitty = must buy! Lol

Till today, I have no idea who placed this kitty ornament at my office desk. My friend, L call it the stray cat, haha. I guess someone probably saw my love for cats from the pictures of my fur kids that I placed on my desk and decided to randomly give me this.

All my cats, except for Astro are adopted from Cat Welfare Society. For potential cat owners out there, please please support adoption. Strays or pedigrees, you will receive the same kitty treatment :). I have always supported Cat Welfare Society by donating to some of the appeals that the society posted. This calendar was purchased as part of donating to the society as well and it feature stray cats in Singapore as the calendar models.

Here we have is a thermo mug that doesn't work well to retain heat. But it's cute with all the cartoons and do u see a kitty at the top left hand corner???

Lastly, a kitty hand phone charm!! It's troublesome to remove the plug whenever I would like to plug in my earphone but who cares! It's pretty lor!!

Do u have a fetish for something that you can't resist?? Share with me!

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Colour Palette in 076 and 078

I am a 200% cat lady. I love cats and I love my cats to bits. Cats are just full of character that makes me love them more and more. Sorry that I side-tracked but yes, because of my fetish for cats, I know I had to get the limited edition Paul & Joe Collection Sparkles release for spring 2012. Thanks to my favourite SA, Bee Lian at Takashimaya counter, she helped me reserve the Face & Eye palettes and the lipsticks, yeah! :)

There are 3 Face & Eye palettes but only 2 (076 - brown toned, 078 - green toned) palette caught my eyes. I gave the last palette which is a pink and purple toned palette a miss since it look kind of common and almost the same as all the purple palettes that I already had.

Face & Eye Palette 076 Siamese Please is a warm toned palette with shimmery bronze, dark brown taupe with slight subtle glitters and matte beige. Wonderful, wonderful neutral in a palette that is so user-friendly.

The texture is smooth and buttery and this palette is interesting more pigmented than 078. There are blogs that suggested using the bronze shade as bronzer and matte beige as highlighter, how cool is that? Imagine just bringing this palette out for travelling, you just settled your eye and face makeup.

Face & Eye Palette 078 Purr-Fect, on the other hand is a cool-toned green palette with shimmery light green, shimmery moss green and satin white.

The pigmentation of 078 is not as intense as 076 but my personal feel for a green palette is that you probably would not want to look like a Frankenstein with pigmented green lids? Hehe. I also can't think of any ideas how this palette can be used as a face palette so if anyone out there has any idea, do share with me. :)

If we think of these palettes from a practical aspect, the colours may not be that unique and impressive but I seriously feel there are collectable value on these palettes. I am still sad that P&J is pulling out from Singapore.... why why why????? *cry*

Yes, Paul & Joe Cosmetics is leaving Singapore.... :(

If you heard the rumours, you heard it right. Paul & Joe Cosmetics is pulling out of Singapore and they will only be here till end of March. If there are any must-haves of P&J that you have got to stock up, do it before they are gone.

I am so going to miss their cute collections and I guess we have to get them online in future. :(

Bye bye kitties.......

Completed stuffs!!!

What did I say about me being a good girl? See what I have completed over these 2 months!!

From left to right: Paul & Joe Refreshing Skin Toner, Clinique Moisture Surge, Lancome Miracle EDP, Clarins Whitening Pure Aqua Lotion, Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser

I bought Paul & Joe Refreshing Skin Toner during one of the sale at Takashimaya some time back because my toner then (which I cannot remember) is running low and the cheapo streak in me thought it would be good to get it since it was on sale anyway.

I am not someone particular about toner because I was using it as it was part of the 3-step process that I had been following in my skincare regime. Essentially as long as I do not feel discomfort on my skin after wiping the toner over my face and not cause breakouts, it's a decent toner. Paul & Joe refreshing skin toner was light and as mentioned 'refreshing' and has a light citrusy fragrance. I'm not sure if I will purchase it again but based on the factors that I felt fresh after application and causes no breakouts, it is worth considering.

Clinique's Moisture Surge is no stranger in this blog and you can refer to this post for my review of it.

Lancome Miracle EDP is a popular fragrance among many ladies and I had always been re purchasing it after all these years. This fragrance is an absolute love of mine.

Another toner which I completed is a sample size of Clarins Whitening Pure Aqua Lotion. The only peeve I had was the fragrance. For someone who likes fragrance in skincare, this is abit too strong for me. Other than that, it would definitely be a toner I would repurchase.

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser is my love. I have raved about this baby in this post and I have no doubt about repurchasing this again. (In fact, I already did in the recent Metro sale).

So have you completed any stuffs lately??

Seeing the pan of Paul & Joe Pressed Powder

I finally see the pan of my Paul & Joe pressed powder, yeah!!! I almost thought I would never see the pan of it since I had only pan out on Chanel's or Fancl's 2 way foundation (I am more consistent in using 2 way foundation than liquid foundation and pressed powder combo).

Thanks to my makeup pal, Tracy who helped me got it during a sale at Isetan some time back, I finally got to try this pressed powder which Tracy has been raving to me for a while. As only shade 03 was on sale, I bite the bullet and got her to buy it for me hoping it would suit me and thank God, it was the perfect shade for me!

Seeing the pan, yeah yeah yeah!!

Paul & Joe pressed powder feels smooth on touch and has slight shimmer in it (as you may notice from the light specks in the picture below). Ladies with combination or oily skin may prefer their powder to have matte finish and I was one of them previously. However, I grew to like the slight shimmery effect it has on my combination skin, especially when I am 'zombified' and looking extremely tired. This powder immediately make my skin look brighter and more radiant without the 'oily' look. The texture of the powder is so smooth and fine that it helps to conceals my open pores as well. What can I say except 'I AM LOVING THIS POWDER!!!'.

 

Oh, for your information, it is not Paul & Joe case I am using as you may notice from the pictures and instead it is Anna Sui's. As both Paul & Joe and Anna Sui are from the same company, this could be the reason why the pan is a perfect fit in Anna Sui's case. :)

For you guys who would like to try out Paul & Joe pressed powder, they have revamped and came up with a newer version of the pressed powder called 'Pressed Powder Duo'. Similar to the older version of the pressed powder, it comes with the same fine and smooth texture with shimmers but you can see the shimmer at one side of the pan and matte version on the other side of the pan. This give ladies the option of using a mix of the shimmer and matte powder or only the matte powder.

Go try this powder out! This is definitely my HG pressed powder now.

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..........

Lipsticks I am using now

I thought it would be interesting (or boring) to just show you the lipsticks I am using right now. I am not a fan of lipglosses as I do not like the sticky feeling on my lips as well as the fact that they doesn't last very well.

Just to let you know I have pigmented lips which is why I avoid light nude colours as they make me look like a zombie. I usually go for pink and brown tones. Red is still a color that I have not explore as I do not think I will carry them very well.

So here we go........

1) Chanel Rouge Hydrabase in 136 Rosedrop

I am guilty to admit that I bought this lipstick like 2 years ago (!!!!!) and only started using this like 6 months ago, damn....... I was initially worried that this lipstick could have gone bad but thank goodness, it was still ok and I can still smell the rose fragrance in all Chanel lipstick. This range is not available anymore and replaced with excellent range like Rouge Coco and Rouge Allure. This shade is a dusty pink shade which looks extremely natural and suitable for anyone.

2) Paul & Joe lipstick in 002 from 2010 Sahara Collection

Got this lipstick via a 'phone order' with my great makeup junkie friend, T during a sale last month. It was actually last year's summer collection and I have completely no idea what colour was this but I totally trust the taste of T and it turn out really well! Not only is it lovely shade of neutral pink, it is very very moisturising.

3) Dior Addict High Shine in 352 Champagne Blush

Among the 3 lipsticks, Dior Addict High Shine has the most glossiest finish and the colour is also the most sheer. But it leaves this faint pinkish glittery look on the lips that I totally love.

From left: Chanel Rouge Hydrabase, P&J, Dior Addict High Shine

As you can see from the swatch above, the colour intensity does decreases with Chanel being the darkest to Dior being the lightest.

I am seriously hoping that I can quickly finish these lipsticks so I can start on new ones. Hehe.....

Paul & Joe 15th Anniversary Special Issue Mook

Got my 2nd mook, courtesy of L again!!! Yeah and this time is 1 of my favourite cosmetic brand, Paul & Joe!!!

The designer for Paul & Joe is a cat lover like me!!

 

I love their special collections which come in cute pouches! Check out the cat lipsticks at the bottom left hand corner, I have 1 of those lipsticks. Lol.

I am not exactly a fashion follower but can't help but notice these scarves......... looks nice!

 

Now..... to my favourite section of the mook..... MAKEUP AND SKINCARE! Yeah!!!

Paul & Joe has very good primer and foundation. I am personally a lover of their moisturising foundation primer and Creamy Powder Compact Foundation. Makes my makeup stays on longer without the oily or cakey look. *thumbs up* 

The free bag that comes along with the mook. I must say it is a very good size (bigger than A4 size) and can be shoulder slinged. It's waterproof as well!! I can already imagine bringing this bag down to the beach (if I do go to the beach, hahaha).