Jill Stuart Pure Lasting Makeup Base

Hello lovelies! Its the last day of January, I believe my last post was eleven days ago so let me make it up to you by posting my review for the Jill Stuart Pure Lasting Makeup Base. :)

Description from the box: Makeup base to refine the look of pores for a smooth, luminous complexion. Prevents shine and extends foundation wear.

Packaging is typical Jill Stuart, very cute and princessy. The bottle is small (3.75 inches tall), very light and comes with a screw cap which makes it very suitable for travel. Although the pink bottle seems opaque, it is sheer enough to see the remaining product inside the bottle. It contains 25mL of product.

Consistency is very light and liquid, making it very easy to spread and blend. It has the signature Jill Stuart floral scent which bothered me a bit. I think it has too much fragrance for a primer.

The slightly pinkish tint made my face look brighter instantly while the shimmer gave that soft-focus effect and glow. Staying effect and oil-control is good as I didn't feel the need to blot and retouch all-day. I also like that it has SPF 15/PA++, I know its quite low, but at least it can give some protection. 

I used it for 2 days and it was good... then this happened:

I was so shocked to see my skin react this badly to a product. Needless to say, I stopped using it. Such a shame because it really does what it promises. It can refine pores, give you a luminous complexion, etc. I think they should also put red bumps there as well! >.< Also, I dont think this primer will work as great on skin tones darker than NC30 as it will probably give you a white cast.

I'm currently treating the pesky red bumps with a corticosteroid cream and its getting better. 

OVERALL, I wouldn't recommend the Jill Stuart Pure Lasting Makeup Base to my friends, as cute as it may seem. Its toxic! :( There are better, cheaper and harmless products out there, so I suggest you stay away from this one especially if you have sensitive skin.

Now you know why I lost my blogging enthusiasm for a bit there. Hehe. I hope everyone is having a good start for the week. CNY is coming! What are you looking forward to?

Hello Konad!

After a long time lemming for it... I finally got a hold of a couple of Konad stamping nail art kits! I was surprised to see a local supermarket (Shopwise, Alabang) selling authentic Konad. Imagine me on the way to get hand soap then spotting the Konad booth, of course I stopped and shopped! Lurvey had no idea, when he caught up with me he was like, "where's the soap?" and with my puppy dog eyes and pouty lips, I told him to get it instead. Off he went to the soap aisle as I continued choosing my first few Konad plates. Muahahaha >:)

I just got the basic stuff, a double sided stamp set (as MACnunu suggested), a sponge nail art set, some special Konad nail polish and three Konad plates (M3, M57 & M79). ^_^

I'm glad I waited a while and didn't purchase through eBay as prices here are better compared to online sellers. I spent approx. USD65 for everything you see on the photos above. (sorry, I lost the receipt and forgot their individual prices). 

I can't wait to stamp my nails away! The only thing bothering me is cleaning up the edges after. *hello, lazypants!*

Have you tried Konad? Got any tips or suggestions? I definitely NEED some. ;)

♡,

G - your friendly Konad noob :P

GGA Inspired Nails: Daisies For Audrey ;)

Hello lovelies! I've been feeling a lot of stress lately, so last night while watching The Golden Globe Awards (encore) on TV I decided to release some tension by painting my nails. I chose a turquoise color, inspired by Alexa Chung's NOTD while she was on the red carpet interviewing celebrities. I thought it was so cute when she said that she tried to match her nails with her cue cards... 

Then Michelle Williams came in, wearing the cutest dress with daisies on it, I was reminded I had some nail stickers which looked similar so I decided to top 'For Audrey' with daisies. Finished it with a coat of Seche Vite. :)

Looks very fresh and fun, totally reminiscent of Spring. :)

On a different note, Rustan's Makati is having a SALE on all labels in their cosmetic floor. Look what I got last Sunday! I went there to get the Guerlain Blush G which was still unavailable, so I ended up getting these:

hoarded a bit from Paul & Joe, stocked up on my HG whitening serum, I believe I got the last 2 bottles. woot! Plus a bottle of their moisturizing foundation primer in 03 (translucent). Their UV primer broke me out so I gave it away. Now I'm giving P&J primers another go. We'll see how it fares after I finish my Diorsnow and Jill Stuart primers. Hahaha long time eh? ;)

I hope you're all having a great week so far,

thank you for dropping by!

♡,

G

The Jill Stuart Secret Tease Collection

Pretty and sexy, Jill Stuart's "Secret Tease Collection" is the most popular out of all the holiday coffrets released in 2010 and I think a lot of beauty bloggers will agree.

The sultry and seductive lace motif is incorporated into the box packaging, which will make the one opening it more excited. I know this because I felt it! ^_^

The delicate pouch made of soft pink satin and black lace:

Honestly, I don't think this pouch can hold a lot of weight because of the fabric used to construct it is very light. Can you spot the precious little "J" dangling on the bow? What a treat if your name starts with J! *jearrrous* Why cant it be spelled like Gill Stuart? Hahahaha! :P Just kidding! Gill sounds fishy. ^_~

When opened:

It has one zippered and one drawstring compartment inside.

Products included in the coffret:

close-ups:

Night Jewel Perfumed Body Powder

OMG, this is so FLUFFY. Even Lurvey liked how FLUFFY it looked he wanted to touch it. LOL! This pink powder puff has shimmer and the scent of Jill Stuart's Night Jewel fragrance, a very sweet and sultry floral (top note includes green tea and jasmine). Oh and do you see that tiny rosette in the middle? adorbs!

False eyelashes

FLUFFY feather falsies. I have to go get my eyebrows groomed professionally before I try this out. I think it will look better with thinner set of brows since its so full and almost bushy looking. This comes with a small tube of lash glue.

Blush Blossom 101 Sensual Dahlia:

The lace motif continues with the loose blusher packaging, the brush it comes with feels softer compared to the ones in the mixed blush compact which has denser bristles. However, I still prefer using a stippling brush when applying loose powder blushers to avoid looking like a clown.

 swatch:

shimmer tint, blush glow

swatch when blended:

looks nicer no? :)

Jelly Lip Gloss 102 Silky Pink

a very sheer pink shade, its a mildly sticky gloss with flecks of iridescent shimmer.

What surprised me was its moisturizing ability. It didn't make my lips feel dry which is very nice. This is my first lip product from Jill Stuart and I must say it gave me a good impression. 

Jelly Eye Color N 104 Satin Lingerie

I really like the texture of JS eye jellies, 104 Satin Lingerie is no exception. However, its a very pale pink shade loaded with shimmer, and with my NC30 skin tone, it does nothing but brighten the eye because of the shimmer.

swatch:

here's 104 Satin Lingerie on my bare lids:

this is the only item in the set which disappointed me, I don't think I'll be able to use this much even as a highlighter since the shimmers are not really subtle. But I will still experiment and mix it with other pigmented shadows to discover its versatility and full potential. ;)

Despite my minor rant about the eye jelly, I'm very happy I got a hold of this sought after coffret. The quality is great and the theme is spot on trend with the lace packaging which influences a woman to feel the sweet and sexy image the brand evokes. 

Thank you Jennifer for helping me get this limited edition coffret! and thank you lovelies for reading!

♡,

G

Cellnique Contour De-puffy Jewel Review

Finally, I am now ready to share my thoughts on Cellnique's Contour De-puffy Jewel which I have been sent to review. I'm sure a lot of you are aware of this brand since a lot of beauty bloggers have reviewed various products from this brand as well. I wasn't really expecting I would get a chance to be sent something to review but here I am writing to share my experience with you! Thank you Cellnique (and Selina) for sending me my first sponsored product to review.

Description from Cellnique Paramedical: Contour De-puffy Jewel, with its unique combination of Acetyl Tetrapeptide Gold Dipeptide and Rhodochrosite Extract, this breakthrough eye formulation helps alleviate eye puffiness and dark circles by increasing blood circulation and deep moisture the eye areas. Consists SPF15 which protects skin from again UVA and UVB rays.

The product is sealed to ensure freshness.

It comes in a heavy and sturdy pump bottle which works efficiently as it dispenses the gel in proportion to how hard you press it. It is very sanitary because of the pump. (I never buy eye creams/gels in pots or any kind of exposed container) Very good packaging, although the opaque bottle won't show you how much product you have left, I doubt that I will run out of this very soon as it contains a lot of product (15ml) which also justifies the RM169 price tag.

It has a gel consistency which feels cool and refreshing when I apply it, I immediately felt the gel working on tightening the skin around the eye area as soon as it got absorbed by the skin. However, there were times it felt stingy on my skin, usually when the weather is colder and my skin gets drier.

The gel is unscented for those who have issues with scented products.

sorry for the difference in lighting, i hope you can still see the difference

definitely brighter and LESS puffy.

I recommend this product for those who are looking for something which can HELP reduce puffiness, darkness and fine lines around the eyes. Despite that, I cannot recommend it to ladies who have sensitive skin due to the stinging I experienced.

I'm still using this product now and will update this post if there's more to report regarding the results. :)

Thank you for reading!

♡,

G

DISCLAIMER: This product was sent for review purposes, however, it does not affect my opinion in any way. Review posted here on ♥coffretgorge is based on my personal experience while using the product.

2010 Highlights: Life and Makeup

2010 was a happy year for me, even if it was the year I got sick a lot... I hope 2011 spares me of frequent sickness. *positive thinking while chugging down vitamins* Its also the year I got to develop real friendships with my fellow bloggers. I'm looking forward to getting closer to more lovely ladies this year! ^_^

Let me share with you some really good moments LAST year:

✦ January,  we got BOWIE, our little boy Chihuahua. One year later, he's turned out to be quite the fashionista. J'adore!

✦ March, my first batch of blog sale items went up for grabs on shopcoffretgorge.blogspot.com

✦ July, Singapore trip with the whole family! gotta lurve family bonding trips! Have you seen the MUMMY PIC? click on the link, if you need some cheering up! XD

✦ November, went on a girl's trip to Hong Kong and queued for the Lanvin x H&M collaboration. Nothing like a crazy hoarding experience to add to my shopping history. ;)

✦ Also in November, Blogger meet-up with Jennifer. It was so fun shopping for cosmetics with her.

and now, my favorite products that helped me look presentable althroughout 2010...

SKINCARE:

Fancl! especially the Washing Powder and foaming ball(first and second from left)

The lather cleans my face thoroughly but doesn't strip off natural moisture, leaving my skin soft and smooth. Fancl products are preservative free.

Korres Hot Spiced Chocolate Shower Gel

This has a love it or leave it scent, obviously I love it! It smells oh so yummy! Hot choco scent with a grown up twist. Shout-out to M for getting these for me in Singapore where he bought all the remaining bottles upon learning it will be discontinued. Aw.

HAIR:

La Sana Hair Essence 

I have tried other hair essences/leave-on treatments this year but nothing compares to this seaweed essence. 

Prettia/Liese Bubble hair dye 

Fun, fast and easy to do! Plus the colors are very pretty, very flattering for asian skin tones.

BASE MAKEUP:

Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Stick

medium to full coverage, ideal for special occasions especially in our humid weather!

Canmake 5-effects Foundation

 easy to blend foundation with a cream to powder finish, saves me a lot of prep time in the morning.

Clé de peau concealer in Ochre

Now I know what the raves are all about. Full review coming soon. :)

POINT MAKEUP:

CHANEL Tweed Fuschia

I love this to bits. ;)

Dollywink Liquid liner in black

Want to achieve that winged liner look? If you're a liquid liner newbie (like me) get this one, its easy to apply plus it doesn't smudge and lasts all day.

LUNASOL Aurorized Eyes palette 05

very versatile palette. I wore it almost everyday since I got it. Definitely my fall favorite!

Jill Stuart Eye Jellies in 09 Midnight shine and 10 Vintage Decor

very rich colors packed with shine. I'm glad I got these to try.

Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara

looks natural and very lightweight. I already have a back-up! :)

Lunasol Full Glamour Lips S 49

Aside from the gorgeous overspray, I love it for the beautiful deep berry tint it gives my lips.

NAILS:

MAC Studded from the Riveting Collection

gorgeous matte polish especially on the toes! So sad I didn't get a backup. :(

RBL No More War

the BEST military green shade evarrr.

CHANEL Pulsion

vibrant and creamy fuschia for Barbie-esque nails.

Deborah Lippmann

Happy Birthday, Bad Romance, Across the Universe - I love glitters, the chunkier the better! Evidently, I got lots of nail polish this year, my collection grew mad like gremlins. XD

That's it! I hope I didn't bore you with the long product post. I hope I can keep up with my reviews this year. *i really wish that!* I already have a lot on queue! XD

Lets all help each other stay sane with all the beautiful spring collections coming up! Shall we? Thank you for reading!

♡,

G