that TENDER Lunasol GLOW...

The only coffret this season which made me go "I NEED TO HAVE IT!" Lunasol's Tender Glow collection features a soft contrast between neutral browns and glowy, translucent pinks which will give you enough sparkle to dazzle this holiday season. <3

BIG thanks to the fiancé for getting this at Lotte DFS! Review and swatches to follow. *cuddles with furry coffret*

I am so glowing this Christmas! :P

♡,

G

TOPSHOP Cream Blush in High Five

I have been wanting to try TOPSHOP makeup for a while, so I took the opportunity to purchase them with discount in Kuala Lumpur. Thanks to Stellar! (FYI, we have TOPSHOP boutiques in Manila, but they don't carry the makeup line *frown*)

I like the simple, no frills packaging; both the box and plastic case feel solid and strong, not flimsy at all. 

The cream blush retails for RM33 (Approx. USD11)

HIGH FIVE is a matte vivid pink which looks scary in the pan, but shows up nicely when blended on the skin. I know its not a unique shade, but the sweet looking flush got me into putting it in my basket.

swatch:

blended, heavy swatch ~look ma, no shimmer!

The cream to powder texture feels velvety and smooth, it glides on with ease, and remains blendable even after it dries which is great characteristic for a cream blusher. Once set, it stays on for at least 9 hours, humidity and twice a day blotting considered. It fades a bit, which makes it look even more natural. I would recommend this to those who have smooth and clear skin as cream blushers tend to enhance imperfections (they just seem to intensify redness of zits or darkness of scars even when concealed properly).

I was tempted to get the Fall collection lipsticks but resisted, and now I regret it. LOL. Please bring the makeup line in our shores TOPSHOP Manila!

♡,

G

A STELLAR Day Trip to Kuala Lumpur!

One of the perkiest and most fabulous ladies I know on Blogger, Stellar Vixen aka Joo lyn was one of the ladies I was very excited to meet in person. I tell you, Malaysia tourism should hire her, she's an exceptional host! Every bit of my day trip to Kuala Lumpur was filled with upbeat chats and  amusing sights!

First stop: a photo op at the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world! G & Stellar, we finally meet! ♥

after all the posing under the intense sunlight, we had an authentic malaysian feast at Madam Kwan's to satisfy our growling tummies!

nasi bojari, the chicken was really savory, it was tender and moist hmm, I'm getting hungry!

laksa aka curry noodles

belacan kangkung, similar to our local "kangkong in bagoong", but tastier! yumyum :D

spicy sambal! really good stuff!

our generous hostess ♥

cosmetic shopping!

we tried on lipsticks at the Cle de Peau counter. Stellar rocked the orange shade!

at Suria KLCC

KLCC Park

we also had afternoon drinks at the Sky Bar, Trader's Hotel. Stellar made sure we had a wonderful view of the KL skyline. Awesome!

you can see KLCC's kiddie playground and pool from the bar. Its a refreshing view from all the skyscrapers.

Last stop, SEPHORA at the Pavillion!

this is my supermodel friend K who traveled with me from Singapore. She delighted Stellar with her mad skills in posing for the camera! I'm sure I will get a BBM rant if she reads this. LOL! :P

Here's my SEPHORA loot!

Topshop haul, got a significant discount with Stellar's member card. Wheee~

Yay~ now I can finally try their cream and powder blushers! The nail colors were inspired by my mood that day... fun, cool, classy and trendy!

I am definitely coming back to Kuala Lumpur and will stay longer next time! I'm sure there are loads more to conquer in this fine city. 

Thanks for reading!

♡,

G

ps. I just switched to the DISQUS comment system, please feel free to rave/rant if there are any issues you might encounter. Thanks in advance!

Very YSL Palette: Swatches & Review

A Duty Free exclusive palette, YSL's international makeup artist Lloyd Simmonds took the traveler's lifestyle as inspiration to create the Very YSL Palette.

with 4 eyeshadows, 2 lip colors, a blush/highlighter plus 3 applicators, it's a steal at SGD68 (approx. USD54)

The patent fuchsia case with the gold plated YSL logo is reason enough to get this palette if you are a packaging junkie like me. :P

The chic palette is safely housed inside a very durable box with cardboard lining to provide more support for its fragile content.

I love how thin it is compared to other travel palettes I saw at DFS (Dior, Lancome). To those interested in the dimensions, palette size is 13cm (length) x 6.5cm (width) x 1.4cm (thickness). It easily fits inside my cosmetic pouch.

palette size compared to a BB Torch

with subtle cheek and eyeshadow shades, a full makeover can be achieved especially when the bold lip colors are swiped onto the lips.

swatches:

sheer pink blusher with gold micro shimmer, creamy pink & fuchsia lipsticks, shimmery rose, shimmery lilac, taupe & violet eyeshadows.

The colors in this palette are rather sheer save for the darkest eyeshadow and the lipsticks. The blusher shows up when layered on, but I think it is more of a highlighter to enhance (a more pigmented blush) and add glow to the cheeks. I like to think of it as a highlighter version of NARS Orgasm.

The eyeshadows are mediocre I must say, the texture is not as smooth as other eyeshadows I have tried, but to be fair, the 4 shades complement each other as well as the whole palette. I can definitely pull off a whole look with this, all I need is base makeup and mascara! :)

I hope this helps all the traveling lovelies, who might be considering this palette.

Happy Monday!

♡,

G

Jill Stuart Sweet Lock, Brilliant Crown FOTD

Obviously, I am a sucker for Jill Stuart packaging. It brings out the kid in me, which is always fun. Here are some eye candy pics to enable you and for me to keep as remembrance, because I used them immediately after snapping up the photos. LOL

Mix Blush Compact 105 Sweet Lock (LE)

The limited edition blush compact turns into a soft and delicate mauve-ish rose combination on my skin, the shade is quite muted which works with the shimmery, smoky shades of Fall. It defines the cheekbones while giving it a gentle glow.

Prism Carat Eyes 101 Brilliant Crown

This bi-color eyeshadow contains a cream coral base and loose mossy green pigment packed with shimmer. I chose this combination as I find it sophisticated and the most neutral out of the 5 shades released. It gives off a brilliant and sparkly look.

101 Brilliant Crown Swatches

It was disappointing to see the coral cream shadow barely noticeable on my lids, but to be fair, it does a good job in brightening the lids and making the shimmer powder stay put.

Here are the products used for my FOTD:

Nanoce BB Moist Cream

Lunasol Micro-finish powder 02 Beige

MAC Prep + Prime (Medium)

Jill Stuart Mixed Blush 105 Sweet Lock - overspray is gone!

Jill Stuart Prism Carat Eyes 101 Brilliant Crown

Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner

Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan

Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil Hard 09 Seal Brown (not in photo)

EOTD:

a couple of tips on applying the shimmer powder: 

1) get the product from the cap for more control, dipping your brush/finger directly into the pot will make application messy.

2) Apply Prism Carat Eyes before base makeup, that way you can clean glitter fallout easily.

here's my FOTD:

I'm quite pleased that Sweet Lock and Brilliant Crown look nice when worn together, as the colors are complementing to each other. Playing with lip color also takes it up a notch, you can go for a nude lip to focus on your shimmering eyes or a soft rose shade for a sweet yet dazzling look. I am currently in love with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan, the bright rose shade is just spot on for my complexion, and the matte lip looks oh so fabulous with the bling bling eyes! :)

Its such a fun look to sport! Sadly, I don't have anywhere to go to but the hardware and the clinic. Hahaha!

Have a lovely Tuesday lovely peeps!

♡,

G

Jill Stuart Fall 2011: Haul

Got a quick post for you today sweets! My Jill Stuart fall goods have finally landed into my hands and here's a group pic to enable those who are suckers for pretty packaging just like moi. ;)

aren't they gorge? I could play with them for hours. Please don't ask how old I am. LOL

Individual product reviews and swatches coming!

That's all, got to get back to work!

♡,

G

NARS Tainted Love Set: Review and Swatches

A heaven sent trio for cool pink lovers, "Tainted Love" is by far the nicest value set I've seen from NARS. 

Released in time for Valentines 2011, it contains the new Angelika Multiple (exclusive to the set), Angelika lip gloss and the notoriously hot Schiap nail lacquer.

The Angelika Multiple (face, eyes, lips, body) Tint

This Angelika multiple is just a wee bit smaller compared to a regular sized tube. It contains 13g of product whereas a regular one has 14g.

swatch:

cotton candy pink with silver shimmer

The Angelika Multiple is long wearing (just like Turks & Caicos), highly pigmented and the shimmer does not fall out and travel all over my face. However, it should be applied with a very light hand as it can make you look clownish if you overdo it.

Angelika Lip Gloss

again, a cotton candy pink with silver shimmer. Consistency is a bit thick and sticky, but overall still comfortable to wear. Worn alone, it will enhance your lips and make it smooth and plump, adding a pristine shine. But I like it better when worn over vivid pink lipsticks. The effect is just so pretty! I usually get 4-5 hours of wear with this lip gloss.

swatch:

Schiap Nail Lacquer is a creamy fuschia shade.

NOTD:

This is the first time I'm trying NARS nail lacquers and I have to say consistency is really good, the brush is great, it makes the polish glide on smoothly. Definitely not streaky. You can get away with a single coat as its highly pigmented but on this NOTD I applied 2 coats to make it fully opaque. Schiap reminds me of CHANEL Pulsion, not an exact dupe because the latter looks creamier, and Schiap has more blue undertones to it, but similar.

This set retails for Php3,350 (appox. USD78) at local NARS counters. US price I believe is $59 (damyoo value added tax!) I would recommend it if you like cool pinks, you're new to the brand and would like to try their products at a value price, everything is in full size so you get your money's worth. Get it while you can, I don't think you'll regret it.

Happy Monday!

♡,

G

ps. I apologize for being an evil enabler! :P

NARS Turks and Caicos Multiple Tint FOTD

I went to the NARS counter last weekend to ask for the "New Order" blusher, then spotted this bright, orange, jelly looking stick and swatched it on my arm. Orange. No big deal I thought. But when I went outdoors it turned into this gorgeous shade of pinkish peach. It looked awesome against my skin... I had to have it! 

 A part of the NARS Summer 2010 collection Multiples, Turks & Caicos is a limited edition shade I believe. I know I'm a year late to the party but at least I got to try this! 

love how the NARS print matches the color of the product!

It reminds me of Tarte blushers my sister used to give me when I was younger but this one is not as tacky especially after it sets on the skin. Plus its more pigmented and it lasts the whole day. IN SUMMER! Take that humidity!

I'm not a beach bum, but if I was, and can only bring one beauty product to the beach, I'd bring this... Its very easy to use, I just dab it straight onto my cheeks or lips. No blending skills required.

swatch:

I love how it looks so sheer and natural, it has no shimmer but it gives off a nice sheen to the cheeks/lips.

The only drawback for this product is the price, Php2,150 locally (approx. USD 50) but to justify, its a multi-purpose product and the quality is amazing I'm sure you will love it as much as I do. As for availability, I have no idea if they still have this abroad but if you're in the Philippines, NARS Rustan's Makati still has it in stock.

My bright and summery FOTD:

products used:

BASE: 

DiorSnow White Reveal UV Base in beige

Canmake 5-effects foundation 03

Cle De Peau concealer in ochre

MAC Prep + Prime eye primer in medium

POINT: 

NARS Turks & Caicos Multiple

Esprique Precious Dress-on Shiny Eyes C-4

Shu Uemura Hard 6 eyebrow pencil

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Bourbon

Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing Mascara

Etude House Miss Tangerine Follow Me lip tint #2

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Have a fun weekend everyone!

♡,

G