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

The Untouchables

I believe all cosmetic fiends have a couple (or more) products we always plan to use but dont have the heart to dent or scratch that lovely overspray or embossed design. Usually its the limited edition blushers or eyeshadow palettes that I want to keep immaculate.

Here are my current untouchables:

Lunasol Summer 2010 LE eyeshadow palettes

Lunasol Summer 2011 LE eyeshadow palettes

lastly,

my precious Guerlain Blush G

*swoons*

need I explain more? :P What are your untouchables? I really want to know! C'mon, you know I'm not the only crazy gal one! ^_~

♡,

G

Melliesh All in One Mineral Powder

The Melliesh "All-in-one Mineral Powder" set is one of the two base makeup offerings released for Yui Kanno's brand. It comes with a 5g jar of mineral loose powder and a synthetic stippling brush with a pink handle.

The japanese gyarus are getting more clever in luring beauty junkies into buying everything they peddle don't you think? This set retails for HKD170 (approx. USD22) which I think is quite reasonable for the quality of the powder + brush set.

the small jar comes with a sifter cap to avoid spillage and it gives more control on how much product you want to take out of the jar.

 a natural beige shade with slightly yellow undertone and some coverage, it compliments my skin very well and leaves a semi-matte finish once blended into the skin.

It gives off a soft and smooth, natural look and prolongs the wear of foundation / BB cream. I tried it to set the Nanoce BB cream and it was a match made in heaven for me. Sadly, I have realized (and accepted) that I am allergic to mineral makeup as small bumps would instantly appear on my face when I wear anything defined as "mineral makeup". Although I have yet to distinguish which particular ingredient is causing this, for now its safer to stay away from it. A shame, because I like it very much. *locks it in the blog sale stash*

The stippling brush included is surprisingly decent and usable. The synthetic hair is soft and it does a good job in applying the loose powder. I also think it adds appeal and value to the set. Just be sure to wash the brush before letting it touch your face!

♡,

G

CHANEL Summer 2011: 557 Morning Rose NOTD

A warm pink with gold glitter, Morning Rose is a flattering shade to sport especially if you need a pick me up color which is not over the top (like Mimosa). The golden sparkles add dimension to this lovely, not so bright pink.

Application is a breeze for this one, its not streaky and it goes on smoothly. I applied 3 thin coats to achieve the color on this NOTD. This is a limited edition color for summer and retails for Php1,350 (approx. USD31) at Rustan's. 

Happy Monday lovelies!

♡,

G

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils 15th Anniversary Collection

If you dont already know, Urban Decay has the creamiest, smooth gliding, long wearing eye pencils out there. These pencil liners don't tug at the lids, helping you make a solid, straight and pigmented line in one easy swipe. Some gals love their MUFE Aqua Eyes, but I let go of mine right after I tried the creamy goodness of UD 24/7's. ;)

This is a great set to have especially if you're just starting to grow your eye liner collection. It retails for USD92 which sounds insane but is actually a great deal considering a pencil costs USD18 each if bought separately. You get 9 permanent shades and 6 new and exclusive colors. Unfortunately, it is not available locally. A shout out to the lovely Kat for helping me get this LE set! <3

it's so nice to look at!

can you spot the difference between the regular and the LE eye pencils?

the pencil from the LE set has a different font for the logo and a "UD15" printed right before the pencil shade, it also has a glossy cap and end while the regular one has a matte finish.

swatches:

(L-R) Stray Dog, Corrupt, Bourbon, Baked, Midnight Cowboy, Stash, Mildew, Perversion, Electric, Binge, Ransom, Asphyxia, Rockstar, Zero, Uzi

Bourbon is my everyday favorite for the soft but defined look it gives, Mildew is really nice for brown eyed gals, Midnight Cowboy is ideal for the lower waterline and I like to use Zero when going out at night. So far those are the only ones I've used. The FUN and vibrant colors are teasing me already. :)

I put the pencils to a test and tried taking them off using a cotton pad with alcohol but as you can see most of them stay put. Ironically, the "blackest black" Perversion is gone in a swipe.

(L-R) Stray Dog, Corrupt, Bourbon, Baked, Midnight Cowboy, Stash, Mildew, Perversion, Electric, Binge, Ransom, Asphyxia, Rockstar, Zero, Uzi

Now let's talk about "Grind House", an awesome sharpener which also comes with the set. Ohmygosh. I never thought I would rave about a sharpener in my life but, this one just rocks!

It doesn't waste product and it leaves the edge of the pencil smooth so it doesn't poke your eye when the eyeliner color runs out. (I hope you get what I mean!)

I highly recommend Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils, just try one if you don't want to splurge on the whole set. Get the "Grind House" sharpener while you're at it! I'm sure you'll love it too!

Thanks for reading!

♡,

G

ps. sorry for the week-long absence lovelies! I've been sick since Friday and still battling the flu right now. What a wonderful way to start June! :(

CHANEL Summer 2011: 577 Mimosa NOTD

Sunshine on the nails, thats what it is! 

A bright yellow with very fine shimmer...

having deja vu? looks like OPI's "Need Sunglasses?" right? but I must tell Mimosa leans more towards the cool side.

I needed 3 coats for this NOTD. Application is quite difficult, its a very streaky polish! but I discovered that its easier to apply in a warm environment (turned off AC) rather than in an air-conditioned room. I sweat buckets, but achieved better results. *whew!* :D

Mimosa is a limited edition shade and retails for Php1,350 (approx. USD31) at Rustan's.

Happy Monday!

♡,

G

CHANEL Summer 2011: 547 Bronze Rose

Bronzers are not really my thing, but this one made me change my mind because of its versatility. SA explained it can be used as bronzer, blusher and as eyeshadow! 3-in-1 CHANEL! It's in the bag! xD


 Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Powder in 547 Bronze Rose.

This is a limited edition item from CHANEL's Summer 2011 collection. Packaging-wise, one thing which stands out in this palette is the gold CC logo. As if CHANEL couldn't get any more luxe. :)

When you open the palette, you will be greeted with a four-striped blusher/bronzer, a full compact mirror and that prickly brush. bleh. (im obviously not a fan of their brushes, am too spoiled by the softness of Shu Uemura) 

Although its a bit powdery, the softness of the pink and brown pigments won me over. I have to admit I can be heavy handed when it comes to face color application, thats why I think this is perfect for me. Its hard to overdo it.

swatches:

blended:

as you can see it gives off a warm glow which is not too dark, very nice for fair skinned gals. Jess did a pretty FOTD using this here. 

So is it a must-have? If you are looking for a versatile product and a softly pigmented bronzer, I'd say YES. but if you're just after this being a blush, then NO. It stays on the cheeks for about 3-4 hours, which is not bad, but not that good either especially with the price tag it comes with (Php3,250 approx. USD75). I already used this as a blush and took FOTD pics, unfortunately, the lighting was too poor to make the colors show up on my face. I have to do it again. :)

In other news, I am on a self-imposed cosmetic shopping ban. It started in mid-May and will cease on mid-June. I'm feeling good as I'm managing to stick to it, but I still need your words of encouragement! The weekend is coming = mall trips = shopping! lol x_X

Enjoy your weekend!

♡,

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

Majolica Majorca Jeweling Eyes BR631 Caramelisee

A part of the Spring 2011 Sugary Trap collection, Majolica Majorca's Jeweling Eyes in BR631 Caramelisee is a gorgeous, shimmery neutral which deserves a spot in your stash.

Although the plastic packaging feels a tad flimsy, it looks really cute and the scalloped edges gives it pretty, girly feel. Plus a better grip. ;) 

it comes with a small dual ended applicator, which is really soft.

I love the fact that all shades in the pan are quite pigmented even without using a base/primer. The colors are very pleasing to look at, a no brainer palette to get for neutral lovers. It contains shimmer to add a gleaming effect to the eyes. Fallout is minimal, which is great.

swatches on bare skin:

yellowish gold, light brown, bronze, dark brown shades

simple EOTD using the palette and Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus BR666 mascara just to give you an idea on how it looks on an NC30 skin tone.

I like how it adds dimension and depth to my eyes, I actually got a few compliments on how my eyes looked beautiful when I wore it yesterday, I think the subtle glow it gives makes the eyes more noticeable.

This limited edition palette is available locally and retails for Php795 (approx. USD18). 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

♡,

G