MAC Styleseeker - Powder Blush in Hidden Treasure

I wanted to try a Red blush as I don't have any in my collection. I thought Fall would be a good time to try one out so I was looking for a Red blush when came across this at a MAC counter. 

Hidden Treasure is a part of the Styleseeker collection. 

Described as a "rich burnt red". The colour may look a bit intimidating and scary in the pan but can be sheered and blended out with a good blush brush. I use my NARS Yachiyo to apply it, because it makes my life easier when I do.

I would agree that the colour is rich and kind of a red brick colour with a little bit of golden sheen.

Satin/velvet finish. The texture is a bit on the dry side.

The blush does not have shimmer nor sheen when applied but still gives a little dimension on the skin and does not look flat as can be seen from the swatches below.

Left heavily swatched. Right partially blended. The blush can still be sheered out. I opted to apply it heavily to show the colour of the blush.

The blush will work on warmer skin tones. I have tried it on my friend who has darker skin tone and it looked stunning on her. On lighter skin tones, it may look harsh and a bit scary when applied heavily, a light hand and a good brush blush is needed.

The colour payoff is great. However, the dry texture of the blush can make the application a bit tricky.

This blush does not last as long as I would want it to, but it does a decent job.

Figs and ROUGE 100% Organic Balm in Sweet Geranium

Such a pretty tin can! :3 Makes me think of days that have gone by... And by that statement I mean days before I was even born. Hahaha! :) The tin can is just so pretty and feminine. 

100% Organic! Definitely gets tons of plus points.

This is a multi tasking product that can be applied to the skin, nails and lips. For more tips, please refer to their site. As for me:

• I tried this out as a lip balm, but decided that it was not a really good idea. 
• I use it on my hands sometimes.
• I use it on dry patches of my skin and it does get the job done.

Consistency - Balmy. Heavy, thick, and rich. Upon application, it instantly re-hydrates the skin.

Fragrance/scent - Rather strong and lingers on for a few minutes. If you like the scent that you will be getting as they have other scents, then you will appreciate that the product's scent does tend to stay for a while. I am guessing that the scent is reminiscent of Sweet Geranium, although I cannot attest to such as I don't think I have smelled a Sweet Geranium before, or I may have but it does not seem to register on my mind.. The scent does not bother me, but I'm not crazy about it either.  I prefer sweet, fruity or dessert smelling scents over florally ones when it comes to these type of products.

Price - Affordable. 

It is now available at http://digitaltraincase.multiply.com. Don't you just love it when you can purchase products you wanted to try but couldn't get your hands on before? :)

White inside the tin but goes on translucent.

This is an okay product for me. It works, but it does not have any long term benefits or whatsoever. I would opt for other products, but that's just me being me. For the price, it's still worth what you are getting. I also have the famous Lucas Papaw Ointment and between this and that, I prefer this product as Lucas Papaw tends to dry out my skin and leave it patchy. 

This balm from Penelope as a prize when I won a giveaway she held months ago on her blog. :)

Shu Uemura Chocolat Donna Autumn Winter 2012 (Mint and Vanilla)

I know that this review is late as Shu Uemura has come up with another collection. Still, I want to rave about this palette. If you can still get your hands on any of the palettes from the Chocolat Donna collection, I highly recommend you give them a try as they don't disappoint. Shu Uemura eyeshadows have been a staple on makeup artist's kits for a good reason.

The other two palettes are: Orange & Pistachio and Raspberry & Mocha. 

There was actually a time in my life when all my makeup and face products were exclusively from Shu Uemura. Somehow, I just fell out of love and drifted away from the brand for a while... Except for my eyelash curler which I have had for five years until I got the LE gold one. Last October I decided to go to a Shu Uemura stall and check out their products. Luck smiled upon me as they were celebrating their anniversary and had awesome packages so I purchased one that included this eyeshadow palette. :)

Reminds you of a high end chocolate bar, doesn't it? 

Who needs more eyeshadows? I certainly don't seem to be in need of any as I hardly wear eyeshadows.   I have been quite content with the current collection of eyeshadows I have in my stash. (Comprised of about 85% of neutral eyeshadows.)

Well, hello there chocolate bar looking palette. You certainly make me happy and giddy inside as chocolate usually does.

After about an hour of deliberation, I ended up picking the mint & vanilla palette because I like "mint" (I am referring to mint we actually consume and not the colour here), and thought that this was the most versatile among all the palettes. Plus, I am under the belief that this palette compliments my skin tone.

mint and vanilla palette

choco-inspired six eyeshadows are assorted in the limited-edition refillable custom case quad, which design is inspired by a box of luxurious chocolates.

The palette contains six colours. It is sleek, sturdy and has a mirror, but does not include any applicators (which I really don't mind since I end up tossing most of those things away anyway, except from the ones for Lunasol). 

 While the thought of it being refillable is a plus, I highly doubt I'll ever see pan on any of these 6 colours.

shades and finishes found in the mint and vanilla:
sparkling gold - shimmery gold contains glitters
sparkling mint green - shimmery mint green contains  glitters

matte light mint green - matte. very light chartreuse/mint green. 

pearl dark beige - neutral satin bronze-brown. could be matte once the overspray is gone. great for everyday eye-looks.
matte light earth brown - satin reddish medium brown.
creamy dark brown - very dark brown. great for smokey eyes, eyelining, contouring and adding depth to the eyes.

Swatches on bare skin without a primer.

The colour pay-off is amazing, except for the first 2 colours as they are shimmery and contain glitters. Now, I don't mean that in a negative way. The first two colours are great for the inner corners of the eye and under the eyes to make the eyes seem brighter and more awake. Any of the two can also be layered with the remaining 4 colours on the palette for more dimension or an extra oomph! Among the 6 the first two have the most fall out which I attribute to their formulation as they are shimmery after all. The other colours hardly have fall outs during application and just glide on skin. Buttery and creamy, easy to blend and goes on smoothly. 

The 3rd colour is matte and is great as an all over lid base and can also be used as a highlight, should you prefer a more subtle alternative to the first 2 colours.

The remaining 3 colours are neutral browns with different undertones. Great for everyday looks to smokey eyes depending on how one would utilize the colours. The gold overspray disappears once used, so I opted to use the palette on the bottom and not touch the upper part so that I would always have that pretty golden overspray on my palette. 

close up. 

The only downside to the palette is the hefty price tag, which in my opinion is worth it, if you need a great palette that you can use again and again and again for different looks on different occasions. 

No eye look follows, as the blogger is being lazy. Really, I kid you not. :P

Okay... I will make one if you want one but will skip it otherwise unless someone wants to actually see one.

Snapshots - a glimpse here and there, of this and that...

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Walt Disney

Taking random shots inside a moving vehicle.

Close up of makeup on this post.

Hair still in curlers. LOL! :P

Bruschetta at Italianni's. :3

The cutest faux leopard fur iPhone 4 case with an attitude that goes RAWR! :p

I recently discovered Eazy Fashion - they sell loads of cute stuff.

That moment iPhone messes up a picture, but makes it more interesting! 

Late afternoon brunch with a friend at Italianni's.

Butter London Yunmy Mummy Nail Lacquer.

Bar at TGI Friday's, Robinson's Place Malate Manila.

So colorful! Eating lunch alone and enjoying. :)

Collected the 4 Hello Kitty designs from Mc Donald's happy meal.

And yes, they do light up! 

Macarons from Parvati

Samanco fish shaped ice cream sandwich.

This has sweet red been paste and vanilla ice cream. The combination is super yummy!

Drinking tea like a fiend!!!

mangga (mango), matcha (green tea with milk) and pistacia (pistachio) from da.u.de. Oh, and glazed doughnuts from S&R.

“You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.” - Charles Chaplin

Johnny Rockets trademark smiley face with Ketchup on a plate.

Photos taken with an Apple iPhone4.

Edited with PhotoWonder and watermarked with PhotoMarkr.

BURBERRY Sheer Summer Glow

Burberry describes this as an effortless all-in-one highlighting compact. The Limited Edition face product was released with the "Iconic Nudes", Burberry's 2012 summer collection. I knew I just had to get my paws hands on it as soon as I saw it on blogs and the Burberry website.

I kind of figured that if I couldn't use it on my face, I'll just use it on my eyes when I blend out eyeshadows or highlight my blush or as a finishing powder, whichever the case may be. 

A summer glow that lasts all year round? Right... That's easy to achieve in a country like mine. However, for those of you who are from countries with a colder climate, I would suggest checking this powder out (if it's still on stock).

"Effortless" a word you will hear from Burberry's videos on YouTube again and again.  If you browse through their website, you will find that most of the shades are in the neutral family. I am under the impression that their makeup line is targeted towards a more natural but polished look, that well, just looks - effortless yet pretty!

Love the luxe packaging! Very Burberry indeed!

The compact is heavy gunmetal with the Burberry checkered pattern. Like all Burberry products, it has a magnetic closure. It also comes with this light Beige velvet pouch. (Blushes come in a darker velvet pouch.)

Embossed Burberry checkered print. :3 

(SOOOO PURRDDDEEYYYYYY!!!!)

1 - Bronze with gold and mahogany undertones

2 - Light beige

3 - Peachy champage pink

4 - Neutral cream with golden undertones

Swatched on NC25-30 skin. I would like to caution those with deeper skin tones that this might not show up on your skin and might just work like a finishing powder.

The number 3 shade was the hardest to swatch as it worked more as a highlights that blended perfectly on my skin.

• Glowing-natural finish that looks like skin, only healthier. True to its name, it imparts a radiant and wonderful glow as if you've just been kissed by the sun on a wonderful summer day. 

• Goes on very sheer and subtle. One must use the right kind of brush and build up the product. I suggest using a dense powder or blush brush. I have two blushes from Burberry and their pigmentation is not as sheer as this is. I suppose this was meant to be used as a complexion enhancer rather than an actual face colour.

• As previously stated, it goes on very sheer and it is almost impossible to over apply this product. If any fault at all, it would be that it might not show up on darker skin tones. 

• Product does not come with an applicator which I don't mind because I rarely use applicators that come with products.

• Powder is finely milled. Not chalky, and goes on smoothly. The texture is silky, soft and is almost buttery to the touch. Contains very fine shimmers that gives the luminous glow. The shimmers are however barely visible when applied. No chunks or glitter or anything like that. The shimmers in this palette are also not scratchy nor gritty.

• Multi-tasking product. I use this an an eyeshadow, highlighter, blush and all over face bronzer. I suppose this can also be used as a finishing powder if you can't really get the colours to show up on your skin. I really don't think this can be used as a contour powder due to the shimmers on the palette.

• Burberry products have a scent to them which I am not so fond of as it reminds me of grandmas and old stuff, but I don't hate it either.

• Definitely, not cheap but I don't regret purchasing this as it's a wonderful multi-tasking product. It also comes with a lot of product and I don't think I'll ever hit pan on this. 

All colours blended together.  Natural Lighting.

This is actually more visible in real life than it is on this picture. Somehow, the camera somehow managed to wash out the golden-bronze glow.

Close up. 

As you can see from the picture above, the powder has a sheen to it. It is however will not make you look like a walking disco ball. The shimmers as previously stated are very subtle and are not as visible, unless of course you try to look for them one by one.

Picture taken indoors, with flash.

The finish is satin like and almost disappears and looks like skin that's more luminous. 

BECCA Line + Define Pencil in SANTORINI

If you have been following my blog, you will know that I have been completely hooked to the brand, BECCA. This started when I tried their beach tint in Raspberry. I constantly buy an item to test whenever I pass by their counter. :3

BECCA says: A combination liner and brightener in one, this convenient dual-ended pencil has a soft, smooth texture that glides on easily to line, define and brighten the eyes while blending easily. The dark side of BECCA's Line & Define Pencil lavishly lines while the light side helps brighten and awaken tired eyes for a vibrant and youthful effect.

BECCA also says that this is suitable for sensitive eyes - dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested.

Artist's tips:

• - Line the inner rims of the eyes or the inner corners of the eyes with the flesh toned side of the pencil to make eyes "pop"
• - Highlight the brow bone by smudging the lighter shade beneath the brows, then blending, or apply to your upper lid to intensify eye shadow color
• - Define the lash line and outer corners of the eyes with the darker side of the pencil
• - Enhance eye color by blending the two shades together midway along the lash line
• - Apply the light side of the pencil above your lip line to plump the appearance of lips.
• 
  

You're probably thinking, why didn't she sharpen it before taking pictures? I actually like to keep the tip of this pencil short as it's too creamy and I find it breaks when the tip is long. 

Buff - a neutral/skin-toned shade.

I have long searched for a shade that would be a bit lighter than my skin tone without being too white and this is just the perfect colour as it brightens the eyes without being unnatural.

Navy - A deep Navy blue. 

True to its name, Navy is a dark blue and is great for lining and defining the eyes. I wanted a dark blue eyeliner for quite a while now, since Black tends to be a bit harsh sometimes.

Buff and Navy swatched

Consistency

Notice how creamythe eyeliners are..? Both shades go on smoothly, do not tug nor drag when applied.  However, these can be a bit too creamy and take a while to dry. Which is not entirely a bad thing, if you want to blend or smoke out your eyeliner. Because, both shades are ever so creamy, it is not hard to break the tip of the pencil. 

Staying power
These stay for hours and hours when set with an eyeshadow. As these are creamy and take a while to dry, it may crease when not set with an eyeshadow and may even bleed.

Colour payoff
Both colours are very pigmented. As with most BECCA products the colour can be layered to achieve the desired opacity.

This can also be used as a base or worn alone as an eyeshadow. The lighter colour can be used to highlight certain areas of the face, like under the arch of the eyebrows, cupids bow, etc.. The formula as previously stated is creamy and blendable. Do note however that because these are very easy to blend, over blending is possible and you might end up erasing what you just applied.
Use a light hand when applying and a lighter hand if possible when blending. :p

Here's a video from Zuneta demonstrating how to use the line + define pencil. 

Overall, I do not regret buying this eyeliner. For the price however, I somewhat expect better performance. It's still a nice addition to my current stash of eyeliners as I have neither of the shades in the pencil. If you want to buy, I would suggest that you test it at a counter to see if you like it before you splurge. 

NARS JOIE DE VIVRE - Nordstrom Exclusive Cheek Palette

Blush-fiend-must-have!

I know, I fail at swatching products most of the time, but I have fun trying and sharing the swatches on my blog so I still give it a go. I hope these swatches would be useful for someone out there. This palette is limited edition and is probably no longer available at Nordstrom. If you're lucky, you can still find it online. Also, it can be used as a reference for buying individual blush colors.

Thank you to my all time favorite enabler, the ever pretty and sweet, Blair for giving me a go signal and enabling me to purchase this palette! :3

This is an exclusive and Limited edition cheek palette. It contains 6 cheek colors composed of blushers, a highlighter and a bronzer. Each pan contains 3.5g/0.12oz of product.

For those who are curious where I got the palette, I bought it from the carefree shopper at Multiply. Armie, the shop's owner even sent me a mini Super Orgasm blush as a freebie! I will try to post and swatch it next time. :)

No surprise here, NARS' signature black rubbery packaging which I label as a dust magnet. :) The back of the palette contains the names/labels. While I label it a dust-magnet it is sleek, portable and easy to travel with. I also like that it has a large mirror. :D

NARS blushes need no introduction as they are very popular. Known for their great colour payoff and lasting power. (of course everyone complains about their dust magnet packaging too! LOL!) 

Most of the blushes on this palette are shimmery/shiny or have a sheen. Angelika contains chunks of glitter like Super Orgasm. The other colours might look scary in the pan but I found all easy to apply and blend.

I own a few NARS blushes and a full sized Albatross. There seems to be a slight difference between           the texture as the blushes I have are more soft and a bit more pigmented. These blushes however, are not a pain to work with, not as gritty nor rough as some blushers are, and the colour is buildable after a layer or two. 

Swatches.

Albatross- Luminous glow

A pearl highlight with golden shimmers. It can be used on top of blushers, the c-zone, below the arch of the eyebrow and in the inner corner of the eyes. This shade will probably go well with most skin tones. I have a full-size of this product and I quite like it. Be careful and use a light hand when applying though, as you may end up looking like a disco ball.(I will be posting a separate review and more swatches of Albatross.)

Laguna - Diffused brown powder with golden shimmer.

Another cult favorite. I haven't gotten around to trying this as a contour powder but it works wonderfully as a bronzer. Yes, it contains shimmers but the shimmers just give a sheen and are not too overpowering or anything like that. Like Luster, this gives a wonderful glow. I am not sure if this would work for darker skin tones but I would recommend this to those with fair to medium skin tones.

This colour needs a few layers to show up, but that's okay rather than have a scary and overpowering bronzer, I prefer something that is more sheer.

Albatross and Laguna

Luster - Sheer golden apricot

Apricot with a tinge of peach. Looks rather scary in the pan but looks wonderful once applied and blended on the skin. Of all the colours in the palette this was the easiest to work with. The pigmentation and texture is similar to my full sized NARS blushes.

This gives a luminous and pretty finish when applied to the skin - like a highlighter and blush in one. This gives a healthy glow, like you've been just kissed by the sun. Of all the colours in this palette, this is probably the most universal as it would compliment anyone.

Angelika - Cotton candy pink with gold and silver sparkle.

I wouldn't say that this is Cotton candy Pink as it seems a bit dark to be in the cotton candy shade range. It's a hot pink with more Fuchsia and has tons of glitters in it. Yes, glitters! Not sparkles. But the glitters rub off and disappear and go elsewhere when applied on the cheeks. Do note that shimmer/sparkles/glitters might enhance large pores. This blush is perfect for days you want a pop of colour on your cheeks or when you're just feeling like you're extra pale. This will look flattering and won't look like you've just piled on a ton of blush with the right brush. ;) 

I initially thought that this would be similar with Gaeity but it isn't. It is a lot darker and has more glitter than Gaeity. 

Luster and Angelika

Gaeity - Bright candy pink

Now this is a cool cotton candy pink. While it may look scary in the pan, it goes on wonderfully. I have read reviews that said they found this shade a bit chalky but I really like how it applies and think that it really needs that amount of powder because of its color. 

This is very flattering on my skin and somehow looks natural. As much as I love pink blushes, there are those that make me look more yellow. I find that this blush doesn't do that so I truly adore it! 

Orgasm - Peachy pink with golden shimmer

A shade I don't personally own as I am one of the few persons who does not look good with this blush on. I thought I should give it another go and hope that things work out now haha! I don't think the ever so popular Orgasm needs an introduction as everyone is already familiar with it.

Gaeity and Orgasm

I didn't swatch these heavily. I swatched all the products with 1 swipe so you can see the real colour payoff of each:

Albatross, Gaeity, Luster,  Laguna, Orgasm and Angelika

swatched indoors. natural lighting.

outdoors. natural lighting.

I am very satisfied and happy with this purchase. My favourite shades are Luster and Gaeity.
I still have a couple of NARS reviews I will post soon but I suppose I ought to post about other brands too.

What's your current favourite blush? :)