The perfect foundation TAG

Among all make up items, I enjoy testing out foundation the most. I just love how foundation can totally transform our skin and make them looking flawless (who doesn't want flawless looking skin?? ) . 

So when I saw this tag going around youtube, I decided to do so :D

• Best Packaging

Best packaging goes to YSL youth liberator foundation. I love the ombre effect on the bottle and the fact that it has pump to dispense the product. The bottle feels hefty and well made, definitely compliments the price tag. It might not be the most travel friendly but it looks beautiful on my dressing table. I just like how it looks.

• Best Color Payoff

I have to go with my mineral foundation from Bellapierre. It amazes me how a powder foundation can provide such a good coverage. The color payoff is great and only little product needed for application. This is the only foundation in powder form that I can wear without any help from liquid foundation or even concealer. 

• Most Versatile

Bourjois Healthy mix serum foundation is the most versatile one. It has excellent quality especially for drugstore price range. I can wear it anytime I feel like wearing it, doesn't matter day time or for night out. It photographs beautifully and gives one of the best finish among all foundation I own. I always carry this foundation with me whenever I travel. The packaging is also convenient to carry around because it is made of plastic bottle ( but not cheap looking one ), with a pump as well. 

• Best for Traveling

As I mentioned above, I always carry the Bourjois healthy mix serum foundation whenever I travel. Mainly because the excellent finish and the functional packaging.

• Biggest Regret

I have to go with Clinique Anti Redness solution. I had a high expectation for it but it failed to live up the expectation.. It is one of the most cakey foundation I have ever tried, and the finish is mask like and accentuates my pores and milia badly. It is not cheap either .

• Best Color Names

I have checked all the foundations I own and none of them have extra ordinary names. They are all either ivory, vanilla, beige,  etc etc. So I have to skip this question

• Least Used

Bourjois healthy mix foundation ( without the serum one ). I very rarely wear this foundation, not because it is not good but simply because its sister ; the serum one is wayyyyy better. The original healthy mix doesn't give as flawless finish as the serum one and also doesn't look as natural. It is still not a bad product but I'd recommend you to get the serum one instead of this one. 

• Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island

My most used and most loved foundation are the Bourjois healthy mix serum and the YSL youth liberator. I even sometimes mix both foundation and the finish is impeccable! 

And the foundation I'd have with me on a desert island would be the Missha BB Cream. Because of the ease of application and the high SPF factor. Though to be honest, who would carry a foundation to a desert island? -_____-"

So, I tag the lovely Sleepandwater, Sharlynn from The Blackementosbeautybox, Karo from Makeupandbeautybykaro, Stacey from Themakeupedition, Lena from Lenallure, and everyone who wants to do this Tag. :))

Love,

Pam

The perfect red?

Red is one of my fave color. I love red as clothes, red bags, red shoes, red on the lips, red on the cheeks and red on the nails. Growing up in a Chinese family, my mom is crazy over red. She believes that red is a lucky color. My mom HATES dark color like black, grey, navy ( read : my most loved shades. lol ) so every time I buy - let's say- a blouse in grey , my mom will be like : " Why you always wear dark color?? Don't be like aunty aunty lah. Wear more red, will bring you luck". 

So I grew up having a lot of stuffs in red and kind of believe that red is a lucky color so as much as I love my neutral-dark shades, I still have a lot of stuffs in red.  

Anyway , enough blabbering, I just bought new red nail polish from P2 which I really really like.

It is P2 last forever nail polish #100 in open your heart

Isn't it beautiful ??? Look at how gorgeous the red is. The finish is also very gel-like. I got people asking me if my nails are my real nails. They are opaque in 1 coat but I always apply 2 coats anyway. The formula is excellent and application is easy peasy and smooth. One downside is only that it chips easily. But for €1,99 / 11 ml, I think I can't complain much. 

ps : I am having exams at the moment till the next 3 weeks so please forgive me if my posts are short and less chatty. 

What is your perfect red nail polish? and please wish me luck and success for my exams :D

Love,

Pam

The Gorila Perfume

I am a huge huge fan of LUSH. It annoys me so bad that I don't have bath tub here inside my small 2 bedroom apartment because I want to try their famous bubble baths soooooo bad T-T.

But without the bubble baths, I still can try their shower gels, bar soaps, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, face mask, etc etc and most of all I end up loving them if not obsessed. 

Just recently, I saw someone posted a LUSH snow fairy perfume on instagram, seriously snow fairy perfume!! So I was on a mission to my local LUSH store to get myself a snow fairy perfume ( I was also hoping they have it's raining men perfume as well ) but too bad they don't carry the line in Germany which is ultimately annoying -__-

However, the SA was very helpful and friendly. She showed me the other perfume range they carry and I fell in love in some of their perfumes. After sniffing almost all the scents they have in store, I ended up with Lust and decided to take the solid one because I haven't tried any solid perfume before and they look very convenient for touch up or traveling. 

Lust is a pure jasmine scent. It is very bold and sensual, in your face kind of scent. A lot of people on the internet even describe it as a 'pornstar' smell -_-". For me, it just smells like a pure jasmine . I am not really a fan of jasmine scent in general, I am always more a rose girl. But the first time I tried Lust on, I just fell in love and I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist. Lust smells very strong and overwhelming the first time you apply it, but it smells very nice when it melts into the skin and warms up.   I usually apply it at least 30 minutes before I leave home and for touch up, I only dab it on to my wrists or neck because you really don't need a lot of product. The SA recommended to 'tone down' Lust with the Vanillary solid perfume but they were out of stock that day. At home, I tried to mix it with Laura Mercier Ambre Vanilla perfume and they both smell sooooooooooo good I almost cry. lol. My boyfriend even noticed the smell and trust me he is the most oblivious person on earth to anything beauty related including perfume because everything smells the same for his nose, but this one he noticed and liked it ( he once misunderstood LUSH Rub rub rub as detergent!! yes detergent, my poor Rub Rub Rub had to go into wash machine.. ). 

The staying power is surprisingly long for a solid perfume which costs only €10,85 / 12gr. The spray version smells a bit different though, not as intense as the solid one and costs way more expensive. I think I'm going to stick with the solid one for awhile and will definitely buy the Vanillary as soon as they are back on stock. 

Have you tried any solid perfume before? What is your favorite?

Love,

Pam

YSL Creme de Blush

I actually have done a post on this blush awhile ago, but the quality was awful so I decided to re do the review post since this is my favorite cream blush ever. I am to be honest not a huge fan of cream blush and prefer powder formula, but this cream blush from YSL is an exception. 

The cream blush comes in a typical YSL gold tacky packaging. I am not really a fan. It is quite bulky and space consuming. The golden lid catches finger prints like crazy. But the product itself is excellent so I am not gonna complain much about the packaging.

I have the shade number 02 - Powdery Rose. It is a powdery medium pink, almost like a bright dusty rose shade. The consistency is something between cream and mousse, and it feels powdery at the same time. It has satin-velvety finish on the skin. I really like how natural it looks on the skin, and the color is such a versatile all around shade. The pigmentation is foolproof so you don't need to be extremely careful with application. The staying power is great and it doesn't make my cheeks greasy  or blotchy after a few hours. I usually dab it using my finger then blend it with real techniques stippling brush. The blush is beautifully scented, soft powdery scent which I adore. 

Here is a comparison swatch with Chanel creme blush in revelation. They're both similar in terms of finish and consistency, but Chanel one is lest creamier and more waxy in texture. 

Revelation has more apricot hint to it while Powdery Rose is more pink. I asked my boyfriend if he could tell the difference between these 2 shades and he said both look identical to him and he didn't get it why I spent money for 2 identical shades. ( well, boys will be boys.. )

I'm so sorry for the bad lighting. It has been cloudy and gloomy this past week and my lighting at home is all dim and yellow , I hope you still can see the color T-T

 

This is by far my HG cream blush. It is expensive at €37,50 but you get 5,5gr of product which is quite generous and gonna last you a long time ( fyi, Chanel cream rouge retails for €33 and contains only 2,5gr of product ).

What is your favorite cream blush?

Love,

Pam

The Lipstick TAG

The lovely sleepandwater just tagged me to do this fun tag. Lipsticks are my weakness, together with foundation and blushes. I have just recently cleaned my vanity table so the amount of lipsticks I have now is not as many as before. But still... :p

How many lipsticks do you own?

I have 45 lipsticks alone, 16 lip glosses, 6 lip tints / lip lacquers, and 18 lip balms / tinted lip balms.     And just so you know, I have only 1 lips. Yes one. 

What was the first lipstick you owned?

Oh this is a tough question.. I think the first lip product I owned was a roll on lip gloss from an asian brand whose name I forgot. I can't really remember the first proper lipstick I owned but I believe it was something from Maybelline. 

What is your favorite lipstick brand?

I have to go with Burberry. Even though I only have 1 lipstick from the brand, I have to admit it has the best formula I've ever encountered . For tinted lip balm, Clinique chubby sticks are my favorite and Maybelline is the best for drugstore. 

What is your most worn lipstick?

Maybelline color sensational lipstick in blushing berry. 

What is your favorite finish?

I love sheer-glossy balmy finish. But when it comes to dark bold shades, I tend to go with matte finish. 

What was the last lipstick that you bought?

The last lipstick that I bought was the lip polish from Catrice and another lip crayon from Rimmel because you can never get enough of lip crayons. never ever. 

How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?

5.. and 4 of them are lip crayons. now you know my obsession.

inside my bag

What is your favorite red lip color?

Oh I have a lot. But for bright chili red, I love Rimmel kate moss matte lipstick in shade #111, and for deep vampy red I like Burberry lip cover in hibiscus. 

How do you store your lipstick?

I store them inside a 3 storey mini drawer that I got from 1€ shop. I bought it for under €5. They're cheap and flimsy but I am just too stingy to buy a proper Muji storage. lol

Which lipsticks are you currently lusting after?

Oh I have a long list. On the top on my list is the black dahlia from tom ford. Then Burberry lip cover in blush and rose pink, then burberry lip mist in camellia pink and stormy pink. And Guerlain Rouge G in madame flirte. 

I tag every one of you who want to do this TAG <3 <3

Love,

Pam

Clinique Redness Solution Foundation

I got this foundation for christmas from a friend of mine. Most of my friends know how I love make up and I will always be happy to receive make up as gift. ^^

I am a foundation junkie and I am always happy to try new foundation. This foundation was on my christmas list so I was so happy to get it inside my christmas sock. 

The foundation comes in typical clinique packaging. Design wise, I am not a fan. I meant , how boring it is?? But function wise, the packaging is great. The plastic bottle is light, travel friendly and the nozzle dispenses the right amount of product. 

My friend got me the shade #03 calming ivory. The shade fortunately suits my complexion very well. The texture is thick liquid and a bit creamy. The coverage is medium but it is not build able as it gets cakey really easy. One layer of this foundation provides a decent coverage but the finish is just not appealing. As it is supposed to cancel redness, it does its job pretty well but the texture of this foundation feels a bit chalky and thick ( in a bad way ). The oil control is very low as my entire face gets shiny within 2-3 hours. I do powder my Tzone area ( which I don't really like doing because the foundation is already looking thick and cakey and powder makes it worse ) but still it gets oily very quick. 

On the 1st day testing the foundation, I noticed how my redness looking a bit ruddy after I removed my make up. My skin is actually not really sensitive and it doesn't break out easily so when a foundation breaks me out, than it is a big no no.

I tried my best to capture the cake finish but my camera just didn't cooperate. The lighting blurs the finish and makes it looking fine. But on the 2nd pict, you can see how my T-zone is slightly shiny and the pict was taken just 5-10 minutes after application. 

Overall, this foundation is not suitable for my skin but I can't imagine it will work for dry skin either since the cakey finish will definitely accentuate dry patches. It does cancel out redness as the name advised but it doesn't do anything exceptional that any other regular foundations can't do. 

Have you tried any foundation that you really dislike?

Love,

Pam

PS : A friend of mine is participating a design contest, would be nice for you to click this link here and vote for him. It doesn't need registration whatsoever so it would be easy. Thank you <3

Catrice Made to Stay Lip Polish

This is my latest addition to my lippie drawer on my dressing table. Catrice is now changing some of their standard sortiment for spring and this lip polish is one of the new product. Catrice claims it to be 3in1, lip gloss, lip balm and lip tint all in 1 product and it should stay up to 8Hour.

The packaging is standard 'lip gloss' tube, but it is practical so I don't mind. It comes with doe foot applicator which functions very well-

The color that I picked is #002 Jen and Berry's. It is a rose-berry shade , totally my cup of tea. The texture is very similar to the YSL glossy stain. It is watery but it has a sticky feeling of lip gloss. It applies evenly and the pigmentation is great, it gets opaque in 1 swipe. I didn't have high expectation for it because I didn't really like lip tint in general. But this one feels very nice and it is not drying at all. It does feel a bit sticky but nothing annoying. It has a light scent of vanilla but it is not overwhelming.

ps : sorry for my weird selfie here, the sun was shining so bright so I had hard time keeping my eyes opened. lol

I surprisingly really like it. It is very nice and the finish is beautiful. It is glossy and the shine stays for some hours before it fades- It doesn't stay for 8 hour like Catrice claims but it does stay on longer than regular lip glosses.

This lip polish from Catrice really reminds me of the YSL glossy stain - if not better. I think the YSL one applies less evenly and it tends to set on the lip lines which this one from Catrice doesn't do. Catrice really did a good job with it and I can only recommend it esp if you want to try the YSL glossy stain, just save your money and buy this cheaper one from Catrice. This retails for €4,99.

Have you tried any 'glossy stain'?

Love,

Pam

Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wings Mascara

Some of you might have noticed how pathetic my lashes are. The existence of my lashes is questionable and no, I am not exaggerating because they are really very short, spare and flat. That's why I don't really like experimenting with mascara because I know no matter how good they are, my lashes will still be very pathetic. T-T

But of course I can't leave mascara. I have to wear it even though I know they can't do much. But a little bit is better than nothing, yes?

Few weeks ago, my sister sent me a little package filled with asian stuffs I can't get in Germany and this mascara from Majollica Majorca is inside the package. 

The mascara comes with plastic wand and the wand is very ordinary, nothing spectacular like Benefit They're Real for example. The tube is relatively small but the design is cute and typical Majolica Majorca. I used to really like their lash expander mascara but then I stopped using it and switched to Benefit They're Real.

This mascara from MM is very ordinary. It is not very black as you can see from this picture below, and the formula is really 'thin', like there is not enough product on the wand. It doesn't really elongate or give volume to my lashes. One thing that it does really good is holding the curl and separating my lashes. It doesn't give spider effect and it gives such a natural effect. But with my lashes, natural effect is not what I am looking for. This mascara is not waterproof but it doesn't smudge easily which is a good point. I like to use it as bottom lash mascara because of the relative small wand and the 'thin' formula. 

Overall I think this mascara is not a bad product and it could maybe perform better on people with better lashes. Because my lashes are actually nothing to begin with. But I think I wouldn't repurchase this.

What is your Holy Grail mascara?

Love,

Pam

Vintage Romance

This eye shadow palette from Sleek was released around September-October 2013 and I was really attracted to the color selection but I didn't buy it right away mainly because I was not really sure whether this palette was wearable enough.

Since I am still recovering from my missing Urban Decay Naked 3 order ( Hqhair did refund me though, their cust.service is great ), I stumbled upon an amazon seller who sold this palette for only €8 incl. shipping. There it went to my shopping cart.

I won't write much about the packaging since I am sure most of you are familiar with Sleek typical black matte case. I personally like how compact and thin it is, and also the big built in mirror is really practical.

I am loving the names! look how cute they are :-)

Pretty in Paris is a frosted silver with metallic finish. It has good pigmentation and it is so bright so it will work good as highlighter. The texture is smooth despite of the frosty finish.

Meet in Madrid is a frosted muted gold. It is not as vibrant and metallic like pretty in paris but it will work well on the lower lash line to create 'aegyo sal' effect.  The pigmentation is good and the texture is not flaky.

Court in Cannes is medium golden bronze. It has frosted finish as well but it is very wearable on the lids. Pigmentation and texture are fine.

Lust in LA is a muddy darker bronze. It has frosted finish as well. The pigmentation is great, and the texture is buttery and smooth.

Romance in Rome is a blue-ish purple with frosted finish and it has kind of duo chrome touch to it. It has the weakest pigmentation in this palette and it takes more layers to build up the color. The texture is a bit dry and it doesn't apply as evenly as other shades.

Propose in Prague is one of my favorite shade in the palette. It is a warm reddish brown , almost like a burnt peach. It is the only matte shade in this palette. The texture is smooth and applies evenly .

A vow in Venice is another favorite of mine. It is a true berry shade with frosted finish and duo chrome effect. It has buttery texture and smooth application.

Marry in Monte Carlo is a pinkish version of A vow in Venice. They look similar but Marry in Monte Carlo is more pink and frosted. It is very vibrant and pigmentation is great.

Honeymoon in Hollywood is a dark deep berry shade. It has satin finish, almost matte but with a bit silver sparkles. The pigmentation is amazing but the texture is not so buttery.

Bliss in Barcelona is a cool toned eggplant purple shade. It has frosted-duo chrome finish. Pigmentation is rather sheer but it is build able.

Forever in Florence is a dark deep purple with burgundy hint. It has semi matte finish and great pigmentation. The texture is buttery and smooth.

Love in London is a black shade with a bit of silver sparkles. It has satin finish. The pigmentation is great but the application is not very even. 

Daylight

Flashed

The palette retails for €8-10 depends on where you get it, and it has 12 eye shadows in it with great quality. This palette might not be for everyone since the shades are not the most neutral, but I love it. This palette is a great value for money, definitely worth every penny.

Here is a FOTD I created using this palette , I tried to make it as wearable as possible even though the shades are very vibrant and bright :

Do you own any Sleek eye shadow palette?

Would you get yourselves this palette as well?

Love,

Pam

Coral-Ine

The fact that I love red lipsticks is no longer a secret but the fact that I started to like orange as well, is new isn't it?

I recently bought this wet n wild lipstick in Coral-Ine. I know a lot of people love wet n wild matte lipsticks as they have great formula for a fraction of price. I have to agree with the majority. 

Coral-Ine is a matte bright orange. It is actually more orange in real life as in picture. The formula is a bit waxy but still creamy enough for matte lipstick. However, I can't wear it alone without lip balm underneath as it tugs my lips and sets into lip lines. 

The formulation is good for matte lipstick as it is not too drying. The finish is more like a velvet finish, not a true-dry matte. It lasts for hours on my lips, even longer without lip balm underneath. 

By the way, as a lot of you asked for a FOTD using the MUA mono eye shadows I posted here. Here I did a FOTD using the MUA mono shade #24. I only wore the eye shadow on the eyelids, so you can get a picture how it looks when worn alone. 

How do you like orange lips on me and the eye shadow as well?

Love,

Pam

YSL Youth Liberator Foundation

Yes! Finally I got my hands on this latest foundation from YSL, the youth liberator foundation. This foundation is ridiculously marked up in Germany. It retails for €64 while it costs only ca.€40 in the UK. But I fortunately know someone working for YSL beauty counter so I managed to get 30% off and paid €44 for it ( still so expensive but it didn't hurt that bad.. :p ). I bought it as a little christmas present for myself and put it inside my christmas sock. ( It took all my self control not to swatch and try it before christmas )

So, to the packaging, this foundation comes in a hefty glass bottle. It has a kind of ombre look, black cap and it goes clear to the bottom part of the bottle. I love the design because it looks shopisticated and expensive ( yes I know how shallow it sounds :p ). The bottle also comes with a pump which is another plus point.

My shade is B 30- beige which is a good match for my skin at the moment. It is a little little bit too light, but I can correct it with powder so no worries, better too light than too dark. 

YSL claims the foundation to be the first serum foundation with glycanacrif complex which revive your skin youthful brightness and seamless complexion. I have the youth liberator serum as well and I like it so I am excited to see how the foundation will perform.
The foundation has thick liquid consistency and the first thing I noticed was the funky scent. It doesn't smell like usual YSL foundation, it smells like a mix between cucumber and something chemical. I don't like the scent but it is not very strong and it doesn't linger on , so it is not a problem for me.
The foundation provides medium to full coverage but despite of the rather thick consistency, it blends very well. I usually apply it with flat top kabuki brush, but it works well with damped beauty sponge as well because the consistency is not watery or runny so the sponge won't absorb the product.
Because of the high coverage, it covers my imperfections such as redness and blemishes very well.  It feels lightweight on the skin and comfortable. And don't worry about the high coverage because the finish is not dull or mask-like.
The finish it delivers is such a flawless satin like finish. It is very slightly dewy and radiant. The finish is so beautiful it is difficult to describe. 

This picture is not photoshopped. It really delivers flawless finish and photographs really well.

As you can see from pictures above, this foundation photographs beautifully. It gives such a face lift - photoshopped effect and my skin looks so flawless ( believe me, it is not that flawless in real life! ). 

My only concern with this foundation ( besides the price ) is oil control and staying power. My skin is actually not oily in winter, but I notice that my T-zone gets noticeably greasy only after 3 - 4 hours application  . The problem is easily solved with blotting powder but of course for the ridiculous price tag, we expect it to be excellent - if not perfect, right?

After a week of trying, it didn't break me out and I am still in love with the finish. I haven't noticed any skin care benefit from it but maybe it needs longer time. Despite of the funky scent and the average oil control, I think this foundation is a very good product, but seriously YSL Germany, why you marked up the price so ridiculously high? 

Have you tried any foundation from YSL?

Love,

Pam