Tarte Cheek Stain Flush

I received this mini version of Tarte cheek stain in Flush from my Sephora Beauty insider point. I have never tried any cheek stain from Tarte before but I have their Amazonian clay blush and love it!

The cheek stain comes in a very cute tiny chubby cylinder packaging. I love the fact that it comes in a retractable stick, very easy to apply. The color I got was Flush, a deep plum-berry shade that looked rather scary on the tube but fortunately appeared sheer on the cheeks. It blended effortlessly. I usually swipe it on the cheeks and blend it using Real Techniques Stippling Brush. It had rather slippery texture, not creamy but very lightweight. The pigmentation was build able and didn't apply chalky on the cheeks. It gave a very nice dewy and fresh flushed, though people with very oily skin might find it too greasy. It might look a bit shiny as well, which could be too much in warm summer days, but I can imagine it will look gorgeous in colder months!

Contrary to the name, I don't think this is qualified to be called a cheek stain as it didn't stain my cheeks. The consistency is slippery and at some points, it set and didn't move around, but it didn't stain my cheeks. The longevity was rather poor but it is convenient to carry around or reapply so it is not a huge deal for me. I'd rather have it as it is though, as I don't like anything that stain ( yes, not a fan of those Benefit Tints ). 

Oh it is strongly scented, something floral but I don't mind the scent. 

Overall, a nice decent product from Tarte, very convenient and easy to apply, perfect in every make up bag :-)

Love,

Pam

Sultry-Tease-Standout

I remember I once bought one lip crayon from Revlon which everyone loved but I didn't. So when these new range of the lip crayons came out, I was not really excited to give them a try. But when I was in Jakarta, Revlon was everywhere and also pretty cheap compare to the price in Europe so after some swatches I bought 3 shades from the range.

I picked up 2 matte and 1 glossy/balmy shades. They all had minty scent and a little tingling sensation when applied. The balmy shade ; Tease wass a sheer orange. It had balmy texture and very comfortable on the lips. I love it! It didn't dry up my lips and quite hydrating. It applied smoothly on the lips and gave my lips a bit of plumping effect. The staying power was 2-3 hour, which is okay for a lipstick with balmy formula. 

The 2 matte shades were Sultry and Standout. Sultry was a muted berry shade, I love it! It was matte, and the color was just perfect against my complexion I'd say. It was not too nude or too peach, which was not easy for matte lipsticks because mostly they're either nude, red or bright pink. 

Standout was a deep strawberry red. It was also a very flattering shade. Both the matte shades felt creamy, velvety and smooth when applied. They were all not drying and didn't accentuate the lip lines. The longevity however was not very long for matte lipsticks because they were also very creamy. The deeper shade ; Standout stayed on longer than Sultry. 

I am overall very happy with these lippies. They do their jobs very well and they are affordable as well. I am eyeing other shades now ^^

Have you tried anything from this range? which color is your favorite?

Love,

Pam

Diffused Light

Yes, finally this very hyped powder is mine. Thanks to Sephora US that now ships to Germany, I can buy some products that were not available in Germany before.

I was not sure which shade to order, but after some researches on the internet, I decided to get Diffused Light because I really want a finishing powder, not a highlighter or a bronzer ( that's why I didn't get the palette ).

direct sunlight

artificial light

Well to be honest, I don't really know where to begin.. I bought this powder 100% out of curiosity. I have heard and read so many positive reviews, yet I also read some not so positive review of the Ambient Lighting Powder series in general ( e.g from Sleepandwater and lovely Karima ) so I did anticipate it to be something out of my expectation. I was skeptical anyway since a lot of people say that it illuminates the skin and somewhat 'highlighting' which I am not a fan of. As much as I love how highlighters look on other people, I just don't like how they look on me. I have tried Benefit high beam, The Balm Marylouminizer, NARS Albatros, etc etc but none of them that I liked. I found that highlighters tend to enhance my pores.
Diffused Light - unfortunately didn't perform like I wanted it to be. It could be me who misinterpreted the main purpose of this powder, but seriously I just couldn't get myself to like it. The powder set my foundation BUT it accentuated my pores and looked cakey and heavy on my skin no matter how little or light handed I applied the product. I tried any possible methods to apply it but none really worked out the way I wanted to. The only way  that I liked was to apply it to set my under eye concealer and apply it on the upper cheek bones as a 'satin  finish highlighter'. But I mean, I could get away without it on my daily make up routine. I didn't get it that people claimed it to blur out any lines, pores and imperfections, because what it did to me was to enhance all those things I prefer not to be visible. It looked the worst under direct sun light, it looked like my face is a dimmed disco ball and since it is now summer here and we get sun light until 10 pm , this powder is not the best candidate to set my foundation.
Aside of my personal preference, this powder is no doubt a good product. It has good pigmentation, nice smooth and soft texture and finely milled. The packaging is sturdy and well made despite of the finger print crazy surface, I  quite like the packaging.

PS  ; I was surprised to see how nice it ended up looking in photos, because they certainly didn’t feel that way when worn..


Have you tried any of this powder from Hourglass?
Love,

Pam

Laneige Snow BB Soothing Cushion

I am a fan of Laneige waterbank skin care series and was so excited to see Laneige being widely available in Jakarta and singapore. I got some stuffs from Laneige during my recent holiday trip and this snow BB cushion was one of them.

I have never tried any cushion foundation before and was never really interested.. but the lameige SA was wearing this BB cushion and her skin was soooo flawless and dewy, very nice indeed. So I asked her what was she wearing as base and she showed me this BB Cushion.. So there it went to my shopping cart.
The Laneige snow BB cushion comes with a 15ml refill. So you get in total 30ml of product, each cushion has 15ml. It comes in a nice sturdy white case. I love how they have a separator for the sponge so the sponge will not always be in contact with the product. I surprisingly really like the sponge. It is not like usual sponge you get with your powder, this one has actually a very nice material that makes applying the foundation easier and smooth. Laneige doesn't sell the sponge separately, but you get a new sponge for every refill you buy.
My shade is 13, the lightest shade they have. It is a bit ashy but after few minutes , it starts to set and doesn't look ashy anymore. I love how it really brightens up my whole complexion.
The foundation has light to medium coverage. It feels lightweight on the skin and is buildable. I usually put 2 layers to achieve the coverage I need, but this foundation doesn't end up looking cakey on my face. It covers up my rednesses and doesn't set into dry patches or clog pores.
It provides a very dewy finish, so if you have oily skin, you might want to give it a try first. During my holiday in Indonesia and Singapore, this was the only foundation I wore. It was always min.30'C there and also very humid, but this foundation performed very well. Despite of the dewy finish, it had a pretty good oil control. I didn't set this foundation with powder as I think the beauty of it is the finish.
The staying power was also very good. I didn't need to touch up very often, only occasionally blotting, and to consider the very warm and humid weather there, this performed really really well.

I also received so many compliments using this foundation. My mom and my aunt even bought this foundation directly when they saw me wearing it. And both of them were a huge fan of Revlon two way cake foundation since I don't know when,lol. But now they converted to this BB Cushion.


This foundation retails for Rp 430.000 or ca.€25 / 30 ml

Have you tried any cushion foundation?
Love,
Pam

Paul & Joe Pressed Powder UV

I am always a fan of Paul&Joe beauty line as they always have the cutest packaging and also excellent quality. I recently bought a face powder from the brand with a very beautiful packaging, and I have to admit I got it because of the packaging and  didn't really do a some research beforehand.

So I was disappointed to see that the powder has some glitter particles.

The packaging, as you can see is very beautiful. I love tiger and I don't like cats ( I never find cats cute. lol ) so It annoys me that Paul&Joe often releases cats theme packaging ( well I know that tigers are basically giant cats. hahaha ), so when I saw the tiger, I just couldn't resist.

The powder itself has some micro glitter particles. The glitters are easily spotted on the pan as you can see on the picture. Though when it is applied, the glitters are not really visible to be honest and it gives a subtle glow to the face but still there are few glitters to be seen on the face which I am not a fan of.

Despite of the glitters, the powder has very soft and smooth texture. The powder is finely milled and not dusty/powdery. It works well to set the foundation if I could ignore the glitters. The powder is also mildly scented with Paul&Joe trademark scent which I find very nice.

The glitters annoy me so much and It is sold as pressed UV Powder not a highlighter so I don't really get it why they put glitters on it. The powder alone is a very nice one. It provides a flawless finish without looking cakey or too much.

I am now using the powder as body powder for the decolette and arms because it is just too pretty to toss away.

Love,

Pam

It's Judy Time!

Do you watch It's Judy Time on youtube? I do watch her beauty videos and occasionally her daily blog. Few months ago, she teamed up with bhcosmetics to create eyeshadow palette. I saw her using it daily on her vlogs and I must say I liked how she created a lot of different looks with the palette. A friend of mine was on a euro trip and we met a day in Berlin, she brought me this palette all the way from the US :-)

The palette comes in a sleek black card board packaging. I am not really a fan of card board packaging, but this one is appropriate for the price. It is slim and sleek as well so it is not space consuming. It also has a built in mirror inside which is good if you want to carry it for traveling ( Just beware of the not so sturdy card board packaging! ).

The palette comes with 12 shades varied from matte-satin-duo chrome to shimmery. However, the texture and quality of the shadows are inconsistent. The first row eyeshadows are lack in pigmentation and need multiple layers to get opaque, even eye shadow primer didn't really help. The second layer though, applied better and more pigmented. They are powdery and have a lot of fall out so have to be careful with application. 

#1 is a matte ivory beige shade which I supposed meant to be a blending shade, too bad the pigmentation is barely there.

#2 is a matte nude camel brown, the consistency and texture is similar to #1, chalky, powdery and pressed to hard I literally need to scrap it with my brush to get the color.

#3 is a satin version of #2 I'd say. The pigmentation is poor but the texture is a little softer than #1 and #2.

#4 is a reddish plum shade with satin finish. It is a very nice shade but again, the pigmentation is not very good. It is the sheer version of MAC Cranberry.

#5 is burgundy shade with satin finish. The shade is similar to #4 but a tad deeper. 

#6 is dark plum shade with satin finish. It has softer texture and better pigmentation than the other 5 shades on the first row.

#7 is a peachy choper shade with frosty - shimmery finish. It is similar to MAC sable, UD Toasted. The pigmentation is good and it applies smoothly.

#8 is my favorite shade in this palette. It is a frosty burgundy shade. 

#9 is very dark purple with pink shimmers. It has duo chrome effect, very beautiful shade but it is rather chalky and rough in texture.

#10, #11, #12 all blue shades, range from frosty to satin finish. #10 is a frosty periwinkle blue. I've been wearing it a lot on my lower lash line as it is too blue to be worn on my upper lids. #11 and #12 are blue jeans shades. I haven't tried them on the lids because I just don't know how to wear blue. They always look weird against my complexion.

Overall, I like the color selection on this palette, though I wish Judy put less blue shades ( my personal preference ). But I have seen her looks using the blue shades on this palette and they all look gorgeous on her!

The quality is unfortunately barely there. The eyeshadows are mostly chalky, powdery and lack in pigmentation. It took me minimum 3 layers to achieve the pigmentation on my hand swatches above. They perform better on the lids though, but I have to scrap the product with my eye brushes to get pigmentation. Staying power is okay over primer and they don't crease or move around. 

The palette is currently on sale for $9,99 instead of $20 on bhcosmetics website. 

Love,

Pam

Lowndes Square and a little chat

I have a thing for mauve and grayish nail polish. I don't care how similar they all look, I still keep buying similar shades #1stworldproblem. 

Lowndes Square is my first nail polish from Nails inc.  I managed to get it for a very cheap price from a blog sale. 

Lowndes Square is a mauve-y grey shade that has different hues depends on the light. It looks more grey under direct sun light and looks more lavender-mauve under artificial light. 

It applies smoothly and pigmented. One coat is enough but I am used to always apply 2 coats of nail polish so I applied 2 coats to make it more opaque. 

The color is not the most unique one but I really like it. It is a color subtle enough that I can wear to work but also not 'boring' for summer. 

It dried pretty quick and didn't chip on me for 4 days ( topped with Essence better than gel nails top coat ). The formula was not too thick or too thin and applied smoothly. 

Anyway, how are you guys?? I am now well adjusted to my hectic life in Berlin after my last month holiday. It is stressful here but I told myself to enjoy as much as I could the ( most probably ) my last 18 months in Berlin as I am planning to go home for good by the end of next year. I am having exam week, 1 exam done, 2 more to come.  I should have been learning more for exams but world cup has been distracting me most of the time. lol

As a football fan, I barely miss any matches but I am so sad that England didn't make it through the group elimination.. :-// But Germany goes to final!! woohoo!

Aside of the world cup, the summer sale season has made my financial balance this month being very unbalanced lol. To make it worse, I had so many birthdays in June and 2 upcoming birthdays in July of my sister and mom! So I've been busy buying birthday gifts ( and few cheeky purchases for me me me :P ).

Have you planned anything for the upcoming summer holiday?? I will go on a euro trip with my family to Holland, Paris , Rome and Vatican which I am already very excited about!! 

Have any of you been to Rome before?? Any insider tips? this would be my first trip to Rome and I can hardly wait xD

Sorry for the chatty post! But I really enjoy talking to you! :-D

Love,

Pam

Maybelline Color Elixir

A lot of people rave about the new Maybelline color elixir. They even got compared a lot with the Dior Fluid Sticks so I was excited to spot them during my trip to Jakarta last month.

There were only 4 shades available at Maybelline counters in Jakarta. I wanted to get them all but there was a very pale peachy shade that didn't look good on me at all so I picked up the other 3 shades.

Maybelline Color Elixir supposed to be the new lip gloss from Maybelline. Maybelline claims it to be a lip gloss, lipstick and lip balm all in 1. It is another player in the hybrid lippie games together with Dior Fluid Sticks, Lancome Lip Lover, YSL glossy stain, etc etc. It was love at the first application between me and the Color Elixir.. It applies very smooth and has a little tingling sensation ( if you're familiar with lip plumper.. ), it feels very comfortable and balmy on the lips and applies evenly. The formula is rich yet lightweight, soft and watery but in no way slippery. 

The pigmentation varies depends on the color. The lighter colors have sheer but buildable pigmentation yet the deeper shade is way more pigmented. 

They don't feel sticky on the lips even though after 2-3 hours they can feel a bit tacky but nothing compare to the super sticky YSL glossy stain. They come in a beautiful sleek packaging, for the affordable price, Maybelline really did a good job. They also come with a leaf shaped doe foot applicator which applies products evenly to the lips. 

The finish is very shiny and watery, so gorgeous! I can't stop looking at my lips because they look so juicy, plump and shiny. The shine and glossy coat fade after 2-3 hours and the lighter colors do disappear after 3 hours but the deeper shade stains the lips afterward. They are quite hydrating as well and don't dry up my lips. 

The shades available in Jakarta have different names as the shades sold in the US, here are the shades I picked up :

#GLAM2 - Glam 2 is a peachy coral shade. It has a tiny tiny tiny golden particles but they are not visible on the lips. Glam 2 is a very lovely shade and I love it the most among the 3 colors I bought.

#POP5 - Pop 5 is a medium berry pink. It has no shimmer particles and works well to top over pink lipsticks.

#GLAM 6 - Glam 6 is a deep magenta with a hint of purple. It is very pigmented but it can be sheer out for less 'vamped up' look. 

Overall, I think the Color Elixir from Maybelline are nice new additions for the drugstore as alternatives to the higher end similar products. Formula wise, they are very very similar to the Dior Fluid Sticks, only the Fluid Sticks are a little wee bit lighter in texture because they are water based and the Fluid Sticks have prettier packaging. But in terms of the finish, consistency and performance, they are almost identical. So if you want to save some money, I don't see a point in spending €35 on Dior when you can get almost similar product for ca. €5.

Have you tried the Maybelline Color Elixir?

Love,

Pam