Addiction by Ayako Cheek Stick

I've been wanting to try Addiction by Ayako cheek since the first time I saw it on Kate's blog. But, since the brand is difficult to get if you live outside Japan, I just put it aside and didn't think much about it. Until during my stay in Jakarta, I've seen many local beauty stores stock Addiction by Ayako, of course I didn't miss the chance and ordered 2 shades at once ( thanks to the lovely @pablohoney from TheFruitCompote, you convinced me to finally order these gems! ). 

Rose Bar

Revenge

It was not easy to decide which shades to get as there are not a lot of swatches on the internet. After some consideration, I opted for Revenge and Rose Bar. And I'm glad I opted for them as I am freakin' in love with them both xD

Revenge is a muted coral shade. I imagined it to be redder but actually happier to see it less red. The shade is bright but muted enough to make it daily appropriate. It is the kind of coral that helps brighten up the complexion. I usually despise bright coral on the lips because they tend to make my complexion appear rather dull and ashy. But, this one is fortunately not.

Rose Bar is very very pretty nude shade. It is a soft pinkish nude that doesn't wash out my complexion. I just LOVE it. I initially didn't expect it to look good on the lips, I just wanted a pinkish nude shade for the cheeks to achieve softer look, but it actually looks really nice on the lips too! My mom loves it when I wear Rose Bar on the lips. She told me I look less 'angry and b*tchy' and younger, haha! ( My mom hates it when I wear red lipsticks, she always says I look older and less approachable. LOL ). 

Speaking of the formula, they're both creamy but not slippery. They blend smoothly and don't apply patchy. I usually dot 3 little dots on the cheeks and blend it using beauty blender ( fingers work too, esp for touch up ). They have cream to powdery texture and set into matte finish with no sheen. I personally prefer matte blushes anyway so this is just great. The staying power on the cheeks is great. I got 6-7 hour wear before they start to fade gradually. But, since it's compact and cute, I don't mind reapplying anyway.

As lipstick, they feel like creamy matte lipstick, reminds me of the Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick, only slightly more silicon-ey. They glide on effortlessly and don't set into the lip lines. They're also not drying on the lips. But, don't expect longevity as they're quite creamy. They do stain the lips though esp Revenge. But it stains the lips evenly so it looks rather pretty. 

Addiction by Ayako Cheek Sticks come in a lipstick packaging. They look just like a regular lipstick, they feel like one too. They're housed in black rectangular lipstick bullet with pink retractable bottom. I like the sleek and simple packaging yet still a bit playful with the bright pink accent. The packaging is well made and doesn't look cheap or flimsy. Oh and I don't notice any scent, so it's safe if you got sensitive nose. 

Overall, I am so glad I have them in my collection. I love love love them!!

Have you tried anything from Addiction by Ayako?

Love,

Pam

Illamasqua Sangers

I once again fell into the red lipsticks trap. I own too many red lipsticks for one person's lips, but my problem is always, every time I try on lipstick shades, most SAs and my friends will always recommend me to take the red one because they say I look best wearing red. Well that was what happened with this another red piece from Illamasqua.

Illamasqua Sangers is a matte deep red. It is true blood red shade. I had never tried any Illamasqua lipsticks so Sangers was my first. The texture is a bit stiff but still creamy enough to glide on smoothly. I don't really like shiny bold shades and prefer to wear my bold shades, esp red ones matte. 

Sangers is true matte with no sheen whatsoever. The formula is not too drying but also not too pleasant like the Revlon matte balm or Rimmel Kate Moss Mattes. I still can stand this one as it doesn't dry up my lips too much and with the help of a lip balm, I can even get away wearing it all day.  The pigmentation is great, it only needs one swipe to get opaque and applies evenly. Due to its rather dry formula, it doesn't bleed or feather so I don't need to frame my lips with lip liner beforehand.

Speaking of the packaging, Illamasqua lipstick comes in a solid black plastic case. I won't say the packaging is ultra luxurious considering the mid end price point, they definitely need to improve in packaging department IMO.

The staying power is great, I got 5-6 hour wear with minor drinking and eating.

Overall, a decent matte lipstick but not a must have.

Have you tried any Illamaqua lipstick?
Love,
Pam

Holiday Favorite

It's been awhile since the last time I posted a favourite post, so here is one favourite post with my recent most used and most loved items. There are few items I brought from Germany and few that I bought during my stay in Jakarta.

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eye Shadow Palette - I lost count on how many times I featured this palette in a daily make up routine. This palette deserves more attention and actually better ( in my book ) compare to any UD naked palettes. I reach for this palette almost every day because I can create simple to smokey eye look using it. The texture and formula is just excellent. Smooth-pigmented and easy to blend.

Beauty Blender - I imagined giving myself a kick on the butt because it took me so long before I caved in and bought the original beauty blender. Let me tell you, it is life changing. My foundations have never been applied better. Even the most cranky foundation can still look manageable if applied using beauty blender. It is expensive, but worth the money. I already own 3 of them ( one pink and two black ) and I prefer the black one. It is easier to clean and I find the material is a bit more durable? The pink one has already got a lot of nail marks all over them but the black one has not. If you still hesitate to buy the original beauty blender, please do take the plunge. It is worth every single penny ( and no, even the Real Techniques one - it is good but nothing compares to the original ) .

Illamasqua Powder Blush Naked Rose - I just love the subtleness and softness of the shade. The formula is good, well pigmented and easy to blend so I've been reaching for it often.

Lunasol Smoothing Make Up Base - My current favourite make up primer. It provides a healthy glow, and prolongs the wear of make up. It has a nice brightening effect and the price is reasonable too for a high end brand. 

Illamasqua Cream Pigment Hollow - I like to do some contouring to give dimension to my chubby cheeks, and this cream pigment from Illamaqua is a nice product for it. The color is subtle and a bit ashy so it is nice to give a 'shadow'. The formula is creamy, easy to blend and long lasting.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - My favorite drugstore concealer at the moment. The texture is just creamy-emollient and blends like a dream. The coverage is good and it doesn't crease or crack. The built in sponge might not be the most hygienic option, but I wipe it regularly with anti bacterial wipes.

Covergirl Outlast 3in1 Stay Fabulous Foundation - Okay this is a huge claim, but this might be one of the best foundations I have ever tried so far. Amazing price point, nice packaging with a pump, great coverage, very flawless finish, good oil control, doesn't cake up, doesn't set into lines, easy to blend and very long lasting. Major love and I already repurchased a back up, which never happened in my foundation history as I very rarely use up any foundation due to my excessive collection. 

L'oreal Color Riche Moist Lipstick in Fairy Touch - A pretty peachy pink lipstick. Easy shade to wear everyday and with comfortable moist formula. It is relatively long lasting too for a balmy lipstick. I reach for this shade very often esp on days where I don't know what to wear on the lips. 

Burberry Earthy Blush - My all time favourite bronzer. Matte with no shimmer whatsoever. It is cool toned so it gives a nice dimension too. It is sheer but very build able which I appreciate as it gives room for error and I don't have to be extra careful or lighhanded on application.

What is your recent favourite make up items?

Love,

Pam

Koh Gen Do HD Make Up

Koh Gen Do is a brand I am always curious to try. I have tried their Maifanshi loose powder and it is one of my staple loose powder, excellent quality. But, as a foundation junkie, of course I needed to try the foundation, right? Gladly there is a set of deluxe sizes Maifanshi foundation and primer sold by local beauty store in Indonesia so I bought it right away. 

The set comes in a very nice tin case with deluxe samples inside. There is 1 mini tube of make up color base pearl white, 2 Maifanshi moisture foundation in shade 013 and 113, 1 loose powder and 2 sachets of the color base primer + regular size powder puff.
To be honest, both shades 013 and 113 are a bit dark for my complexion, not too much that my face and neck have different tones though, but still they're not the perfect match for my skin.

Let me start with the pearl white base, it is a nice lightweight white primer. It has similar texture to the Chanel Le blanc primer. The primer does brighten up my complexion but it does not smoothen my face like for example Benefit Professional or Smashbox PhotoReady. It doesn't feel silicone-y but it applies very smoothly . It is a nice primer but nothing exceptional. It didn't prolong the wear of make up, but it enhanced the appearance of brighter skin. If you are looking for it, then you should give it a try.

The Maifanshi Moisture Foundation has creamy lightweight texture. It applies and blends effortlessly and smoothly providing a very natural and radiant finish. The coverage is more on the sheerer side which is enough for daily use if you don't really have problematic skin or a lot to be covered. For me personally, I prefer more coverage. Staying power is okay, bare in mind this is a moisture foundation, not a long wearing one. So I will not point it out as a negative aspect. The natural finish is no doubt very nice, but to be honest, that is the kind of finish I could achieve with cheaper product. I do not need to spend $62 on a foundation to achieve that look.

The Loose powder is the winner in this set, but I already wrote a separate post on this one here.

Overall, I am glad I gave this set a go so I saved myself a good amount of money.  It is excellent if you want to try the Maifanshi line. It would be better though, if they have several shades of the foundation available.

Have you tried anything from Koh Gen Do?
Love,
Pam

Illamasqua Naked Rose

I recently bought this powder blush from Illamasqua counter at Central Department Store-Jakarta. They were having a promo going on for 3 items  ( Hydra or Matte Veil Primer + 1 blush of your choice + 1 lipstick of your choice ) for only IDR 790.000 ( ca. USD 60 ) instead of IDR 1.1350.000 ( ca. USD 86 ).  The promo sounded too good to be missed so I decided it was a good chance to try few items from the brand.

I was debating whether to get their powder or cream blush, but I did't really like their cream blush formula so I went for the powder one. I picked up the shade Naked Rose, as the BA told me it is their best seller shade. Naked Rose is a pale rosewood shade. On the pan, it looks very pale and I was worried it wouldn't show up on my skin, but once I swatched it I was surprised at how pigmented it is. Naked Rose is similar to Burberry Sheer Glow Blush in Cameo, only slightly cooler and less warm.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher Naked Rose has a very soft and smooth but powdery texture, the lightest swipe of brush will make it go powdery. So I usually only slightly tap the brush on the surface to avoid the powder mess. The blush itself applies smoothly and evenly on the cheeks. It is easy to blend and doesn't apply patchy. The finish is matte so it's great for daily use as it won't look too much. I love the versatility of the shade because it matches all looks. It is the kind of color you can pair with heavy smokey eyes or -simple eye liner only- look. 

The staying power is great. I got 7-8 hour wear before it started to fade gradually. Packaging wise, I wish they'd do more effort especially for the price category. The simple black plastic case looks and feels kinda flimsy and cheap. 

Overall, I am happy with this purchase and will have a look at the other shades available as long as the promo still going on, but I wouldn't say it is a must have.

Have you tried anything from Illamasqua?

Love,

Pam

Blue Curacao

I only brought 2 nail polishes with me for my 5 month stay in Indonesia, mainly because I thought I was going to have a lot of manicure/ pedicure ( which is very cheap here compare to Germany ), and I also believed I was going to buy some new ones, which I just did :P. 

Mavala Blue Curacao is a bright turquoise shade. The bottle is tiny , contains only 5ml of product but I don't mind as it is easier to be used up. Mavala nail polishes in Germany are not easily accessible so I had never tried any nail polish from the brand before. The local drugstore in Jakarta ; Guardian was having 20% off all Mavala products so this nail polish has cost me only IDR 40.000 ( ca. €2,5 ) which is such a good deal.

I didn't expect much from this nail polish but it exceeded my expectation. It applied very smoothly and opaque. The consistency is just the right amount, not too thin or too thick. I hate gloopy nail polish and fortunately this is not the case. The staying power is good, I got 4-5 hour wear before it started to chip.
Overall I am very happy with the purchase and will certainly look for other shades. Blue Curacao is a stunner, I got a lot of compliments from my friends,family and even strangers xD.

PS1 : One downside though the nail polish stained my nails lightly after removed. Maybe it is due to the bright blue color, and won't happen with lighter shades? I will report later once I try another shades. 

PS2 : How are you guys? Another little life update from me. As I have mentioned before, I extended my stay in Jakarta until mid September since I still have lots of things to finish here. I also recently started my small business and it has been going pretty well, and I hope it will continue to run well and better in the future. Things have been running well for me lately and I am so grateful for it.  
The weather in Jakarta has been very hot and humid lately I barely can take the heat , so I try to stay indoor whenever I can and avoid to be outside without aircon , lol. 
On a gloomy note, my boyfriend's father just passed away suddenly so my boyfriend had to rush from Germany to Jakarta to attend the funeral. He is okay though and was very calm during the unlucky circumstances. I hadn't seen him for awhile so it was nice to see him even for couple of days only as he needed to rush back to Germany again.  

So how are things going on in your life? I hope all of you are doing well ^^
Love,
Pam

Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer

I am such a sucker for base products such as primer , foundation, concealer, and powder. So I don't need to explain anything about why I recently bought this Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer, right? Okay glad you are all so understanding with me *grinning*.

The Illamasqua hydra veil is an in between product of primer and moisturizer. I have combination skin, and often the area under my eyes and cheeks are a bit dry so a hydrating primer sounds perfect. I still use my daily moisturizer beforehand though since I don't think Hydra veil is offering any skin care benefit so I just treat it as make up primer with a bit of hydration kick. 

Illamasqua Hydra Veil comes in a solid black jar packaging. I really appreciate the spatula given so it's more hygienic to use. The product has a unique jelly like texture which is very difficult to be scooped out using fingers, so hence the given spatula. I was amazed when I first saw the texture because it has the ability to reform itself into pristine condition after you scoop out the product ( yes  I am a dork like that. lol ). 

Despite of the jelly texture, the primer applies effortlessly into the skin and sinks in fast. It doesn't have silicone-y feel like Benefit Porefessional. My skin feels smoother to touch after applying this primer. I notice a bit of pore blurring effect going on. The primer doesn't interrupt the application of foundation or other base products on top of it, means my foundation-concealer and co apply just like they used to, with or without primer as some primers tend to change the blend ability of some foundations.

After trying this primer for few weeks I'd say I like it, but I don't love it. Most downside for me is that it doesn't prolong the wear of make up and instead, it kind of eliminates the oil control. I notice my foundation gets oilier faster and the finish gets a tad too dewy after awhile. But it is a great primer for matte foundation as it gives a nice subtle glow or if you don't have long day awaits, let's say just a 2 or 3 hour dine out, this is great to give you a nice radiant face. But, longer than 3-4 hours, it will be too dewy especially if you have combination to oily skin. If you have dry to normal skin though, this will be perfect.

What is your current favorite face primer?
Love,
Pam