Zoeva Naturally Yours

Zoeva was having 20% off storewide during the Glamour Shopping Week and I took the chance to try one of their eye shadow palettes. I've been seeing swatches online and was tempted to give at least one of them a try because the swatches look really nice. And because I am boring and predictable makeup junkie, I chose the most neutral one ; Naturally Yours. xD

I have enough nude eye shadows in my collection for my entire life I guess, lol but still I opted for another nude palette and I don't know why I did that. The palette is housed in a thin cardboard case with magnetic closure. There is not built in mirror attached which is one letdown IMO.

Zoeva Naturally Yours palette includes 10 neutral - earth toned eye shadows ranging from matte-satin and shimmery finish.

Pure is a matte nude beige shade. It is rather sheer but works great as a transition or blending shade. It is not unique but necessary and useful.

Soft and Sexy is a medium milk brown with slightly satin finish. It's not completely matte. It Cosmetics Mocha is lighter and cooler, Urban Decay Teased is warmer and redder. Pigmentation is nice, and it applies smoothly. I like it solo on the lids on low key days.

Smooth and Harmony is a pinkish taupe with gold shimmer. Pigmentation is great and applies smoothly.

Forever Yours is a warm burgundies brown with silver shimmer. One of my favourite shade in this palette. The shimmer is intricate and iridescent, very nice on the lids.

Slow Dance is cool toned ashy brown with slightly semi matte / satin finish. The shade is a bit tricky and patchy.

First Love is a matte ivory shade which is nice to 'clean' the edges or under the brow bone.

Casual Elegance is a shimmery yellowish gold shade. I like wearing it as tear duct highlighter shade or lower lash line highlight.

Sweet Sound is a warm medium brown with gold shimmers. Another favourite shade in this palette. It applies smoothly and pigmentation is great.

Lovely Monday is a muddy brown with silver shimmers. It is also another great shade in the palette.

Timeless Chic is a semi matte blue toned black , similar to Slow Dance, this one also applies a bit tricky and a patchy.

Overall, Zoeva Naturally Yours palette offers a nice range of neutral shades. I like how they put some matte and shimmery shades that compliment each other. The shades are not all unique and rather dupable, but it is nice to have them in one palette. The quality is excellent for the price point at €17,89. The dark matte shades are trickier to apply, but the shimmery shades are great. They blend easily and have good staying power. I've been reaching for it daily since the day I purchased it.

What is your current eye shadow palette favourite?
Love,
Pam

DIOR Rosy Glow

I follow a lot of fellow beauty enthusiasts on instagram and let me tell you, it's dangerous! I lost count on how many purchases I made being enabled by the girls ( and boys )' posts on their IG accounts xD. This DIOR Rosy Glow blush in pink petal is the most recent example of the 'Instagram made me do it' purchase thanks to @adanink @kaepratiwi @sidekickjess for being such good enablers :D

PS : Sorry for not so pristine pict. I did swatch my brush before this photo was taken. I couldn't resist

DIOR Rosy Glow blush in Pink Petal comes in a elegant case. The case has transparent bottom and silver lid. There is a big built in mirror inside with a small brush which actually works well. The blush itself is embossed with Dior monogram and it is so pretty.

If it wasn't because of the girls' recommendations on Instagram, I wouldn't even consider getting the blush. The color on the pan is so bright and vibrant it is almost neon. Blue toned or white toned pink don't look good on my complexion because they tend to wash me out and make my skin looking ashy and dull. But Rosy Glow is supposed to adjust to your skin's pH, so it is not going to be like the color on the pan once applied on the cheeks.

The texture of the blush is smooth, soft and finely milled. The pigmentation is good but not overboard which I like. I don't really like overly pigmented blushes as they're more difficult to apply. I prefer sheer blushes that are easily build able and this one checks the boxes. The color once applied on my cheeks turns into soft powdery pink. The color diffuses very well and creates a nice natural flushed cheeks. It is a refreshing shade that compliments all look, from subtle low key every day look into heavy smokey eyes look. It applies smoothly on the cheeks and blends effortlessly. The staying power is great too. It stays put for a good 6-7 hour and fades gradually after that.

Overall, it's a nice addition to my collection. I don't have anything similar in my collection because I usually go for warmer shades of pink or coral. I'm glad I decided to give this one a go.

Did you do any 'influenced' purchase lately?

Love,
Pam

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation

After my very satisfying experience with Max Factor Facefinity 3in1 foundation, I pay more attention to the brand which was not that attractive to me before, and purchased another foundation from the brand which is also one of their best seller, according to the SA.

Max Factor Miracle Touch foundation comes in a compact case with a sponge applicator. I personally like the packaging because it's traveling friendly and great for on the go touch up. Only there is no built in mirror inside the case.

My shade is creamy ivory which is second lightest shade available. Creamy ivory is just the right match for my complexion with neutral undertone. 

The foundation is very thin in consistency and ultimately lightweight. It is like a  pressed liquid foundation because the consistency is so thin , I can't really call it a cream foundation.  It is creamy though and feels almost watery to touch. It applies effortlessly and blends seamlessly. Due to its very thin and lightweight texture, I like to apply it using fingers to achieve the coverage I desire. The given sponge is also not bad and works rather well. Beauty blender will do too, but it will give a even more sheerer coverage. Max Factor Miracle Touch foundation provides a sheer to medium coverage. It is build able but you can't really layer this foundation too much as it is really sheer and too many layers will eliminate the real purpose of this foundation and you won't have the nice natural finish it's supposed to give. The coverage is enough to even out the complexion and blurs minor redness. Concealer is still needed as it doesn't really cover blemishes or the under eye areas. If you zoom in the picture above, you can see how the redness on my cheeks still slightly visible and not fully covered which I am fine for most days. The finish is natural and dewy which is again visible on the above picture. 

I tested this foundation when I was still in Indonesia few weeks ago and it didn't really stay put due to its dewy finish and lack of oil control plus the hot and humid temperature in Indonesia. But, if I set it with powder and touch up / blot regularly , it did make it to 7-8 hour mark and still looking presentable. 

In Germany though, it's another story. We're having early autumn at the moment and the weather is cool and dry, so this foundation managed to get to 6-7 hour mark without me having to blot it regularly. Setting it with powder will prolong the wear for ca.1-2 hour but will eliminate the radiant dewy finish. 

Overall, Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation is another good score from Max Factor. If you have dry to combination skin and want to have natural and low maintenance foundation, this is one to try. If you have oily skin though, I advise you to skip this one as this will make your face an oily mess within 2-3 hour mark. 

Have you tried anything from Max Factor?

Love,

Pam

The most expensive lipstick splurge ever

Yes I finally caved in. I just couldn't say no. It was a split second decision and I still to this moment can't believe that I splurged that amount of money on a lipstick ( my parents will freak out if they find out. LOL ). But, anyway I finally got myself the Christian Louboutin lipstick. I got mine in the classic Rouge Louboutin red shade in satin finish. Why satin? Well, I have enough red matte lipsticks and the sheer one doesn't really feel appealing to me. So I went with the satin one. 

So, I ordered mine online from net a porter when they had a free shipping going on. The first time I opened mine, I was awed by the luxury of the packaging. The lipstick comes in a box with velvety 'cushion' inside. It seems like the lipstick is resting inside the box on a velvet couch xD. The bullet itself is cool as I'm sure you've seen them a lot everywhere. There is a ribbon ( silk, according to the description ) attached to the lipstick so you can wear it as a statement necklace if you fancy to (  I tried it on and found it looking stupid on me, lol ). The packaging is indeed very luxurious and well made. It has a good weight into it but not as heavy as Guerlain Rouge G. 

To the product itself, this lipstick has all good quality you want to have in a high end lipstick. The texture is smooth and creamy and applies smoothly on the lips. It doesn't set into lip lines and provides a nice satin finish, not too matte and not too creamy. It is full cover lipstick and the pigmentation is really good. You just need 1 swipe to entirely cover the lips. The formula is a winner in my book. It is rich, creamy, not drying and just hug the lips effortlessly ( if you know what I mean ).  I personally really like the finish as it is a nice change from my usual matte red lips. The color Rouge Louboutin is a true Louboutin red. It looks slightly deeper on real life though compare to the picture above. It is a universal kind of red that will look nice on every skin tones. 

Speaking about the staying power, I got ca. 5 hour wear without major eating and it did stain my lips a lil bit. I didn't notice any potent scent, which is one good thing esp if you have sensitive nose. 

Overall, do I think it's worth the splurge and a must have? Well, to be honest, no matter how good this lipstick is, I don't think any lipstick is worth €80. I meant, if this lipstick costs me around Tom Ford price range, I would say to you, go buy and try it. But at €80, I can't foresee myself buying another shades either. Not because it's a bad product, not at all. But €80 is a ridiculous amount ( well at least for me ), I know it's made very luxuriosly but tbh it is not THAT luxurios. Tom Ford, Guerlain, Givenchy have similar luxurious lipsticks ( both product and packaging ) for half the price. The single thing that made Louboutin stands out is the box. But that box alone can't justify the price, right?

As a collectable item though, this might be worth the price tag. It is definitely well made and not only about the unique packaging as the lipstick itself also got great quality to it. Whether you need it? I don't think so. But, if you are a make up hoarder like me, and see this lipstick more as a collectible item, then it is a different point of view. 

Do you think you're going to jump onto the bandwagon and get the Louboutin lipstick?

Love,

Pam

AURELIA Miracle Cleanser

During my stay in Jakarta, I was exposed to a whole new level of skincare and make up community. I was introduced to a lovely online forum for Indonesian women with various topics and discussions which later led to some real life meetings with fellow beauty enthusiastic ladies and there was where I got to know new brands that I had never heard of before, one of the brand was Aurelia Probiotic Skincare. Apparently , the brand is very famous in Indonesia ( people buy them online as net-a-porter ) stocks them. So I ordered the best brand trio deluxe sample and tested some of their best selling products. I must say I fell in love with all items I've tried from the brand so far and have repurchased full size items immediately. I'll talk about the Miracle Cleanser on today's post.

To briefly describe the brand , I copied a short description from the website : 

"Aurelia Probiotic Skincare continually seeks scientific excellence by pushing the boundaries of skincare. We are passionate about providing women with revolutionary, next generation probiotic technology combined with ethically sourced 100% BioOrganic botanical formulations.

Our scientifically proven, evidence based skincare works by helping to manage the level of inflammation within the skin, the main cause of skin ageing. It does this by moderating molecules called cytokines which mediate our body's natural immune response. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare protects against skin ageing, regenerates cell metabolism, prevents cellular DNA damage, boosts hyaluronic acid by nineteen times and increases collagen synthesis by 140% leaving you with glowing radiant skin.

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare prides itself on its beautiful mix of science and natural luxury. Our range is free from a number of harmful and unethical ingredients which include: synthetic fragrances, colorants, parabens, mineral oils, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, PEGs, TEA, DEA, MI, formaldehyde, urea, mercury, lead and bee venom.

We are a British company and manufacture in England."

I've been enjoying using cleansing cream / balm to remove my makeup as they don't leave my skin dry while still working efficiently. This Miracle Cleanser from Aurelia comes in a heavy duty glass jar and comes with a bamboo muslin cloth. The Miracle Cleanser has a lightweight - non greasy cream texture. I find the texture very pleasant and comfortable on the skin. The cleanser feels warm to the skin once applied and massaged. It removes make up and cleanse my skin very well without stripping all the oil. I usually apply it to dry skin, massage in circular motion and wipe all the excess using a warm damp muslin cloth. 

The product leaves my skin clean and somehow manages to make it glow too. It cleanses very well but at the same time is being hydrated too. It smells sooo good and kind of relaxing. It smells like a mix of jasmine and eucalyptus and I love using it to clean my face in the evening since the relaxing scent makes me feel a bit sleepy afterwards xD.

However, this cleanser is not the best to remove eye make up as it stings my eyes. I usually clean my eye make up using an oil based make up remover first then using this Miracle Cleanser to remove the rest of the make up.

The Miracle Cleanser also comes with a bamboo muslin cloth which is really good. The cloth is soft and doesn't scratch my skin. It helps removing the make up and the residue of the cream cleanser. 

Overall, I am loving this cleanser very much and have been enjoying the brand in general. Have you heard about the brand? and what is your current favourite cleansing balm/cream?

Love,

Pam

Turandot

Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs eyeshadow quad in shade #500 Les Ombres Turandot was long on my wish list. I was too late to buy one, when it was launched in Holiday 2012 collection ( or most likely I was broke at that time xD ). So when a friend of mine wanted to sell her barely used Turandot, it was a dream comes true moment. I didn't waste any time to consider, I just said yes.

Let me begin with that I didn't regret the purchase at all. And it is even better since I was able to get it for a very decent price xD. I know the product is 3 years old, but everything seems perfectly fine to me, doesn't smell funky or the texture isn't changed. I don't really give a fuss for the expiration date when it comes to make up. For me, as long as I keep them clean and they don't smell funny or change texture then I will still keep them ( for the exception of mascara, lip gloss or lipstick or skin care! ).

Now to the product itself, Turandot is a beautiful eye shadow quad consists of 2 matte and 2 iridescent shades. There color scheme is warm toned which I really appreciate. They are just gorgeous!

Here is the breakdown of the 4 shades :

The first shade is a warm toned gold shade with a hint of orangey peach. It has a slightly frosty finish but very subtle and soft. 

The second shade is a reddish brown with a satin finish. It is matte with no shimmer particles but the finish is not completely matte. It still has a subtle sheen.

The third shade is a brownish plum shade with matte finish. 

The fourth shade is a medium brown with a slight taupe hint. It has shimmery finish but with very fine shimmer particles. 

All 4 shades have buttery smooth texture with great pigmentation. They apply effortlessly and blend seamlessly. The 4 shades are well thought and compliment each other. They're still in the neutral area but is not 'boring brown neutral'. I know I have got enough similar shades in my collection but I just can't get enough xD and Turandot is one excellent quad with great color selection and first class quality. 

They apply better over eye shadow primer but they work just fine even without primer. The staying power with or without primer on my oily lids is great. 

I remember this is the quad Christine from Temptalia wore on her wedding day. Considering how many eyeshadow palettes/quads she owns, it means this one must be a really good one!

Packaging wise, it is housed in a luxurious golden case. The case catches finger prints like crazy but it is indeed luxurious, well made and have a good weight to it. 

Major love!

Love,

Pam

Marc Jacobs Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder

I had been eyeing this contour powder duo from Marc Jacobs for awhile. When I finally got the chance to visit Sephora during my trip to Singapore, I eagerly went to Marc Jacobs display only to find the particular shade I wanted was sold out :/ . I asked the Sephora BAs to check for me whether it was available at other Sephora, but turned out it was sold out anywhere in Singapore at that moment. So I went home without it :/

Long story short, few weeks after, my sister went to Singapore again and I asked her to get this duo for me with the hope that Sephora had restocked them. This time I was lucky. 

I picked up the shade #Mirage Filter. There are 3 shades available on the line but I like this one the most as the contour shade is the right brown and the highlighter shade reminds me a lot of Ben Nye banana powder which I adore to set and highlight the under eye area.

Marc Jacobs Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Duo Powder comes in a huge ( literally the size of my palm ) black plastic case. The case is simple , sleek and has a good weight to it. There is a huge built in mirror inside which comes in handy. I like how the pans are large enough for big contour / powder brushes. There are a lot of products inside too, it's 2 x 9gr which justified the S$60 price tag.

The highlighter shade is a matte yellowish powder. It's like a pressed version of Ben Nye banana powder. I love to use the powder to highlight my under eye area and sometimes set my Tzone lightly. The yellowish powder - when used sparingly - can give a flawless finish and correct some redness on the skin. 

The bronzer / contour shade is a matte medium brown powder. The shade is not too ashy nor too warm. I don't detect any orange hint which is great. 

Both powders have great pigmentation esp the contour shade which a little goes a long way. You literally need to swipe your brush very lightly otherwise you'll end up with a brown stripe on your cheek bone. The duo has smooth buttery texture, and both powders blend easily. The contour shade on the other hand, takes more effort to blend due to its high pigmentation. So make sure you blend it properly. 

All in all, I'm glad I managed to get my hands on this duo. It's a nice decent contour duo for every day use. I know some other brands have contour palettes with more shades, but to be honest this duo contains just all shades I need for contouring on daily basis. 

Do you contour on daily basis? What is your staple products for contouring?

Love,

Pam

The Nudes

Another nude-neutral eye shadow palette is probably the least thing I need to add into my stash. But, I just couldn't resist when I spotted this palette at Maybelline counter in Jakarta for only IDR 150.000 ( or ca. 7-8€ ). I thought, why don't give it a try? The price wouldn't hurt badly just in case it didn't  perform well. Good thing is, this palette is not bad for the price!

The Nudes palette comes in a simple plastic case. The packaging is surely not the most eye pleasing but it's functional. The case doesn't come with built in mirror but it comes with a sponge applicator and transparent lid, so you can see the shadows from outside. 

Speaking of the colour scheme, I do think it is well thought. There are some shimmers - satin, some mattes and as well as 1 glittery shade. All shades are wearable and compliment each other. You can create a simple nude look to smokey eye look using this palette.

In terms of quality, there are some inconsistencies among the shades. The matte shades are rather chalky and need to be layered to achieve the desired opacity. The satin-shimmery shades on the other hand are smoother and easier to apply. The matte black shade applies sheer and can't really be layered because it gets chalky and patchy when layered. Eye shadow base is a must when using this palette IMO, because it helps the shadows apply better and makes the colour pop up more. The texture of the shadows are mostly soft and smooth. I didn't experience a lot of fall out, only minimal amount. The pigmentations vary between the shades.
The shadows in this palette are not very unique, means they're dupe-able and chances are big that you already own similar shades on your collection.

Overall, I'd say that this is a nice palette to have if you like nude shades or if you are a 'beginner' in terms of make up. As it offers a safe bet with affordable price tag.  I can imagine it will come in handy for teenage girls who just started playing with make up. Or it would be nice for traveling as you don't really need to worry much about it getting broken.

Love,
Pam