Dolce and Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour in Mocha

I received this blush as a gift from a dear friend of mine who just recently visited Paris. I was so happy when I received it and since I didn't have a lot of products from Dolce & Gabbana beauty , I was excited to see how it was going to perform.

Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour comes in an elegant gold case. The packaging has a good weight to it and the surface of the case is matte, means it's finger prints free. Woohoo! The case also comes with a built in mirror and a mini brush. The brush is swanky and not good though, unlike other high end brands' mini brushes which are usually quite decent.

Quality wise, this blush ticked all the boxes I'd expect from a high end blush. The texture is soft and smooth. It applies beautifully and blends effortlessly ( though I prefer to apply and blend it using a sparse blush brush to saturate the color a little bit ). The shade Mocha is a deep-warm burnt burgundy shade with a hint of brown. I didn't own anything close to it in my collection so I am glad my friend picked up this shade for me. I expected it to be very pigmented and hard to work with. Surprisingly, it goes on softer than I thought and applies rather sheer but still manages to be pigmented, if that makes sense. Mocha has a matte finish with no shimmer or sheen whatsoever, so for certain skin tones, it could work nicely as contour shade, I guess. It won't be for me though as it is too warm for that purpose. 

The blush is finely milled and feels smooth to touch. It provides a nice finish on the cheeks and despite of the bold shade, it is still wearable and doesn't end up looking 'dirty' on the face. Quality wise, I'd say that it is on par with other high end blushes I've tried ( e.g Dior blushes, Chanel baked blushes, or Guerlain blushes - Burberry blushes are still on a higher level though ). 

The staying power is excellent. I got a good 8-9 hour wear on my combination skin. The color started to fade gradually after 9 hour mark.

Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour in Mocha is one expensive blush at €37,99 for only 5gr of product, but you get what you pay for.

Love,

Pam

H&M Velvet Lip Cream

My encounters with H&M Beauty have been mostly all pleasant, with the exception of one product which is the velvet lip cream. Find out below why it didn't work out well for me.

Jumping on the velvet - matte lip cream / liquid lipsticks bandwagon, I decided to give H&M beauty velvet lip creams a try. I picked up 2 bold shades ; Dare Me and Screen Siren. Dare Me is a dark deep purplish burgundy and Screen Siren is a cherry red shade. Both shades are actually pretty and interesting , but the formula totally failed me.

H&M Beauty Velvet Lip Cream is housed in a simple plastic tube packaging with doe foot applicator. The packaging is sleek, simple and functional.

Texture wise, the lip cream is very very dry. It didn't apply smoothly and tugged my lips. The consistency is wet, but not lightweight and a bit on the thicker side. It was really difficult to apply it evenly on the lips because it tended to set directly in to lip lines. It dried up pretty quick too, so you really need to work fast otherwise it will get blotchy.

I actually tried both lip creams when I was at home because I just couldn't imagine wearing it while being outside. The lip cream was very dry and it made my lips feel very uncomfortable. Once dried up, it kind of set in to every lines of my lips and the finish just looked unhealthy. 

Talking about staying power, both shades had a good 6-7 hour wear. They stained the lips heavily though, especially the purple one. And the stain was not a good - natural just bitten stain. It looked more like I was sick and had purple blotchy lips.

I tried to wear it using different techniques ( blotted-dabbed using fingers-layered ) but none really worked out. I think in the end, it came down to the formula, and the formula for this lip cream just failed.

Overall, I just couldn't find a way to love them, which is sad because any other stuffs I bought from the brand have been lovely.

H&M Velvet Lip Cream retails for €7,99

Love,

Pam

Lunasol Chocolat Amer

During my internship time in Jakarta, I got to know the brand Lunasol. It's very present there and the prices are okay for what you've got ( luxurious packaging and good quality ). When I first saw the press release of the fall 2015 chocolate themed collection, I directly messaged my sister to get me one of the eye shadow quad. I initially wanted to get 2 of the quads actually, number 2 and number 3. But number 3 was sold out so my sister got me the number 2.

Look at that quad!! Isn't it beautiful? and looks like chocolate bar? :9

The shade I picked up ; #2 Chocolat Amer is my ordinary cup of tea. It's a brown - earth toned eye shadow quad. Frankly speaking, I can easily find substitutes for the 4 shades but the chocolate themed design? I just couldn't resist xD.

Gladly, the eye shadows perform really well. The texture is velvety and rich, it's almost creamy to touch. They don't feel like powder eye shadows. They feel more like a hardly pressed creamy eye shadows, if that makes sense? They apply smoothly and blend easily. The shadows are not powdery at all and I didn't experience significant fallouts during application. Due to the rich texture, I usually apply it using my fingers, swipe it on the lids and blend it using blending brush. 

Despite of the rather ordinary shade selection, the quad has been in daily duty since the day I got it. I carried it during my year end euro trip with my family and honestly I didn't miss my other eye shadows at home. It's very easy to wear , I barely need to think about it. All 4 shades can perform nice solo on the lids or combined for a different look. 

Speaking about pigmentation, like most asian brand eye shadows, they are not very boldly pigmented which I don't really mind. The shades are easy to be layered and I can build up the intensity the way I want to. That way, it's easier to work with and easier to blend. The shadows also stay on pretty well even without eye shadow primer. 

Housed in a nice bronze plastic case with a built in mirror, this quad is quiet sturdy for traveling. The case does feel lightweight and a bit plasticky which I am not really keen of. But the eye shadows perform really well.

Lunasol Chocolat Amer eye shadow quad retails for IDR 540.000 or ca. € 35 which is not cheap, especially for rather 'boring' shade selection. But those 'boring' shades are really my cup of tea and what I wear on daily basis so it's a money well spent for me. 

Have you tried anything from Lunasol?

Love,

Pam

The Manizer Sisters

I remember I used to 'dislike' highlighters and very rarely use them. But the past 6 months, I've made peace with them and have been buying them like cray cray. LOL. 

I own The Balm Mary Lou Manizer ( which is badly shattered unfortunately ), and it's one of my favourite highlighters ever. When I first saw The Balm launching a trio consisting their famous 3 Manizer Sisters, I told myself I needed to have them.

Mary Lou

Cindy Lou

Betty Lou

When my order arrived, my inner beauty junkie was so happy because the palette is so darn cute! It's tinier than I imagined but therefore very compact, slim and very easy to travel with. The cardboard packaging is sturdy and unlike the original packaging, the 3 powders are less likely to shatter in this cardboard palette. I've traveled with it and it passed the test well.

I've reviewed Mary Lou here, so you can klick the link and read my review there. Just a small update that I developed my love for Mary Lou along with more use and time. 

Cindy Lou is a shade I didn't expect to love as much as I do now. It looked really pink as a highlighter and too shimmery as a blush when I first saw swatches of it online. But once I have it on my hand and tried it on my cheeks, it worked amazing as blush. It's not too shimmery at all and compliments my complexion nicely. Cindy Lou is a nice peachy rose shade. Hourglass Ambient lighting blush Mood Exposure is deeper, Burberry Cameo blush is more muted and brownish. 

Betty Lou on the other hand , is the shade I find the most difficult to wear. It's too deep and bronzy as a blush and I am just not a fan of shimmery bronzers as they tend to look 'dirty' and too warm on my complexion. I tried to mix Betty Lou with Cindy Lou and they work together 'okay' as blush but I'm not crazy over the combination. Betty Lou will surely work better on deeper skin tone. But, I might give Betty Lou a try as eye shadow though as the shade looks like something I'd like on the lids. 

Overall, this trio is a great bargain and an excellent purchase for me. It would be a struggle to travel with Mary Lou as it is - in original packaging - is very fragile ( I've never traveled with it but mine is shattered anyway ), and this palette is more travel friendly and you get blush-highlighter and bronzer in one tiny and compact case. At €24,99 , I do think it's worth the price tag.

Have you tried any of the Manizer Sisters?

Love,

Pam

Best of 2015

I know this is rather late, but better late than never, right? xD

Here are the best of 2015 according to yours truly.

Base Make Up

Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer in Light - The best primer I've tried so far. Lisa Eldridge often raves about it and she made me buy it. I actually used it up and plan to repurchase. It took me awhile to really appreciate this primer but now I really enjoy it. It prolongs the wear of foundation and provides a nice base for it. Not in a way like Benefit Professional or other pore minimising primers do. Sunday Riley EBTP acts like a tinted moisturiser , it's hydrating without being greasy. It creates a smooth base without being silicone-y and it doesn't interrupt the work of foundation or powder. 

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3in1 Foundation in shade 810 - This one is easy to pick, best drugstore foundation in 2015. I also almost use this one up which is rare for me as I have a lot of foundations on rotation. This one even outperformed some of high end foundation I own. The coverage, the texture, the staying power are all excellent. If you don't have Covergirl where you live, try Max Factor Facefinity 3in1 Foundation, they're basically the same.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in shade 3.5 - It's difficult for me to pick just one high end foundation. But, this one stood out among other candidates. This is the foundation I usually reach for if I have a long day ahead or for special occasions / parties. The finish is flawless and it's really long wearing which is a plus point.

Maybelline Instant Age Effect The Roller Concealer in Light - I'm on my 3rd tube. If you haven't tried this one, do give it a try. It's really good. The texture is creamy, rich but it blends effortlessly. The coverage is great without being cakey and it's long wearing too. The shade light is a perfect match for my skin, it's yellow toned and therefore corrects redness under my eye area very well and brightens up the area too. The only downside is the attached sponge which is not the most hygienic way to apply concealer. But, I trick it with always wipe the sponge clean using anti bacterial wipes before application , or you can look at youtube to see some tutorials to remove the sponge.

MAC Blotting Powder in Medium - I currently have 2 of this powder on duty. One on my dressing table to set the make up and 1 for the on the go touch up. I hit pan on both which is a sign of my love for this powder. It works really well to set my Tzone and keep oil at bay. It's lightweight and doesn't interrupt the finish of whichever foundation I'm wearing. It's also not cakey even after layers of touch up I do on the go. Just love.

Blush - Contour - Bronzer - Highligher

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Duo in Light - This is actually a new addition in late 2015, but it managed to take the throne of my favourite bronzer slash contour from Burberry Earthy blush. I still love Burberry Earthy, but this CT one is just as good - if not better - since it also comes with a highlighter which makes it more travel friendly. I like the highlighter too, but not as much as I adore the contour slash bronzer shade. It's just the right amount of brown, not too warm nor too cool and most important not orange. It's expensive, but let me tell you it's worth all the hype. From the beautiful packaging, nice smooth texture, blend ability ah I like it so much I almost consider myself started to like Miss Tilbury a bit. Just a bit. xD

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette - One of the best purchase ever. I just love all the three blushes in this palette. It's compact and great for traveling. The texture of this ambient lighting blush is excellent and I just couldn't find anything better than this in my collection. I use this constantly during 2015 and haven't even hit pan which is great since this one is limited :/.

Dior Blush Stick in Cosmopolitan Rosewood - Okay, I used to hate it for like the first 1-2 moths because I didn't know how to apply it best. It's so pigmented and not the kind of cream blush you can blend using your fingers. The texture once applied on the cheeks is not emollient or creamy, it kind of stuck where you apply. So I thought at first it was a failed purchase, which is such a shame since I really like the color. But, then I tried applying it with Real Technique stippling brush and man it worked really well. It turned out to be one of the cream blushes I enjoy the most. The color is so flattering on my complexion and the stippling brush makes it easy to blend. It sort of melts in to the skin and become very natural. 

BECCA Pressed Highlighter in Opal - This is also a new addition by the late 2015, but it's been on almost daily duty ever since. I didn't expect to love it that much. It's quite intense for what I'm used to but the glow is so pretty and much needed during the dry and dull winter. The texture is fine and almost creamy which makes the application easier. 

 Eye Make Up

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eye Shadow Palette - I know I've been talking about this palette too often but I just haven't found anything better than this one. It's so versatile and easy to use. The texture is fool proof. I just can't put it aside.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Cream Eye Shadows - I own 2 shades from the Illusion d'ombre range ; Rouge Noir and Ebloui and both are excellent. They're so complex and amazing. They're not cheap but definitely worth the money. There are a lot of similar products out there, but I have yet to find anything as complex and as iridescent as Illusion d'ombre. They're just really pretty. They usually apply sheer but easily build able.

KIKO Long Lasting Eye Shadow Stick - They're the best eye shadow stick available in the market. Period. Give them a try and you'll get what I mean. A lot of people compare them to By Terry Ombre Backstar eye shadow stick, which I am sure really good too, but the price? I'd come back to my Kiko ones gladly.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade - Basically the only brow product I've been using for the past 2 years. This little pot goes a long way. I almost reach the pan and use it up, but it's been 2 years! I've read people complaining theirs dry up pretty quick, but I always close the lid tightly and once in a while bath it inside a bowl filled with warm water, never have a problem with it getting dry till now. €18 well spent!

Kiss Me Heroine Liquid Pen Eye Liner - I lost count on how many of this liquid pen eye liner I used up. It's the best I've tried so far. The only downside is that it's difficult to get outside Asia, but there is eBay and I always stock up whenever I come back home for holiday. 

Max Factor 2000 Calories Mascara - I don't use a lot of mascara since I wear false lashes on daily basis. But this one from Max Factor is my favourite. It's affordable, waterproof and gives my pathetic lashes a bit of life xD.

LIPS

Burberry Lip Cover in Blush - I very rarely use up any lip products but I just used this one up and actually just ordered a back up xD. I think I have talked enough about my love to Burberry lipsticks, right? The formula is discontinued but I tried the new kisses range and I like them as well. So I'm fine with that :-)

Rouge Bunny Rouge Lipstick in Whim of Mine - Another lipstick I just used up in 2015. And I repurchased it too. The color is the right peachy nude for my complexion. Major love. The texture is hydrating, creamy and long wearing. It's one of the most underrated lipstick in the market. If you have access to Rouge Bunny Rouge, you should give it a try.

Rimmel Kate Moss Red in shade 111 - My all time favourite red shade. It's matte, but creamy and comfortable to wear. The finish is nice and the red is the perfect red for my complexion. It's affordable as well.

Essence Lip Liners - I always go to Essence every time I need lip liner. I am too stingy to splurge on a lip pencil because I don't use them often. I wear lip liner only when I am wearing bold lip color. So I don't see a point why I need to spend much money where the €1 one from Essence does the job very well. It's creamy, pigmented, and long wearing.

PERFUMES

Jo Malone Vanilla and Anise Cologne - My first Jo Malone scent which I bought 3 years ago. I am on my second bottle now and still haven't got tired of it. The scent is warm, spicy and a little bit sweet. It's not a popular one from Jo Malone, but it's what makes me like it even more because it means less people use it :D

Jo Loves White Rose and Lemon Leaves - Another brand from Jo Malone. I fell in love with the brand the first time I stepped in to the store at Elizabeth Street in London. The shop is small, but very nicely decorated and has a very nice atmosphere. The SAs are all very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I would love to buy everything they sell. Too bad I don't have the money. lol xD

SKINCARE

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater - I am on my second bottle too. I use this daily on the morning and before bed. It smells nice and feels nice on the skin. I don't particularly notice any long term skin care benefit, but I've been enjoying it very much.

Aurelia Probiotic Miracle Cleanser - Best cleanser ever. Period

Aurelia Probiotic Revitalise Glow Serum - I've been exploring the brand ; Aurelia in 2015 and I fell in love. I've tried several stuffs from the brand and they've all been pleasant. The glow serum has a nice lightweight milky texture and feels very nice on the skin. I use it as my AM serum and my skin looks healthier, and more radiant. 

PIXI Glow Tonic - My so far, favourite astringent toner. It's gentle but not 'too gentle' that I barely see any result. It's just the right amount of everything for my mid 20 skin. I use it every evening for my PM routine. I like the smell as well. I first got a 100ml bottle from my Marks and Spencer Advent Calendar, almost use it up and already repurchased the 250ml bottle. 

Kypris Beauty Clearing Serum - I got to know Kypris Beauty in 2015 and part of me ( my skin and my inner cosmetic junkie ) is very happy while the other part ( my wallet ) is not. LOL. They're so expensive but the ingredients are really nice, shoppisticated and the brand's philosophy and concept are well thought and different compare to - for instance - 'mass produced' brands. The clearing serum is part of my PM routine and I use it as the first layer of my serum treatment. If my skin can speak, I know it will say thank you. xD

Sunday Riley Good Genes - A friend of mine struggled with acne scaring and after incorporating Good Genes to her routine for a few months, her skin has improved a lot. The scars are blurred and reduced and her skin looks much better now. So , even though I don't have problem with acne or scarring, I was intrigued to try the product as part of the treatment. It's quite 'harsh' for my skin though so I only use it every other day. And halfway through the bottle, I notice some improvement to my skin's texture and the whole appearance of my skin. It's expensive, but I do think it works. 

Menard Pack Aserie Clay Mask - The best clay mask I've ever tried. It cleanses but not in a harsh way. My skin feels very nice and suppled , energised and glowing every time after I use this mask. Ever since I got this mask, I've been neglecting other 'clay masks' I have because they just can't beat this one.

Pfiiuh that's a long one!
ps : I did individual posts on most of the products mentioned above. You can search them using the search tab. Sorry I was in a hurry and didn't have time to link them one by one xD

What's your highlight of 2015?  It was a very good year to me and I am so thankful for it. I hope 2016 will be even better :-D

Love,

Pam

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

It took me a long time to finally cave in and buy this Filmstar Bronze & Glow duo from Charlotte Tilbury. Mainly because of the hefty price tag so I kept on reasoning with myself not to get this duo. Until recently, I just finished writing my final thesis within a short period of time so I wanted to reward myself a little bit and ordered few stuffs that'd been on my wish list for the longest time.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow was love at the first sight. The first time I opened the packaging and opened the golden case, I was mesmerised. The duo is so pretty!! It took me a good few minutes and tons of pictures before finally bracing myself to swatch it xD..

The duo comes with one sculpt / bronze / contour shade and one highlighter shade. If you look at my swatches above, you can see subtle golden shimmers in the bronzer too. Luckily once applied, the shimmers are barely visible, and it works really really well as a contour shade too. The highlighter shade is a pretty champagne colour with fine golden shimmers. Both shades are warm and compliment my skin tone really well. The texture of the powder is so soft, smooth,  and silky. I experience very minimal fallout during application. They blend easily and effortlessly. The highlighter however is very subtle which could be both positive and negative. I personally like it that it is very subtle as I am no friend to heavy duty highlighter. But, for people who prefer heavy duty highlighter, this one might not be for you.  I usually need 2 layers of the highlighter for it to show on my skin, but I really like the subtle glow finish. It doesn't enhance my large pores and doesn't look greasy or too shimmery.

The sculpt shade on the other hand is less subtle than the highlighter. It shows up better on the skin but still manages to look natural. The blend ability is so good that despite of the good pigmentation, you will not end up having brown cheeks. I thought I would never be able to find a bronzer that I like just as much as I like the Burberry Earthy blush, but this one might be it. 

Looking at this duo sitting on my dressing table is a joy for me. It is so pretty! Gladly it performs really well too. The price point at €69 is no doubt a splurge, but I am glad I did it. 

Have you tried anything from Charlotte Tilbury? What's your current bronzer - highlighter favourite?

Love,

Pam

H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Rosy Brown

I've been exploring the H&M beauty line lately and almost everything I've tried from the line has been great. Recently, I just bought their powder blush and I am impressed again and again.

heavily applied for picture purpose

I picked up the shade ; Rosy Brown. It is a warm burnt peach shade with a slight golden sheen. Burberry Blossom is lighter and with no golden trace. Burberry Cameo is more rosy and pink. Rosy Brown is the kind of shade which will look nice on different skin tones. On my NC 20 skin, the color is warm and very autumn appropriate. It compliments my skin tone nicely without being too orange. 

H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher is housed in a black, sleek plastic case. The case is not the most well made case I've seen, but it doesn't look or feel cheap. There is no built in mirror or applicator inside which makes it less practical for touch up or traveling. But, I personally don't really mind. 

H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher has nice, soft and smooth texture. The pigmentation is great without being too much. They blend easily and smoothly. It can be a bit dusty though, but I can ignore it considering the price point. The blush wears really well too. It can get to ca. 7 hour mark with no problem.

Overall, the powder blush from H&M is another hit from the line. For €7,49 it's definitely worth a try.

Have you tried anything from the line?

Love,

Pam

SUQQU Christmas Kit 2015

PS : Sorry for being MIA. My family is currently in Berlin, we've been traveling around Europe this past weeks. But, I'm finally back woohoo!

First of all, Happy New Year!! How was your 2015? Mine was awesome! It was one of the best year I've had for the past 10 year I'd say. I am excited to embark on another adventures and journeys in 2016. 

SUQQU is a brand I have yet to explore. I am always attracted to Japanese high end brand make up because they are usually really good, shoppisticated, yet difficult to get which make them becoming kind of a cult-more desired items. 

Anyway, during my recent trip to London, I visited SUQQU counter at Selfridges, and the beauty advisor guy was so so nice and helpful. He patiently and passionately showed me a lot of products and I was hooked with almost all the stuffs he showed me. Sadly SUQQU is not cheap at all, so after some hard time, I ended up going home with 2 items. This christmas kit and the cream foundation ( review will follow ). 

The SUQQU Christmas Kit 2015 comes in 2 different shades, one is the more brown-gold theme and this one pink-plum theme. I predictably opted for the pink plum one xD.

The kit comes with a nice tweed make up pouch, a full size pencil eyeliner in navy blue, an eye shadow trio and a deluxe size eye make up remover. I have to say I am not a fan of the eyeliner as I find it a bit too dry and stiff, but the eye make up remover is great ( though not something I would want to pay for the full size. It's good but very expensive :/ ).

The eye shadow trio contains 3 pink-plum toned shades. All shades work well together and compliment each other. You can create a soft every day eye look to heavier smokey eye look using the 3 shades in this trio. On the pans, all shades look very glittery, but once swatched and applied, the glitters don't really transfer on to the skin for the exception of the lightest frosty white shade.

The shadows have very interesting texture. They are smooth and soft, but also dry and spongy. I was not really sure about the dryness at the beginning though, but they work well and apply and blend smoothly despite of the dry texture. They somehow have the feeling of pressed pigments and they do have a bit of fall outs. It took me awhile to get used to the dry texture since I am used to 'prefer' softer and silkier texture. But, after awhile, I realised the uniqueness and the complexity of the shadows. They layer very well and almost 'melt' in to the lids.

The staying power however is not very long. I need to apply eye shadow base beforehand for it to stay longer on my oily lids. Without eye shadow base, they stay for only 3-4 hours before starting to fade. With a good eye shadow base though, they can last up to 7-8 hour mark.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I will definitely look at another eye shadow quads from SUQQU. I wish they were cheaper though xD.

Have you tried anything from SUQQU?
Love,
Pam