Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks

I've been wanting to try the love flush blushes from Too Faced, but due to the limited availability in Germany, it took me a long time to finally get my hands on the products. A friend of mine came visiting from Jakarta and I asked her to bring me this set.

Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks Set comes with 3 mini Melted lipsticks and 3 mini Love Flush blushes. If I'm not mistaken, this set was part of Too Faced's Christmas collection, hence the festive packaging. 

The Love Flush blushes come in a cutesy mini case. The case isn't exact copy of the full size version but still looks really cute imo. The shades included are Love Hangover ; a bright coral shade , Justify My Love ; a Barbie pink shade and Your Love is King ; a purplish plum shade. I didn't expect the blushes to be very pigmented, so I was surprised to see how greatly pigmented they are. However, the pigmentation made it difficult to apply. I find them all to be patchy and difficult to blend. I tried to use sparse blush brush to pick up less product, but still a little goes a long way and I still ended up with OTT blushed cheeks. The texture is smooth but very powdery. A gentle swipe equals powder mess. Too bad since I actually like the colors.

The Melted Lipsticks also come in a mini packaging, only the tubes are exact copy of the full size version. I am not a fan of the squeeze tube packaging since the attached sponge can look a bit messy and dirty after awhile. The shades included are Melted Nude ; a peachy nude shade , Melted Peony ; a Barbie pink shade and Melted Fig ; a purplish plum shade. 

Out of 3 shades, I can only wear Melted Fig in real life as the other two are definitely not my cup of tea. Melted Nude is too pale and Melted Peony is too pink. They all look very unflattering against my complexion. Texture wise, they have creamy texture and apply nicely. They have matte powdery finish and remind me of NYX lip creams. The 2 lighter shades tend to emphasise my lip lines , only Melted Fig doesn't. All 3 shades have good staying power and are not really drying on my lips despite of the matte finish.

Melted Nude + Love Hangover

Melted Peony + Justify My Love

Melted Fig + Your Love is King

Overall, I'm glad I bought this set since it's a good value for money and I got to try the products without having to commit to the full size. However, I just didn't find the blushes or the liquid lipsticks groundbreaking. If you find a particular shade you'd really like, then go for it. But otherwise, I think you can invest your money on other stuffs xD.

Love,

Pam

MAC Soft and Gentle

Yes I know, another highlighter review. But, I just have been buying more and more highlighters recently xD

MAC Soft & Gentle was long on my list, and I honestly didn't know what held me back for so long to buy this highlighter. However, I finally took the plunge and bought it during a 20% promo.

MAC Soft & Gentle comes in a solid black case with a magnetic closure. I believe mine is the new packaging, as the old one has a full transparent lid. I personally prefer the old packaging as I find the new one a bit cheap looking ( reminds me of the fake MAC products you can find on eBay xD ).

Packaging aside, MAC Soft & Gentle is a warm beige champagne highlighter. It's the closest to Tom Ford Moodlight ( Moonlight ) It has a slightly dry , grubby and dusty texture but nothing uncomfortable. The pigmentation is amazing, and it's certainly not a highlighter for the faint hearted xD.  However, as someone who usually prefers subtle highlighter, Soft & Gentle is something I can still tolerate. I just need to be more careful on application and use it sparingly on day time. The formula is great to be layered so make sure you work with thin layers instead of one thick layer. 

MAC Soft & Gentle contains a lot of glitter particles. Once applied, the glitters are obvious, but they're fine and micro in size, so I don't find it something to be worried about. It doesn't emphasise my pores and doesn't make my face looking like a disco ball.

After trying this highlighter for awhile, I can understand why it is such a cult favourite especially for bridal make up. The glow is so pretty. It is in the same territory with The Balm Marylou Manizer in terms of intensity and pigmentation. The finish is intense, but you can sheer it down for more low key days. If I need to pick one downside, I'll point out the slightly dry-dusty texture. If you prefer velvety smooth - almost creamy highlighters like BECCA or The Balm Marylou Manizer, you might find this one too grubby. 

Overall, MAC Soft & Gentle is a nice addition to my growing highlighter stash. It is a staple to have and something I reach for whenever I want a more intense glow look. It retails for €32 / 10gr which I think is pretty reasonable. 

What is your current favourite highlighter?

Love,

Pam

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation

My relationship with Chanel make up has been going on pretty good lately. It was not really good in the past, but now we are working things out together xD.

This newly launched foundation from Chanel has been another example of why I started to fall in love with the brand again.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation was launched somewhere in January and has been a talk in the town since the day it was born. I have to admit that I religiously checked on all websites that carry Chanel where I live and once I saw it online, I speedily googled for swatches, opted for 020 ( gladly a good match ) and ordered it with express shipping ( all the things we do for make up, right ladies and gentlemen? ). 

The foundation comes in a sleek frosted bottle with a pump spender. I like the packaging, it's luxurious, it's pretty and it's functional. My shade 020 is a neutral one with a bit of peachy undertone. I received a sample of 030 and yet it is more yellow toned and could suit my complexion better, it is a tad too dark for me at the moment. A mixture of 020 and 030 would be weirdly too pink though, so yes 020 is the closest match for my complexion.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation has a rich creamy texture. The texture is thick, but airy and lightweight. It feels velvety on the skin and applies flawlessly. It blends really well too. The foundation provides a solid medium coverage which is what I usually go to for my every day make up. It layers well as long as you keep each layer thin. The finish is the nicest thing from this foundation. It gives a ethereal glow, something you can't just pinpoint but you know it's there. It is not dewy though, the texture is rather a semi matte once it's set, but the glow is there. I don't know what formulation Chanel put into this foundation but it's something I had never experienced before. If you struggle from having dull and lacklustre complexion, you'll be happy with this one.

One downside however - which is sadly rather a big deal for me - is that the foundation is not particularly long wearing on my combination skin. I tried some primers ( Benefit Professional, Bareminerals Prime Time, Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer ) and none of them really prolonged the longevity. It faded after ca. 4-5 hour so I needed to constantly blot and touch up. I still wear it often whenever I just need to go out for a quick dinner or lunch, but I have to avoid wearing it if I have a long day ahead.

Overall, it is a pretty good foundation from Chanel. The finish is its strongest feature. A good staying power will make it a very strong candidate to be the best foundation of the year ( well I know it's only March xD ), but longevity is a big deal for me.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation retails for ca. €49,95 / 30ml.

Love,
Pam

Sunkiss Ribbon

If I had to pick up the most beautiful make up item I have in my collection so far, I'd choose this blush from Chanel. Chanel Sunkiss Ribbon Harmonie de Blush is part of Chanel spring 2016 collection. The first time I saw the blush on Instagram, I fell in love and religiously checked few websites that carry Chanel beauty in Germany because I was worried it'd be sold out. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on it and I am so glad I splurged on this gorgeous item.

Chanel Sunkiss Ribbon blush is housed in a trademark Chanel black case. There is a built in mirror inside and it also comes with a mini brush which is stored in a 'velvet' pouch that comes with it. The blush has 5 different shades ranging from peachy - rosey pink - orange  to bright vibrant fuchsia. All individual shades have great pigmentation and once blended they form a nice bright pink shade. It is very pigmented though, so I like to use my sparse blush brush to saturate the pigmentation and make it looking softer on the cheeks.

The powder is very soft, smooth and has such a pleasant texture. There is zero fallout and the emboss doesn't wear off quickly. It applies smoothly and is easy to blend, giving my cheeks a nice healthy flush. 

I have tried few Chanel baked blushes from their regular collection and have to say that I'm not a fan of the formula. Gladly the limited edition blushes from Chanel usually have different formulation and therefore worth to try.

To be honest, there is not much to be told about this blush. It is just one excellent product. Everything from the concept, the packaging, the texture, the color, the quality is just great. It is however strongly fragranced. I don't mind it though, in fact, I kinda like the scent. But if you are sensitive to fragrance on make up, that might be a downside for you. 

The blush wore well on me. I can go to 7-8 hour mark with no problem.

If you still can get your hands on this gem, I think you should consider splurging.

Love,

Pam

Bal De Mai and Chamade

I own 1 Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick and it is one of my favourite lipstick formula. I just love everything about it, from the packaging to the texture. So this new addition to my collection was expected.

ps : please mind the cracking foundation around my nose, I was trying out a very cakey foundation :/

#Chamade is a medium coral pink with glossy finish. It doesn't contain any shimmer particles and such a bright but still easy shade to wear on daily basis. I love to blot it a bit too for a sheerer look.

#Bal de Mai is a rosy nude shade with tiny gold shimmers. Don't worry about the shimmer though as they're very fine and far from chunky. Bal de Mai is a more neutral shade compare to Chamade and hence even easier to wear. 

Speaking about the formula, Guerlain Rouge Automatique is a full pigmented lipstick with creamy and emollient texture. It glides on very very smoothly and 1 swipe is what's needed to reach opacity. It has glossy finish and it gives my lips a nice plump juicy effect. The glossiness wore off after couple of hours but it still has a nice sheen to it and won't go complete matte. I found it difficult to find something I didn't like from the lipstick. The formula is so foolproof and comfortable on the lips. For a full pigmented - creamy lipsticks, Guerlain Rouge Automatique lipstick is very hydrating on the lips. It doesn't dry up my lips or accentuate any lip lines. 

Guerlain claims the range to be long wearing, and it's surprisingly is. I can get to 5-6 hour mark and considering the formula, it is impressive for a lipstick with moist - creamy texture.  

Speaking of the packaging, the Guerlain Rouge Automatique comes in a slide down square bullet. It has a push-pull mechanism where the lid pulls down and the lipstick pushes out. I was worried about the packaging at first, but it turned out to be a great solid case. 

If you're looking for a nice full pigmented lipstick with glossy finish, Guerlain Rouge Automatique might be an excellent choice.

Have you tried any lipsticks from Guerlain?
Love,
Pam

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick Blush No 22

This is another long overdue post. I've purchased this a long time ago, somewhere mid 2015 and have been wearing it often too. If I remember correctly, I got it from Paris Charles de Gaulle's duty free.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in No.22 ( pfiuhhh what a name!! ) is a cream blush in a stick form from Chanel. The cream blush is housed in a black stick tube with Chanel logo on the top lid. The packaging is simple yet classy, just like how you'd imagine how a Chanel make up would look like.

The shade I picked up ; No.22 is a peachy orange shade. The shade is bright and fresh and compliments my skin tone very well. The finish is creamy but matte with no visible shimmers or sheen ( even though I've read from other bloggers who say they spot some very fine shimmers ).

Texture wise, the cream blush has rich and emollient texture. It is not intensely creamy like Stila Convertible Colors, for instance. But, it is very easy to apply and effortlessly blends either you use fingers, sponge or stippling brush. My favourite tool is Real Techniques stippling brush though, it is just the best tool to apply cream products. The pigmentation is rather sheer, but it is build able. I personally prefer sheer build able pigmentation rather than bold - hard to blend blushes.

The blush provides a natural peachy flush on the cheeks. I find that kind of shades really freshen up my whole look and make my skin looking healthier and less pale or dull. To quote my best friend, she told me that this blush give me a healthy looking glow.

The staying power is good. I got ca. 5-6 hour wear on my combination skin.

Overall, a good cream blush from Chanel. Is it groundbreaking? not really, but it's Chanel xD.

Have you tried any cream blushes from Chanel?
Love,
Pam