The makeup blog with your daily dose of beauty inspirations, makeup tutorials, product reviews and shopping deals!
[Requested] 5 Favorite: Neutral Shadows, Liners, and Mascaras
—
Now my favorites do change ALL the time, so I didn’t want to list items that are “current favorites” until they really stand the test of time.
Here are things I’ve used mostly for years, and prefer over alternatives for various reasons.
The Purple “V-liner” Look: Simple Work/School-friendly Makeup (Wearable for Girls with Glasses!)
—
When you wear glasses, it tends to hide most of your eye makeup but the bonus is that you get to wear stronger colors than most people do.
This is a fun and straightforward liner look that works for most eye shapes, because it extends into the socket-line. It’s not going to look like too much straight-on if you wear glasses but from the side and every time you blink, there’s a surprising stroke of color that will show up.
Greens are In! (Refreshing Chartreuse and Jade Beauty Products)
—
Green is not my favorite color.
But then there is something about a soft golden green that just makes you think of crisp, fresh, spring/summer coolness. Take a cue from Rihanna. A hint of soft golden green on the lids can jazz up any look without detracting from your face or looking overly-dramatic in the day.
Here are a few of my favorite green products this month!
—
Skincare:
Lush Herbalism - A tiny bit of this moss-like wad of chlorophyll-infused skin cleanser goes a pretty long way. I use it as a gentle scrub about once or twice a week. It’s quite gentle (think of the texture of an oatmeal scrub), smells really herbal, and leaves your skin feeling conditioned rather than tight and dry.
Etude House AC Clinic Spot Treatment - This is like Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion, but cheaper to purchase in Asia.
—
Eye Products:
Bourjois Contour Clubbing pencil in 44 Golden Grey Session - there is nothing “grey” about this pencil. It’s a beautiful metallic pewter-tinged pale green that has both gold AND silver tones.
L’oreal Infallibel Eye Shadow in Permanent Kaki - you’ve heard me rave about this shade before. I love this lush olive shade.
MAC Pigment in Golden Olive - It’s exactly as the name says; a bright golden-green duochrome that’s GLORIOUS on most skins, from very dark to very light.
I Nuovi Moss Shadow - If MAC Golden Olive Pigment and Sumptuous Olive Shadow had a baby, this would be it.
—
Nails:
Essie Navigate-Her - Such a pretty pea-cream green. Most pastel green polishes are quite cool-toned and more like mint than Cream of Pea Soup, which makes this shade really unique and VERY much more interesting to wear. My favorite green creme shade by far.
—
Scents:
Chanel No 19 - Rumored to have been created way before 1971 (official launch date) as a successor to Chanel No 5, No 19 is widely-acknowledged as Coco’s personal favorite in the latter half of her life. This is a cool, green, waxy, sharp floral that isn’t very flowery at all. There is nothing overly fluffy or girly about this scent, but there’s a definite sexy edge beneath.
Chanel No 19 Poudre - Sweeter, softer, more powdery and girly than her older sister, Poudre is a different kind of beauty that I reach for where good ol’ 19 is a little too brusque for me. This fragrance manages to be powdery and fresh at the same time, but the sweeter jasmine heart and softer musk base makes it more inviting and generally “nicer” than her older sister.
![Drugstore Makeup - Favorites of the Moment! (Aug 2012)
This is a question which was asked yesterday so I thought it was time to do a detailed post about the drugstore or low-cost items that I love.
—
*Disclaimer: I’m located in Asia, so I don’t necessarily have access to all the same brands that you might! If you like a particular brand that I don’t mention, it might simply be because I can’t get it here. Do reply/comment to this post and share YOUR favorites with everyone!
—
Favorite BB Cream
Shall I say “CC” cream? I’ve tried so many from Maybelline, Garnier, etc but I still have to say you should stick with the real BB Creams from Asian specialty manufacturers if you want something that isn’t just tinted moisturizer.
I’m still loving my Rachel K, and I know it’s not easily available outside of Singapore, but I know the ever-fabulous Lisalisad1 on Youtube will be distributing these in the US shortly. Do drop her a message on lisalisad1.com to find out about the expected date it will be available - and let her know I sent you there! :-)
The Rachel K feels feather-light and has no visible “makeup texture” on the skin, sets to a natural matte finish, controls oil, but still manages to even out my skin tone better than other tinted moisturisers I’ve tried. Pair that with a whole load of antioxidants and an above-30 SPF, and you have a winner.
I usually apply a mineral powder over it because BB creams don’t usually match your skin tone and are better as a primer or neutralising base rather than foundation.
Note: This does have fragrance so if you’re very sensitive or don’t like scents, avoid this.
—
Foundation:
Bourjois Healthy Mix! Big rave. I’ve used it for over a year and it’s the only drugstore foundation that I will still pick over the higher-end options in my stash like Dior Nude, Make Up For Ever HD, MAC, etc.
It’s got medium coverage, a featherweight matte texture (you can tell I’m big on “featherweight”), lasts the whole day when I’m out for more than 12 hours, and looks really good upclose. I quite like Revlon Colorstay in terms of how it looks, but it feels heavier and has that horrible scent. If you don’t mind the smell and don’t mind mixing it with a touch of clear primer to sheer it out, that’s a good one as well.
The biggest problem? This comes in so few shades, which is really disappointing.
—
Concealer:
I don’t have a whole lot of options here (the options in Asian drugstores are staggeringly pitiful), but of the ones I’ve tried, I like Revlon Photoready concealer because it’s that in-between texture that is not too creamy or to dry, so it’s kinda multi-purpose. You can use it on blemishes AND under the eyes, although the shade range sucks in Asia, and I can’t say it is especially good at either purpose.
I’d love to try Hard Candy Glamouflage one of these days.
—
Eyebrow and Eye Pencils:
Brows - Maybelline Eyestudio Brow pencils are cheap, effective and come in a good dark taupe shade for those with black brows like myself.
Eyes -
I love Milani Liquif’Eye but for those outside the US, I love Bourjois pencils as well. They come in the most amazing metallic colors.
If you’re in Southeast Asia, the other one you have to check out is Silky Girl. I’ve always been a bit of a snob in terms of dismissing anything with bad branding/advertising, but their colored pencils are produced in Germany by the same manufacturers who supply other brands.
—
Shadows:
NYX or Wet n Wild - great shade range, great texture, great price. I don’t have access to Sleek or Barry M unless I ship them in (which defeats the purpose), but I’m hoping to try these someday.
Coastal Scents Hot Pots - not technically drugstore but they’re cheaper than drugstore, at $1.99 per pan. If you follow me on Instagram (@makeup_box), you’ll have seen my recent picture of the huge 28 shade palette I filled with a rainbow of hot pots. The pigmentation is fantastic on most of the new shades, and I have to say the quality of many of these would match or surpass a lot of my high-end brands. The problem is you can’t accurately tell the colors online.
If you’re in Asia and can’t access the above 2 online, then go for Kate (above), which is silky-smooth and as finely-milled as high-end shadows. The only issue is that the shades are all shimmery/glittery, and most palettes don’t have enough dark shades (which ironically many Asians need, to create depth and definition to monolids)
Liquid/Gel Liners:
Liquid - Bourjois is #1. I love the fine brush tip. I don’t have Wet n Wild here or I’d love to try thei regular liquid liner for a comparison.
Gel - Maybelline Eyestudio. It’s not the best gel liner in the world by any means, but for something that costs what it costs, and that FANTASTIC brush you get with every jar, this comes close.
Mascara
L’oreal Voluminous (yes, yes, I know many people find it clumpy but it’s not on me, which is odd.) I AM curious about the new Voluminous Full Definition but the local drugstores have not brought that in yet.
Rimmel and Bourjois get props because I like most of their mascaras as well.
If you have short stubby lashes, the get Majolica Majorca Lash Expander. I used this exclusively for about 4 years back when I was working in Taipei and not that interested in exploring makeup. (Gasp.)
Blush:
I do like baked blushes in general because they tend to go on more translucent and give a nice glow. Revlon and Bourjois are pretty good. i LIKE NYX’s as well, but you’ll need to tap your brush on the back of your hand before applying to your cheeks or you can get a lot of chalkiness and fallout.
For cheap online blushes, I highly recommend La Femme blushes (makeupmania.com) if you’re in the US. This is one of those brands that is SO pigmented that they can easily function as eye shadows, and each pan costs less than $5.
Lipsticks:
Creme: Maybelline Color Sensational, Revlon Colorburst
Matte: Revlon Matte (not all the shades have good texture; Stormy Pink is so bad I wonder how it made it past Quality Control)
Would love to try: Cover Girl
Gloss:
Revlon Super Lustrous. They’re constantly being compared to Chanel Glossimers in terms of texture and performance. Enough said.
—
[Main image source: luuux.com]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m869ob2HV71qh70jmo1_r1_400.jpg)
Drugstore Makeup - Favorites of the Moment! (Aug 2012)
This is a question which was asked yesterday so I thought it was time to do a detailed post about the drugstore or low-cost items that I love.
—
*Disclaimer: I’m located in Asia, so I don’t necessarily have access to all the same brands that you might! If you like a particular brand that I don’t mention, it might simply be because I can’t get it here. Do reply/comment to this post and share YOUR favorites with everyone!
—
Favorite BB Cream
Shall I say “CC” cream? I’ve tried so many from Maybelline, Garnier, etc but I still have to say you should stick with the real BB Creams from Asian specialty manufacturers if you want something that isn’t just tinted moisturizer.
I’m still loving my Rachel K, and I know it’s not easily available outside of Singapore, but I know the ever-fabulous Lisalisad1 on Youtube will be distributing these in the US shortly. Do drop her a message on lisalisad1.com to find out about the expected date it will be available - and let her know I sent you there! :-)
The Rachel K feels feather-light and has no visible “makeup texture” on the skin, sets to a natural matte finish, controls oil, but still manages to even out my skin tone better than other tinted moisturisers I’ve tried. Pair that with a whole load of antioxidants and an above-30 SPF, and you have a winner.
I usually apply a mineral powder over it because BB creams don’t usually match your skin tone and are better as a primer or neutralising base rather than foundation.
Note: This does have fragrance so if you’re very sensitive or don’t like scents, avoid this.
—
Foundation:
Bourjois Healthy Mix! Big rave. I’ve used it for over a year and it’s the only drugstore foundation that I will still pick over the higher-end options in my stash like Dior Nude, Make Up For Ever HD, MAC, etc.
It’s got medium coverage, a featherweight matte texture (you can tell I’m big on “featherweight”), lasts the whole day when I’m out for more than 12 hours, and looks really good upclose. I quite like Revlon Colorstay in terms of how it looks, but it feels heavier and has that horrible scent. If you don’t mind the smell and don’t mind mixing it with a touch of clear primer to sheer it out, that’s a good one as well.
The biggest problem? This comes in so few shades, which is really disappointing.
—
Concealer:
I don’t have a whole lot of options here (the options in Asian drugstores are staggeringly pitiful), but of the ones I’ve tried, I like Revlon Photoready concealer because it’s that in-between texture that is not too creamy or to dry, so it’s kinda multi-purpose. You can use it on blemishes AND under the eyes, although the shade range sucks in Asia, and I can’t say it is especially good at either purpose.
I’d love to try Hard Candy Glamouflage one of these days.
—
Eyebrow and Eye Pencils:
Brows - Maybelline Eyestudio Brow pencils are cheap, effective and come in a good dark taupe shade for those with black brows like myself.
Eyes -
—
Shadows:
[Main image source: luuux.com]
Asked by Anonymous
Hi, I was using the Lime Crime uniliner in Quill.
You can use any brand really. (Bourjois has some really good ones; NYX has an equivalent for a very good price as well) as long as it has that long, fine brush tip because that’s the only way you can get a super-fine, super-black line.
No felt tip liners!
3 Raves and 3 Rants
This is a quick run-down of products I’ve loved and loathed recently, for various reasons.
—-
Raves
—-
1. Lierac Huile Sensorielle Aux 3 Fleurs - Collection Blanch
This is such a splurge, but I like to spread a small pump of this luxurious plant-derived oil (argan, hazelnut, sweet almond, and grape seed) over dry parts of my face, under the eyes, and on my lips. Not only does it sooth and condition dry skin, but it also contains a large amount of white flower oils (jasmine, camellia, gardenia) and smells divine and soothes my mind as well.
—-
I’ve mentioned this before, and I love how it gives coverage while being matte, natural-looking and lightweight. I’ve got so many new foundations but I keep finding myself reaching for this in the morning.
The main problem is that it’s so hard to get outside of Singapore. I tried to contact the company for more information but nobody ever responded to my email, which is always a bit of a bummer.
Customer relations minus-one.
—-
This is a permanent shade released with the Tres Cheek collection. It’s an odd shade to buy because it’s a soft satin lavender which may look odd on those with deeper skin tones.
I specifically wanted a shade like that because it’s a perfect base for a cool-toned blush. Most cool-toned blushes will end up looking warmer over the skin, so layering them over a lavender helps to make the color stay true.
—-
Rants
—-
1. Megaholic Rubber Extension Mascara
Before you moan about not being able to access this “rubber” mascara in your country, read further down.
This gum-containing mascara promised to deliver dramatic length, and looked SOOO promising. But while it DOES really lengthen and add on to the ends of your lashes, it also dries so fast that it’s almost impossible to build up properly. Going over any coated lash with the comb will give you clumpy, twig-like lashes, which I hate. Once it sets, it’s also amost impossible to comb out properly.
You are also not going to get much natural-looking volume or feathery lashes with this.
If you like big spiky lashes from a distance, this would work, but if you want to look nice up close, there are easier ways to achieve that than this product.
—-
2. Maybelline Clear Smooth 8-in-1 High Protection BB Cream SPF50
This BB Cream comes in 2 shades, one of which is deep enough for medium skins that it does not give you an ashy or pink cast like some Korean BB Creams would. But that’s about the only thing I like about it.
In terms of feel, coverage, texture etc, it loses out completely. Next time, just avoid gimmicky mass-market cosmetic giant copies because while it’s half the price of many BB Creams, I’d rather just have spent no money on it at all.
—-
3. Bourjois Stick Anticernes Correcteur #72 Beige Rose
I bought this because it was specifically designed to correct discolorations under the eyes. This is a bit more pink than my skin naturally is, so I thought “all the better to neutralize dark circles!”
What a mistake. I’ve tried to work with this several times but if you have any dryness, lines, or uneven texture under your eyes, this is not going to go on smoothly or spread easily for the most part.
For normal to oily skin, it might perform slightly better in terms of application, but the staying power is really a bit of a miss as well.
