Video: How to thread your facial hair!

Although I just posted a video yesterday, I simply could not wait till next Friday to share this one with you! Pursebuzz shows you exactly how to go about thread and trim your eyebrows, with clear instructions, and excellent camera-work. I tried this out WHILE the video was playing and was amazed at how easy and effective it is! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Video: Friday is for Failing to recreate Audrey Hepburn's fabulous look in Breakfast at Tiffany's

This is an incredibly well-done video on recreating Audrey Hepburn's look as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The scene where she rushes around getting ready for her meeting with Sally Tomato has always been a favourite of mine, and her classic timeless look is the stuff of legends.



After watching this video I was inspired to recreate the look (sans falsies) for work - and well, I umm. Failed. Boo. Pic after the jump!

Ignoring the fact that I do not look anything like the incomparable Audrey, I need a paler pink lippie, and going without falsies really does undermine the look. *sighs* Also more thick black liner is called for.

Still I'm not entirely displeased, as it allowed me to make use of my new NYX trio palette in Highlight/Brown/Suede - a palette so very neutral that I thought I'd have to use each shade singly to get any use out of it. Plus while I didn't don falsies, I'm quite impressed with the trick I used to get my lashes as long as they are here:

How did I do it, you ask? Well that's for another review. ^_^

Looks: My take on Smashbox's Muse Green & Brown eyes.

Inspired by the gorgeous Smashbox Muse postergirl look, I attempted to recreate it for the beauty blogger meetup with Beautlicious founder, Julie Wong. Amusingly, everyone there, excluding Beetrice was sporting green eye looks of different shades. This is standard fare for blog & blush queen, ParisB, but when Syen posted up her green and bronze eye look, I smelt a trend!

Not having the Smashbox Muse collection to hand, I improvised using whatever I had available. Read on for the breakdown and full face look.

Eye Primer
1. Mac Paint Pot in Painterly

Eyeshadow (+ some instructions)
2. Using Silk Naturals mineral eyeshadow in Charmed (a lovely light shimmery goldy green) foil it with some eydrops, and pat it directly onto the crease.
3. With your smallest eye brush, pack a shimmery medium goldy-brown like Bobbi Brown Shimmer Eyeshadow in Copper Cocoa under eye, and as an outline to the green shadow. Then blend upperlid outwards with a blending brush, taking care not to disturb the green.

Eye Liner
4. Line with a brown eyeliner (I used Coastal Scents Gel Eyeliner in Truffle)

Lashes
5. Curl lashes (Stage Curler) and apply lashings of mascara (Stage Standing Ovation Mascara)

And there you go! Easy peasey and only two shadows needed - on par with my limited makeup skills. You can blend a highlight under the brow bone if you like, but that's personal preference.

And now for the rest of the face:
As usual when I open my eyes, no green! Boo! But it's there when I look down or blink and with that I shall be content.

Cheeks
1. Posietint applied under mineral foundation, blended with a foundation brush.

Lips
1. Posietint (because I'm vain and want colour on my lips ALL the time)
2. Stage Wondergloss lipgloss in Venus (to mute down the pink and add shimmer)

And done!

(Late) Monday's Beauty Bits

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Even if you aren't Chinese, take the extra reason to celebrate. ;)

Now I had these bits all drafted out, but was kept too busy running around on CNY errands to write them. But since it's technically still Monday, here we go!

The latest collection from Silk Naturals is OUT! Featuring 20 (yes! 20!) new solid fragrances, many of which are dupes, I've gone a wee bit sample mad with them. Now I hated the original Fresh, but it's been discontinued and replace by straight up Pink Grapefruit, so I'm getting a tube of that and hoping for the best.

In honour of Valentines day, the wonderful Beetrice has put together a great competiton to suit gals going out, and gals staying in for a little night of self-pampering (nearly put self-loving there, which sounds so wrong!). Check it out, the competition ends Jan 31!

Thanks (or no thanks! =P ) to Nikki, I discovered that the Eyeko site has free international shipping! That combined with the low ringgit - pound exchange rate, AND a free gift code on Nikki's site (go hunt for it) makes their products very very tempting indeed. I'm just waiting for them to either come up with more stuff or to restock their sexy eye palette.

There's more!

This is somewhat premature, but I may be replacing my beloved Vichy Normaderm with ~H2O+ Face Oasis Shine Free. Not because it controls oil better than Vichy - it doesn't. But because I believe I experience fewer breakouts with it. When I wash my makeup off at the end of the day, my skin seems a lot happier with ~H2O+ than with Vichy. Also, fewer blackheads and clogged pores!

Speaking of swaps, I've swapped out Sunsilk's Smooth & Manageable Control Leave On for Dove's version. Reason? It works the same, it feels the same, it costs the same, it's both by Unilever, and I like Dove's matte gold bottle more than Sunsilk's Hot Pink. =P

Review: Illuminare Ultimate All-day Foundation/ Concealer

Okay ladies, I know ya'll have seen this post before. Or at least, a very similar one written by Kahani a while ago. But the difference is that I'm reviewing this ONLY as a concealer. As promised. 

Honestly, I don't really like slapping too much products on my face all at one go. I hate the many layers of stuff. So on days when my face decides it wants to be good, I just dust a little of my ZA 2-way foundation on my forehead, nose and chin, and a little MAC Blot powder on my cheeks. And I'm done.

On days when it does NOT want to be good, I have no choice but to add some concealer on those dratted red spots, scars, and blasted little pimples which threaten to grow into Krakatoas.

And this is where the Illuminare Ultimate All-day Concealer works wonders.

It is THICK. Make no mistake about it. Just a teeeny-weeeny bit is more than enough for my entire chin, the odd pimple on my cheek and forehead. Application is made all the simpler with the Fast Application Pad, and blending the concealer is a breeze.

(You can see how little I actually need on my Fast Application Pad.)

On the rare occasion, I do use my fingers to apply. Not a good idea. This stuff is so thick I end up staining my fingers with it. And believe it or not, this concealer does. not. budge. I can scrub my fingers after with soap and water, but it still refuses to go away. Really.

So take my advice and use either the pad or a brush to apply the concealer. And you'll need a makeup remover to get it off your face after.

For my MAC NC25 skin, I'm using Florentine Fair, which is the third darkest shade available and it blends well enough to look natural. It usually manages to look alright for a few hours, but a blot and touch-up is usually in order around lunchtime.

It's oil-free and  has SPF21, but since the application is only on the odd spot, I wouldn't count on it to keep my face safe from the sun.

A 15ml tube costs US$27, but as you only need so little, it should take a while before you go through an entire tube.

There's really not much more for me to say, so I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

(Bare faced. Yes, behold the angry red chin. Eek.)

(Only concealer has been applied. See how much better it looks already? Don't mind the hair frizz, it was not entirely dry yet.)

(With concealer, ZA 2-way foundation and MAC Blot Powder applied as mentioned earlier.)

(And I'm done! With a bit o' blusher - Cargo The Big Easy, me thinks - and Testimo lipstick in a shimmery pink shade. I was only heading out to the mall for a while, so makeup was kept minimal. And oh, Frederic Fekkai's Olive Glossing Cream took care of the frizz.)

So what do you think of concealers? Necessity? Extras? Holler back, girls!

Note: The product reviewed is a courtesy of Illuminare Cosmetics.

(Another) Brush Haul: Coastal Scents

Since Christmas is now behind us, and the next one is still some ways yet, I will happily admit that I've been a bad girl. A very bad girl. (Let's hope Santa has a short memory.)

Because I've been hauling you see. From makeup to skincare to brushes, I've been busy hoarding my lovelies up. Like how a squirrel might hoard up acorn, you might say. =P

So when Kahani said she was going to make a Coastal Scents order and asked me if I wanted anything, how could I say no? I had managed to steer clear of 'em palettes (for now), but it was the brushes that got me.

Ok, so this is a teeeny brush haul, but a haul nontheless.

I found myself wanting the Italian Badger Blush Brush (because a girl can never have too many brushes either), and the Pink Deluxe Oval Shadow Brush.

When Kahani received the haul, the brushes got her going "WHOOAAA" due to their sheer size. LOL.

Italian Badger Blush Brush (US$8.99)


I have no idea why it says Chisel Blush on the handle, but after going through the Coastal Scents site again, it is the closest in shape to the badger brush, so I guess it must be one and the same.

It is HUGE, and I'd say it could work as both a blush brush and a powder brush. It also measures about 20cm from tip to tip, which makes it about as long as the MAC#129. But the brush itself is bigger, as you can see in the pic.

(Lengthwise it's about the same as the MAC#129.)

(Comparing the two brushes, it's easy to see how big the Coastal Scents badger brush is. You can easily use it as a powder brush too.)

I've been reaching for this a lot too since I got it. Mainly to lightly dust on the blush base. It's a little big to apply the pop, but my MAC#129 has got that covered. I also use it for a light dusting of highlighter, and it's great for that too.

And o.m.g it is so soft. So silky soft I can't stop stroking it on my face, and on my palm. Seriously. For it's price it can't be beat.

And now for the bad news - it stinks. Or at least it DID stink. Until I washed it with my Johnson's Head to Toe wash. Twice. The moment I brought it home, I took a sniff and I could tell it smelled funny. And you're talking about someone who's nose doesn't even work very well, ok? Washed it once, and it still smelled a little weird. So I washed it again, and this time it smelled varnish-y (Kahani said it might be the glue.) But the foul odour cleared up once it was totally dry. Thank heavens.

So now that the smell is gone, and the brush is clean (didn't bleed, shed only a teensy bit), I loves it! Love it as much as my #129. In fact, I think they're a perfect couple.

Pink Deluxe Oval Shadow Brush (US$1.99)


As for this brush. Sigh. I had wanted the Oval Fluff Shadow Brush thanks to Nikki's review. However, silly me had gotten the brushes slightly mixed up and I had ended up with the HUGE Oval Shadow Brush. *hehe*

But no matter. I love it all the same. For US$1.99, you really can't complain much.

To Kahani's question of "What on EARTH do you plan to do with that MASSIVE brush?", I find that it's worked fine for me to do a quick wash. I've even been able to use it to highlight under my brow. =P

The brush is really soft too, and fortunately, has none of that foul-smelling offense the badger brush has.

And oh well, if nothing else, this sable-hair blend brush is comes in a really pretty pink. And it looks good in my brush collection. So there.

*grin*

Video: Friday is for fascinating - watch a geisha put on her makeup

I'm particularly enchanted with how gracefully she applies the white base to the back of her neck. I'd never be able to do this! Wish they'd listed out the cosmetics she used...

Favourite Things: MAC #129 Blush Brush

The thing about brushes which I keep hearing people say is, "They're a good investment."

So bearing this in mind, I bought my first set of basic brushes from a MAC Holiday collection a few years back for about RM200-odd. And with it came the MAC #129 blush brush. And mind you, these were the first brushes I had ever gotten. They're really good for starter kits.

It made me feel just a little more like a makeup maven. *smugness*

Three years on (I think), and I am still incredibly in love with my #129.

Despite accumulating different brushes over the years, I find that I still reach out for my #129 the most when it comes to applying blush. Because I know it gets the job done, and it gets the job done well.

However, I did notice that my short-handled #129 was starting to get a wee bit scratchy and when I stared hard enough at it, I found that it had SPLIT ENDS. Yes, split ends. By golly, I never knew brushes could have split ends too!

So what's a girl to do but get a #129 back-up right? I went back to MAC, and this time I wanted to get the full-size MAC #129. I didn't want to get another set because 1) I already have most of the brushes which come in sets, and 2) I find the quality of the full-sized brushes very much superior to those in the holiday sets.

So I ended up walking out of MAC with a long-handled MAC#129, #217 and #228. Hehe, BRUSH HAUL! =)


And boy when I say long-handled, I mean long-handled. From tip to tip, it measures about 20cm. While I was initially a little worried that the long tail might get in the way, I am happy to report it did not and it took very little getting used to.

And isn't there just something about long-handled brushes that screams "professional"? =P


As for the brush itself, the pony-hair is very, very, VERY soft. It's definitely softer than the short-handled one, which I believe is made from pony-blend. I'm not tossing it out yet though, as it's still usable and definitely more travel-friendly.

I generally find the #129 great for applying the base colour, for the pop, and for buffing in the blush. So basically it's a great all-rounder blush brush. (However, I think I've found my #129 a great partner, which I'll be reviewing tomorrow.)

I also noticed that the short-handle brush is made in China, while the long-handled is made in Japan. No offence to anyone, but somehow "Made in Japan" assures me of quality.

I've only had it for about two weeks now, and I've washed it once. It did not bleed, but has shed a little bit. Nothing major, so I'm guessing it's the initial breaking-in. However, if the shedding continues, I will update and I will turn up at MAC looking very disgruntled.

After all, for RM130, you definitely expect some quality. But for now, it's all love baby!

Rave: Beautilicious Victoria Palette - love at first sight!

From the moment I laid eyes on the pretty pink, and brown stripey palette, cooed over its adorable pink handbag charm and gasped at the pretty colours inside, it was obvious to all (Paris B, Pink Elle & Beetrice) I was completely smitten. If the wonderful Julie of Beautilicious had not given me this palette to review, I would have walked straight into Watsons, plonked down RM49.90 and bought one! My lips are also sporting Beautilicious' Glossy Jam in Pureberry Jam (RM25.90) layered over Benetint. But that's another review!

Read on to feast your eyes on the delectable palette, and for a breakdown of the shades.

Packaging
As you can see the packaging really is something special. Reminiscent of Stila Palettes, it's very solidly made of cardboard and has magnetic closures. The design has the loveliest ornate look - redolent of old fashioned victorian sweet shops.

The pink and gold handbag charm is just ducky, and the Instructions printed on the inside ensure that you won't have to go looking for that piece of paper you just KNEW you had with you somewhere...

Eyeshadows

The three eyeshadow shades in a dark brown, shimmering copper, and shimmering beige complement each other perfectly. The dark brown is flecked with gold shimmer and looks a lot warmer in the pan than it is going on. I was a little worried and disappointed when I saw how cool and almost greyish it was.

Then I swept on the rusty copper adn got worried that it would be TOO red and rusty. But guess what? Layered over the cooler dark brown and blended they balance out and suit each other so well! The beige is a lovely highlight wash in the inner corner of the eyes and under the brow bone.

The copper and dark brown eyeshadows are very pigmented, and in fact when I tried to layer the dark brown over the copper I experienced fall out throughout the day. Some particles even got into my eyes and I could feel it. However, I found that packing the dark brown straight onto my MAC paint pot (primer) held the brown shadow in place all day. And I could then wash the copper shimmer over it. So, this way works better girls! With the primer, the shadows lasted easily all day with little fading and no creasing.

Also on my eyes: Coastal Scents Gel Liner in Blackest Black, and Stage Standing Ovation Mascara.

Blush
The blush may appear small but ladies it packs a punch! I underestimated it the first time and swiped it like I do any drugstore blush. Fortunately I tested it on my wrist before slapping it on my face. Whoa mama, is this baby pigmented! So remember ladies, the merest touch of the blush brush to this will do you fine!

I'm wearing it in the above vanity shot, and as you can see it imparts a lovely apricot glow that coordinates beautifully with the shadows. The blush shade looks in the pan like punched up version of Bobbi Brown's Nectar, and it goes on quite similarly. If I had to compare, I'd say that Victoria's blush is a more intense, brighter version of Nectar.

Verdict
There are few palettes that I believe I can survive an entire trip with, and this is one of them. From day time glow to night time glamour I believe this gorgeous 'lil thing will more than do the trick. In fact, the colours in this palette are eerily close to my "dream" Bobbi Brown customised palette.

Now, the only problem is to figure out how to stop using it so I can try out its sister - Alyssa (right)!

ps. Maybe ParisB will beat me to it. As I was reaching for Victoria, she was cooing over Alyssa!

Review: Stage Standing Ovation Mascara

After two solid months of daily use, I can only conclude that I truly TRULY love this mascara by Stage! Unlike Syen of the long lashes, I have short stumpy lashes that are usually invisible. This mascara does exactly what it promises, it raises and maintains the curl you've crimped into your lashes, giving you fluttery dolly eyelashes that frame your eyes. It even gained me a compliment from Syen.

Packaging
I love this mascara's minimalist, monochromatic yet pretty packaging. It's sturdy, takes wear and tear well and feels solid. I also love the brush as it's full without being too big for my wee eyes.

Mascara Performance
This mascara doesn't lengthen or volumnise very much, so for va-va-voom lashes you may want to layer a volumnising mascara over this. However for daily use, I find it defines and lengthens very prettily and quickly. Two swipes per eye after curling with my beloved Stage Eyelash Curler and I'm good to go!

I also love how when I pair it up with Imju DejaVu Fiberwig (review to come) for extra lash-length it helps my lashes hold their curl. I find without Standing Ovation, Fiberwig tends to weigh down the lashes and negate their curl.

Although it isn't waterproof, this mascara manages to last all day without smudging or smearing. It is also easily removed with cleanser and water. Bonus!

Conclusion
I really do love this mascara, and while logically I know I have so many more mascaras waiting to be tested (Maybelline's Collosal is up next) I wonder if I can live without it! So unless something else replaces this little beauty in holding a curl, I'll be moseying down to Stage and paying up RM50 for another tube... unless Stage's volumnising and lengthening mascara, Drama Lash (which still haunts my memories) seduces me instead.

Voucher for 50% off ~H2O+ 5-Piece Set (good things must be shared)

A bunch of lucky beauty bloggers (including Syen and I) were invited to spend an afternoon getting to know the ~H2O+ line of products. Yes ladies, after a 2-year Malaysian hiatus they're back in the country and they're better than ever.

And they've given us an e-voucher to pass on to the rest of you lucky ladies. Good for 50% off a 5-piece set that costs RM100. I don't have the exact breakdown of goodies you'll get but by looking at the pic, my guess is small travel-sized containers of (L-R) Oasis eye makeup remover, mystery tube (really no clue what that is), Spa Cooling Body Wash, Lip Oasis Plumping Gloss in Sheer Pink, and the famous Face Oasis gel moisturiser itself. All in a rather cute bag.

To redeem the voucher:
1. Click the image above and print it out
2. Write your name and IC number on the back of the voucher
3. Bring it in to any ~H2O+ stand-alone island or store (won't work for department store counters). These are located at 1 Utama New Wing, Sunway Pyramid, Mines Shopping Fair, Pavillion KL, and Guerney Plaza, Penang.

T&C:
1. Only for use in Malaysia (sorry international readers)z
2. One voucher, one set, per person.
3. Valid from now (they assure me the sets will be in store starting today) for as long as stocks last.

Edit: As a favour to us, we'd love it if you'd also jot down that you obtained the voucher from So Loverly. =)

Read on for the brand's story and yet another in-store promotion!

The ~H2O+ Story

It all started with Face Oasis. ~H2O+ founder, Cindy Melk, tired of pore-clogging, oil-based skin creams formulated her own water-based, moisturising gel packed with sea-derived minerals. The popularity of that gel and the technology behind it led to her founding the company in 1989 and expanding the business to include products for skin, hair, body and even dabbling in cosmetics now and then.

The line promises oil-free hydration with whatever mysterious benefits sea-minerals impart. From personal use, when I was first introduced to the line 5 years ago, I know it's great for oily skin as it manages to hydrate beautifully without adding to the grease that my skin produces. However I was young and naive back then and will happily re-test the new jar they've given me and will dutifully provide a review in a month's time.

Interestingly, a jar of Face Oasis retails today for RM159 - exactly what it sold for 5 years ago. Which actually makes what used to be a crazy expensive gel moisturiser back then, rather affordable today. Interesting how inflation works isn't it?

And oh yes I promised another in-store promo. Well here it is!

Monday's beauty bit: Spring '09 Trend - Colourful, artistic yet wearable

Monday's beauty bitS is on a temporary hiatus because, quite frankly I've run out of bits! So instead you're just going to get one big bit - an observation on the overwhelming trend I'm seeing for Spring '09 - colour. And lots of it too.

From Bobbi Brown to Stila, all the collections appear to be focusing on colourful eyeshadows, encouraging you to play with them, and bring out your inner 'makeup artist'. I have a suspicion that the inspiration for this trend may lie with the increasingly popular following makeup mavens like panacea81, doe deere, xsparkage, petrilude, and temptalia have been enjoying with their wildly brilliant (and beautiful) eye looks. Read on for collections, a discussion, and ideas on how to rock this trend.

The makeup gods understand that not all of us have the looks, pizzazz or even ability to pull off those looks. So this spring is all about bright, wearable, fresh and approachable colour. And so far, to me, none of the collections capture this idea so well as Smashbox.


Yep that's their model heading this post and isn't that look breathtakingly gorgeous? Go here to watch their video on creating a purple and blue look for the eyes. The amazing thing is how pretty, natural and well.. wearable these looks are!

Sadly, Smashbox isn't available here in Malaysia, but a close second to the Muse Palette, in my opinon, is Stila's Precious Pearl Palatte:

Reigning blush queen, Paris B, likes the look of this palette, and I must say I do too. The pinks look cool and wearable, the green and golds are spot on for this season's colours, and the dark blue liner shade would be great for adding depth and contrast to all the colours. Temptalia also has the low-down on this product.

Jumping right in the trend is the unexpectedly trendy Clarins (I usually think their makeup collections are of high quality but blah in terms of inspiration)

Teal is another colour that seems to be coming into play. So cooler toned girls, if you find the warmer shades of green don't become you give this shade a try. I love what Clarins has done with their model, the blending of colours together is truly lovely and reminds me of Monet's waterlilies. Check out the rest of the collection at Beaut.ie

Even Nars (the unobtainable and unaffordable) is getting in on the action with their pretty pastel-coloured collection:
And finally, there's the controversial Bobbi Brown Brights Palette:

While spot on trend, I'm disappointed not to see any looks created by her fro this palette. I really was expecting her to do something special with this, but sadly, nothing yet. So this odd-palette-out will have to hang around being compared to Coastal Scents 88 palettes and the like.

So, how to wear this trend? While all of us would love to dash out and buy one these lovely palettes, why not stop and go shopping in your own stash. I rootled around a bit and unearthed green, purple, and even teal shades I've never really worn.

For everyday wear, taking a cue from Smashbox, you can blend one statement colour with a more neutral shimmery brown, taupe, or grey to make the look more wearable. Also blend it out to a wash of colour that appears almost water-colour in nature. Another idea is to use one colour in the crease, and a matching or contrasting colour on the lower lash line. Again, muted, blended colours is the key to getting away with this look in broad daylight.

What do you girls think of this trend? Going to seize the chance to play with colour?

Looks: Bronzey Green Eyes for Bloggers' Meet

Helloo! So you girls have seen our little bloggie meet-up. Today I want to share with you the simple look I put together for the meet.

Since I wore a green top with a brown cardi, I decided to do something similar with the eyes, which ended up being a bronzey-green eye do.

Read on to see what I used for the look!

Face

• Illuminare Ultimate All-Day Foundation/Concealer (only as concealer).
• ZA two-way foundation
• MAC Blot powder

Cheeks

• NYX Mosaic Powder in Cafe
• MAC blush in Cubic

Eyes

• Silk Naturals Eye Fix (eye primer)
• NYX Spring Leaf trio (used mainly Spring Leaf for a wash and Green Tea for outer V)
• Shu Uemura eyeshadow in ME Gold 350 for inner part of the eye
• NYX Barely There (from RootBeer trio) for brow highlight
• Stage eyelash curler

Lips

• Lipbalm
• Testimo lipstick in RD145 (thanks dearie! Lovely lovely lipstick!) =D

Okay. That's it! Hope you girls enjoyed the run-down. =)

Video: Friday is for FRIGGING heck! Don't DO this!

I'm aware that not all of us can have Syen's big gorgeous eyes, but really monolids can be worked to their best advantage. Use false eyelashes, eyeliner, just don't DO this to get a double lid it can't be good! What do you girls think?

The Teh Tarik girls meet up!

(From left, clockwise: Tine, prettybeautiful, Rinnah, Carmen, Connie, Kahani and Bee.)

Last Friday was all about fun, fun and more fun! After communicating via our blogs for a while now, a bunch of us Malaysian beauty bloggers (aka mad makeup addicts) finally had a meet-up at TFI Fridays in the Curve.

And boy, did we have a swell time.

And it was made all the merrier since the lovely Tine was back all the way from Down Under! Which was the main reason for the meet-up to begin with. Many thanks to Bee who made it all possible. =)

Click on for a few more shots from the makeup-addict fest. *tee hee*

(The hallmark of beauty bloggers, makeup spread on the table, and cameras in hand! LOL. Check out Rinnah with her big-ass DSLR! Ooooh.. me wants.)

(Yay! Me and Kahani got to finally meet Tine! *waves* Helloooo! =D )

(Bee and Tine smiling for the camera. Geez look at their amazing complexion. *jealous-nye*)

(Kahani and me going cheese! When we first met up before meeting the rest of the ladies, Kahani went "Oh oh.. We MATCH." Both of us were wearing brown. Ermm.. great minds?)

(Smiiilleee!!!)

I'm so glad we got the chance to meet up and drool over MORE makeup. We really should do this again girls! =D

Duped: Benefit's Ten Highlighter/Bronzer Duo

You may mock it's admittedly ludicrous name, but in being a rather decent dupe of a product over 21X it's cost, Nose Shadow will have the last laugh!

Ok, so that was a tad over the top. But seriously, finding a credible dupe for RM5 is every budget beauty maven's dream! I won't pretend that the Nose Shadow here is the equal of Benefit's Ten in functioning as a highlighter and bronzer, but it may surpass its more expensive rival as a contour palette!

Read on for a comparison.


Found in Daiso (The Curve, Mutiara Damansara) Nose Shadow is marketed as err... powder for contouring your nose. And in actual fact it does work very well as a mini contour palette. In a sturdy plastic case, it features a sheer, matte, medium-dark brown shade for contouring, and a sheer, matte white shade for highlighting.

Because both shades are matte, I believe Nose Shadow surpasses Benefit's Ten for use on an oily nose, and in terms of natural contouring for day-wear all over the face. However, the shimmery pretty bronzy and pale pink shades in Ten make it more glamourous for night-use, and prettier as a day-time bronzer & highlighter.

In a nutshell, Nose Shadow is more natural, and is for straight up countouring. While Ten is more glowy, and works better as a bronzer/highlighter/blush.

Oh, and if you want to do the "Sexy Sweep" I don't see why it won't work just as well with the half-and-half Nose Shadow as it does with Benefit's Ten.

Usage

For both products, my brush of choice is the petite fibre optic blush brush from Silk Naturals. It lays down a sheer and natural amount of pigment that can be built up, and it's small head (1.5cm in diameter) allows precision and control around the nose and under the cheek bones.

I brush the brown/countouring shade down the side of my nose from my tear ducts to my nostrils (Tyra's tip to focus attention on the eyes), under my cheek bones, along my hair-line and the sides of my face (to make my face appear less round), and under my chin to define my jawline. I then dust the white/pink/highlighting shade on my cheek bones, verrryyy lightly down my nose bridge, on my eye brow bone, and on the tip of my chin. And oh, for plumper lips it really does work to dust some highlighter above the top lip, and countourer under the bottom lip.

Then using a tip from Leesha of xsparkage, I blend the highlighter and contourer on my cheeks with a sheer blush and dust face powder over the whole to give it a more natural look.

For more contouring tips, watch Leesha's great video. Warning, it will make you want to rush out and buy that gorgeous Coastal Scents contour and blush palette! (Note I'm rather addicted to Leesha's great vids. Unlike many other You Tubers she's articulate, not-annoying, not too fast or slow, and her videos are pretty educational! Check out "the perfect red lip tute" too).

NYX Haul: Round One

Hehe. After reading and hearing so much about NYX, I think it's about time I finally got my grubby little paws on them.

Okay, actually I had no choice. Dear Bee shot us an email one fine day saying Cherry Culture was having discounts on all NYX products. What's a makeup addict to do but throw in her order, right?

And it was really hilarious how Kahani and I did it. We were both rushing for tight deadlines, but Bee's time-constrained offer was too tempting to pass up. And the addicts in us would NOT relent.

So we ended up juggling between writing our stories, browsing for products on Cherry Culture, then researching them on MUA, AND chatting on Gtalk to compare notes. It was a true test of multitasking skills, I tell you. Thank goodness we're women! Girl Power!!! =D

So read on for more haul piccies and the rundown of what I got!

(From left: NYX blush in Peach, Mosaic Powder in Cafe, blush in Natural.)

After being dubbed Blush Princess, how could I not order a few blushers for starters right? I had heard that the blushers were good, and after trying them out, I must say they do not disappoint. Love Cafe, especially. It works really great as a bronzer.

I also made an order of three eyeshadow trios.

(From left: 1. Copacabana, 2. Barely There/Champagne/RootBeer, and 3.Spring Leaf/Lime Green/Green Tea)

(Both Kahani and I ordered a RootBeer trio each after reading the raves on MUA. And it really is that good! Loves it! Especially the middle colour, Champagne.)

(I haven't played as much with Copacabana, so can't say as much.)

(The Spring Leaf trio is a nice basic palette for green eyes. I used this for a green and bronze look recently, and it worked out nicely.)

(The haul was supposed to have stopped with the trios, but at the very last minute, and no thanks to more raves from MUA, I ended with two eyeshadow singles too - Earthy and Mermaid Green. Earthy is a lovely lovely taupe, and Mermaid Green is a very pretty deep green.)

So there you go. My first NYX haul. I'm rather glad the photos stayed pretty true to the actual colours of the products. What do you girls think? Quite the hoarder, aren't I?

And oh, by the way, if you're wondering why I named this post Round One... it's because I like the stuff I got so much, that I've already made another NYX order from Cherry Culture! LOL.

And this time, I ordered even MORE stuff. So wait up for the next haul post when it arrives.

*Sigh*

What can I say? Makeup and books are my crack.