Dangerously addictive: Stark & Son Recharge Menthol Lip Balm with Caffeine

Hello everyone hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year!

This post is for everyone who's had to go back to work today and are longing for an energy kick.

Stark & Son is a new menscare line launched by owner of organic and natural brand Silk Naturals, Karen Stark. This tingly mentholated matte lip balm was part of her holiday collection. 

I've become terribly addicted to this, not for it's lip-balm-ness, or even for the menthol kick, but for the straight-up, instant buzz the caffeine gives! I've never tried a caffeinated lip balm before and I can attest that this goes straight into your blood stream far faster than any espresso will!

One swipe and I'm all HELLO! If I use it too often, I get jitters. It's crazy!

Silk Natural's Lip Lube in Candy Cane & Southern Praline

Ok, so I confess, I'm wee bitty lip balm mad. Just a bit. ;)

These cheekily named, Lip Lubes, were released by Karen (founder of Silk Naturals) around Christmas and I'm happy to announce that they're still available because they are DELISH (and cute too)!

Candy Cane is a yummy vanilla peppermint flavour and undoubtedly my fave. For those afraid of landing a toothpaste-flavoured peppermint don't worry. This is a cool menthol with a hint of vanilla and a sweet taste.

Southern Praline is truly special in my experience. Ever had a pecan tart? Well this smell just like it. Melted, buttery brown sugar with warm toasted pecans. Mmm... Candy Cane trumps this primarily because I find it so distracting. And I start craving pecan tarts, pecan pie, pecan cinnabon rolls...

Although SN says these are more for sealing moisture in than for heavy-duty moisturisation I have no complaints. They are glossy, smooth, emollient and are definitely moisturising enough for me. Just word of warning, they may melt in Malaysian weather if you tote it around in your bag under the hot sun. I keep them at home and at my office desk for a treat now and then.

At US$3.99 each they won't break the bank, and it's a great price for hand-made, critter-friendly, natural balms. The tubes are full-sized and I'd definitely repurchase if they're still available when I run out.

Duped: Smashbox Muse Palette by Silk Naturals Bon Voyage Shadows

I feel hopelessly in love with the Smashbox Muse Palette ever since I saw it. The absolutely gorgeous postergirl for the collection didn't hurt either. But not only is Smashbox really pricey, the pallete was US$48! It wasn't available in Malaysia.

So imagine my delight when the genius Karen of Silk Naturals duped the pallete in loose mineral-shadow form. And believe me, the colours are GORGEOUS. Here are the four darker shades I bought at US$4 each. You can opt to buy all 10 shades here for US$37.50 - but I like being able to get only the shades I want.


Colours & Formula
Karen really outdid herself formulating these shadows. The finish is shimmery with a delicate translucency that makes even vibrant purple Vacation" wonderfully wearable. They are smoothly blendable and last all day over a primer.

(L-R) Bon Voyage, Vacation, Getaway, Resort

Incidentally, Bon Voyage is the first blue shadow I've bought in years and is currently the ONLY shadow in my collection. I don't use it often, but I'm so in love with it!

Look

The lovely finish of the shadows make even a multicoloured look like this wearable even for office wear! Granted, my eyes really aren't the best to show off colours (and don't I know it!) but I was quite pleased with this look even if I do say so myself. ; )

Crease: Vacation
Outer-V: Getaway
Lower Lashline: Bon Voyage

Conclusion
These shadows are LOVE and they encourage me to play with colours a bit more. I do have a tendency to stick to brown, brown and more brown! I'm considering getting a few more of the darker shades.

Channeling Star Trek with the help of Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in Bloom

When I first swiped on Silk Natural's Kisser Slicker in Bloom I was actually really disappointed. The colour that looked so pretty on the tube, was a very cool very very light pink on me. So light I didn't know how I was to use it.

Until I watched the latest Star Trek film that is. I was BLOWN away by the incredible dialogue, story-line, screenplay, cast... and the updated 60's-inspired feel to everything. From the ship-design to the actor's makeup the movie never missed a beat. It managed to be authentic, and 60's without for a moment being outdated or old-fogey. Awesome.

I was particularly taken with the makeup sported by Nyota Uhura, played by Zoe Saldana. I loved the clean yet feminine look created by her winged eyeliner and cool pink (but not frosty!) lipstick. So I had the black eyeliner... where was I to get the cool pink... ahhhh... *lightbulb appears with a ting!*

Bloom lipstick is perfect for an updated 60's inspired look. It's glossy not frosty, very very cool pale pink that's pigmented enough to cover up my lip's natural colour.

Swatches courtesy of Silk Naturals

I chose a very very light dusting of my coolest pink blush (I think it was Silk Naturals Mineral Blush in Charming) coupled with some contouring with Daiso's Nose Shadow under my cheekbones.

The one fly in my honey was my winged eyeliner - or lack of it. I have GOT to work on the flick. I'm also unsure if there's any point to it. Since any flicks I did, however enthusiastic (ok I made sure I stopped short of Amy Winehouse) were hidden by my Chinese eyes. Arrrgh! Nevermind if at first you don't succeed.... go for bigger wings.

So what do you girls think? And any tip on achieving the coveted winged eyeliner on scrunched up eyes?

For a great interview with the makeup aritist behind Star Trek, Mindy Hall (and for picture credit, I stole her pic), go here! I read it, and now I really want the Shiseido liner, maybe it will help me flick! I also feel better that even the makeup artists had difficulty achieving that perfect eyeliner on everyone.

DIY Beauty: Making lipglosses from SN Mineral Blush

Many of you have heard me banging on about how much I love mixing Silk Naturals' Mineral Blushes with clear gloss to use on my lips. I find there's an added prettiness when the blush and gloss match exactly. This little secret is partly behind the pretty-factor for lip & cheek products like Posietint, Stila Convertibles, and Nars the Multiple.

The only thing I didn't like about mixing the blush with gloss was the inconvenience and mess factor. If I dipped the brush in it, I'd contaminate the blush. If I tipped it out, there'd be waste. If I used my finger, I'd have to wash my hands. Plus it was impossible to top-up the gloss during the day.

So WHY it took me so long to pre-mix my blushes I don't know. I chose my three favourite gloss - blush combinations, Climax (Orgasm dupe), Babydoll (MAC Dollymix dupe), and Forbidden (Nars Outlaw dupe).

And just LOOK at the pretty-pretty colours!

(Please pardon the messy swatches)

(L-R) Babydoll, Climax & Forbidden

As you can see, the glosses are darker than their blush counterparts. And you slap on gloss, and dust on the blush so don't worry, your cheeks and lips will never be identical!

How to
As instructions go, this is going to be mighty useless I'm afraid as I don't have exact measurements for ANYTHING. I can only tell you that everything worked first go, and here's what I did.

First off, I know SN blushes are safe for lip-use as I have checked this with Karen. Please don't try this with any blush you're not sure about.

I used 5g jars that SN blush samples used to come in. I transfered the sifters into the newer SN sample jars (they are sifterless and can result in a poof of pink powder if you're in a rush). And I gave the jars a wash and dry first.

Next I shook the blush tubs about a bit so there was a goodly amount above the sifter before unscrewing the cap.

Then I used the little spatula to spoon a small amount of blush into the jar. Start small, as you can always add more.

Squirt a small amount of clear gloss in, and keep adding as needed.

I cut cotton-buds in two, and used the non-cottony bit to stir.

Keep stirring and adding one thing or another until you have the desired amount and consistency.

So how do they look?

Judge for yourself. =)

Climax (from a previous review)

Forbidden
(Yes trying out new too-pink foundy here - Bleh! Luckily it was free)

And my personal fave:

Babydoll

So will this be your next DIY Beauty project?

So Loverly reviews Loverly cream blush (sorry, couldn't resist)

How apt is it that just around the time So Loverly turns 1, Silk Naturals includes a cream blush called Loverly into its permanent collection? Is it a coincidence? I'm afraid only Karen can answer that and to be honest, I just can't work up the ego to believe she created this lovely thing for us. Though it would have been nice, wouldn't it?

And it really is a very lovely blush. Shade-wise it's a shimmery golden pink - like a bumped up Nars Orgasm / SN Climax. In tone it is pinker and deeper than Orgasm / Climax, and the shimmers are very very fine. When swatched (after the jump) you can see that it comes off sheer and when blended out looks very natural indeed.

Its texture is very easy to use - whether you prefer to use your fingers to smooth it out, or pat it on, or a dual-fibre brush to stipple it on, this blush is your friend when you're ina rush. Be gentle with it as the cream is very light and mousse-y in consistency and it's easy to dig out too much - a little goes a long way. Just a light touch will do for a very natural, sheer stain to your cheeks, with a little added pizzazz thanks to the golden shimmer.

While this blush is far more long-wearing than its powder-counterparts, I found it to be less lasting than several other cream blushes I've tried. Still, it does last for the better part of 8 hours when applied over Revlon Colorstay on my skin terribly oily skin.

Also pretty awesome, it doesn't break me out. I obtained this blush as a Gift-With-Purchase on Silk Naturals and have been using it for quite awhile now, and I was inititally leery of trying cream blushes because they just don't go with oily skin. But so far I've really had no problems once its set with a translucent powder.

The blush retails on SN for US$6.99, I believe that the full-sized version comes in a larger pod than my GWP version, but as I've never seen it I can't say. But my guess is that my pod is 3g while the full-sized version is 6g.

When I run out, I'll definitely be repurchasing. Yes I may be biased that it shares a name with my blog, but think about how devastated I would have been if the blush that bore my blog's name was awful! Thank goodness it's a keeper.

Silk Naturals Fragrance review: The good (Green Tea) and the bad (Pink Grapefruit)

Silk Naturals released a collection of some 20 fragrances around Valentines this year. These solid fragrances are made from a base of beeswax, and are packaged in lipbalm tubes. I love that they're solid because it makes them perfectly portable for hand-bag touch ups and I can put them precisely on my pulse points. As spray-on perfumes often break me out around my chest, neck and face, roll ons or solids are actually quite the god-send for me. And with Pink Grapefruit one of the releases, you can just imagine how excited I was to get my hands on these!

I bought the fragrance in Green Tea, and won Pink Grapefruit in an online contest SN ran. The fact that I won it, and my love for Green Tea, partially consoles me for the disappointment I felt over Pink Grapefruit. Read on for the full review.

Green Tea
The site's description:

Green Tea is clean and refreshing with just a hint of tartness. I remember the first time I smelled Green Tea- it was in France and it opened my eyes to a completely new experience. It's like a breath of fresh air- clean and light, very refreshing- a great fragrance for daytime.

Now I truly love Green Tea, it is closest to Elizabeth Arden's version but has the warmth and subtle bitterness of Bulgari's that the sweeter, more citrusy Elizabeth Arden lacks.

I find myself sniffing it constantly when I wear it on my wrists as I find it both refreshing, as well as comforting and warm - if that is possible. I'm a fan of subtle fragrances and this is very subtle. SO subtle that some of my friends with less able noses can't detect the fragrance at all. So be warned! If your nose isn't the most sensitive you may want to give this perfume a miss - you may not be able to smell it!

While I love that it is quiet and a perfect office fragrance I could wish for it to be amped up a little more - just so someone sitting right next to me can smell it without sniffing my wrists.

Pink Grapefruit
Because I love the scent of Pink Grapefruit so much, and because I had such high hopes for this fragrance, my disappointment in it runs deep - even though I got it free as a prize.

The site claims:

We searched high and low for a spectacular pink grapefruit scent. It's juicy, tart, a little bit sweet and very very yummy- purely pink grapefruit.

While I get the tartness, which I love, the grapefruitiness - also great, and the faint sweetness there is a strange, overwhelming acridity to this perfume that literally stings my nose. If I wear it, I get a headache - rare in perfumes that don't have an alcohol base or aldehydes for me.

It's hard for me to describe the note I hate so much. It's salty and bitter - while grapefruit should have a hint of bitter, this one actually leaves a bad taste in the back of my mouth. Some girls on the SN forum can smell it, some can't. Karen claims it's the tartness, but I LOVE tart fragrances - I'd wear fresh lemon if it was feasible. She's hoping to tweak it and brighten it up a little, I truly hope she succeeds and gives me a pink grapefruit fragrance I love.

Conclusion
I will definitely repurchase Green Tea even if the fragrance is never amped up. I hope she puts it into a moisturiser or something I can smear over a larger surface area! The fragrances retail for US$5.99 each and it's worth checking out the site as there are dupes of famous scents as well as samples for US$0.75 if you'd prefer to sniff it before buying.

Looks: All That Jazz!!!

So last Saturday Kahani and I decided to go paint the town red. Well, actually a friend of hers, Elvira Arul, was performing in Bangkok Jazz in KL (she was VERY good, by the way) and we thought "Why not?".

It's been a while since we've had a bit o' fun, and so fun we did have.

Kahani pulled off her femme fatale Frenched look once again, while I chose a purple smokey-eye number. To go with the top, see.

So read on to see what I used to create this look! =)

Face

• Illuminare Ultimate All-day Foundation/ Concealer (this is GREAT stuff as a concealer. Review coming soon!)
• ZA two-way foundation (on chin, nose and forehead only)
• Silk Naturals Tinted Oil Control Primer (I use this as loose powder)

Cheeks

• Bobbi Brown blush in Mauve

Eyes

• MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (eye primer)
• MAC Shadestick in Royal Hue (in my crease as purple base, and in the final step, very lightly over liner on lower lid)
• Silk Naturals eyeshadow in Slate (applied over Royal Hue)
• Cyber Colours black eyeliner (on upper lid and halfway on lower lid)
• Origins eyeshadow in very dark grey/black (in outer V corner, and entire lower lid)
• Stage eyelash curler

(Despite piling on Slate, which is a grey shade, the purple from the shadestick is still very evident, which is just awesome.)

(Deepest apologies, but pleease don't mind the brows. They're ermm.. overgrown at the moment. *blushes*)

(Note: No mascara. *grin*)

Lips

• Lipbalm
• Maybelline Water Shine lipstick in Kir Royal (looove!)

(And the whole look put together. And oh, this shot was AFTER the partying with minor touch-ups of course. Lasted pretty well, huh?)

So, what do you girls think? =)

Look: Silk Naturals Colours for a Cause - Carpe Diem, Red Lippie

Syen's recent post on Rimmel red lippies made me eager to break out my Carpe Diem lipstick that I'd gotten from Silk Naturals. Now a quick disclaimer, that is NOT me trying to look sexy, that is me trying to open my eyes half way so my double lids don't hide ALL my black eyeliner! Read on for my review of the lipstick, and review of Live and Laugh eyeshadows that are also part of the colours of a cure set. Also, more details on my "red lipstick look".

The Look
As I had a rather high-powered day ahead of me, I opted for a classic black shift office dress accented with a deep red belt. As such, a red lippie seemed like a good way to accessorise. I kept my eyes neutral and slightly shimmery, with a strong black eyeliner (similar to what I did with the Fuschia Lip). Used a very light hand with the blush in a peachy shade that would wake up my face but not scream "BLUSH!".

I'll admit to being slightly afraid of looking entirely too dominatrix (especially with my uhh.. very chiseled eyebrows courtesy of Shu Uemura) but decided what the hey, I'll work it. At least I'm not wearing my corset belt, and spiky black boots *grins*. I've been getting compliments all day though, and no one has run from me gibbering in terror, so I must have done something right.

The wonderful Carpe Diem!
Oh man, Carpe Diem is SUCH a good name for this lipstick. It really is a great way to "seize the day" (pardon my cheesiness). I've read in beauty mags that the best way to tell if a lipstick suits you is to swipe it on, before applying any other colour to your face. The moment I applied Carpe Diem, my entire face lit up and I knew I was onto a winner!

Carpe Diem is a cool, berryish red shade with oodles of pure 23k edible gold shimmer. I'm usually somewhat iffy around shimmer-lippies as I hate the frosted look and have rather, well, wrinkly lips (it's like I have too much lip in too little area). But these super fine gold particles give a glowing, rich and decadent sheen to the lipstick that warms it up and makes it look... amazing. I can't imagine this not suiting anyone!

As a red lipstick too, this is a very forgiving shade. It manages to make you stand out, instead of just having your lips enter the room 10 minutes before you. It allows for quite a nice light smokey eye (I did that by mistake when I smudged my liner) without making you look overdone - great for evening events. Plus it's sheer (I'm wearing two layers), so can be toned down further, and worn without a liner.

Eyes: Live & Laugh mineral eyeshadows

Live is a very shimmery creamy off-white. I love its finish as the shimmer is so fine it resembles Bobbi Brown's metallic eyeshadow collection. No chunks of glitter. It can be layered on thickly or blended out into wash. All the Colours for a Cure shadows have this finish incidentally. Personally I adore Live as a highlighter, on the inner corners of the eyes and under the brow bone. But I'd love it even MORE if it was ever-so-slightly warmer to suit my skintone. As it is I have to be careful to use very little and blend it out well.

Love is an amazing medium taupe shade - lighter and slightly warmer than Shu's Brown M 850. I paired it with Nudge Nudge, a dark taupe, for this look. On fairer girls it would make a great wash shade, swipe it on with a blender brush for a wash, and with a more precise blush for a crease shade. On me though I need a little nudge (tee hee.. sorry, couldn't resist!).

Look breakdown
Eyes - Live (highlight), Laugh (mid-tone), Nudge Nudge (crease), Blackheart (foiled with eyedrops to use as a liner), and Shu Uemura's Ultimate Expressions Mascara.

Cheeks - SN blush in Climax

Lips - Carpe Diem (as if you didn't know)

Silk Naturals: Colours for a Cure

So far, So Loverly hasn't really been getting into the October - Breast Cancer Awareness month gig. Although I'm all FOR the month I'm not sure I advocate the big companies making so much money off it by repackaging their products in pink and donating miniscule amounts to breast-cancer research. Silk Naturals though, is not a large company, and they are donating over 50% of the price you pay for these special edition (not pink packaged) colours Karen created especially for the month. Read on for image swatches and promotion details.

Lippies
Karen has really gone all out to make the lippies as "decadent" as possible. These black label lippies are "100% natural, over 80% organic, fortified with cranberry and passionfruit oils". I normally eschew shimmery lipsticks, but as these are blinged up with 23k edible gold leaf - so how can I resist? The two colours are Carpe Diem - a golden rose / berry coloured lippie, and Monarch - a sheer coppery lippie with lots of gold.

I love reds, especially ones with neutral / berry undertones so I've already ordered Carpe Diem! Also I'm a sucker for the name. Monarch looks like it may be useful as a layer-shade but I have doubts as to how well copper would go with my skintone, so I decided to pass it ups.

The lippies are US$9.95 each and no less than US$6 will go to the Susan J Komen Foundation!

Eyeshadows
These eyeshadows were launched at an absolutely perfect time for me. I was about to buy Cream, a shimmery off-white coloured shadow from SN to use as a base shade, and I was also looking for a nudish, taupe-brown shade. Both of which are in this collection!

Live, Laugh and Love were named for a wonderful woman who goes by the nickname "Mikie" on the SN Forums who I believe has survived Breast Cancer with grace and spirit. She is a bubbly fount of joy on the forums, and her encouraging signature, "Live! Love! Laugh! They'll wonder what we're up to!" inspired Karen to create this collection.

The collection costs US$11.95 - US$7 of which will go to Susan J Komen.

Promotion
To encourage her devoted following to spend even more, Karen has also introduced a new, and permanent gift with purchase offer. Every few weeks she'll create a special, Limited Edition shade that will be given away free with orders of US$25 or more.

This month's shade is halloween and pumpkin inspired, Superstar - a glimmery, blackened golden peach eye shadow that is supposed to complement the Colours for a Cure collection.

If you still want more details, check out Karen's blog.

It's here! Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in Soft (Dupe of Bobbi Brown's Clear Pink)

It's here! My SN Dupe of my HG Lippie is herreee!! And of course I immediately crack it open, swipe it on, and take a pic.

And here's the review, complete with comparison swatches. As you can see, although it is a bright pink it does seem to suit my skintone and look pretty natural on me. It just seems to perk up my face without looking too bright.

Now in the tube, it looks very very similar to the lippie in the palette. (Yes, my palette's broken. You try hauling it around Europe for two years and keep yours intact! At least, it's well-loved.)

But when swiped it's clear that the Silk Naturals lippie is slightly warmer than the original. It goes on pretty similarly, but of course, it is slightly more intense when applied directly in tube form than with a brush.

While I am slightly disappointed that it's not a perfect clone, it may be more wearable as it's more neutral. And anyway, when applied on the lip there really isn't a perceptible difference. So Wheee!

I have a makeup Fairy Godmother.

Her name is Karen and she's the founder and creative genius behind my favourite cosmetics line, Silk Naturals. Wish proof of her fairy-godmotherness? Well, she just granted my fondest makeup wish.

Two years back, I bought myself a Bobbi Brown LE palette in Pink Sugar as a reward for attaining my scholarship. The palette is absolutely wonderful, but I found my HG lip colour in the Clear Pink lip gloss. My hunt for a replica in a convenient tube has proven futile, as I've mentioned before.

Well, one day the awfullest thing happened. I realised I'd hit pan in my HG lippie. And there was no replacement. In panic I posted on the Silk Naturals Forum wishlist a rather begging-ish post wishin' and hopin' that she'd be able to find a sample of it and clone it. And guess what? SHE DID!

Now how many you would like a makeup fairy-godmother? All y'need to do, is hop on the SN bandwagon and you can share mine. =)

And by the way, her fairy godmother powers even extend to prophetic products. Before Mac released Cult of Cherry, she produced this gorgeous lipgloss: Cherry Crush.

I'm afraid I don't know how it compares to Jampacked or any single one of the Cult of Cherry lippies (although Kirsch certainly looks similar to Clinique's Black Plum). But it is a delicious cherry shade, and looks amazing for evening wear. I can also see myself rocking this in the day time, if I apply lightly, with a quiet eye and cheek.

SN liquid lipglosses are not like the usual lip gloss. They're more pigment than goo, and are therefore very long lasting. They're incredibly similar in fact, to Revlon's 8 Hour Colorstay Mineral Lipgloss. The wands are small, and incredibly cute. Fortunately, the price (US$4.95) reflects this.

And as if all this wasn't enough. I just learnt that in her latest makeup release she's included clones of (amongst others) the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette (clone here), which I'm lemming so much I'm hyperventilating. And clones of Bobbi Brown's Mauve Blush (clone), Nars Dolce Vita (clone), Mac's Pleasantry from the Sonic Chic collection (clone), and Mac's Dame (clone).

I'm so glad I've just gotten a job...

At last! Silk Naturals hears my cry for oil control: SN Foundation in Heavy & Tinted Oil Control Primer

Karen, the founder and genius behind Silk Naturals, is truly a beauty-addict's fairy-godmother. Hearing the cries of her loyal fans for a foundation with heavier coverage and better oil control, she not only rewards us with a foundation that answers all of the above, but also with an oil control primer!

Read on for the reviews on her Heavy Coverage foundation in Buttery Gold, and Tinted Oil Primer

Heavy Coverage Foundation in Buttery Gold
I have a large collection of mineral foundations by now. And I find myself reaching for this one more than any of the others of late. Although it doesn't provide as full a coverage as J.Lynne's offering or L'oreal's, I find the finish to be very natural. Not too shiny or matte. Plus it seems to stave off the oilies well-enough even in the hot and humid Malaysian climate.

I use it over GloMinerals Concealer (review coming soon), and in combination they make my blemished skin look perfect. I find the foundation to be long-lasting too. And of course with the blend-your-own system you can customise it to suit your skintone exactly.

If you have been using SN's foundation in original though, you should read this and take note that the ratio for colour to white base will be different.

The starter kit retails for US$11.95 and the samples are currently discounted!

Tinted Oil Control Primer
I have absolutely no idea what's wrong with the image on the SN website. The tinted primer is certainly not GREEN! Instead it's a neutral flesh-toned shade that applies sheerly and looks great as a finishing powder - really blurring out imperfections. On good days I even use it instead of foundation.

I use it more as a finishing powder than primer as I already use OC8. Although quite frankly, OC8 isn't holding up too well in the Malaysian weather. I find the primer makes a huge difference, and often use it as a blotting powder during the day.

As the primer is tinted it doesn't lighten the colour of my foundation or make it look ashen making it perfect as a finishing powder. Paler girls (I'm light-medium) may find it too dark for them.

I bought a sample for $0.99 and immediately ordered the full-sized one for $8.95! I love it that much!

For one week only: Silk Naturals Eyeshadow Samples for 50¢

At last! Silk Naturals is, for a very limited time offering eyeshadow samples for only 50¢ each. With hundreds of shades (I'm guessing here, no way am I going to count), and a bunch of glorious clones to choose from, the temptation to go hogwild is hard to resist! Read on for what I've chosen to sample, and for my two favourite SN eyeshadow shades.

Shades I can't live without:
Nudge Nudge
This is the most amazing shimmering taupe shade in the world. It manages to be both warm and cool, and be great for a polished day-look AND a sizzling smokey eye. Don't ask me how Karen did this but she did.

I bought this, I confess, for its name. I'd received a sample of Wink Wink and could NOT resist buying its mate, Nudge Nudge. Now Wink Wink is a lovely sheer light silver shimmer, but I find myself ignoring it (except when pairing it with Nudge Nudge for a smokey eye look) and always reaching for Nudge Nudge.

It goes on with a slight shimmer and a medium tone when dry, but when you foil it (by adding some eyedrops), the shimmer amps up to metallic, the shade gets more intense and the result is pure va-va-voom. And even better, I've never known ANY shade to make my eyes look as large as this one can. Again, no idea how. Just try it. It really is a must-have shade for me.

Cashmere
In person, this shade is pinker and goldy-er, and pretty, pretty, pretty! Some pink shades make your eyes look diseased, trust me, this one won't. It's lovely one its own for a summery fresh look, as a highlight or mid-tone shade. I also love pairing this with Nudge Nudge.

Syen who is brilliant with eyeshadows (once she stopped buying only browns), helped me pick this out, and I can't thank her enough. Sent her a sample of it too. Hey girl, d'ya like it?

Shades I've chosen to sample:
As I'm looking for both the perfect brown shimmery shade in a mineral formulation and for the perfect green shades I've ordered:
Bittersweet
Chocolate Twinkle
Charmed
Grassroots Green

What are your choices?

Duped: Nars Orgasm Blush & Lip Gloss

I swear I haven't lost my mind. I'm really am suggesting that this unglamorous pile of pink mineral powder is a dupe for both Nars Orgasm blush and the lip gloss - and for a price difference so vast it's unholy. And I claim this dupe because Silk Naturals Mineral Blush in Climax can be mixed with clear gloss to produce a peachy-pink lip gloss with fine gold shimmer particles.

Blush
As you can see, I'm wearing Nars Orgasm on one cheek, and Climax on the other (what a combination of names!). It is actually apparent in the photo that Climax has slightly cooler undertones than Orgasm - Karen admits to adding some plum undertones to create a shade that would a wider range. So Climax is not an exact dupe, but it is a lovely, lovely shade and in person (when you're not staring intently at both my cheeks and contrasting them), you really can't tell the difference.

In terms of application, Orgasm is obviously more convenient as it is pressed. It is also slightly more pigmented , but as Climax is a loose powder that's probably a good thing. My tiny sample of the mineral blush has been lasting me a long time though and I've been reaching for it as both a blush and gloss almost daily. It's just so perfect for that summer glow!

Lip Gloss
Unlike the blushes, I don't have an original Nars Orgasm Lip Gloss to compare - yet. Actually, it was my frustrated longing for a gloss I know I'll love but may never get that made me try dipping my lip brush in Climax and mixing the pigment into the clear lip gloss (L'Oreal Colour Juice in peek-a-boo clear if you must know) to create an "Orgasm" tinted lippie. The fine pigments in this gloss make this lip-mix incredibly long lasting. Unless you sit down to a full meal it won't fade or budge from your lips. I love the result of this experiment so much I've been trying it with all my SN blushes to great success, but this shade remains my favourite. As you can see from the photo, it really works with the blush.

More Nars Orgasm dupes
So great has been the success of this cult product that many beauty companies have tried to duplicate it. My Women Stuff has the most amazing post on Nars Orgasm dupes, complete with comparative swatches, we have ever seen. Check it out!

Silk Naturals Blush Dupe Reviews

I was thrilled to bits when Silk Naturals released a collection of duped blushes. After having ordered samples of all (except Lovelace, sorry Syen), I can honestly say I am not disappointed in any of them!

In general, all these blushes are long-lasting, kind to skin, and can be used on the eyes or mixed with lip gloss.

Here are reviews for Silk Naturals Mineral Blushes in Babydoll (clone of MAC Dollymix), Carnal (Nars Sin) , Pretty Plum (MAC Breath of Plum), Forbidden (Nars Outlaw), and Petal (Benefit Dandelion)

Babydoll
A bright, sparkly dolly-pink, Babydoll is a more wearable, slightly warmer version of Tart (Silk Natural's clone of Bobbi Brown's Raspberry Pink). The slight shimmer is very pretty, and the blush itself wakes up your face and gives it a luscious pop of spring-like colour. As the blush is highly pigmented, I recommend tapping out a tiny amount, swirling a fluffy blush in it and applying it with a light hand to the apples of your cheeks.

Carnal & Pretty Plum
As both these blushes are plum-based I would recommend these only for really cool girls. With the right lipstick and eye-shadow I can use these, but find that they don't wake my complexion up the way the other shades do. If applied lightly these blushes look polished and sophisticated. I can see myself reaching more for these in autumn and winter, but not now that summer is finally here!Of the two, I prefer Pretty Plum - it's a lighter, pinker shade than the darker Carnal. Both shades look great with cool-toned lipstick and grey eyeshadow.

Forbidden
This is my first foray into red-based blushes and I love it! When applied lightly it provides a flush of natural colour that sizzles with a nude or red lip and a smokey eye, great for a black-tie look with edge. A heavier application provides a just-in-from-the-cold flush of colour to the apples of the cheek. A perfect neutral blush, I keep reaching for this, using it over bronzers, peachier shades, and under highlighter. This highly pigmented blush has a slight golden shimmer that gives it a natural, translucent finish. Tip: Mix with a clear lip gloss for a perfectly matching lippie. As a lipgloss, Forbidden is a wearable, neutral red shade that you can make as intense or sheer as you please.

Petal (No Pic)
As yet unreleased on the Silk Naturals website, I received Petal as a free sample with an earlier order. The least pigmented of all the blushes, Petal functions in the same way as Benefit's Dandelion (which I have played with and can testify to its similarity) - an all-over-face colour. As a blush, Petal provides a very faint hint of shimmery pink that I prefer to use when I want a really toned down blush to go with a strong eye or lip. I also like to layer it over a bronzer on the apples of my cheek to provide a faint pop of natural looking pink. It is too pink for me to use as an all-over face colour but it is warm enough to compliment fairer and cooler complexions than mine. Although not a great favourite, Petal has its place in my cosmetics arsenal.

Duped: Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Palette

Credit for spotting this dupe goes to JenW of Silk Naturals' Forum, and she looks utterly lovely in it too! Thanks to her, I realised that I owned everything I needed from the Silk Naturals mineral makeup range to duplicate the much-coveted Limited Edition Spring 2008 Bobbi Brown Raspberry Pink palette. (Edit: JenW says all credit goes to Karen the creator of Silk Naturals). Although not as convenient as the palette, if its the look you're after you can, thanks to SN, get it for half the price. Best of all, SN's collection isn't limited edition (I couldn't even find a UK link to a site selling the BB Palette. It's GONE!)

For product reviews and prices:

Eyeshadows
Bone and Slate (dupe of BB Stone) are actually dupes from the now extinct Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Neutrals eyeshadow palette. But they duplicate Navajo and Fog well enough to achieve this palette's look. Slate is a medium grey with a tiny amount of shimmer that works well as an eyeliner (when wet) and crease shade (dry). It's highly pigmented and applies smoothly dry or wet. I don't own Bone, but it appears fairly similar to Navajo. For a touch of shimmer I like to dust on SN Eyeshadow in Wink Wink. The eyeshadows retail at $3.75 a pot.

Blush
Reviews online agree that SN's Tart blush is a perfect dupe of BB's Pink Raspberry blush. In the pot, the blush is a terrifyingly bright shade of pink, and it is indeed highly pigmented. Just a few grains are all I need for that delicious pop of berry pink. Although bright, the pink has enough neutral and plum undertones to save it from looking too dolly-bright, and I can see it suiting a wide range of skintones. The price for a full-sized blush (included in the pic's price roundup) is $6.25 but from the minute amount needed, I can see my sample size pot ($1.25) lasting forever!

Lippies
BB's Raspberry & Blue Raspberry Lipsheers are cloned by SN's Berry Nice, and Seedy Kisser Slickers respectively. Both shades are very wearable berries, with Seedy being slightly cooler and lighter than Berry Nice. SN Kisser Slickers are extremely moisturising and last a surprisingly long time. They're faintly sweet and scented with vanilla and chocolate. The scent is not overwhelming (thank goodness) but deliciously pleasant. At $4.25 each I'll be collecting more of these little tubes!

I'm wearing:

• Face: SN Mineral Silk foundation in Buttery Gold
• Eyes: BB Bone (base), SN Wink Wink (highlighter), SN Slate (dry on the crease, wet to line)
• Cheeks: SN Tart
• Lips: SN Seedy

*Disclaimer: The "Duped" column refers to cheaper alternatives to expensive products. It in no way implies that the cheaper product deliberately duplicated the pricier version. In some cases, the cheaper product may pre-date the more expensive product.

Blush blush baby!

The new Silk Naturals website is up and running! Plus, Karen has released the first part of her new collection. The star of this release is undoubtedly the gorgeous mineral blushes - all lovely dupes of famous and beloved blushes by Mac, Bobbi Brown, and Nars.

At only US$6.25 a pop, these cloned babies are considerably more affordable than the originals. And as an added bonus, these blushes are mineral and almost all natural (they contain certain dyes).

If you're a real blush fanatic, take a moment to gaze at the image and make a guess as to the names of the more famous versions of these shades. Answers and descriptions after the jump.

1. Babydoll (Mac Dollymix) - A cute innocent shimmery pink for that "dolly" look.
   
2. Carnal (Nars Sin) - A sophisticated deep plum shimmery blush.
   
3. Forbidden (Nars Outlaw) - An earthy, apple red tone with a nice little golden glow
   
4. Lovelace (Nars Deepthroat) - A medium shimmery peachy pink color with just a hint of gold hightlight. Also described as a warmer, more pigmented version of Climax (clone of Nars Orgasm, with a hint of plum).
   
5. Pretty Plum (Mac Breath of Plum) - A matte sheer blush that has a lovely rosey plum tone, for days when you don't feel like pink.
   
6. Tart (Bobbi Brown Raspberry Pink) - A burst of bright berry color that looks frighteningly bright in the pot, but is described as flattering when used lightly. For those too faint at heart (or too fair) to dare this, Karen has thoughtfully provided Tart Light - a less pigmented version.
   

I plan to go crazy and order samples of ALL six blushes (at £1.75 each, how can I resist) - which I'll review when they arrive. Unfortunately I'm too poor to afford their more expensive counterparts, and so will not be able to compare them side by side. I do however, plan to order Climax and compare it to Nars Orgasm (which I do own).

Mineral Foundation Application Technique

Although this can be used for all Mineral Foundations, this particular method is tailored specifically to Silk Naturals. I find slightly different brushes and methods work best with different foundations.

As Silk Naturals is rather sheer, I tap a generous amount out onto my sifter bowl (it's a large porcelain Chinese sauce dish. You can use the sifter jar's lid, but I spill less this way and it's easier to wash), dip my brush in, tap, and sweep it on. I use my Pout blush brush for this as it's the right size and density, and slightly flat.

If I have bad underye circles, I apply the foundation over Clinique All About Eyes Undereye Concealer, after setting the concealer with the Sheer Perfecting Powder.

Next I lightly buff my face with my beloved Bobbi Brown Kabuki / Face Brush for a perfect finish before going over spots and blemishes with the Bare Escentuals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush dipped in more of the foundation. When I am done I use the kabuki to dust on the Sheer Perfecting Powder and I'm good to go.

I've recently added another step thanks to recommendations from the Mineral Makeup Blog, and the last thing I do before heading out the door is to spritz on some face mist to set and to reduce the initial powdery finish mineral makeup has when first applied. I'm currently using The Body Shop's Vitamin E Face Mist

Silk Naturals Mineral Foundation, Sheer Perfecting Powder, & Sleep In a Jar Concealer Review

Having used this foundation for over a week, I can honestly say that I love it! As it is self-customizable (more on that later) it is a perfect match. It is very finely milled, and you don't feel like you've got a layer of foundation on. It is long lasting (although it doesn't stand up to a night of sweaty club dancing - but what does?) and provides a natural, less sparkly finish than either Bare Escentuals or L'Oreal True Match Minerals.

Coverage-wise it is sheer, but buildable. Once set with the sheer perfecting powder, it lasts all day and provides decent oil control (better than BE and L'Oreal but not as good as New York Color Smooth Mineral Compact Foundation - which sadly, broke me out). I usually have to blot in 2-3 hours time and touch up with compact powder. But I am very VERY oily and breakout prone. With this foundation, no breakouts and my skin's looking happier and calmer than before.

The Foundation
As mentioned previously, Silk Naturals Mineral foundation is self-customizable. For $11.95, you'll get a bag of white, base foundation, a bag of coloured foundation, a measuring spoon, and a sifter jar. Then you get to play cosmetician and mix up your own personal shade. This is great for those of us living in temperate climates as when summer hits, it's easy enough to darken the foundation - just throw in an extra scoop of colour, shake and you're good to go.

The foundations come in three shades to suit your undertones. Ebony for cool undertones, Warm for neutral-warm, and Buttery Gold for warm with yellow undertones. Buttery Gold was created by Karen specifically at the request of her Asian clients! How often do we get that from a US brand, girls?

Karen recommends (1 Colour : 6 White) for fair girls, (2-3 Colour : 6 White) for medium, and (1 Color : 1 White) for dark. My particular "Kahani Blend" is about (1 buttery gold: 0.5 warm : 6 white) as I am a cool-toned asian.

Some handy tips when trying to find your perfect shade:

1. The foundation will appear lighter as a powder than when applied.
2. Give the colour 10-15 minutes to blend with your natural face oils and develop. It will darken and look more glowy and less powdery with time.
3. Try and level off your scoops so the formula you remember is as accurate as possible.
4. Remember your formula! =P

As previously mentioned the all-natural formula contains natural silk proteins and does NOT contain talc or bismuth.

Something else I love about the foundation is that for only $3.95 you get an adorable little sample kit with about 2 weeks worth of all three shades and a generous portion of white base. Full-sized refills are available of each shade for $5.50.

Sheer Perfecting Powder
Light as air, silky soft, and completely translucent, this powder is a miracle. It sets my concealer, foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner & blush without altering colour or shimmer. It also provides a lovely diffused look that makes my skin look airbrushed. Oil control wise - it could be better. But this makes it a great setting powder even for non-oily girls.

The powder is available in three different shades: Translucent, Dait Bate (bronze), and Love Lure (golden tan) and retails for $9.95.

Undereye Concealer
Karen provides a light yellow concealer powder, charmingly named "Sleep In a Jar" but I can't seem to get it to work for me. I've used a fluffy brush, a concealer brush, wet, dry, mixed with undereye cream and mixed with undereye gel - all to no avail. It's too sheer, and creates fine lines where there are none. So, although this concealer has received positive reviews from other users, I'm afraid it doesn't work for me.

What I'm wearing:

• SN Foundation (1 buttery gold: 6 white)
• SN Sheer Perfecting Powder in Translucent
• Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in 01 Light Neutral
• SN Mineral Eyeshadow in Cashmere (Highlight) and Nudge Nudge (Crease)
  
• W7 Gel Pencil Eyeliner in Black
• SN Mineral Blush in Petal (all over) & Nars Orgasm (pop)
• SN Lipgloss in Berry Nice
  

Read on for details and prices