Blush Series - Powder Blush, Highlighters & Cream Blush

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BLUSH

1. Benefit Cosmetics Sugarbomb Box o' Powder Blush
- This is a more 'bronzey' blush that is suitable for a sunkissed glow
- The shades are very pretty and blends well together
- Plus, the blush has a sweet scent

2. Nars Blush in Orgasm
- The highly-awarded powder blush by Nars
- This peach blush with gold shimmers works well for various skin tone. 
- I would not recommend this blush for those with dry skin, as it can accentuate dry patches

3. Tarte Pin-Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette
- My FAVORITE blush palette! It has various pink and peach shades. You can pick and chose  the shade based on the look of the day. 
- A great piece to have in your makeup arsenal. Highly recommended!
- Highly(x2)  pigmented and has good staying power. 

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
- If you are looking for a matte blush, this is the blush for you. 
- Great pigmentation and stays on very well.
- Works well for sensitive/oily skin. 
- Nothing to complain about this wonderful powder blush

5. NYX Powder Blush in Ethereal
- An affordable dupe of Nars Blush in Orgasm, though it is not as pigmented
- Shimmery peach shade that will be great for fair-to-medium skin tone

6. Benefit Cosmetics CORALista Box o' Powder Blush
- A shimmery shade similar to Nars Orgasm though it is more shimmery
- This coral/peach shade is much lighter than Nars Orgasm, and works well for fairer skin tone

BLUSH/HIGHLIGHTER

7. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Rose
- This was my first Bobbi Brown purchase and I loved this!
- Love this shimmery blush and highlighter product
- People often comment on my healthy glow when I use this product
- Works well for my warm, medium skin tone
- Easy to use, you just swirl your brush and apply it to the apples of your cheeks

8. Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect Rose Peche
- Beautifully designed powder, you can expect no less from Chanel!
- Finely-milled shimmers that are oh-so-flattering
- It works more as a highlighter than a blush as it does not give off as much color

CREAM BLUSH

9. Stila Convertible Color in Lillium
- Great for those new to cream blush as it is easy to apply - you can use your fingers to apply the cream blush
- The shade, Lillium, works well to create a fresh, healthy glow. Cream blush creates a more natural look than powder blush.
- Works especially well for those that have dry skin type. For oily/combination skin type, I recommend powder blush instead, p.s: see #4 (Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush).

NEW: Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush

Shimmering Lotus (Gold Pink)

                       Water Blossom (Pink Violet)      

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The newest product from Stila! How cool is this?!?

Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush is a water-based gel blush that is highly pigmented. The water-based blush claims to hydrate and cool the skin. It sounds perfect for the super hot weather we are having Singapore now. 

The blush is available in 5 shades: Water Poppy (Red), Rosewater (Pale Pink), Water Lily (Rose Pink), Water Blossom (Pink Violet) and Shimmering Lotus (Goldy Pink)

The packaging is unique! The netted pot dispenser reminds me somewhat of CC Cushion. The blush claims to deliver a single splash of color per application. It has a luminous finish which creates a healthy glow on the cheeks. The blush claims to be waterproof and long-lasting. Sounds like a great product to add to your makeup routine for the summer! At US$26, it is reasonable priced product from Stila.                     

Eyeliners Series 3: Comparison of Felt Tip Eyeliners

FELT TIP EYELINER

Felt tip eyeliner is my FAVORITE eyeliner type. Basically, it is a marker-like eyeliner. It is easy to use and convenient to travel with. The biggest benefit of felt tip eyeliner is that it stays on, and is the most long-lasting formula. With a felt tip eyeliner, you do not need to sharpen it or carry an eyeliner brush with you for application. You minimize the number of beauty products and tools you carry, especially helpful when travelling. Out of all the eyeliner types, felt tip eyeliner are the least likely to smudge or smear. In my opinion, it is the most smudge-resistant formula. With that being said, there are many different types of felt tip eyeliners. Some have hard felt tip, while some have a more"flexible" brush tip. Some have super fine tip, while some have a thicker tip. Your go-to felt tip eyeliner depends on your makeup preference. Felt tip eyeliners are found to be able to create defined makeup looks as well as dramatic eye makeup. You are able to build up and layer on the product to increase the intensity of the eyeliner. It take some practice to master using the felt tip eyeliner, but it is worth the many tries. EVERY girl should have a felt tip eyeliner in her makeup bag!


























Lancôme Artliner (US$30.50)

This is my FAVORITE eyeliner right now! #1! It has a very fine foam tip that allows for creation of natural eye makeup look. However, you can layer it  on to create a more dramatic look. The eyeliner is safe to use on the waterline. It takes about ~7 seconds to dry, which is a bearable wait time. It stays on all day and does not smudge. However, on several occasions, I have noticed it flaking off when I wiped off with a tissue. Not waterproof but it is water-resistant. You have to shake the eyeliner if it gets "dry". Expensive at US$30.50 for an eyeliner but it is WORTH it! I will re-purchase this eyeliner.


Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (US$20)

Eyeliners Series 1: Comparison of Pencil Eyeliners

PENCIL EYELINER

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This is my least favourite type of eyeliner. Though it is the easiest to use, I find that it does not stay on well for my eyelids. My oily, single eyelids tend to smudge these pencil eyeliners to the bottom lids. In addition, you have to sharpen them to get a fine tip to line the eyes. With pencil eyeliners, it is difficult to create a defined eyeliner look because of the width of the pencil. Also, they do not work well for the waterline.

Because I like a very fine eyeliner application for everyday use, the pencil eyeliner is not suitable for me. I will recommend pencil eyeliner for those that are new to eyeliners, granted you do not have oily eyelids or monolids like me, because they require the least amount of skills and effort. Lastly, pencil eyeliners tend to be the most affordable type of eyeliners.



Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner

This is probably one of the first pencil eyeliners that I bought. I saw it featured in one of the magazines describing on how long-lasting it is. Since it is an affordable drugstore eyeliner, I decided to try it. This is a twist type of pencil eyeliner. It has a creamy texture and glides on easily. However, the staying power is awful. It smudges to my lower eyelids within two hours.



Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

This was the first high-end eyeliner that I bought. The name mentions 24/7 which refers to it long-lasting and smudge-proof properties. However, this eyeliner did not last on my eyelids. It smudged badly and I ended up looking like a raccoon. It has a very creamy texture that glides one easily. You are supposed to wait 30 seconds before it sets to dry. Once it dries, it supposedly would not budge. Though, I beg to differ. Even with eye shadow primer, it still smudges after an hour. Overall, I will not recommend this Urban Decay eye pencil. 


Stila Kajal Eye Liner

I use Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz (pictured above) to line the lower inner rims of eyes to create a wide-awake effect. Perfect for those mornings when you are sleep deprived. Glides on easily and its peach/flesh tone looks very natural. However, the staying power is awful. The liner smudges after an hour or two.

Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Eye Liner

This is a gel pencil liner. It has a very creamy texture, creamier than Urban Decay 24/7. It is a drugstore brand that supposedly rivals UD 24/7 and Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes. Similar to UD 24/7, you have to allow eyeliner to dry for 15 seconds after application then it will set. It is supposed to last throughout the day. When I tried it, it lasted about 5 hours on the upper lids without any primer. On the waterline, it lasted even shorter, 3 hours only. However, I do find that Milani eye liner does stay on better than UD 24/7. Comparing the value for money, I rather recommend to Milani to those in the States.

NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner

One of my favorite eyeliners. The shade Madison Avenue is a slate grey color. It has a slight blue tone and is not as dark. But it is suitable for everyday use.

It is the best long-wearing pencil liner. Most “long-wear” eyeliners (Milani Liquif, Urban Decay 24/7, Revlon Colorstay, even Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner) smudges to my lower lids in 2-3 hours, but NARS Long-Wear Eyeliner does not cause a raccoon eye effects. Though NARS claim it will lasts for 12 hours, it does start to smear on my upper eyelids after 8 hours (without eyeshadow primer). However, the smearing is less than that of Urban Decay 24/7 or Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner. Plus, it only smudges on my upper eyelids and does not transfer to my lower lids like the other liners.

It glides on easily, and yet is not creamy like Milani Liquif or Urban Decay 24/7. With Milani Liquif and Urban Decay 24/7, I find them too creamy so you have to sharpen often which is a waste of product. Also, there is no drying time - you don’t have to keep your lids closed to set it. The twist up liner and built-in sharpener is convenient for travelling. I will definitely recommend this eyeliner to you!

Eyeliners Series Introduction

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In the next few days, I will start a series of posts regarding eyeliners. Over the years, I have tried more than 20 eyeliners. Some drugstore brands, some high-end brands. You name it, I have probably tried it. Bobbi Brown, MAC Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Stila, Lancome, NARS, Tony Moly, 24k Palette, Almay, Revlon, Milani, Eyeko and The Face Shop. All the different formulas I have tried - pencil, liquid eyeliner, felt tip, gel eyeliner.

A little introduction about my eyeliners experience.  I have single eyelids that tend to smudge eyeliners to the lower lids. So, I am always on the quest to find THE perfect eyeliner that would not smudge, is waterproof and is easy to use. Simple enough right? To find such a perfect eyeliner has been full of trials and errors. Now, I can narrow down my HG eyeliners to 3 eyeliners. Stay tuned to see which 3 eyeliners are my HGs! 

Tools of the Trade 5 Piece Luxe Brush Set

 For just $28, this set includes:

• Brush #5 - all over shadow brush
• Brush #33b - concealer brush
• Brush #24 - powder brush
• Brush #9 - all over blend brush
• Brush #4 - precision eye liner brush

REVIEW: Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

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One of my friends raved about this Stila liquid eyeliner. She said this was the only truly smudge-proof eyeliner she's tried. I had to try it since I have issue with eyeliners smudging. 

• Has a more stiff felt tip - more control for eyeliner application
• Intense pigmentation 
• Liner takes a long time to dry - at least 30 seconds, 
• Flaked when I used it on top on MAC Paint Pot
• Eyeliner fade at the end of the day
• Minimal smudging to the lower eyelids

This eyeliner is not for people with monolids since it takes so long to dry. I would not re-purchase it because I love wearing cream eye shadows over my eyeliners.