End of Year Giveaway - Winner has been Announced and Notified!!

As promised, I am posting a giveaway to thank all my wonderful followers for your support :)

The prizes:
1. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire So Crazy! Perfumed Shimmer Powder
2. Chanel Limited Edition Le Vernis in Magic
3. Dior Addict Extreme in 536 Lucky (Sample size)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and enjoy!

xoxo Cindy

Merry Christmas to You!

Hello everyone, merry christmas to all who are celebrating this festive holiday today.

I just wanted to give a quick update on my blogsale, I think I have purged most of my items currently sitting sad and unused. I hope that you guys have a look and browse and find something that you will enjoy. More will be added if, and when, I find things I no longer use.

I will be posting a giveaway soon to welcome 2014. Please stay tuned for that as well!!

xoxo Cindy

Holiday Collections 2013 - Hits and Misses

Its that time of the year again- the weather is warming up here in Australia and you can bet that we will have to put up with an unbearably hot 42 deg C on Christmas day! Honestly, if it wasn't for the Turkey and Trifle that we get on Christmas Lunch, you'd never know we are in the middle of this festive season.

Makeup. Yes! I'm back lovelies, and I have a lot to share with you! I have been lucky enough to be sent away on a work assignment to the US and that means that I had access to ALL THE BRANDS at a much affordable price. Yippee! As you know, I do love holiday collections the most and I am going to share my thoughts on what I did purchase and maybe this will help someone out there make a decision.

Lets start with the misses shall we?
Chanel
Completely underwhelming. This was a huge disappointment for me - I will be getting rid of that quint palette ASAP. The nail polish (Rouge Rubis) is excellent but one polish does not make a collection. The blush is so yawn as is the rest of the collection.

Dior
Ditto. What is with the really boring colours? Nothing I haven't seen before and I was very disappointed with the quality of the eyeshadows.

Luckily for me, there were far more hits this round than there are misses!
Guerlain
Love this collection. The packaging and the theme is superb and so exciting from Guerlain. I especially love the body and hair perfumed spray. If I had to pick one item from this collection, this would be it.

Shu Uemura
Shu Uemura never disappoints me when it comes to their holiday collections. The new silk smooth eyeshadows are super soft and very buttery; which was why the palettes came to me in less than perfect condition. However, nothing a few drops of rubbing alcohol can't fix. I highly recommend the Heart-Full Pink Parallel palette (I think? anyway, the pink palette!)

Le Metier de Beaute
Le Metier de Beaute knocked it out of the park with the release of three new kaleidoscopes; La Strada Eye Kaleidoscope, The Total Look Face Kaleidoscope, and Cheeky Chic Blush Kaleidoscope. Personally, I do not care for Cheeky Chic - however you MUST at least play with the Total Look face kaleidoscope. I mean, that baby is of superb quality and I can not recommend it enough to you guys. My second pick would be the new Hydra Creme lipstick in Cardinale - what a gorgeous bright pink!

NARS
The Guy Bourdin collection is so sublime, I want to cry. No, really. I do.
The must have item from this collection would be the Fling Lip Kit. I mean, that makeup case alone is worth the price of the set in my opinion. It is so... aargh perfect! Then there is the limited edition blush palette in One Night Stand and Cinematic Lipsticks (in particular, Last Tango, my personal favourite).

Hope you have enjoyed my post. Do tell us what you purchased recently - I love hearing from you!
I will be updating my blog sale page for my end of year makeup clean out. Please stay tuned if you are interested - it will be posted this weekend ;)

xx Cindy

July Empties

Hi guys!!

I'm back, finally, after a long hiatus. It has been a hectic month for sure, with work taking a significant amount of my time but I hope to be back in the blogging world this month.

Today I have a very belated post, I actually planned this to me my June empties but I didnt get around to it!

1. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Sand Beige

I love this foundation!! I think this is my third finished tube and I have a backup at all times just so I never run out :) It has been two years that I have been faithful to this foundation (even though I have others that I use from time to time) and I will never not have this in my makeup collection.

2. L'occitane Almond Milk Concentrate

This is another old favourite of mine. This is my 6th tub of this body lotion and I can't get enough! I have tried other products from this line but I keep coming back to this. Its moisturising yet not sticky and it makes my skin super soft!

3.Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

This travel version was a gift from a friend and I have since purchased a full bottle :) Its definitely a beautiful scent, very gourmand and very warm. I love wearing this in the winter months.

Hope you enjoyed my short post today. I have a few exciting things to share with you in the upcoming weeks, stay tuned!

xx Cindy

The Accessory Post - Chan Luu Bracelet in Natural Leather with Mixed Beads

Evening everyone, just a short post today to fill the lull in my blogging. I have been obsessed with my Chan Luu bracelet lately and have been wearing it everyday to the office. Here it is...

What have you been loving lately? Just a reminder that my blog sale is now live and there are some new products including limited edition/vintage Suqqu and Shu Uemura palettes. 

Cindy

2013 Blog Sale is now LIVE!

Hi everyone, 

I've been doing a bit of purging over the past few weeks, and I have accumulated enough items to update my blog sale page :) . You can also access the sale on the Blog Sale tab above. 

I have some other items that I am thinking of purging so please continue to check back over the next week or so. 

Have a good night and hope you enjoy!

Cindy x

Makeup for Autumn and a New Direction for the Blog

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Just wanted to share a quick post about the makeup I have been wearing for this new season :) Obviously with the seasons being reversed here in Australia, the new collections coming out are more summer themed. While I have bought a few items, I haven't really had a chance to review them since they aren't appropriate colours for the fall. One of these days, I might just go "F*ck it" and wear them out anyway haha

• Chanel Harmonie Du Soir
• Guerlain Les Fauves
• Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #28

• Guerlain Parure de Nuit (reviewed by Cafe Makeup here)
• Korres Coral 
• Chanel Sable Rose 

I realise the bronzer is not the most natural pick for everyone, but for me, it is a must. My body is quite tan all year round and having a ghostly white face for me is not an option.

I have started a resolution recently to limit my makeup purchases to what I will wear a lot, instead of just buying it because it looks pretty. From this point on, you will probably start to see a lot of old favourites making appearances in blog posts, with the occasional new buys. 

I've been having a secret relationship with beautiful handbags lately - that has also been helping me curb my makeup spending :) With that in mind, I've attached my latest handbag purchase... an Alexander Wang Rocco in Mustard.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and talk to you very soon!

Cindy x

May Empties

Hello everyone! 

It has been a while since I have blogged, sorry for the disappearance. It has been a tumultuous month for me at work and it could not be helped. 

Today I have a new post for you, and it is something I have been working on all month. With the number of products I try, it takes me a long while to actually finish a full bottle of anything, so this was truly a Herculean effort for my short attention span.

1. L'Occitane Amande Shaping Delight - I used this in conjunction with regular exercise to help tone my skin. I don't actually know if it helped significantly with shaping and contouring but I noticed an increase elasticity in my skin. I probably won't get this again. The product lasts a whole month with continuous use.

2. L'Occitane Delightful Shape - Ditto the comments above. Slightly tingly upon application and I hated the smell. Won't repurchase. The product lasts 2 weeks with continuous use.

3. Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse in Beige SPF 30 PA +++ - I love this stuff. Great base for foundation and gives a flawless finish. I love that it has SPF as well because I am really lazy about slapping on lots of products on my face :P A full bottle lasts about 2 months.

4. Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Oil-Free Day Lotion SPF 15 - My favourite, light weight oil free moisturiser. It is one of the very few moisturisers that do not cause greasiness and never breaks me out. Holy Grail material. This lasted quite a while with everyday use - about 2-3 months.

5. Bioderma Crealine H2OSolution Micellaire - This is hands down the best makeup remover I have ever used. It takes one swipe to remove all traces of makeup and even better than high end brands. It took me 2 weeks to use this little bottle up.

Hope you have enjoyed this post... I honestly can't wait to do next month's empties. It feels so satisfying to use up all these items at once. 

Cindy xx

Nail of the Week - Chanel May (eventhough it is April)

Chanel May is the perfect neutral milky pink, with an unbelievably glossy finish. I wore three thin layers of this polish with Le Metier de Beaute 2 in 1 Top and Base Coat. After the first coat, I wondered whether I should just leave my nails as it was, because I really liked the nice sheer pink effect that the polish gave me. In the end, I decided I wanted to see the full potential of this polish and I am glad I did :)

Chanel May has a great consistency. Not too runny and not too thick. I could apply nice even layers quite easily and even if I didn't, the polish was great at leveling itself out to give you that salon finish.

What do you think about Chanel May? It is still available in some Chanel counters. If you are looking for a new neutral, bright (but not Barbie) pink, this might just be the polish for you!

xx Cindy

OB For Shu Uemura Spring Collection 2013 - Some swatches and my initial thoughts

I wandered into David Jones today to see the newly released OB for Shu Uemura collection. I was *almost* swayed to buy the new matte eyeshadows but there were no testers (they haven't been provided with any for this collection, how strange!!) so I decided to pass. The items I did pick up were either collector's items or items I knew I was going to use frequently. 

Here are the items I bought...

OB For Shu Uemura False Lashes - $25

Look at how beautiful these are. I really love Shu Uemura eyeshadows, they are of the highest quality and never feel heavy on the lids. I think both of them are going to look super cute, but not the most natural looking false lashes. Best to save this for the special occasions, I think!

OB For Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in Princess Coral - $39

Princess coral was released with two other lipsticks in Orange Dream (true orange) and Sakura Pink (super bright bubblegum pink). This colour was the most flattering for someone as dark as me, and the orange shade was just to close to the matte orange lipstick I bought during Shu Uemura's Spring Collection release!

OB for Shu Uemura UV Underbase Mousse in Beige (POREraser) and BB Beige - $48

I never realised till I bought these two products that the under base mousse have different weights, depending on the type that you buy. The original version is simply called uv under base mousse. The ones I purchased are the POREraser version in Beige (light blue/yellow can, moon princess) and the BB version in BB Beige (green/blue can, forest princess). The POREraser version is much lighter and more aerated than the original mousse (reviewed here). It has SPF 35 PA+++ and has 50 g of product.  The BB version is much denser, but close to the original version. It has SPF 30+++ and has 65 g of product. 
 

 

I have to give you guys my honest review. I LOOOOVEEEEEE both of these products. They really give the perfect foundation finish every single time, not too matte and not too dewy. I feel that the POREraser is excellent at diffusing the look of pores, and it has just enough coverage to wear on the weekends when you need coverage from the sun and not wear a full face of makeup. The BB Beige is much heavier in coverage and a little more matte in finish, and it doesn't feel as weightless as the POREraser. However, I think that if you use this as a base, then you wouldn't need to wear as much foundation or wear concealer. 

The POREraser Beige mousse is slightly lighter in colour than the BB Beige. It doesn't make a difference to me because the colour difference is barely perceptible after foundation.

I know some people don't like to wear SPF in foundation due to the flash back effect in photos, but I truly don't care if my skin can look as flawless as they do when I wear my Beloved Shu Uemura Under Base Mousses :)

Bottom Line: I think I may need to hoard these.

Swatches

The foam on the left is the POREraser Beige. See how soft and runny it is? The BB Beige is so dense and it can truly hold its shape. 

L-R: POREraser Beige, BB Beige

L-R: POREraser Beige blended out, BB Beige blended out

The photo above is a pretty good colour representation for these two products. I think what is also evident is the coverage that you can get with the BB line of the UV Under Base Mousses. Both of these swatches are done with the lightest touch on the pump. If you have never used this product before, the pump will take a while to get used to. You need to pump out LESS than what you think you need because it is so easily blendable and spreadable. I think even that BB Beige blob I managed to get out of the can is too much... it definitely looks like I applied way too much of this product!!

The rouge unlimited in Princess Coral is a perfect juicy coral that is semi opaque with a beautiful (and I mean, beautiful!) high shine finish. Its very easy to wear and it makes the lips look very hydrated and healthy. I am not aware of any lasting hydration properties when the lipstick wears off but that's ok. We have lip balms for that :P It looks slightly patchy there in my swatch but I might have just put on too much. Honestly, it looks so amazing on the lips, I definitely recomment the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lipsticks from Shu Uemura :)

Hope you found this post helpful. Happy shopping!

x Cindy

OB for Shu Uemura Spring 2013 Collection - New Release!

"On a constant quest for innovation and beauty, shu uemura invites you to a magical world for spring 2013. Inspired by Japanese artist ob and the young creators of her generation comes a limited-edition collection that celebrates the rise of a new era in art. in-between reality and a dream beckons you into ob’s creative universe, a world that appears normal at first sight but is filled with fantasy and delight; a world that showcases the emerging vision of a generation of creators who came of age in a radical new digital world. Discover this magical landscape and create a new you – someone you’ve never imagined yourself to be – with a line-up of gorgeous shu uemura products intricately wrapped in the beauty of spring and the sensitivity of a new generation."

I have been seeing some press release blog posts lately for my beloved Shu Uemura. This time, Shu has collaborated with young artist OB to decorate the packaging with the theme of this collection. I'll let the pictures below do the talking.

 

- Pink (Cherry Blossom Princess): Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil

- Yellow (Moon Princess): High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil

- Blue (Forest Princess): Whitefficient Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil

The pictures above are just some of the items in the collection courtesy of shuuemura-usa.com.

I will definitely be picking up the UV Under Base Mousses and the two LE false lashes as I love to collect them. Side note, I have really been enjoying this primer/sunscreen under my foundation because it gives me the perfect result every time.

Sadly, there isn't a limited edition packaging for the Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil. It is currently my favourite out of Shu Uemura's cleansing oil selection and I would have love to hoard at least one :)

This collection will be released in David Jones counters around Australia next week. Prices of all LE items should be consistent with the prices of their permanent counterparts :). I will confirm this for you when I know as I have only been told verbally by the sales assistant.

Update: Here is the price list for Australia ... 

Cleansing Oils 150 ml and 450 ml - $88 and $98 (the Whitefficient line is more expensive, forgot to ask. Oops!) 
Under Base Mousses - $48
Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipsticks -$39
OB for Shu Uemura False Lashes - $25
OB for Shu Uemura Eyeshadow Duo Case - $10
OB For Shu Uemura Foundation Compact - $15

All these prices are cheaper than their permanent counterparts.

xx Cindy

Makeup on High Rotation: Punchy Orange Tones

I have been inspired once again by the Great Lisa Eldridge when I saw this video on youtube. I have decided to select a few items in the same colour family that she recommended for a fresh orange lipped look that will suit me (very tan skin, yellow undertone) for an every day look to the office.

For the eyes, I have been using the following palettes/single eyeshadows:
- Becca Balearic Love
- Burberry Trench and Midnight Brown
- Urban Decay Naked Palette
- Laura Mercier Burnished Copper Creme Eyeshadow
- Chanel Cinnamon 

From left: Becca Balearic Love, Burberry Trench

Clockwise from top: UD Naked, Chanel Cinnamon, LM Burnished Copper, Burberry Midnight Brown

For blushes, I have picked these three workhorse shades in my collection to pair with the orange lips. I usually wear orange and peach toned blushes everyday.
- Tarte Tipsy
- Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine & Orange Blossom

From left: LM Lush Nectarine, Tarte Tipsy, LM Orange Blossom

For my lips, I chose three different variations (in terms of finishes and pigmentation) of punchy orange lip products.
- Lancome Juicy Tubes (came in a pack of 5, it was a gift :))
- Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte M CR 342
- Becca Ultimate Colour Gloss in Malibu Punch (I LOVE this. It is competing against my beloved Chanel glossimer in Calypso!)

From left: Juicy Tubes (can't remember the name!), Shu Uemura Supreme Matte M CR 342 , Becca Malibu Pumch

Have a great night guys, hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing about it and organising my "makeup of the week" capsule collection :)

Cindy

Eyeshadow Showdown: Suqqu Hanamari vs LMdB Cherry Blossom

I have decided to do something new today and review and compare two palettes that look very similar to each other. Two birds, one stone. You know. 

Lets get something clear right from the start. These two palettes are quite different. It has a similar colour theme for spring, but they aren't dupes at all.

Top Swatches: Suqqu Hanamari, Bottom Swatches: LMdB Cherry Blossom

When Suqqu Hanamari started popping up on various blogs, I knew it was something I wanted to try. I bought it sight unseen and to be totally honest with you, I am quite ambivalent about it. Its...OK. Its very pretty and it has the Suqqu Sparkle that everyone loves. The colour combination does not work well on me and the green gets lost when you layer and blend it with other shades in the palette. LMdB Cherry Blossom, in my opinion, has produced a more unique colour combination, though the softness and texture are not as good as Suqqu. It is also much more restrained with the shimmer. The green is light with plenty of gold pearl which makes it a very interesting colour and you can see the green even when applying the Couches de Couleur method.

Suqqu Hanamari contains a pinky, pearly white, a darkened grey green with multicolour sparkles, a cool brown with multicolour sparkles, and a frosty cool pink. LMdB Cherry Blossom has a shimmery beige champagne, a light green with gold shimmer, a matte warm brown, and a slightly lilac tinged matte pink.

As much as I love my LMdB eyeshadows, I have to concede that the Suqqu's are much softer and more buttery, especially their matte shadows. In terms of pigmentation, I think LMdB is more pigmented overall. The green in Hanamari is much more sheer than the green in LMdB. The Suqqu brown is more easy to apply while LMdB's brown was harder to the touch and slightly patchy eventhough the LMdB is once again more pigmented. I had no issues with the lighter shades (base and pink shades) in both palettes. LMdB performs better throughout the day, with very light creasing and fading on the 5th-6th hour. Suqqu eyeshadows last me till the 4th hour and then I usually have to redo my eyes. I think its just because I have oily eyelids, and really soft, really buttery eyeshadows (Suqqu, Burberry, Rouge Bunny Rouge) do not last well on me :( Since I found my perfect eyeshadow base , Shu Uemura Cream Eyeshadow in P Beige, all and any eyeshadows wear like iron on my lids. Thank god for Shu Uemura! 

I think the Suqqu palette is a "nice to have" but not absolutely necessary. LMdB absolutely nailed the brief with these Spring colours and I think it will be the one I reach for the most in the spring season.

Cindy

Love at First Swatch: Guerlain Les Fauves

As soon as I bought Guerlain Les Fauves quad and started playing with it, I was already planning this post in my mind. My brain was full of such pleasant surprise, excitement, and wonder that all I remember was thinking " WOW", "OMG" and "AMAZEBALLS!!" when I first used this palette. I will be honest with you, I have swatched Guerlain quads in the past and I did not find them amazing. The eyeshadows were mostly hard on the surface and the pigmentation was just OK. Well, not Les Fauves!! It exceeded my expectations in all the ways I can think of: wearability, overall texture, pigmentation, and longevity.

The colours in this palette are:
- a metallic rosy medium brown,
- a matte tan terracotta
- a matte coral
- a shimmery beige champagne with a hint of pink

As you can see from the swatches, all the colours are in the same colour family and we don't have to be a genius to create wearable looks with this. They also layer amazingly together without ending up muddy (like some lower quality shadows can). I have shown some layering examples in my swatch photo where I have mixed adjacent colours together.

The other quality I noted was that there were minimal (almost none) powders kicking up when I used my brush on the palette. I thought this was unbelieveable because all of my high end powder eyeshadow palettes do not perform this well and I always end up messing up the compact if I don't clean the excess powders after using them. I guess this can be attributed to the harder surface area of the powder (for e.g. Suqqu is incredibly soft on the surface but powdery).

Oh, and I tested Turandot and Liu palettes from the recent holiday collection and I totally regret not picking them up. My guerlain counter still has Turandot (which came home with me also) but the eyeshadows in the Liu calligraphy palette was the best I have ever tested from Guerlain.

Hope you guys are having a great weekend, wherever you are! :)

Cindy

Chanel Ombres Fleuries in Delicatesse - Review and Swatches

Chanel recently released a new capsule makeup collection with their Le Blanc line for the asian market. As soon as I heard wind of this, I immediately set out to procure this palette. Don't you think its beautiful? I love the camelia pattern on the eyeshadows. The colours in this palette are:
- Shimmering pale blue with a strong gold pearl flash
- Shimmering icy silver
- Pearly warm pink
- Matte dark purple

The colours in this palette reminds me a lot of Suqqu Mizuaoi which I didn't like because it was just way too frosty (especially the pink and blue). I much prefer this quad because eventhough there are three shimmery eyeshadows instead of two, the shimmery particles are much more subtle than those in Suqqu Mizuaoi.

The swatches above are taken outside in full sun. The texture, pigmentation and quality of these shadows are similar to the limited edition Harmonie du Soir and Chanel Topkapi. I was so relieved when I started playing with this palette because I was prepared for the worst (Euro version). This quad has 4 g of product which is consistent with the Euro palettes. Bottom line: This palette is gorgeous. Get it. Get it now!!

Cindy

Chanel Rouge Allure in 95 Enjouee and Rouge Allure Velvet in 43 La Favourite

Chanel is one of those brands that get me everytime. In their latest spring offering, there was this matte, corally pink velvety lipstick called La Favourite #43 that really caught my eye but it sold out very quickly so I had to wait two weeks to get mine!! I picked up Enjouee #95 which is in the normal Rouge Allure (RA) formulation and is slightly more luminous and moisturising on the lips than the RA Velvet formula.

Enjouee

Enjouee - slightly tilted to show the shimmer

Enjouee is a beautiful warm shimmery pink which is sheer on one application but very much buildable. I have been wearing this to the office (look below) with minimal foundation and Tarte Tipsy (this blush is amazing, btw).

Wearing Enjouee :)

La Favourite

When I went back for La Favourite, I actually had to swatch it again because Enjouee and La Favourite are really similar in colour. In the end, it was obvious that La Favourite is so much more peachy in colour than Enjouee and that I liked its colour a little bit more than Enjouee. And so into my shopping bag it went!

L-R: La Favourite, Enjouee

The thing is, when you look at Enjouee on its own, and then whip out La Favourite as a comparison, its very hard to distinguish which is which (if you discount the finish). But when swatched side by side, you can clearly tell them apart!!

Top - Bottom: Enjouee, La Favourite

The other thing I Love about Chanel Rouge Allures is the packaging. You just click on the gold interlocking CCs and the lipstick bullet will release. Its so elegant with the sleek black design and minimal branding.

What do you think about these Rouge Allure lipsticks? Do you have any recommendations for me? What is your favourite colour? :D

Cindy

Suqqu Balancing Cheeks in 03 Hinageshi

I purchased a new Suqqu blush ages ago (months... honestly), and I just got around to reviewing it now. Thank goodness I take photos right after I buy things. LOL.

 

Top swatches are finger swatches, Bottom swatches done with the provided applicator/brush

Suqqu Hinageshi consists of a beautiful beige gold highlighter and a peach blush. The highlighter is soft, pigmented and melts into the skin. The peach blush is a little sheer, but I don't mind so much because it means I can depend on it in mornings when I am really in a rush (no clown cheeks here!!).

The brush supplied with the blush palette is magnificent, soft and lays down the pigment nicely on the skin. It helps create a very subtle veil of colour and it sheers out the highlighter so you don't get the super reflective effect (not a good look, right?).

I'm not sure if this palette is really worth the hefty pricetag, but if you tend to be heavy handed with the blush, or prefer a barely there blusher, you are sure to love this!

Cindy