LOTD - NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi

I have always have a soft spot for chubby lip pencil, whether it's a $3 drugstore brand or a $30 luxury brand. I love them because applying lip color from a lip pencil feels much easier for me. First, the pencil shape let me hold it firmly, which gives me more control during application. Second, the tip of the pencil is round and pointed, improving my accuracy when applying compared to when using a standard lipstick. So, whenever I heard of a new chubby lip pencil, I will try them as long as I can get my hand on them.

Right now I'm loving NARS Satin Lip Pencil ($25), mainly because of its intense pigmentation and formulation. My lips tend to be dry and opaque lip color tend to emphasize the dryness. So I was pleasantly surprised when I tried NARS Satin Lip Pencil. There is not tugging on lips. The color goes on smoothly and it goes opaque in one stroke. The color is INTENSE.

LOTD - Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipstick in Bright Plum

I was not much of a lipstick girl. In the past, I probably only had 4 or 5 lipsticks that I wore for more formal occasions. But most days I used to dedicate my time to decorate my eyes (which I sometimes believe as my best feature) and just slapped on any lip gloss that I happen to find in my bag or my work desk. I never like how dry my lips feels after applying lipstick and how some lipsticks are heavily scented (everyone said it's vanilla scent... but for me they always smell like yucky old cosmetics). Lipstick tends to accentuate all my cracks and flakes of my lips (regardless of their finish). I also don't like how it wear off unevenly. When work gets busy, reapplying lipstick becomes priority #111 because I would need to stop working, grab a mirror and reapply my lipstick. The bottom line is I don't like it. 

Strangely two years ago, I decided to jump on the luxury brand band wagon. It started with a Chanel lipstick that I bought in Singapore duty free. The coverage was great, quite moisturizing and it wear off evenly making reapplication much easier. From then on, the rest is history. I just love wearing bright lipstick and how having bright lips seems to dress up.

My latest love is Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipstick (rrp $30). Okay.. to be honest, I purchased my first Burberry lipstick because of its packaging. All the beauty blogger was raving about its sleek gunmetal casing with magnetic closure. So I bought one just to have a try at the casing. Surprise surprise when I actually love the texture, pigmentation, and how moisturizing it is.

La Femme Sparkle Dust Stack & Eye shadow

My small purchase of La Femme Sparkle Dust Stack and single eye shadow arrived on my door step Friday evening and I woke up early on Saturday morning to play the new addition to my La Femme collection. The only La Femme Cosmetics products that I have purchased before are the blush on rouge and the glow on rouge, which I obsessively acquired one by one. My good experience with the brand fueled my curiosity to try La Femme other products, which seems to be less popular than the blushes. I decided to try its eye make-up because I love doing eye make-up.

L-R: Iridescent Taupe, Sparkle Dust Stack #4 (consist of #5 Opal, #20 Chantilly, #7 Flamenco, #2 Rose Chiffon, #32 Ruby, and #38 Gypsy Wine)

Gosh Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Pink Rose & Frou Frou

I'm feeling so cheerful everytime I look at my manicure this week. The polish called Pink Rose from Gosh Cosmetics, a European based cosmetic company I discovered during my summer cruise. The packaging of Gosh Cosmetics seemed plain and uninteresing to me. The counter I visited was a drugstore counter and was not as fun or glamorous or interesting enough to me. The only reason I picked up my nail polish is because a friend asked me to find some colours that cannot find online. But now I'm loving them like mad and regretting that I only picked up two nail polishes....

image: Gosh Americas

Swatches - Joppa Mineral Blush

For me, warmer weather means lighter cosmetics and for me minerals cosmetic is the light way to go. So I thought I'll post swatches of my Joppa Minerals Blushers/Bronzers.

I have a 22 blushers and bronzers sample pack from Joppa Minerals, which I ordered so I can decide colors are that are most suitable for my skin tone before ordering the full size blush. The samples come in plastic zip lock bags, which makes it ideal for traveling, as the whole 22 blushers and bronzers can fit easily into your handbag. Just tip a little bit on to a clean tissue/paper and you can use it straight away.

Review - MAC Marine Life Highlighter

I’ve caved into the crazed on MAC To The Beach Collection as part of their limited edition release for summer 2010 and manage to get my self only a few items from the collection. I bought Marine Life Highlighter, Hipness Blush, Bronzer, and Float Away Kohl online and received some of them through mail about 2 weeks ago.

I’m loving my Marine Life Highlighter so much so I thought I’ll write up a review on it. You might have heard that the gold embossed sea horse on the highlighter disappeared after a few swipes. So I actually ordered two Marine Life Highlighters. So I can use mine and have a spare one just for me to stare at! ^__^

Swatches - La Femme Blush

La Femme is known as "the Hollywood Make Up Artist Secret". I happen collect their blushes and thought that I should make swatches as La Femme swatches are bit hard to find (not as easy as MAC or NARS anyway...). These are the round La Femme blushes, or also known as the blush on rouge.

Please mind my bumpy skins and my messed up application as I did most of the pictures late at night and after a whole day at work. I don't wear foundation to work and didn't feel the need to touch up my face with if before taking the picture of each swatches, as the purpose of these swatches are to give (hopefully) an accurate representation of my little collection of La Femme blushes.

Review & Swatches - Rouge G de Guerlain

I was doing some window shopping and cosmetic counter hopping in on the mall in Jakarta with one of my online fried, Lumiele, when I decided to check out the Guerlain counter. Bad move! I have been craving for Guerlain lipstick, especially the Rouge G de Guerlain #63 Giulette after seeing swatches of it online for some time, which was always out of stock. Unfortunately (for my wallet), Guerlain counter just got restocked!

So I ended up buying Rouge G de Guerlain #62 Georgia (#63 was a bit too bright for me). Here is my take on it.

NARS Limited Edition Lip Glosses

Good new for NARS lip glosses lover out there (or bad news… depending on how you see it), NARS teamed up with Sephora for the release of 5 new Limited Edition Lip Glosses, which are adopted based on five of its most popular cult blushes. The Colours are Angelika, Super Orgasm, Oasis, Luster and Albatross.

NARS promotional image

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss

I’m a big fan of lip glosses with strong punchy colors and always on the look out for them. I don’t like lip glosses that are too shiny, glossy and sticky as they can look unnatural and after a while sink into fine lines on my dry lips. When I heard about Illamasqua, which many people referred to as the MAC of UK, I was firstly drawn to their cream blushes, not to its lip glosses.

I recently got my hand on one of its Intense Lipgloss in Follow, which is a bright blueish red gloss which is low in shine and more opaque in color. The lip gloss has a diagonal plastic applicators (similar like juicy tubes), which makes it more hygienic than other lip glosses with wand applicators and easier to apply on the go.



In the tube it looks shockingly bright. Thus, I tried applying it really sheered out on my lips and I fell in love with the color. It gives enough punch of color to my lips, but still safe enough for work make up. Then I tried layering it to get the intense color like the tube. I don’t usually wear really bright red lips, but I love it. It’s the right blueish red color for my skin tone. Unfortunately I’m not confident enough to walk around during the day with really really bright lips… maybe soon though…

I swatched it quickly at night, so it wasn't perfect ;)

I have tried wearing it sheered out for work a couple of times and it lasts around 6 hours throughout morning coffee and lunch without any touch up. I had another round of coffee after nearly 8 hours wearing it and being ever forgetful, wipe my lips with tissues. It does fade a bit after 6 hours, but you can definitely still see the color on my lips.

Texture-wise, I love its slight glossiness and the fact none of my hair sticks to my lips during the day (which always happen when I have MAC lipglasses on). Also, it does not sink into fine lines at all! A big YEAY for my dry cracked lips.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss, except for its price ($19 from sephora or £12.50 from Illamasqua website for 7ml or 0.2oz of lipgloss). But I guess for a high end lip gloss, it’s definitely worth the price. I’m hoping to get my hands on more color (and more Illamasqua blushes) when I visit my sister in June…

XOXO,

MAC Viva Glam Cyndi

I’ve always been a lip gloss girl rather than a lipstick girl. There is no apparent reason of why I prefer lip gloss over lipstick. Even when I do a full eye make up, I’ve rarely reach for my lipstick. So I tend to splurge on blushes and eye shadow in the past.

But lately I’ve been getting more and more lipstick and getting used to the idea of lightly applying lipstick before getting off my car to work. So when I heard about MAC Viva Glam Cyndi and Gaga, I was determined to get my hands on either one…. or BOTH!

I hunted Viva Glam lipstick by calling all MAC counters in Jakarta, and finally went to MAC counter in Grand Indonesia, which is the closest to my office building. They only had 2 Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick left and none of Viva Glam Gaga. Oh well, one is always better than none…

So, here’s my take on Viva Glam Cyndi…



Color: Bright reddish coral with slight luster finish. As coral seems to be THE color for summer, I’m loving the brightness of this lipstick.

Texture & Application: I don’t usually go for MAC lipstick other than slimshine because they’re too drying on my lips. But I find that some luster and cremesheen lipstick can work on me, with the help of my trustee Lancome Vinefit Lip Nectar. Viva Glam Cyndi applies easily and smoothly. I didn’t even need a lip brush to apply it on my lips.

Packaging: It comes in a black and red lipstick tube for Viva Glam collection. But MAC printed Cyndi Lauper’s signature on the lipstick and its box. As I’m a sucker for cute and limited edition packaging, I’ll be keeping the empty lipstick box in my closet!



Now... If I could only find Viva Glam Gaga somewhere....

XOXO,