My daily make-up routine is no longer the 40 minute melodrama of my youth nor the 15 minute slapstick comedy of my undergrad years. Calling it a “daily” routine is probably a half lie. I am barefaced 90% of the month since glamour has no place on university grounds. Good coffee, yes, but going to uni with layers of face paint seems more JAFFY-like than anyone would care to admit.
Diving into my archives is an unearthing of coloured shadow and light; I was all about the eyes when this blog was first conceived: I was 21 when I made my first shit make-up tutorial, photographed numerous smokey eyes I did on myself (God have mercy) and gave my cousin a glitzy makeover. These entries don’t happen much anymore since my free time is boxed up in the lost and found section of my life, tagged “RECLAIM AFTER GRADUATION”. But if I am to be honest with you, it’s mostly because my perspective on beauty has gone all Phoebe Philo.
No, Céline isn’t making cosmetics but like the label, I’ve come to appreciate some minimalism in the make-up department. Is this an indication that I’m finally reaching the frontiers of proper maturity? On issues of vanity, maybe a little. Bobbi Brown and our mothers has schooled us in the necessary fact that true beauty is from within and while I make no arguments against the truth, I have to point out that beauty is, in some ways, artifice. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I enjoy make-up’s inherent trickery; its talent in making me feel certain enough that I can leave the house without scaring grown men away (my dark circles, man. I’ve had ‘em since I was 9).
I’ve had my fill of cray eye colour combos but it’s time to move on to the next level of deception: The Five Minute Face. It’s a step above what women love to call “no make-up make-up”, but this is only because I’m still not over the red lip. My other 47 lipsticks are beginning to feel the neglect since I am a few Pantone universes away from ever using them on my lips. I don’t know, guys. There’s just something wonderful about red lips and the way it works with my milky skin; it gives everyone else the illusion that I’ve got my shit together when I really don’t. Beauty is artifice, save and repeat.
And this is all you need. Honest. Oh wait, I see my concealer isn’t in this photo. For reference’s sake, I use MAC’s Studio Finish Concealer and I have converted legions of friends to this because it is fantastic. I have strayed away from it a few times out of sheer stupidity and wanting to try something ‘different’, but I always come back to it like a first love story.
The Garnier Oil-Free BB Cream is something new to the blog, I’ve had it for a month now and having hated their original BB cream, this oil-free version is heaven sent. It’s very watery so fingers are the best tool for smoothing this on your face – no need for pesky brushes since 5 minutes is all we have. Coverage is light but buildable and the only thing I hate is that it comes in 2 shades: Light and Medium. I use Light; it’s half a shade lighter than my face which isn’t too bad but Medium is way dark – there are no variations in between. It’s so cheap though, I only paid AUD11 for my tube which makes it the cheapest BB cream I’ve purchased. If you can make either Light or Medium work for you, get it!
L’Oreal gave me a few new products to try the last time I was in Singapore (thank you L’Oreal!) and I am now convinced Maybelline might not have the monopoly on the best mascara after all whoops. Look at my lashes after a coat of their Curl Impact Collagene Mascara omg, it’s so..fluttery. I want to try their Voluminous Million Lashes formula when I’m done with this though – my friend, Simone, has these angelic eyelashes (I’m sorry but there really is no other adjective to describe her eyelashes) and she swears by that mascara. Unfortunately, it’s about AUD$30 here last I checked so imma be cheap and stick with my freebie.
You’re probably familiar with the tea noir heavyweights: my go-to eyebrow gel, MAC’s Brow Set in Girl Boy, and setting powder, the everlasting but forking expensive, MUFE HD Powder. Also, I like a light buffing of Rock and Republic’s Contrived Blush onto the cheeks with a kabuki – it adds some life into the skin and balances out the red on the lips. The blush was a birthday present from Cat and you can see more pictures of its amaze packaging here. It also happens to be her birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!!
Giant image for further emphasis on how FECKING AMAZING this baby is. The L’Oreal Shine Caresses are dupes for the YSL Glossy Stains, that ridiculously expensive but cool hybrid lipstain/colour/gloss everyone’s been whispering about at cocktail parties. Well, thank you L’Oreal Group (they also own YSL Beaute) for extending the invitation to try these Glossy Stains, in the form of the Shine Caresses, to broke ass students such as myself who can’t drop $40 on a lip product without hyperventilating straight after. I’m wearing Shade 702 in Juliette – it’s a rich coral red that works similarly to having a lover’s bite on the lips i.e. it lasts forever and may be tough to remove ;p
Having never tried the Glossy Stains myself, I can’t make any comparisons between the two but I will trust what others have said: the two products are almost the same, with the exception of a few ingredients and YSL’s luxurious packaging. Texture-wise, the Shine Caresses have a strange polymer-like feel to them – they feel tacky at first and they’ll set into a non-sticky gloss after a few seconds. That description probably didn’t help very much but you’ll have to forgive me, it’s one of those weird beauty innovations you’d have to try and see for yourself.
This has been one heck of an entry but I hope it’s meaty enough to make up for my absence the last two weeks? My thesis supervisor pushes me hard and expects work to be completed three weeks before its due date, yikes. She sees right through me; there is no room for procrastination when I’m with her but I’m not complaining, I’m already well ahead of my peers in terms of pace and I’m thankful, even if it means having no time for myself or this blog.
And since we are dipping into matters of the personal…
It’s my best friend’s non-birthday today! Aaron’s a Jehovah’s Witness so he doesn’t do birthdays (yes, there are people who don’t celebrate birthdays gasp!) I’ve been trying to keep it cool and pretending it’s just another ~ordinary~ day but obviously that’s not happening. We’ve known each other for so long you’d think I’d be better at this but NO. I CAN’T. 23 years ago today, my best friend was born into this world and through some odd bits of WTF, we, a Jehovah’s Witness and a Muslim, got stuck together. HAPPY EXPULSION DAY BB! I love you more than Hedi Slimane loves his job at Saint Laurent Paris O SNAP.
P.S I take half credit for making you look haute in this photo I took of you.
I haven’t written about beauty in such a long time. You guys can probably see a pattern emerging here: in Australia, I rattle on about food and how much school sucks. But put me on the plane home and I start writing about girly superficiality because (almost) everything is cheap when you’re paying in SGD$ – *snaps fingers* Then whoa! Ilyana becomes interesting again! 8D
I’ve had this Topshop blush in Pinch for a while now – my cousin, Nadz, gave it to me for my birthday half a year ago – but I stupidly forgot to pack it into my luggage when I was due back in Australia so it’s been unopened and hidden in my drawer ever since. But every make-up sob story has a happy ending: I’ve rediscovered it, torn open the chic box packaging, and smacked it onto my face. Literally.
I made the mistake of thinking the blush would glide on my face like a NARS Multiple and that I’d be able to blend it out easily. ’twas a no go. This is why one should read the instructions on the back of the box: DOT ON CHEEKS AND BLEND (see 4th image). What did I do my first time? Swirled two fingers in acid pink, confidently swiped the blush onto my cheeks and shrieked in horror when I realised that was it – the blush was nearly set. Cue panicky smacking into skin to blend the streaks into something that resembled radiant pink nothingness (if that makes sense at all).
It took forever and sore cheeks but I managed to fix my blonde mistake and..omg such perfection. It is the prettiest dolly pink I’ve found and because it’s cream, it gives you the best fake glow ever lol! It doesn’t have shimmer in it but it does give your skin a slight sheen. Since it was a gift, I’m not too sure about the price but I know the TOPSHOP make-up range is very affordable so it’s definitely below $20? It’s beautiful, it’s cheap but as I’ve highlighted, you can’t just swipe and go – dot it on your cheeks and blend it quickly because this baby sets almost immediately. And once it sets, it will take some brute force on your part to get this blended properly. It takes some time to get it right but when you do – AMAZINGGGG.
Oh yes – that picture of me? I’ve fallen down the dark path of Photobooth photos HAHA! I just cannot be bothered anymore :/ I wish I had someone who could take photos of my FOTDs and stuff but sadly, this girl rait here is FOREVER ALONE T_T Every girl has that paradoxical ‘no make-up’ make-up look right? This is mine.
Face:
MAC Studio Fix in NC25
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20
Cheeks:
TOPSHOP Cream Blush in Pinch
Eyes:
Paul & Joe Eyegloss in 05 Murmur
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara
Lips:
Lush Lipbalm in Whipstick (MY FAVE – tastes like chocolate omg!)
What’s your favourite pink blush? Let me know in the comments x
While I can’t say I’ve tried SK-II’s Facial Essence, I’m halfway through a bottle of the line’s Facial Treatment Clear Lotion and I like it enough as a toner to put it on top of my beauty round-up list for 2010. It’s got SK-II’s secret Pitera shiz and the added benefits of AHAs to help exfoliate the skin! It doesn’t have alcohol on the ingredient list (as far as I can remember, I threw the box away months ago) which makes it really gentle on skin. My face has been a wreck lately for reasons beyond my control. Yes. Hormonal acne is not something to be trifled with because even your peroxide of choice wouldn’t stop it. Grit your teeth, apply massive amounts of concealer and try to be as gentle as possible when treating the affected areas. This toner does its job.
After I ran out of LUSH’s Angel’s on Bare Skin, I wanted something even more gentler because winter was just sucking out all the moisture from my skin. Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is SOOO GOOD. It comes out as a fine powder when you pour it out of the tube (no Kate Moss cocaine jokes please!). It gets activated by a few droplets of water and you end up with this slightly foamy paste. I know it’s a little weird to be scrubbing your face with something that doesn’t feel the slightest bit abrasive but it does work!
The powder’s got some rice-based enzymes in it, as well as salicylic acid which masquerades as over-the-counter acne medication most of the time but it also happens to be a great chemical exfoliator. Don’t be put off by the inclusion of salicylic acid though, the Daily Microfoliant is so gentle you can use it everyday. YouTube reviewer Lollipop26 believes the Daily Microfoliant worked so much better for her than her Clarisonic, check it out 
I’m trying to fade the red spots I get from old zits as well and the Face Shop’s Post-Acne Nighttime Eraser is a nice product for that. I’m not sure if it’s working or not because I’ve only had this for about 1.5 months now and while my marks are still there, the redness has gone down a bit. It smells really soothing too, I would slap it on even if it doesn’t work LOL. I’ll update you guys on this product when I finish the tube…eventually.
My first Bobbi Brown palette from the extremely generous Catherine! She actually bought the same palette and when I expressed my amazement at its colours, she sent me one for Christmas! I had no idea she was sending me something major so I had a “OH MY GOD SHE DID NOTTTTTTT” moment when I tore the wrapping open lol THANK YOU CAT <33333 Totally digging the slick black packaging too, that crest is hot!
Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette from L to R: Ivory, Oat, Espresso, Burnt Sugar, Velvet Bronze, Black Plum. I’m particularly in love with the Burnt Sugar shade, it’s a beautiful metallic gold-brown! Cat’s written a fantastic review on this palette, complete with swatches so I shan’t go into too much detail – read what she has to say ;D
I noticed I have a lot more natural-looking FOTDs this year than in the past when I used to be more experimental with colours lol, perhaps I really have grown up omg. Sadly, my skin doesn’t want to get out of its awkward teen stage *stabs* Anyway, this dark brown FOTD has flashes of gold in it for instead of layering the colour on a neutral coloured base, I used my Kryolan Aqua Pearlshade in Gold to create a subtle duochrome effect whoo.
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC25
Cheeks:
La Femme Glow On Nectar Peach Blush
Eyes:
Kryolan Aqua Pearlshade in Gold as a base
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Burnt Sugar
MAC eyeshadow in Amber Lights
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Honey
MAC Pearlglide eyeliner in Wolf
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
Good old Nivea lipbalm!
I like the eyeliner in this look as well, dark grey and gold make a beautiful pairing ;D
Announcement: tea noir will be on a short break this week, I’ll be heading to Malaysia tomorrow to meet my BFF Aaron for the first time! I hope everything goes well and I’ll be back soon to tell you what happens when two fierce bitches meet LOL I’M PRAYING THE WORLD DOESN’T IMPLODE ON US! x
Also, it’s nearly 3am now I don’t have time to read my entry again so forgive me if I have any typos/grammar issues in this baby! Thanks guys, see you soon.
Went to the city today to check out the European paintings exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria but I didn’t go in the end because I wasn’t feeling too well. Picasso and Monet will have to wait another day. I found out a couple of days ago that I wouldn’t be able to take Art History next year which is such a shame really because I love that subject (and not because my tutor happens to have one fine ass). It’s the only subject that bears the slightest resemblance to design- something I’m familiar with, having dabbled with it for the past 4 years. I’m kinda gutted about it but well, it’s not the end of the world so I’ll just stick to my random visits to the gallery for my art history fix (what a pity tho, my tutor was a total hunk and has a PhD in Art History which I find SO sexy).
I’ve been keeping my make-up really light the past month, I know make-up trends for fall and winter in the world of ~FASHIN~ often lean towards the intense but something about the dreary weather we’ve been having here just makes me want to rebel against the conventional sooty smokey eyes and dark lipstick. I love a good smokey eye but I love the warm brilliance of the sun more. Pink lips and soft hues of taupe & gold in the middle of a somber winter? I am so there.
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC25
Cheeks:
Rock & Republic’s Contrived Pressed blush in Kinky
Eyes:
MAC paintpot in Rubenesque as a base
MAC eyeshadow in Woodwinked
MAC pigment in Blonde’s Gold
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Honey
Maybelline gel liner in Black
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
Lancome L’absolu Rouge in Rose Rhapsodie
I’m loving the gold eyeliner in this one, I think it’s a nice bright change from the smudgy black lined eyes I tend to go for. Finally got to try out the Rock & Republic blush Cat sent me for my birthday and as I suspected, this baby has enough pigment to fill 5 MAC lipstick vials. I had to be very careful with this blush because it’s easy to OD on blush when you’re pale like me. I swiped my brush over the blush with the lightest pressure possible and it was enough to create a delicate flush of pink. I love the blush, Cat! Thank you so much <3
Btw, you only see one side of my face here because I have a pimple on the other cheek LOL. I know it's become socially acceptable to pretend that you have the body of a porn star with perfect skin but I just don't like the idea of retouching my photos to death. You can still see I have pores in my photos and my forehead has tiny marks - battle scars from previous hand to hand combat experiences with pimples (those bastards!).
I have a couple of beauty reviews coming up this week and in true tea noir style, they're going to be squashed together in one single entry lol. I'm also thinking of doing a photography/camera entry too because I've been getting so many questions pertaining to the camera I use for this blog etc - is there anything you would like to know about photography? If you're too shy to ask in the comments, ask on my formspring where your identity and soul remains safe from me. Even if you don’t have a photography related question, ask me anything anyway!
I know, I know. I’ve been blogging so much about Japan lately but trust me I actually have another great excuse this time! Just look at the picture below.
UH HUH YES I DID DID DID!!! Miho sent me a package all the way from Tokyo with the first two items on my Jill Stuart wishlist, thank you so much honey! They are gorgeous, thank you for taking time off from your busy schedule to send me some love from Japan. I hope you’re doing well at your new workplace, enjoy the TWG moroccan mint tea pack I sent you! Keep in touch xoxo
I ran out of my Kose Sekkisei toner so I had Miho get me the Softening Fluid toner from the Jill Stuart skincare line. Noone I know has really checked out the skincare line so I thought it’d be nice to be a guinea pig and test this out on behalf of you pretty ladies out there. I’m saving this one for Melbourne so you can expect a review in 2-3 months or so.
Check out the box the toner comes in, isn’t it so pretty and quaint? Oho, you’ve not seen anything yet.
HOLY MOTHER OF ASDHGDSLADKDFJS! So, so beautiful *_* Look at the little ornate detailing around the cap (even the cap itself is epic donchu think?) This bottle could easily be a prop in an Indiana Jones movie lmao, just scratch off the whole Jill Stuart branding and replace it with some mythical mambo jambo e.g. ELIXIR OF LIFE and you got yourself a blockbuster hit girrrlll.
Aah what is Jill Stuart cosmetics without their eye jellies? I’ve been wanting one of these for the LONGEST time because they have chalked up some stellar reviews on almost every beauty blog I read. It comes in a light dusty pink box like the rest, lovely packaging as usual.
If you’ve not seen what the actual glass packaging looks like, Madonna has kindly answered all your prayers. I must say their attention to detail is phenomenal, I like how it resembles a jewel.
I got the eye jelly in 10 Vintage Deco which is a deep burnished brown with silver shimmer in it. The texture of the eye jelly is quite an enigma actually, I don’t know how best to describe it but I’ll try ;D I guess the texture’s somewhat akin to that of a fluffy, thick souffle. It’s mousse-like in a sense but is quite firm to touch. Just dabbing your fingers on the surface of the eye jelly is enough for a sheer wash of shimmer on the eyes.
It’s definitely pigmented but I won’t go so far as putting it on the same pedestal as MAC paintpots or whatever cream base you can think of. The eye jellies are formulated differently, they’re more shimmery/glossy rather than MAC’s full-on color policy which is a nice change. I am absolutely and utterly in love with my eye jelly and despite its slick “meheheh gonna crease on you in 2 hours tops, bitch!” appearance, it hasn’t creased on me at all despite being out all day in this fricking hot climate!
Miho got me the Shiseido Perfect Whip foam too! It’s from one of their affordable drugstore lines and just by mixing in a few drops of water + a tiny amount of Perfect Whip gives you this super thick foam you use to wash your face with..hence the name Perfect Whip! Aah I can’t wait to try this one out, it’s going to feel luxurious I’m sure ;D
It also comes with a small sample of Perfect Liquid which I believe is a cleansing oil? I’m not entirely sure haha, it could be toner!
FOTD TIME!!!~~
I was out for a bit of fun & shopping in the city today so I had on some light, fast make-up (didn’t want the folks to think I was going out clubbing lol). I just dabbed on some eye jelly (see how glossy it is? love love love!!), brushed in some highlighter on the browbone, did a quick flick trick with my trusty liquid eyeliner, lined my lower lashes with my gold Urban Decay eyeliner and that’s about it lol. I actually think I look demure wtf? For the first time in my life, I actually look almost innocent LOL.
Oh and excuse the tiny bumps on the forehead. URGH those pesky things appeared this morning and I feel like sanding them off my face with a nail file or something. Well at least you all know that I don’t photoshop off imperfections, I’m no Aphrodite/Hera/Persephone/Angelina Jolie – my skin is not perfect.
This side shot is for Catherine. She wanted to see a swatch of my NARS Sin blush so I purposely wore this out today so I could show what it looks like on my skin! I’m not sure if you can see it well because I like wearing my blushes sheer but it’s a nice berry blush! Cat, I think it’ll look really good on you!
Face:
Dr Jart Detox Healing BB cream
Cheeks:
NARS Sin
Eyes:
Jill Stuart Eye Jelly in Vintage Deco
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
Majolica Majorca liquid eyeliner (forgot what it’s called)
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Honey
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
YSL Rouge Volupte in Tender Peach & MAC lipstick in Mellow Mood
I’m sooooo tired D8 I’ve to catch up on so many blog entries I’ve missed out on since I’ve been out the whole weekend. I know some of you on twitter have asked me to write a weight loss entry and I think I’ll work on that after my last day of work because I have so much to touch on! There is no short-cut to weight loss and I’m definitely not going to slap in a couple of paragraphs and call it a diet guide. I’ll probably have it up before I leave for Melbourne in Feb ;D Hope everyone’s had a great weekend <3
Golden pink FOTD:
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Cheeks:
MAC mineralize skinfinish in Shooting Star (Limited Edition) – my fave bronzer!
Eyes:
MAC paintpot in Rubenesque as a base
Jesse’s Girl eyedust in Salmon Pink
Benefit lust dusters in Gogo Girl
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
MUFE Aqua Eyes in 22L as my eyeliner
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
NYX lipstick in Indian Pink
MAC x Hello Kitty lipglass in She Loves Candy
Lil note: I think Indian Pink + She Loves Candy is the ultimate shimmery peachy pink lip combo!
I like how if you take photos in the mid-afternoon, the sunrays aren’t particularly strong and the light seems to bounce off your skin creating the illusion of near perfect skin hahaha ;D I did this FOTD on Sunday when we went out to celebrate my mom’s birthday! We had lunch at the Straits Kitchen, Hyatt Hotel and er I think I murdered my diet many times over because I ate so much! It was really good food though so it was worth the extra pound I gained (omg I knowwwwwww)
I got my mom some beauty stuff – it’s a tradition for me to get her lipsticks/lipgloss every year so this year I got her a lippie from Estee Lauder (her fave brand), a dazzleglass from MAC Christmas collection (her fave lipgloss range) and a MAC eyeliner in Engrave.
She loved it but what’s not to like right? Picking presents for your own mother isn’t hard but picking presents for your own wife…not so much because my dad didn’t get anything for her LOL so he said “You can have anything you want this year.” WHAT AN EASY WAY OUT RIGHT? Except my mom told him she wanted a new bag, like a real proper designer bag omg I almost fell out of my seat. My mother isn’t one to go for branded items but I think I may have brainwashed her a little >D
We went to every boutique in Ion from Yves Saint Laurent to Dior to Marc Jacobs where she fell in love with the Stam Bag which I immediately wrestled out of her hands “Sorry Mom this bag is for a different target audience i.e ME.” and then to Bally where she was completely smitten with a bag that reminded me of the Gucci Hysteria. She told me she was looking for a roomy elegant bag with a chain she can bring out for work or dinner so I was like “OMG WE SHOULD CHECK OUT CHANEL, IT’S LIKE THE MOTHER LORD OF ALL CHAIN BAGS!!!!” so I dragged my mom out of Bally and started my little conniving plan to somehow talk my mom into getting a Chanel bag we could share.
Omg you guys should have seen me in Chanel. I was completely oblivious to the world, asking the SA to bring out every bag I wanted: The 2.55 lambskin in black, 2.55 in Beige Caviar with gold hardware (LOVE LOVE LOVE), the Grand Shopping Tote (aka GST) in Black caviar (LOVE LOVE LOVE), everything! I even had two bags strapped on me at one point lol; it was crazyyy! My mom liked the GST a lot so I started my brainwashing session “Omg mom you have to get it – it is SUCH a classic, it’s going to last forever, it’s CHANEL you can’t go wrong with Chanel! It looks so good on you bla bla bla” but in the end my plan backfired because my mom told me the GST suited me more than it suited her baaahhhh.
As we walked out of Chanel and went to look at books in Kinokuniya, I hatched another conniving plan™ I talked to my dad and told him how perfect the GST was and that if he paid half and I paid half, he didn’t have to get me anything for my birthday for the rest of my life! He kinda agreed to it and we headed back to Chanel – at this point in time I was completely bursting with excitement BUT as with all fairy tales, they don’t really happen in real life because when we got back to the boutique there was this loooong queue at the entrance (URGH WHY?!?! CAN’T THEY JUST GO TO LV INSTEAD?!), my parents were too tired to queue by then so goodbye my pretty bag ;__;
I was telling my BFF, Dejiki, that I wanted to stay in bed for the rest of my life and whine about my almost Chanel lol (yeah like that even happened.) Anyway mom got the Bally bag in the end, it’s kinda cool so I’m going to try to steal it from time to time. I hope everyone’s had a good week so far, just a few more days and it’ll be the weekend again!
Til next time~
Surprised to see this entry? I know I’m supposed to be on hiatus but I felt it was my duty as a beauty blogger to put up the make-up I had on for Eid/Hari Raya before the photos rot on my hard disk drive lol. I was going for a very natural golden look with a wee bit of green thrown in (you know I can’t resist green!) with dolly pink lips to finish it off!
My Eid FOTD:
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Cheeks:
MAC mineralize blush in Moon River (Limited Edition)
Eyes:
MAC paintpot in Rubenesque as a base
MAC pigment in Melon on the inner lid
MAC eyeshadow in Amber Lights on outer lid
Jesse’s Girl eyedust in Sunlit Cactus in the crease
MAC pigment in Blonde’s Gold (Limited Edition) as a highlight
Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes in Egyptian as my eyeliner
MAC fluidline in Sweet Sage (Discontinued) to smudge beneath my eyeliner
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
Dior Addict High Color in Charmed Pink (You can read up more on the lipstick in this entry)
Friday. 13th March 2009. Hello Kitty officially launches in Singapore after a successful pre-launch the week before.
Monday. 9th March 2009.
“Hello, MAC Takashimaya, X speaking.”
“Hi, I’m calling regarding the Hello Kitty collection? Is it alright if I reserve-”
“Oh I’m sorry but we don’t take reservations for the Hello Kitty Collection.”
GODDAMMIT. It looks like I have to probably wrestle my way through the the throngs of people who are probably just buying MAC x Hello Kitty make-up because it’s OMG HELLO KITTY I HAVE TO BUY IT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO APPLY MAKE-UP BUT WHATEVER! IT’S HELLO KITTY! I MUST HAVE IT OR I’D JUST DIE FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO OWN A PIECE OF CUTENESS!! Whatever man.
It was Friday 13th March 2009, I made my way to the MAC counter at Tangs Orchard because it’s the most popular outlet in Singapore (I have no idea why, don’t ask) so I figured they would have more stocks over there. Well, I was wrong.
EVERYTHING WAS SOLD OUT! Except for Kitty Couture but no way in hell was I going to spend like whut, 90 bucks on a silver hello kitty swarovski crystal studded sheer mystery powder compact?! Helloooo?! Ok ok, so it was really pretty and cute but NO! I will only get what I came for AND THAT’S THE HELLO KITTY SHE LOVES CANDY LIPGLASS!
I fell in love with it instantly the moment I saw photos of it online, a pale candy pink lipgloss with blue, green iridescence – such a unique color and I MUST. MUST. MUST. HAVE IT!
So I had the SA at MAC call the Takashimaya counter and ZOMG they had 7 tubes left!! The SA reserved that lipglass for me but the catch was that I had to get my ass over to Takashimaya pronto or they’d have to sell my lipglass off to the next person that comes along. NO FERRR-REAKKING WAY, I’ve waited far too long for this *amazing* lipglass to let some UNWORTHY bitchnezz buy it and slather it all over her icky dry, scaly lips ick.
So I practically flew to Takashimaya with my magic fairy hello kitty wings which shimmer in the light and marched straight to the MAC store.
I was a MAC whore with a mission – to get my lipglass by any means necessary.
I went to the counter and AHHH OMGGGGG my lipglass, neatly tucked behind the counter and labeled with my name! The scary thing was when I bought my lipglass, the SA told me that they had only 3 lipglasses left in the shade I wanted. I was speechless, 7 tubes of lipglass down to 3 in a span of 10 minutes? Overzealous, indeed.
It was an amazing feeling, forking out 28 bucks for something I thought I never could have (no thanks to overzealous hello kitty crazed Singaporeans)…it felt just like buying a pair of fierce 4″ heels.
Ok, enough ~~~drama~~~ and let’s move on to pretty make-up!
My mini haul! I got myself 2 other items as well, a new brow set and..MOON RIVER from the grand duos blush collection. Tres excited about this one! I tried it out a week before I bought it and I couldn’t get it out of my head! If you have fair skin, this would be another blush perfect for your complexion! It’s like a shot of pale dolly pink accented with silver shimmer, a blush and a highlight all in one pan.
My new brow set in Girl Boy! I’ve not used up my browset in Beguile (taupey brown) yet to be honest but since this was repromoted with the Blonde Brunette Redhead collection, I tried it out and felt that it suited me better. It’s a rich caramel shade and I just love it.
I tried out my new make-up during the weekend. I kept it simple and natural, using the make-up I had in my make-up essentials post because I was rushing out to meet my cousin so I had no time to do any funky, crazy stuff.
Close up shot of Moon River on my cheeks! The color is subtle but you can build it up ;D
I would recommend that you guys check out the Grand Duos collection at your MAC counters. Don’t even bother swatching them on your hand because the color might look different on your skin so get a MAC make-up artist to try it on you. When I first swatched Moon River on my hand, I wasn’t impressed – it was just a silver mess but on the cheeks, instant pretty!
My natural FOTD:
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW25
Cheeks:
MAC Grand Duos blush in Moon River
Eyes:
MAC paintpot in Rubenesque
Clinique cream eyeshaper in Egyptian
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Lips:
NYX round lipstick in Indian Pink
MAC x Hello Kitty lipglass in She Loves Candy
I’ve been feeling guilty lately because I’ve not really been posting a lot of beauty-related entries so here’s a fairly simple make-up tutorial to compensate that lol. I apologise for the poor images, the light in my bathroom wasn’t working properly so the pictures aren’t really as clear as day. Here’s what we’re going to achieve today:
Today’s look would be a neutral eye look with some dramatic lips, great for everyday, yet simple and fast enough for OH SHIT I WOKE UP LATE BUT STILL WANNA LOOK HOT mornings. I’ve listed what I used in the photo below but please take note that the Rubenesque paintpot i used isn’t in the photo because I seem to have misplaced the damn thing lol.
You don’t have to use the exact same products I’ve used of course. You mainly need a gold shimmery eye color, some bronze pigment, eyeliner, mascara and a lovely rich dramatic matte lipstick in a color of your choice. It’s really about what colors you’re comfortable with and what you think will look good on you. My instructions are here just to inspire you into creating your own individual look.
Here’s a close up shot of the pigments I used. As mentioned, you don’t have to use the exact same products I used. If you’ve got similar colors, use them instead!
Ewww my eyes with no concealer and foundation. I have pretty dark under eye circles so MAC studio finish concealer is the way to go.
Much better. We’re all set and ready to rock them eye make-up.
So first, I applied MAC Rubenesque paintpot on my eyelids, past the crease, as a base for the eye make-up. It’ll make sure my make-up won’t budge and the peachy-gold shade Rubenesque comes in makes it a great add-on for the bronzy gold look I’m doing.
Then apply Pure Luxe pigment in Chocomint (a gorgeous mid brown shade with green-gold reflects) onto the lids, past the crease.
Not so hot…but don’t despair! We’re not quite done yet lol. Take the Shroom eyeshadow or any other pale shimmery off-white color you have and apply it to your browbone as a highlight, blending it into the Chocomint pigment.
Almost there, people!
This is where I realised I was going to be late for work if I didn’t finish up quickly. I lined my upper and lower lids with Clinique cream shaper for eyes in Egyptian (gorgeous, gorgeous deep khaki with gold shimmer) and soften the eyeliner on the bottom with some Museum bronze pigment loaded on an eyeliner brush for a touch of smoke~
Grab a fluffy brush and put on some blush! Mellow rave is a matte rose brown shade and top it all off with a dramatic nude color, my pick today would be NYX round lipstick in Doll. And you’re all set!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my first ever tutorial, it’s fairly easy I believe- even for beginners. The next look I’m doing would be perhaps be slightly more difficult, we’ll see. Got a question, a suggestion? Comment!
Disclaimer: I am not a professional make-up artist and don’t claim to be. My techniques may be different from a professional but they work for me. Make-up is all about playing with colors and there are no real set of rules in the make-up world, you just go along with what works for you. I am entitled to my own opinions as much as you are entitled to yours.
