L'egere Water Drop Shiny Pearl BB Cream

Another BB cream that I bought when I was in Taipei. The sales lady demonstrated the product and when she tapped the product on my hand, you can literally see the water droplets. Seems like a good one especially in winter.

 

(Images/Info from L'egere website)

 

 

This is an oil free formula with added moisturising properties to lock in the moisture in the skin. It doesn’t have SPF coverage though.

 

 

As shown in the website:

 

It provides the skin with a pearl like natural gloss. The fine pearl particles refract light, providing your face with more 3D facial feature.

 

Contains the following ingredients

• Trehalos – water locking, water maintenance and saturation. Allow the skin to always maintain a watery condition.
• Vitamin E – anti-oxidant
• Vitamin C – restrains the formation of pigments to obtain whitening purpose.
• Sea collagen – recovers skin elasticity and tightnes.
• Aloe – soothe uncomfortable feelings of the skin.
• Iron oxide – natural mineral powder to provide natural colouring 

 

This also comes in an easy to squeeze bottle and the texture is of watery liquid. It provides a light to medium coverage and blends well into the skin. When applying, if you use a bit of a tapping motion, you can see the water droplets appearing and forming a protective layer on the skin to provide moisture.

 

I really like this one for its moisturising properties and my skin stays supple. The pearl particles really helped to emit a glow from beneath the skin look which is an understated dewy look. Really makes it look like you have really dewy and fantastic looking skin.

 

It provides a medium coverage for me and is a good all in one product for me.

 

As it doesn’t contain any SPF, I only use this during autumn or winter where the UV index is on a constant 1 – 2.

 

 

Luv ~ Love the dewy and glow from beneath the skin finish, locks in the moisture and keeps skin supple, all in one primer, moisturiser and foundation 

Don’t luv ~ Doesn't have SPF but I don't mind.

L'EGERE SPF34 UV Whitening Blemish Balm Cream

Ever since BB cream pop into the market and became available to the mass market, it has become a popular favourite! Especially for people who are short on time or who loves to wear minimal makeup like me!

I like the fact that it combines a number of things into one, most notably a moisturizer, primer, foundation and sun screen protection.

  

On a recent trip to Taipei, I came back with quite a number of them as they are definitely cheaper over there. I bought a few from L’egere including this one.

(Images/Info from L'egere website)

Based on their website, it is touted to have the following properties:

• Arbutin which deeply penetrates into the bottom of the skin and stabilize free radicals and restrains the activity of the Tyrosinase enzyme. Effectively reducing skin pigments and whiten spots. I take it that this is the whitening bit.
• Gingko which resists free radicals, resists inflammatory and stabilizes the skin.
• Sodium Hyaluronate and Ceramide for moisturizing, anti wrinkling and regulates oil.
• Polymeric powder which reduces oil secretion and absorbs oil.
• Astaxanthin to prevent skin aging and increases the redness and glossiness of the skin.
• Aloe to sooth any uncomfortable skin feelings.
• It contains Titanium Oxide as the sunscreen ingredient. A check on the ingredients dictionary on Cosmeticscop.com, this is considered to be a non-irritant to skin and provides coverage for both UVA and UVB.

It is meant to perform as a day cream, protection cream, liquid foundation and decorative cream. Hide pores, pocks dark eye bags and other defects. It is also touted to be waterproof, and sweat-proof.

Having used another BB cream, I was looking forward to this one as it comes with SPF34. On lazy days, I can just use this one bottle instead of having to apply layer upon layer of moisturiser, primer, foundation and sunscreen.

The bottle is user friendly and it contents is easily squeezed out. The colour comes out a bit dark and once you have let it set on your face, it will acclimatised to a natural finish. It provides a light to light medium coverage. The texture itself is between medium to think density but applies quite easily.

It is quite easy to apply and my skin had no irritant feeling to it.

In terms of whether it is waterproof or sweat-proof, I did not test it out so can’t tell. It didn’t work for me when it comes to controlling oil especially from the T zone area. If I don’t dust some loose powder as a final finishing touch, my T zone actually became quite shiny after an hour or two and this is not even summer time. I also had to do touch ups throughout the day which I didn’t need to do with my previous BB cream.

 Luv ~ All in one primer, foundation and sunscreen. Creates a natural finish and has SPF34.

Don’t luv ~ Doesn't control oil sebum as touted.

 

Brightening eye drops

Been sleeping late and working hard lately and decided that having some eye drops would be handy.
Browsed through the eye drops section in Boots and noticed something that I didn’t see before. They now have Brightening and Whitening eye drops available.

I am a little sceptical about this as I think as long as you use eye drops that are soothing, that should minimise and soothe the redness in the eyes.

I have heard about these eye drop products in Japan before but have not had a chance to get those from Japan.


Was a little surprised to see that similar versions are now available in the UK and can be easily bought in Boots. Decided to give this a try.

The package says

“Our eyes can be left feeling sore, tired and uncomfortable by the drying environments in which we live and work. These soothing and protecting eye drops work by creating a cushion of moisture to keep your eyes cool and comfortable.”
 

· Brightening and soothing, Boots Brightening Eye Drops

· Restores eyes' natural bright sparkle

· Contains soothing witch hazel plant

The drops felt a little different to the other normal eye drops that I have used before. It definitely soothes my tired eyes and strangely enough, my eyes do have a clearer sparkle that other eye drops does not give. I guess that is where the brightening bit comes in. It definitely goes with the Chinese saying of having eyes that are 黑白分明。

As the eyes are the windows to our soul, it definitely helps to keep them in tip top shape. If you’re out looking for some eye drops, why not give this a try. Having bright white sparkling eyes definitely ups the beauty factor!


Luv ~ Extra benefits of clearer and brighter eyes

Don't Luv ~ Wish they come in disposable single dosage.

Black Tie Violets Holiday 2009 Collection by Clinique

 (Images/info from www.clinique.co.uk)

The Black Tie Violets Holiday 2009 Collection is now available in all Clinique stores.
A collection of soft shimmering shades from plums to lilacs.
Purples and violets has been the rage for the past year and seem to still be continuing strong.

This collection has the following in various hues of violet

• Brush-On Cream Liner
• Powder Brush
• Lipsticks & lipliner
• Mascara 

The ones that caught my eyes from this collection are the

Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher

This limited edition compact features four complementary shades of pearly, luminous blush in rich, plum shades. Pressed together in a beautiful striped pattern, these sheer powders deliver a soft, radiant allover glow. The silvery jewel-like packaging makes this the perfect party accessory.

Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad

A gorgeous grouping of four coordinating shimmery eye shadows creates looks ranging from subtle and soft to sexy and sophisticated. These intense shades build quickly and blend easily offering effortless sheen and luminosity. Perfect for festive glamour. The sleek, modern, mirrored silvery compact adds glimmer to any party.

The brush-on cream liner in from this collection seems to be a hot favourite and is already sold out. It is a creamy liner that fast drying, non smudging and waterproof. Comes with a mini-eyeliner brush.

BB Cream Miniature set by Skin79

I have heard rave reviews with this particular brand of BB cream. BB cream are the new rage at the moment which has been picking up momentum. The advancement made in the field of BB cream has been amazing and a lot now incorporates several products into 1 (moisturiser, sunscreen, foundation...).

I was browsing the internet when I came upon this. Cosme-de and YesStyle are selling a miniature version set of some of Skin79 BB creams. This is worth trying to see which one you like before buying a full size product.

A bit of details on the miniature BB creams (obtained from Cosme-de website).

VIP Gold Collection

3 effects functional BB balm. Abundant nutrition of Gold and Caviar extract cares skin intensively to make shiny, healthy skin.

Super+ BB Balm Triple Functions

It is 3 effects functional BB balm. By Adenosine and Arbutin ingredients which are effective in whitening, wrinkles improvement cultivate more bright and elastic skin. Intercept ultraviolet rays UV A and B at the same time and protect your skin exposed from the sun more thoroughly. OSMOPUR ingredient of new concept which are mixed sunflower, rice bran, ivy extracts protect skin from various harmful conditions. Phyto Complex ingredient which is good for skin moisturizing and soothing makes your skin always moist and healthy.

Diamond Collection Pearl Luminous BB Balm

It is a trendy pearl BB cream which has a light, moist use feeling and quite brilliant pearl to make a bright revitalizing skin. The built-in brush enhances adhesion, making the skin more clean and glowing through thin and even application

The Oriental Gold BB Cream SPF 25 PA++

Provides with excellent serum control. Recommended for Combination to Dry skin. Better moisturizer function, anti-wrinkle, whitening. Triple function - Whitening, Wrinkle improvement and UV Protection (Sun block) SPF 25 PA++. Excellent coverage that events out skin tone naturally.

The only difference between the pink and black set is the pink set has the oriental gold BB cream and the black set has the Diamond Prestige BB Cream.

The Skin79 website is now selling 8 products from their new Diamond Collection and throwing in a BB cream miniature set for 69,000 won. That is about USD77.

Looking forward to trying this when the winter season is over.

Supermoisture Makeup by Clinique

Having normal to combination skin, using a foundation that is meant for dry skin is probably the last choice that I will make in terms of a foundation purchase.

However, since moving to London, the cold and dry winter definitely takes it toll on the skin and I noticed myself starting to get signs of skin flaking and dryness. Sign to switch foundation. Chanced upon a cosmetic factory outlet and they had the supermoisture makeup on sale. That was how I ended up buying this to combat the dry winter.

The supermoisture makeup foundation is advertised as

"Ultra-creamy yet refreshingly lightweight formula goes beyond flaw-fixing, acting as skin's undercover moisture agent for a dewy look. Disguises unevenness with sheer-to-moderate coverage. Instantly puts drier skins at ease. Skin looks soft and radiant all day."

(www.clinique.co.uk)
 
 
 
 
 
 

What I noticed when I started using this is that only a small amount is required for the entire face and neck area, I find myself using about the size of a pea. It is very creamy and slides easily on the skin for an easy application. It blends smoothly and sets to give quite a natural and dewy glow. I find that it contains really tiny shimmers/pearls that you can only see under certain lighting but which is very subtle. That is how it is able to give the skin a radiant glow with the creaminess of the foundation giving a dewy look.

 

It doesn't feel thick on the skin at all even after a full day at the office. Only minor touch ups with powder is required on the T zone during the day while I didn't even need to do that in much severe winter weather in other European countries.

 

The foundation definitely provided a shield against the harsh winter and my skin remain supple and moisturised. I also did not get any break outs from using this and did not detect any fragrance.

 

Quite value for money considering that I only finished half a bottle for the entire winter season.


Luv ~ Frangrance free, very moisturising and depicts a radiant glow. No break outs. One bottle lasts a long time.

Don't Luv ~ No SPF, will not use this for the summer for normal to oily combination skin type.

 

Real Lasting Eyeliner by K-Palette

I bought this when I was in Japan some months ago. With my limited Japanese, I couldn't really understand anything other than by looking at pictures when I was browsing the cosmetics shops. What I ended up doing was to look at items that they have tagged with #1 selling item or #2 or #3 and buy those.

Anyway, this was labeled as #1 selling item so I bought it. It was really cheap too at about 1000 yen. I started using it and I was just amazed at the result.

It is a liquid eyeliner in black with a slim tip. I never liked using liquid eyeliner as I was only starting to use eyeliner then and being a beginner, less clumsy with pencil ones. Amazingly, this was really easy to use and I think any beginner would love this due to the ease of control. The eyeliner goes on really smoothly and you can apply it really thin like a pencil eyeliner would give and yet apply a really thick line too. It lasts the whole day and didn't smudge.

I was so happy and an affordable eyeliner that does a great job, you'll love it. This just earn itself a place in my Diamonds Top 10 list.

Apparently, it is really popular in Japan and is K-Palette's best selling item. You can check out their website here.

Luv ~ Affordable price. Really easy to use and control. Doesn't smudge and creates a really beautiful line (whether thick or thin).

Don't Luv ~ Nothing.

Trick for attractive eyes

I saw this on Sasa and it shows certain tricks especially for Asian eyes on how to make them stand out.

For those who've always had problems with how to apply eyeliner, this is a good basic step by step guide. It took me lots of practice to apply my eyeliner correctly too.

Step 4 is really useful as Asian eyes tend to slant upwards if you end the stroke upwards. It's better to have the stroke ending a little downwards.

White eyeliner across the lower eye line and inner corners is a MUST! I always do that to make my eyes look bigger and brighter.

I personally find gel and liquid eyeliner a lot easier. However, there are times when a normal eyeliner works better on certain looks that you're trying to get.

One of the best eyeliners that I've used was bought when I was in Japan and it was not an expensive brand either. The review will be posted soon.

Another trick that I learnt was to only line 70% of your upper eye leaving both ends not lined. It can also make your eyes appear rounder and bigger.

If anyone else has more trick, do let me know. =)

Pearly whites?

I've heard of skin makeup, but have you seen makeup for your teeth?

Found them in a shop in Sydney and they all have different properties. You can have it looking natural, extremely white and invisible.

The brush is similar to those nail polishes and it even has a small round mirror on the bottle so that you can see it when you apply. It is meant to be applied to your front teeth where it is the most visible for all to see.

Extremely useful for those who teeth are a little yellow and would like to brighten it up before a night out/interview.

Eye Designer by Pupa

Pupa has always come up with interesting designs to market their products. This is another product that is unique, application wise for an eyeshadow.

This works such that you get 2 colour shades on your eyelids in one stroke. According to their website, the shape of the anatomical latex applicator has been especially designed to follow the eye's various contours.The kit includes an applicator glide system to release a constant and appropriate quantity of the product. The guides let you regulate pressure on the sponge so that the product does not come out all at once.

I tried out the tester and the handle is made of some sort of latex and you just glide it across the colour from one end to the other. The applicator picks up the colour and it is define quite well. You then slide/stamp it across your eyelids. It does leave the 2 shades on your eyelids. You can then use your fingers to soften and blend the colours.

This is useful for those who wants something quick or can't be bothered too much with makeup, I guess. However, I think I love the whole make up process too much and would rather spend time playing with my colours.

Luv ~ Simple, ease of use for someone new to makeup, quick.
Don't Luv ~ Restricts being able to blend with your own palette of colours.

Eyelash Curler by Shu Uemura

I've always heard about the Eyelash Curler from Shu Uemura. Some people swear that it's the best thing they've ever used. I've always been a little skeptical considering that they were selling for quite an exy price.

I finally decided to buy it when I was on a Cathay Pacific flight and it was selling on board for USD15.

All excited, I checked out the website. Its design and features allows for ultimate precision that delivers the perfect curl. With an upgraded silicone pad in a new "mushroom" shade provides improved safety yet still delivers an optimum curl. The patented hinge with precise engineering applies the write amount of pressure on the eyelashes.

I seriously wasn't sure about this and was more convinced with actual reviews and experiences from people. Anyway, having got it, I finally tried it.

Wow! I am convinced. One of the best that I've used so far. In just one to two curls, my lashes are perfectly curled and shaped like a fan. I hardly need to apply any pressure at all which is better for your lashes. This curler doesn't require you to heat it up a little for about 5 seconds before hand with a hair dryer either!

Although in my excitement, I went a bit overboard and all of a sudden, the lashes were straight up like it was shooting for the stars. This is one curler that requires minimum effort for maximum results. Finally something that works for Asian eyes.

The price is worth it. It is always better to be able to buy it at a cheaper price. Cheapest I have seen was at the duty free shop at Kansai airport in Osaka selling for 900 yen.

Luv ~ Minimum effort, great looking lashes

Don't Luv ~ Nothing really.

Rimmel London Magnif'Eyes Mascara

Rimmel London showcased their new Magnif'Eyes Mascara recently. It promises 70% more vertical lashes and a unique lash-sculpting formula that that boosts volume and length.

Now I discovered recently that I need to look for a mascara that adds volume to my lashes instead of just length. Heard quite good things about this mascara and I bought one to try.

It definitely adds length to my lashes, however this mascara gives minimal volume at best. I was a little disappointed, I think I need to go for a volume boosting mascara. This is still a good one though as it gave me natural looking lashes as it defines each lash individually and there was no clumps. I wore it for a few hours and there was no rub offs on my lower lids.

Luvs ~ Natural looking lashes, no rub offs on lower lids.
Don't Luv ~ Minimal volume on lashes.

L'oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation SPF19

L'oreal has decided to jump on the bandwagon around the whole mineral makeup hype and created their own version of a mineral make up foundation. I was quite curious when I saw it being promoted and decided to test it out.

I went on to the L'oreal website to get a bit more information and this was what I found. It promises flawless, skin perfecting coverage using a brush and contains vitamins and minerals as well. It also comes with SPF19 which is important in any foundation. Further research reveals that the active sunscreen ingredient being used is titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It still uses talc which is what a lot of mineral makeup brands are claiming that shouldn't be used and their products don't contain them. However, talc has been researched to be potentially less irritating actually.

I decided to try out the testers at the display stand. It comes in a compact size with the brush included. There is a potential for some wastage when you tap the brush to get rid of excess powder but I guess you just need to be careful. I quite like the whole package and size as it is small and can be slip into any bag for touch ups. I tested 2 shades "Light Ivory" and "Nude Beige". They both blended really well and the trick is that a little goes a long way. You really have to start with just a little and build up from there or the end effect will not be natural. It does comes with instructions so it's not that hard to apply.

In certain lighting, it does look really natural while standing under a yellow light seems to make it look too pasty in the shop. Maybe I might have put on too much or it wasn't the exact right shade. I think with practice, you will get the desired effect. My skin felt really soft and it did cover minor imperfections as well and with minimal shine.

This is probably ideal for someone with normal skin bordering on a little oily. Applying on dry skin will most likely highlight the dry areas and the same goes for oily skin too. I think it is most ideal for those who have quite a good complexion and do not want to wear foundation and just want a light coverage.

I do wonder if sheer application will give you enough sunscreen coverage though. It retails at AUD32 at Priceline. I am quite impressed with this as well as the brush that comes with it. Might consider getting this after using up my current foundation.

Lip Venom by DuWop

Want to achieve a shiny, naturally rosy pout? I saw this on a TV show where the hosts tried it out and it really works! It was like having the cosmetic effect without the surgery. Save time, no side effects, save on $$$ and best of all, no needles.

What give this effect? It is Lip Venom by DuWop.

What Is Lip Venom? According to their website, it is a spicy, tingly gloss that enhances lips' natural color and shape with a blend of essential oils including cinnamon, ginger, and wintergreen, in a jojoba oil base that causes blood to rush to the surface of the lips, flushing and swelling them slightly. Its purpose is to flush and plump up the lips and it is the tingly sensation felt on the lips upon applying that causes that.

They have now created a second version, The Lip Venom 2nd Sin. This still gives all the fullness but without the sting.

If you’re uncertain about which one to get or just in doubt, they also have the “Mini Venom Trio” for you to try out. These consist of 3 mini purse sized tubes of the original Lip Venom and Venom Flash. So you get one Lip Venom and two Venom flash. The Venom Flash is spiked one with gold (warm effect) and one with silver (cool effect). Once applied, this Venom Flash reflects the light on your lips which means even fuller, flashier lips!

This is definitely going on my wish list! Can’t wait to get some…kissable lips, here I come!!