Swatches & Thoughts On Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trios - GD804 Opera, GR305 Jungle, OR302 Fire, PK403 Boudoir

Good morning, my dear readers!

Vonvon is working hard to catch up on my backlogs. ;) But with all the traveling and other family matters, especially pertaining to my little Princess' education and well-being, I really wish that I have more ME time in a day to indulge in my makeup play and blogging! Good thing I am my 'own boss', no editor to rush me through my backlogs, as I am my own Editor :D and no deadlines to meet. Err...well, the last phrase is rather subjective (about the deadline thingy).....

Anyways, here are the swatches of the New Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trios - GD804 Opera, GR305 Jungle, OR302 Fire and PK403 Boudoir. I will tell you about the texture and other characteristics of the individual eyeshadows as I go along..........

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio GD804
OPERA

Swatches of Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio GD804
OPERA

All 3 shadows have smooth, almost creamy texture, but the sky blue shade is slightly on the drier side. The bronze and pale gold shades have some pearl finish, not shimmery. Pigmentation is above average but color pay-off is good.
The shades are easy to work with on the eyes as each color is quite contrasting to one another.
(Those with gradation of color are not as easy to work with, for Vonvon, at least. ;) Read on....)

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio GR305
JUNGLE

Swatches of Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio GR305
JUNGLE

All 3 shades are quite pigmented with good color pay-off and pearl finish. They have smooth texture and soft - may have some minimal fall-out. But if packed on with the sponge tip applicator provided, fall-out can be avoided.
Even though all 3 shades swatched quite differently, they are slightly difficult tricky to work with on the eyes. Good for monochromatic eyeshadow application. One has to blend the different shades carefully or will end up with a just mass of green on the lids. Not that it doesn't look pretty with a plain green shade, but I would presume, different shades of green would look better. That's my opinion and preference.

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio OR302
FIRE

Swatches of Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio OR302
FIRE

Orange eyeshadow!! I don't remember having used an orange-orange eyeshadow before.
The finish of these shadows are different from the ones from Opera and Jungle palettes. They are more of a smooth satin finish. Pigmentation and color pay-off is good. Their texture is soft but slightly drier, (not chalky) than the Opera and Jungle palettes.

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio PK403
BOUDOIR

Swatches of Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio PK403
BOUDOIR

Pinks!!! How not to love pink eyeshadows? One of my favorite shades for eyeshadows!
Pretty shades for yet, another monochromatic look for the eyes.
The texture of the shadows are more on the dry side, though they still feel smooth to the touch. I would say the color pay-off is a little above average, but more on the sheer side. The pale pink (almost white) shade feels dry and powdery to the touch. The middle shade is a mid-pink with lilac undertone. The rose shade is a pretty muted red, which surprisingly didn't make my eyes look as though I had been crying for days!



So which palette(s) is/are your favorites?

As much as Vonvon loves Pinks, my favorite palette of the lot is Opera and Fire comes in second. Opera's shades give a lot of space for variety and creativity and of course, has the best texture and color pay-off of the 4 palettes, and Fire (especially the orange shadow) works well on my eyes. But I would need to practice more with the Fire palette (especially on how to vary the usage of the orange eyeshadow) which sadly is not with me anymore.

I have done EOTDs with them.... in the process of editing the dozens of photos now. Managed to play with Opera and Jungle in an afternoon with good daylight for photography, but Fire and Boudoir's EOTD Marathon was done at night with poor indoor white light :( due to time constraint and I am having a real headache selecting the shots from Fire and Boudoir EOTDs :S

My apologies again for the delay in showing you the EOTDs I have made.

*The palettes are available at Shiseido counters for RM105 each (3g).

Review: TheBalm Balms Away The Makeup Break-Up - By The Intrepid Beauty

The Intrepid Beauty reviews theBalm Balms Away makeup remover, called The Makeup Break-Up....... OK, theBalm's products are always given fancy names....;)

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The packaging for this product is a very vintage looking tin, reminiscent of something from the 1940s or 1950s. I'd only ever used liquid eye makeup removers prior to this product which looks like Vaseline. I was initially doubtful that it could remove eye makeup as effectively as liquid eye makeup removers.

As per the directions on the reverse of the tin, one is supposed to apply a dollop onto closed eye. Keeping the eye closed, move the product in circular motion allowing makeup to breakup for 30 seconds. Then wipe away with a tissue. I didn't follow the directions exactly since I didn't like to use my fingers to rub my closed eye. I used a spatula to scoop out a teeny bit of the product (the size of a 10 sen coin) on to a cotton pad and rubbed it gently against my eye for about 20 seconds since I don't have the patience to wait 30 seconds and I reckoned 20 seconds was good enough. I used the reverse of the cotton pad to repeat the same action.

It felt very soft against my eye, much softer than liquid eye makeup removers where I sometimes feel my skin being pulled. I used this product to remove every trace of the very difficult to remove 'Two Timer' (The Balm) mascara. Any eye makeup remover that doesn't leave any residue of 'Two Timer' is a winner as I haven't yet met a liquid eye makeup remover that can eradicate all traces of 'Two Timer' in one try.

I'd initially thought the product would make my eye area feel greasy but au contraire, all it did was leave the eye area feeling soft. I recommend Balms Away for hard to remove eye makeup but probably not everyone would be a fan of having to dip their fingers in the product or fiddling with a spatula.

For RM68, there's a lot of product in the tin (64g) so it does stretch the RM.


The Intrepid Beauty

Greetings From The UK; First Fall EOTD; Hauls From Boots et al; Window Shopping

Good morning from the UK!!!
It's a little after 10AM here, wet and grey and cloudy!

For my dear beloved readers in Malaysia, how has your Monday been?


Did some shopping in Boots during the past week, and lots of window shopping. The Boots 3 for 2 offer on Christmas shopping has already started and it's only the beginning of Fall! Drooling over so many stuffs, especially those many pretty gift sets.

I saw Sex And The City makeup too, with each eyeshadow palette dedicated to each star of the show. At 8 pounds (I need to figure out how to type the GBP sign on my keyboard!) each, and with the 3 for 2 offer....hmmm....quite tempting. But I guess I could do without them.

Sex And The City makeup
Has anyone tried them before? Do share your thought on them if you have. :)

Shopped too much in the US and now I have loads and loads of new Fall '10 makeup yet to be opened, let alone used.

Some makeup and bodycare haul from Boots, and other miscellaneous beauty haul............

Boots Botanics Enlivening Body Polish travel-size
Can't live without body scrubs/polishes, love the soft and smooth feel on my skin after scrubbing!

Boots No7 NEW Exceptional Definition Nutrient Enriched Mascara (GBP12.00)
Got the one in Brown/Black
Didn't bring too many mascaras with me except an almost-finishing mini-size Estee Lauder Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara.
And it came with GWP of a Boots No7 Eyeshadow Palette

GWP of the NEW Boots No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara

Gifts from Hubby
Dead Sea Source Bath Set

After reading so much raves on Soap & Glory, I finally got myself 2 travel-sized items to try out.
Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel and Flake Away Body Scrub.
GBP2.30 each.

My hair became dry like hay when I arrived here.
And I had forgotten to pack my usual regime of haircare from Malaysia. Actually not really forgotten but more like, I over-packed on other stuff, especially my Fall makeup and in the end, there wasn't much space left for my bottles of shampoo, etc etc.

Went into Boots and was overwhelmed by the variety of haircare.
But decided to get the L'Oreal Paris TR5 Shampoo and Conditioner since I am familiar with it, and Boots was giving out 50 Advantage Points for each L'Oreal TR5 item purchased. So I got 100 Boots Advantage Points with the purchase of the 2 items.
Each cost GBP3.59 (400ml size), quite comparable to the prices in Malaysia.

With one usage of the shampoo and conditioner, my hair went back to normal - soft and smooth as usual......been using them since.....

This is another little gift from Hubby

Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Shower Cream

I did a simple Fall EOTD/FOTD last week, but the traveling has wrecked havoc to my skin and my eye bags were at their all-time worst this year. Let's hope the skincare items that I started using since arriving here would give me some desirable results.

Plums and purples are back again this Fall
The products I used for the look were from my existing stash, digging out the plum and purple shades for Fall....

Eye: MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Designer Purple on the lash lines (thick lines);
MAC Vibrant Grape (Satin) eyeshadow from Style Warrior collection up to the crease

Cheeks: Stila Pomegranate Lip & Cheek Stain

Lips: Stila Lip Glaze Stick in Berry

Face: Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation in Organic Sand;
Averine Loose Powder; Guerlain Meteorites

Have a good evening to my readers in Malaysia!

And to my readers from the rest of the world, have fun (depending on your time zone)! :D


Gotta prepare Princess for her play date soon...............

Vacation August 2010: Viva Las Vegas

Last Sunday, I showed you some photos from the Californian desert. And this week, I am going to show you another desert, yes, the desert known as Las Vegas! ;P

The famous sign

MGM Grand on The Strip

View from South Point

The sprawling desert and blue sky

More view from South Point

Princess and me at the reception area of Bellagio
Love the beautiful ceiling!

The Strip at night

Excalibur

Paris in Las Vegas

Shopping!!!
The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace!

The Venetian



Next week, I'll show you more shopping photos!

Have a nice Sunday! :D

Reviews: DoshaCare Skincare - By The Intrepid Beauty

Caution! This is a very long and detailed post on DoshaCare products prepared by The Intrepid Beauty, which is the sequel to the one she had written earlier. But since today is Saturday, I am sure you will be able to find some time during the weekend to slowly go through and digest the post with a wealth of info on Ayurvedic skincare. You can bookmark this page to come back to. ;)

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It was quite a challenge testing just about all the DoshaCare products available in Malaysia now as I had to get through 13 of them in a relatively short period of time (approximately 6 days).
However, it was also an interesting experience as I've never tried any organic skincare with Ayurvedic influences until now.

Just to recap, there are 4 ranges of DoshaCare, namely:
a) VATA for Dry and Dehydrated Skin
b) PITTA for Normal and Sensitive Skin
c) KAPHA for Oily and Congested Skin
d) SAKALA for All Skin Types

When I took the Dosha Skin Quiz on www.doshacare.com, the results were that my primary Dosha is Vata while my secondary Dosha is Pitta.

The skincare prescribed for my morning/night ritual is:
a) VATA Cleanser & Moisturizer
b) PITTA or VATA Elixir

The above is supplemented by the following:
Weekly ritual: SAKALA Exfoliant 1-2x a week
VATA or PITTA Masque 2-3x a week

I tried the KAPHA range products too for the purposes of this review due to time constraints and since the only friend I know who has oily skin is an hour's flight away.

Most of the products come in pump bottles which lock when you twist the pump so that there are no accidental spillages especially when they are in your luggage. The Elixirs and Moisturizers dispense just enough product in one pump for applying to the entire face.


VATA range
General Comments: Due to the potent mix of spices in this range, there is quite a strong scent which not everyone can accept but if you have no problems with Origins Dr Andrew Weil Plantidote products, you'll most likely be okay with the VATA products. The VATA range scent is stronger than Plantidote though. Initially, I was also not a fan of Plantidote's scent but after multiple facials using Plantidote products, I was more accepting and so I have no issues with the VATA range's scent. This is my favourite range of the 4 which I guess is appropriate given that VATA is my primary Dosha.

Cleansing Cream 125ml/RM204

Contains Turmeric, Reishi Mushroom, Green Tea and Licorice and is very creamy. I use 3-4 pumps depending on how much make-up I've got on and massage the product all over my face, adding a few drops of water as I go along. It removes every trace of make-up and leaves my skin feeling comfortable and moisturized. Does leave a strong scent of spices on the face.

Hydrating Masque 120ml/RM236
A very lovely creamy consistency, it contains Neem, Rose Hip, Fenugreek, Bamboo and Wild Yam Extract. I leave it on for 10 minutes and my skin absorbs it until there is barely any trace of the product. Makes my skin extremely soft and smooth.

Hydrating Moisturizer 50ml/RM279
One of the richest moisturizers I've ever tried, only a little is required. I just need one pump for my entire face as it's highly concentrated. This contains Neem, Jojoba, Sweet Almond, Avocado, Cabbage and Rose Hip.

Hydrating Elixir 30ml/RM343


This serum with its gel texture is amazing, I love it as just like the Moisturizer above, I only need one pump for instant and absolute hydration. My skin feels perked up and hydrated for hours afterwards with the Elixir and Moisturizer on. Contains Neem, Tulsi, Sandalwood, Amla, Turmeric and Ashwaganda.


PITTA range
The only product available in this range at present is the Cleansing Bath 125ml/RM204.


It's like a shower gel but of course, not your average drugstore type as there isn't any artificial fragrance. This is the Real McCoy of shower gels containing Aloe Vera, Lavender, Neem and Turmeric. Too bad there was only enough in the sample for one use. With such a pleasant scent, I'd have used it everyday.


KAPHA range
General Comments: As this range is formulated for oily skins, one can expect the consistency and texture of the products to be lighter than products in the VATA range. Perhaps it's the combination of herbs/spices in this range that produces a much stronger scent than products in DoshaCare's other ranges. As with Chinese medicines, what's good for your body need not necessarily taste good, so does the same principle apply here in that what's good for your skin may not necessarily smell great.

Cleansing Gel 125ml/RM204


Doubles as a shave gel for men, it's said to remove excess oils, refine skin texture, refresh and exfoliate congested pores. Contains Tea Tree Oil, Lemon, Sugar Cane & Salicylic Acid together with Amla, Eucalyptus, Green Tea and Neem. I used this product just once and it's just as effective (as the VATA Cleansing Cream) in removing make-up. The light, translucent texture is perfect for oily skins.

Detoxifying Masque 120ml/RM236


For restoring balance and decongesting skin, it contains plant oils and extracts such as Tulsi, Neem, Ashwagandha, Fenugreek and Coconut. It's a clay mask which hardens but doesn't harden until I can feel my skin tightening. After 10 minutes, I wiped it off but I didn't see elimination of blackheads (not that it claims to do that). As my skin isn't in need of decongestion other than the perennial blackhead problem, I can't exactly vouch for decongestion of blocked pores.

Detoxifying Elixir 30ml/RM343


This is the only product out of all the products listed here that I couldn't bring myself to apply on my face. The medicinal scent was so strong and overwhelming. I guess Tulsi, Bhrigraj, Ginkgo Biloba, Ginger and Tomato do not make for a scentworthy product.


SAKALA Range
General Comments: This range complements the other ranges so whatever your skin type or Dosha, anyone can use the products in the SAKALA range. For example, the Exfoliant is recommended to be used 2-3x a week whereas the Eye and Neck Balm, Environmental Shield and Sunscreen SPF 28 can be used on a daily basis. I liked the scent of the Exfoliant the most out of all the products in this range.

Exfoliant 120ml/RM204



It has very fine granules which are gentle on the skin, I liked the feel of this exfoliant quite a lot. The result is a softer, smoother and more radiant complexion. It contains Volcanic Pumice, Gotu Kola & Guggula. Gotu Kola is probably better known as Centella Asiatica which has blood cleansing properties to treat skin conditions.

Ama Release Tonic 50ml/RM193


Apparently, this Tonic opens up the pores for exfoliation the next day (yes, you read that right, the next day). It looks like a toner but it is nothing like a toner. It's an exfoliant which purges toxins from the skin. One pump is sufficient for applying to the entire face, I just pat the product on to my skin followed by my usual skincare routine. I can't say if it really helped in exfoliating since I've only used it once and didn't see any difference. It contains Ginger, Lime and Salicylic Acid.

Eye and Neck Balm 15ml/RM247


It's very thick and creamy, I have used it more on my neck than my eye area as I find it too rich for the eye area. It does plump up the lines around my neck but I can't speak for its long terms benefits. It has Arginine, Green Tea, Neem, Capuacu & Fenugreek.

Environmental Shield 125ml/RM172


Formulated to neutralize the effects of tobacco, smoke, smog and free radicals, it contains Neem, Tulsi, Sandalwood, Khus Root and Turmeric. I'd have preferred a finer mist to come from one pump, the spritz was just too strong for my liking.

Sunscreen SPF 28 50ml/RM172


I've no issues with this sunscreen as it absorbed well into my skin but I'd have liked to see "+++" after "SPF 28". It has Macadamia Nut, Shikakai, Neem and Aloe Vera.




The Intrepid Beauty

Photo: NEW Olay Body Wash Plus Sheer Moisture Ribbons With Mandarin Oil

The newest addition to the OLAY's body wash range with Mandarin Oil. Being a fan of citrusy scents, obviously this new mandarin scented body wash from OLAY caught my attention when I saw it in Target during my recent trip. Got myself a 532ml bottle for about USD6 (can't remember the exact price).

I tried looking for this in drugstores in Malaysia, but I couldn't find it. I supposed they will bring it in soon.

Have you all seen this for sale anywhere locally?

The Intrepid Beauty's Signed Up For The Watson's Passport! Have You?

The Intrepid Beauty signed up for her Watson's Passport......and I can't wait to sign up for mine too, when I get back to KL. ;)

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Finally, Watson's has launched a loyalty card which is somewhat similar to the Boots Advantage Card in that you collect points with purchases. I happened to be at Watson's KLCC yesterday when I saw the application forms for the Watson's Card at the cashiers'. It costs RM12 for a one-time fee (I wouldn't want to have to pay RM12 annually or even bi-annually) and you collect one point for every RM1 spent.







Accumulate a minimum of 200 points and you get to redeem those points equivalent to RM1 off your purchase. The card comes with a passport of discount vouchers for various products ranging from beauty products to vitamins. Although I can't seem to find anything I'd like to purchase with the discount vouchers, I did purchase my favourite toothpaste, Pearl Drops Whitening Toothpaste for RM12.80 (member's price) at a RM2 discount. There are some products which are priced lower with the card and if you purchase certain products, you'll be given additional points, ranging from 50-400 points.

So has anyone of you signed up for the card?


The Intrepid Beauty