Vonvon's Interests

Happy Lunar New Year Of The Water Dragon!

2012-01-23T06:25:00.003+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year!

Gung Hei Fatt Choi!

San Nin Fai Lok!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Here's to wishing readers of Vonvon's Interests who are celebrating!

Later in the morning, I will be at Princess' school with mothers, grandmother and even some fathers of the other Chinese students in her class to celebrate Chinese New Year! :)

My Top 10 Beauties Of 2011

2012-01-10T23:15:00.007+08:00

Hello, everyone!

It's 10 days into the New Year but I am already up to my neck with so many matters to attend to.

I have not done any post on my favorite beauty products of the year before. I don't know why but I think the main reason is that I just couldn't pick out my favorites. There are just too many! ;)

So, for 2011, the top 10 beauty products that I love, though not necessarily that I have used them, are, in random order.......

1. Chanel Illusion D'ombre Luminous Long Wear Eyeshadows - I have Epatant and Illusoire.

2. Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

3. MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadows

4. Make Up Academy eyeshadow palettes

5. Make Up Academy nail polish #14 - a bright blood red which is almost opaque in one coat.

6. Famous by Sue Moxley Festival eyeshadow palette

7. Sleek Aruba blush and Curacao eyeshadow palette

8. Rimmel London Union Jack eyeshadow palettes

9. Estee Lauder Lavish Pink lipstick - this one is a limited edition that comes with the Estee Lauder Breat Cancer Awareness set last year.

10. Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic

For the products that I have reviewed or featured, there are links to those posts.

Any of the above happens to be your favorite too?

Happy 2012! Some Resolutions...... Yet Some Lemmings

2012-01-05T08:16:00.005+08:00

Hello my dear readers!

A very Happy New Year to you. Hope you have had a great year-end break and ready to face the new year. I am still blogging from my iPad, frustrating, cos I can't put up photos, but please bear with me a little longer. Besides, work is catching up quite a bit, oh well, quite a lot actually.

I didn't give resolutions much thought last year, but one thing is for sure, I will TRY to go on a make NO-BUY this year.... But knowing myself, sigh, I will fail big time. So I will limit myself to at least, 2 makeup purchase per month, as in 2 makeup products, if I really really couldn't resist the itch and urge for retail therapy!

Anyways, my latest lemmings are Estee Lauder Cyber Eyes eyeshadows in Cyber Teal and Cyber Lilac; and Dior Spring 2012 Garden Pastels and Garden Roses eyeshadow quints. Cyber Teal and Cyber Lilac seem to have sold out online, but I think one of them is still on Estee Lauder UK website. The Dior quints are already out in Selfridges, but will be available nationwide from 16th January. So I thought of waiting to get them at Debenhams since I have their Beauty Card. That is if I manage to go there before they are sold out!

And I want more Tom Ford and Suqqu eyeshadow palettes for sure!

Guess this year, I will go more for the quality of the products than quantity.

And I also hope to be able to have my Greek islands holiday this year....... :)

So what are your resolutions for 2012, need not have to be beauty-related? :)

What plans do you have for this year? ;) I am just being nosy. :P

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-25T19:22:00.002+08:00

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

I hope to be back with proper posts with lots of photos in the New Year once my laptop is fixed, and hopefully I will be able to change to Apple / Mac next year.

Photo-less Post: Pining For MAC - The Computer & The Makeup; Shopping @ Selfridges - SUQQU & Tom Ford

2011-12-20T23:48:00.009+08:00

Hello, hello!

I know the title of this post sounds funny and totally beauty-unrelated, except for MAC Cosmetics. But my apologies..... Most of my photos are in my laptop and it has some problem now.... Thanks to bloody Skype and I have to wait for it to be fixed. :(((

So from now till after the New Year, posts will be scarce and photo-less as I am blogging with my iPad which is the original version one. And I have not any photo in my iPad storage. Microsoft Windows really sucks! This year alone I already had several problems with my laptop which, of course, uses the stupid Microsoft Windows! I think it's really time to change to Mac, though I have to re-learn using the computer again technically speaking!

And speaking of Mac, the computer, I have been waiting for months now for my iPad 2 and MacBook Pro..... Fuh!!!! I shall not delve further into this or I am afraid this post will end up filled with vulgarities and obscenities! Grrrrrrrr!!!!!

And oh yeah, MAC, the cosmetics..... I was in London last week, and managed to pop into Selfridges. MAC counter in Selfridges was so crowded with people that I ended up not checking the Holiday collection out, though I kinda wanted to get Such Flare lipstick, yes, the red one. Besides, buying MAC from Selfridges, I can't use my MAC Pro discount, and I didn't have the time to go to Fouberts Place to the PRO store. Well, that's the only free-standing store (also a Pro store) that I know in the Oxford Street area. I know there are many many MAC stores in London, but really I was so pressed for time that day that everything was just rush, rush and rushing. So I didn't go around finding a MAC store! And we, yes, I was in London with Hubby and Princess, almost missed our return train back to our village! Haha!

So, what did I get from Selfridges then???

I have taken so many photos of my haul, but now I can't upload them....grrrrr..... Damn you, Microsoft! Damn you, Skype!
I can just tell you for now..... I hauled the last set of SUQQU 2011 Christmas Makeup Kit B with the white pouch and Usuchaori eyeshadow palette for £55 and Tom Ford eyeshadow palette in Sahara Haze for a whopping £62!!!! Anyways, I am really happy and satisfied with my haul.

(The one good thing, and only one good thing about blogging from the iPad is that I can use the £ sign when writing down the price of a product, as yea...I am a noob, I would type GBP using the stupid Microsoft Windows!)

Just quick descriptions of the 2 eyeshadow palettes...........

SUQQU Usuchaori eyeshadow palette is part of the brand's Christmas sets, and it comes with a white make up pouch, a 4g eye cream, and a 50ml eye make remover. The eyeshadow palette consists of neutral brown and beige colours. I already have 2 other palettes on my wish list - Komorebi, which has a very beautiful light green shade, and Mizuaoi, which has a pink and blue shades. I swatched them at the counter, and the eyeshadows are very smooth in texture and nicely pigmented.

Tom Ford's Sahara Haze is predominantly a green/dark green palette. It has a pale yellow shade which is good as a highlight colour, but this shade turned out white in most of my photos. The other 3 shades are different shades of green in various finishes. The next Tom Ford palette on my wish list would be Burnished Amber! :)

Again, my apologies for not being able to show you the photos just yet. I wish I could..... Sigh......

So long for now...........

Here's an early greeting to readers of Vonvon's Interests who are celebrating....... A very Merry Christmas!

Random Post: Friday Crunchie

2011-12-16T15:53:00.000+08:00

Thank goodness it's Friday!

And get that Friday feeling on other days with Crunchie! :D

I have always liked Snickers as a sweet yet unhealthy snack and as a stress-buster as well! ;P But I found a tiny bar of Crunchie in Princess' Halloween loot bucket, yes, hers was a pumpkin bucket. And I chomped on it and BAM! I am hooked! It's the yummy honeycomb centre that when you chew, becomes clumpy and crunchy like nougat! So yummy! I even found the ice-cream version of Crunchie and it has exactly the same honey flavour.

And to my surprise, Crunchie is not easy to find. I couldn't find any in Tesco, neither in Wilko. And I finally tracked it down at a Pound shop, selling for 3 full-sized bars for a Pound. Haha!

By the way, I have a not-so-secret drawer in my kitchen, known as my comfort drawer. It was previously my secret but opss, Hubby found out and now, Princess too. Open it up and you will find a galore of Snickers, dark chocolate bars, Jelly Belly, gummy bears and the likes of Haribo! :D

So, what's your favourite snack?

Happy Friday!

Swatches & Review: Hello Kitty Liberty Hello Eyes Eyeshadow Compact

2011-12-14T19:19:00.000+08:00

I showed you Hello Kitty x Liberty haul from Boots last weekend. I have swatched the eyeshadows, but today I am going to review the eyeshadow compact first. In fact, I just realised while cropping the photos, that the first 2 shades in the compact could be the same as 2 of the eyeshadows from the Smoky Eye Trio - the cream and nude colours. And perhaps the charcoal colour too. *smack my head if the 3 eyeshadows in the trio have the same repeats in the compact. But anyways, the Smoky Eye Trio is supposed to be for Princess. Besides, the packaging is just to die for. No big deal if they really are repeats. As the colours are very pretty, wearable and last at least 8 hours without any hint of creasing, and may be the tiniest bit of fading without a primer. Fall out is minimal too. So if there are repeats of the colours from this compact in the form of the eyeshadow singles, I should be more than happy. It's late in the middle of the night now as I am writing this, and there is no proper lighting for me to see and make a comparison.

The compact houses 8 eyeshadows of quite decent quality in purple casing with a canvas-like material with print of Hello Kitty riding a bike. I like the design a lot. And purple is one of my favourite colours. It comes in a cardboard box in lavender colour with the words "Hello Kitty" and "Liberty Art Fabrics" printed in gold.

The label of the colours on the back of the box is quite confusing, as I don't think the shade names are in order as in the compact. But nevertheless, I think the colours would be as follows:

Top row - Cream, Nude, Light Pink, Dark Pink/Brown.

Bottom row - Olive, Turquoise, Charcoal, Purple

As you open up the compact, there is a mirror that span the whole width and length of the lid, and at the bottom right corner of the mirror, there is a Hello Kitty logo incorporated into it in gold. Very cute indeed.

Inside, there are 8 eyeshadows of mostly neutral, leaning towards cool shades. It comes with a tiny eyeshadow brush with purple handle and the words "Hello Kitty" etched on it in gold. The brush is of decent quality, but I find it too small for my to hold, and the brush head is too small to pick up enough colour to apply on my lids. It can do it, but it will take a long, long time. Perhaps it will be good to use for work on smaller area like lining, and dotting the inner corner. But for me, the brush is being put away for safekeeping now, as collection.

Now, it's the turn of the eyeshadows to take centrestage.............. Generally, almost all the eyeshadows have quite good pigmentation and colour pay-off, except Purple which is a bit sheer and chalky, but nevertheless apply smoothly and beautifully on the outer corner for a smoky look. They have mostly satin finish with slight shimmer. Overall, their texture is quite soft but almost no fall out and not powdery. The top row shadows exhibit the aforementioned qualities more than the bottom row ones.

Swatches of the top row under natural daylight (top) and direct sunlight (bottom):

L to R:

Cream (a white with iridescence);

Nude (I don't know why it is called nude, as it's not exactly nude. It's a pale brownish beige with slight shimmer, a bit taupe too);

Light Pink (a slightly warm light pink with shimmer);

Dark Pink/Brown (this colour looks brown in the pan but swatched a pinkish brown. I guess that's why it's called Dark Pink???).

Swatches of the bottom row under natural daylight (top) and overcast sunlight (bottom): (the sun decided to go into hiding for the day as I came around to photograph it)

L to R:

Olive (a dirty green-brown which swatched semi-matte. The shimmer on the pan does not translate in the swatch;

Turquoise (my favourite of all the shades in this compact. It's more of an aqua shade with satin-y finish);

Charcoal (a blackened grey with shimmer or you could call it a silvery black.);

Purple (sheer and chalky darkened violet with a hint of plum. It reminds me of MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Weathered, except this one is a bit more pigmented. But I have used this for an eye look last weekend and it worked beautifully to give a smoky eye look.).

I wore Cream, Nude and Purple last weekend, and they lasted on my eyes for more than 8 hours with the barest hint of fading by the 8th hour, but no creasing (till the 8th hour) and that was without a primer. Fallout problem is minimal to almost none. Well done for this palette!

This compact contains 6g of product and costs GBP8 at larger Boots stores and Liberty. It's a very reasonably priced eyeshadow palette that would make a great Christmas gift for a Hello Kitty fan, or those who adore kawaii stuffs, and for beginners in makeup, and great as a stocking filler too!

Look: L'Oreal Color Infallibles 013 Burning Black & 027 Goldmine, Stila Shadow Pot in Petal; MAC Dubonnet Lipstick

2011-12-12T19:30:00.000+08:00

This was the look I wore last week to Princess' first school Christmas play. After I had done this look, and looking back, I remember that I had done a look with similar colours but this look is a much, much lighter and muted version, as I had decided to use MAC Dubonnet lipstick. So I decided to go light on the eyes, yet without compromising on the colours for the eyes! You know me, I love colours for my eyes, just as much as I love wearing neutrals on them. :)

Princess liked the look very much but knowing how critical she can be, and being the mini ME, she said that she liked the lipstick very much, but I had to put more colours on my eyes. And this look drew quite a number of compliments from other parents too.

Face Of The Day

Eyes:

Shape the brows with Boots No7 Beautiful Brows Pencil 10 Brown/Black;

Stila Shadow Pot in Petal (a light pink with purple undertone) all over the lid up to the crease;

L'Oreal Color Infallible in 013 Burning Black (a darkened purple-violet) on the outer corner and lower lid;

L'Oreal Color Infallible in 027 Goldmine (a shimmery sheer gold with iridescent finish) as highlight under the brow and on the inner corner;

MAC Super Slick Liquid Eye Liner in Smoky Heir on the upper lash line;

Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Amethyst on the upper waterline, and lower waterline;

Laneige Mascara from the Liner & Mascara duo on the upper and lower lashes, followed by MAC Zoom Lash Zoomblack mascara. (Laneige mascara is waterproof but does not lengthen nor does much to my lashes. While MAC Zoom Lash is not waterproof, smudges but it does lengthen my lashes to a certain degree. So, a perfect combo!)

Face:

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base

Shiseido Aqualabel White Liquid Foundation SPF23/PA++

Guerlain Meteorites

Cheeks:

The Body Shop Roseflower blush

Clinique Enchanted Bronze blush for contouring

Lips:

MAC Dubonnet lipstick (Amplified Creme finish)

More photos........

How is this for a Holiday look?

I have lined up most of my red and berry lipsticks and decided to use them for the run-up to the Holidays. :)

Project 10 Pan - Update 2

2011-12-12T15:14:00.006+08:00

Hello, my dear readers. How is Monday treating you?

Just a quick update of my Project 10 Pan. Actually I had finished using these 2 items back in November, but again, work and so many other things, including blog posts, took precedence.

I have finished up quite a number of stuffs in the past one and a half, mostly skincare though.

So, here's the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Lip Moisturizer, twisted out to the max.

It's a good lip balm/moisturizer. It has traveled with me all over the world. I have used it in different climate conditions, from the hot dry desert to the snowy cold conditions. And it worked in keeping my lips from drying out and chaffing too. It's not the most moisturizing one out there, but as long as it worked, I am happy. And why did it take so long for me to finish a small little tube? Well, this always goes into my TSA-approved travel makeup/toiletry pouch, as it's so small and handy to be slipped anywhere. And I used it on the plane whenever I traveled.

I used this on its own, and also at night before going to bed. It's a transparent non-sticky non-heavy type of texture. And during the day, I applied it together with my other skincare. Then when it's time to put on my lipstick, I would just blot it lightly with tissue before applying my lipstick or lipgloss.

And I also finished using up a tiny sample of Make Up For Ever Fascinating Lip Gloss #16 which is a pale peachy-pink colour with a slight berry-like scent. It's just a 3ml sample. Duh! It's nice to pair it with some bright eye look or smoky eye look.

Have a nice week ahead. My London trip is coming up soon..... I am so looking forward to go to the city and have some proper retail therapy! :) Let's just hope those limited edition Holiday collections that I have been eyeing would still be available, at least some of them. And I should check out the websites of various department stores and see which ones have brands that offer better GWPs for the brands I want to shop from.

Hello Kitty Liberty Collection Haul From Boots - Shopping Day With Princess

2011-12-10T11:45:00.003+08:00

I took Princess out shopping with me last Wednesday as her school was closed due to a national pension strike.

Now we hardly go out shopping together anymore. And she has been complaining to me about that and told me that she misses going shopping with me like we used to do, almost everyday, back when we were still in Malaysia.

We went to buy mostly stuffs for the party goodie bags for her friends for her upcoming 5th birthday party and also some birthday presents for some of her friends whose birthday parties she will be attending in December. Huh! Seems like Princess is socialising more than I do now! ;)

And we dropped by Boots as well. And I really have to smack myself on the head and really hard, for being blur! Yes, blur! I had been to that particular big Boots store for so many times, and I never realised that there was an upper floor. Those times when I was there, I was wondering how come that Boots didn't have all the 3 for 2 Christmas gifts on display. If the small Boots in my village town doesn't carry the Hello Kitty Liberty collection, then I am sure the big Boots would have them. And I was really disappointed for not being able to get some of the Hello Kitty Liberty stuffs.

I was just so glad I took Princess shopping with me that day, and the moment we entered the store, she asked if we could go up the escalator. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Till then only I realised OH DEAR, there was an escalator there and there was an upper floor! LOL!

So we went upstairs and TA-DAH!!!! A huge variety of all the Christmas gifts, and needless to say, Hello Kitty Liberty Collection was right THERE!

OK, so our haul..................

Hello Kitty Liberty Hello New Day Alarm Clock (GBP14)

I had wanted to get an alarm clock for my bedside for the longest time, since every morning previously, I was using the alarm from my phone. When we saw this, Princess and I both unanimously agreed that we have to get it!

Hello Kitty Liberty Eye Love Hello Kitty Smoky Eye Kit (GBP12)

Then she saw this eyeshadow set, and insisted that I have to get this for her. And I was like....why? She doesn't use eyeshadows and if she really wants and needs to, like for her school Christmas play, she is always welcome to use my stuffs. There was a REASON.

And later, I found out why she was so insistent on getting this, and even argued that if I buy for her, then she would definitely use it! Hmmm......

When we came home, and I opened up the box.....then she realised that the eyeshadows are the mono colours, and not the colourful Hello Kitty designs on the packaging! Muaahahhaa!

She actually thought on first impression, that the eyeshadows were the designs on the packaging and that they (as in the eyeshadows) were so colourful that she had not seen such kind of eyeshadow before.

And then, she was like, "OK, Mum (in a heavily accented voice), you can have my eyeshadow set..... But if I want to use it, you must let me have it, OK?!"

OK, whatever! :P

Hello Kitty Liberty Hello Eyes Eye Shadow Compact (GBP8)

They are on 3 for 2 offer, so this compact is the free gift.

It's a no-brainer to choose this. I could have taken another Smoky Eye Kit to make my money worth, since the Smoky Eye Kit costs GBP12, while the compact is GBP8. 3 for 2, the cheapest free. Anyways, when I first saw this compact online back in September or October, I knew I want to get it. So, it's just perfect, isn't it?

Swatches and reviews coming up next week.

Have a lovely weekend!

Nail Polish Galore - Breakdown By Brands

2011-12-08T15:53:00.013+08:00

Following the post of my nail polish exchange with my friend, here are more photos of the nail polishes, photographed by brands (mostly).

Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish nail polishes

L to R: 193 Black Cherries, 198 Azure, 260 Green Grass, 080 Black Cab, 050 Tangerine Queen, 280 Sunshine

Rimmel 60 seconds nail polishes

825 Sky High (Aqua), 260 Funtime Fuchsia

Barry M Instant Nail Effects

311 (Black shatter), 321 (Gold shatter)

Tesco Barbara Daly Nail Polish

Honeycomb (left), Lavender (right)

Collection 2000 nail polishes

Frosted nail polish 103 (white), Maxiflex(TM) 315 Aztec Gold

Evie Glam (Peacocks) nail polishes

L to R: Purple, Gold, Blue

Elegant Touch French Manicure set

Red, pink and purples

L to R: NYC Long-Wearing Nail Enamel i116A, technic Glitter Nails Party Pink, Bourjois 1 seconde nail enamel #18, BC Body Collection(TM) Crystal Suede Nail Lacquer Fast Drying Formula Kia Royale

Glitters, gold and silver

L to R: Nina Ultra Pro Salon formula Opal Elegance, Model's Own Gold Rush, Ottie #45 Tender Silver, Gallery Colours UV Multi Sparkle 418

Except for Collection 2000 (of which I have Buried Treasure) and Bourjois (of which I have a different colour, #11, from the same range), I have not tried any nail polish from the other brands mentioned above.

There is one China Glaze Innocence which I don't know why, somehow I have forgotten to photograph. China Glaze Innocence is a nude with pink tint shade. Nothing spectacular.

Which one(s) catch your fancy?

I have been playing with a few of them everyday, and I will upload some NOTDs next week. Or do you want to see post after post of different nail polishes? Nay....I think I will space them out. :)

Nail Polish Galore - Courtesy Of My Friend

2011-12-06T10:41:00.005+08:00

I am just taking a break from my work to quickly write this post. Well, I wrote on my blog's FB page that I have like 30 nail polishes from my friend. It's an exchange between her stash and my stash. So I manage to photograph them yesterday.

It's funny that I have not taken photos of my nail polish stash. ;)

They are mostly from brands that I have not tried before. Yay!

I will post more photos of these nail polishes, based on the brands soon. It's just a quick break from work. :)

L'Oreal's Goldmine - Want A Share?

2011-11-30T15:39:00.013+08:00

Well, yes, I would surely love to have a share in L'Oreal's Goldmine. After all, I am sure L'Oreal Paris makes a huge profit from their cosmetics and skincare sale yearly. ;)

I wish!

But it's not that kind of 'goldmine' we are talking about here. :P

It's L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Color in Goldmine!

I have read somewhere that this and a gold-toned lipstick and gloss are part of a gold-themed collection for the Holiday, but I couldn't seem to find the display of the collection in-store nor could I find the gold-toned lipstick and lipgloss.

But I know I have been seeing Goldmine every time I go to my local Boots and even the larger Boots stores and I have been eyeing it for a while. Another 'unhealthy' obsession of mine with gold eyeshadows, besides yellow.

So I picked this up last week at my local Boots as a little treat for myself.

It's a beautiful yellow gold with obvious shimmer and some glitter but without the fallout. It says on the packaging that it has an iridescent finish. The colour pay-off is quite good, but still tend to be a bit sheer. I haven't played with this on my eyes. So I just have a swatch for you today.

Whatever it is, I think this eyeshadow would make a great holiday look!

It retails for GBP6.99 for 3.5g in Boots and Superdrug.

On A Good Hair Day & Good Skin Day...........

2011-11-29T09:07:00.010+08:00

.............I wake up in the morning with my hair like this, as in the photos below.........

Seriously, my hair was just naturally wavy and styled in such way when I woke up one morning some weeks ago. Unfortunately, such days/mornings are really rare. That's why I took some photos... *very vain, I know. ;)

While good skin day is more common for me. Clear, bright and radiant skin in the mornings is more easily achievable for me than nice hair. In recent weeks, when the weather becomes colder (though not always drier, as humidity could be on the higher side on certain days), I have been using Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief every night after applying my night-time moisturiser, which at the moment, is Korres Yogurt Cream. It's quite a thick, rich formula supposed to be for oily, dehydrated skin. While my skin is not dehydrated (though a bit on the dry side), my T-zone is as always, quite oily. I have been using Korres Yogurt Cream for about a week and a half now, and there is no break-out or anything which could be associated with thick, rich formulation. I have started to use it as my daytime moisturiser as well.

I will write a more detailed review on the Korres moisturiser another time. And the Clinique Moisture Surge too.

Have a good morning!

Photos From Our Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-26T14:23:00.001+08:00

Yes, this is actually our first year that we are really celebrating Thanksgiving. In the previous years, we used to order ready-roasted turkeys and cranberry sauce and stuffings etc for Christmas when we were still living in Malaysia.

Anyways, this year, my brother-in-law is here with us for Thanksgiving and Hubby decided that we will roast our own turkey and have a Thanksgiving dinner. And we invited our Italian friends over as well.

So for the past week, I had been reading up on how to prepare a turkey and how to roast it, looking online for recipes of cranberry sauce, etc.

In the end, I managed to come up not only with a roasted succulent yummylicious turkey, but also 2 types of cranberry sauce and other sides, including roasted corns, stuffings and mash. :) And mostly a one-man show.....yes, I made almost everything, with Princess helping to make the cranberry sauce with apples and cinnamon, and Hubby marinading the turkey because I am squirmish when it comes to handling raw poultry (albeit a frozen one!) and preparing the gravy from the giblets. It's really strange that I have no qualms handling anatomical specimens but when it comes to raw meat and stuffs.... OK, I will not gross you out.............

So, here you are..........photo time!

The Thanksgiving turkey

Setting the table

Cranberries

Cranberry sauce with apples and cinnamon

It's interesting how when the cranberries start to boil, they really popped and we can hear the popping sounds and even see them popping. Though a word of caution, don't look directly over the pot, as one almost popped onto my face!;)

Then they slowly turned the colour of the mixture red and turned into gel consistency.

Cranberry sauce with orange juice (photo taken while I was cooking it)

After 4 servings of turkey......... that's how Princess looked like - stuffed and satisfied, though I think she looked more cheeky than satisfied! ;)

Have a nice weekend!

Look: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow #83 Illusoire

2011-11-25T11:00:00.012+08:00

This is the look I did with Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow #83 Illusoire.

Face Of The Day

Face: Benefit Hello Flawless Powder in Champagne

Cheeks: Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain

Lips: Make Up For Ever Fascinating Lip Gloss #16

Eyes: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow #83 Illusoire all over lids up to the crease. MAC Zoom Lash Zoomblack mascara.

More photos........

Eyeshadow Swatches: MAC Big Bounce Shadows & Gosh Mono Eyeshadows

2011-11-23T11:16:00.006+08:00

These are some of my hauls from the past. I may have posted photos of them, but I thought I will show you some swatches. You can see the product photos here.

GOSH Mono Eyeshadows in 001 Golden Green(left) and 008 Burgundy(right) - swatches

Both the GOSH eyeshadows I picked up at a whim when I saw some of them on half-price at Superdrug. I swatched them in-store and though I have similar shades in my stash, I haven't tried any GOSH products before, let alone the eyeshadows. These 2 shadows have more like a satin finish. While they are not super soft and smooth in texture, they are not dry or chalky either. Their pigmentation is quite OK, and colour pay-off is quite good. Though Burgundy is a tad sheerer.

MAC Big Bounce Shadows in Spread The Wealth(left) and Luxury Touch(right) - swatches

Despite many not-so-stellar reviews on these Big Bounce Shadows from MAC Flighty Collection this past Summer, even Temptalia was disappointed with them, I saw several of these at the CCO in Bicester Village and just felt that I had to get some to try out. While it was not on a huge markdown, I picked these 2.

They are liquid, may be thick liquid, in the jars. While they swatched quite OK, I had problem applying them on the lids.

They didn't apply evenly and when I tried putting on a second layer, my finger would wipe off the first. So I went on to dabbing it on my lids. Still, the colour wouldn't stay long. Then, I gave up. But I dabbed on some powder eyeshadow on top of that 'mess' and WOW! It made the powder eyeshadow POP!

OK, I will speak more on the Big Bounce Shadows in another post and show you the looks I did with it.

Happy Hump Day!

It's Thanksgiving Day tomorrow and I will be busy in the kitchen........... ;)

Till then.......

Look: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow #84 Epatant

2011-11-21T10:44:00.006+08:00

This is a look I did using Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in #84 Epatant. It's the first time that I used this eyeshadow since purchasing it. And not only was I so impressed with the quality of this product but the shade is so beautiful yet gorgeous that it even drew the attention and garnered praises from the SAs of Benefit and Urban Decay!

*I had drafted the first paragraph last month and slap myself for not finishing up this post, though the photos have been cropped!

Face Of The Day

Face:

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base mixed with Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation in Organic Sand

Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic

Cheeks:

The Body Shop Roseflower Blush

Lips:

Make Up For Ever Fascinating lip gloss #16

Eye Of The Day

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in #84 Epatant all over lids and blend upward all the way to almost the brow.

Finish off with MAC Zoom Lash Zoomblack mascara.

More photos............

I think I will be using this eyeshadow a lot come the Holidays, wearing it to dinners and parties! :D

Happy Monday!

Lipsticks That I Own

2011-11-18T11:53:00.005+08:00

Gio asked some time last week how many lipsticks do I/you own in her blog.

I got curious and I gathered all the lipsticks I have with me here in the UK, and photographed them collectively.

So how many do I have/own?

38!!!

Then after I took the photos, I realised that I had a GWP from Estee Lauder which was stashed away, so that makes 39!

And of all that, I have used about 20 of them, some only once, and some only swatched for photos. See below.

Happy Friday!

Photos, Swatches, Quick Review & FOTD: Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

2011-11-14T12:38:00.016+08:00

The Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors are new for Fall. It's a collection of 12 cream eyeshadows which replace the Hydro-Powder Eyeshadows.

Here I have swatches of 11 of the 12 eyeshadows which I swatched back in August when I was in Malaysia. GR708 Moss was not available at the Shiseido counter.

From the product brochure

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

Swatches of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors (lighting was not quite good as all these photos were taken under the yellow lighting of the beauty hall)

From L to R: BL711 Angel, VI305 Purple Dawn, PK302 Magnolia, WT901 Mist, GD803 Techno Gold, BE204 Meadow, BR709 Sable, BR306 Leather, GR707 Patina, SV810 Tin, BK912 Caviar

More up-close swatches and description of the shades

Swatches of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

From L to R: BL711 Angel, VI305 Purple Dawn, PK302 Magnolia

According to Shiseido colour nomenclature (and for Japanese cosmetics, in general), the first 2 letters of the code indicate the colour family of the shade.

BL711 Angel - a mid-tone blue with silver shimmer (BL=blue)

VI305 Purple Dawn - a mid-tone purple with silver shimmer (VI=violet)

PK302 - a pale shimmery baby pink (PK=pink)

Swatches of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

From L to R: WT901 Mist, GD803 Techno Gold, BE204 Meadow

WT901 - a frosty white (WT=white)

GD803 - one of my favourite colours and yellow eyeshadow! It's a warm bright golden yellow (GD=gold)

BE204 - a shimmery golden wheat colour (BE=beige)

Swatches of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

From L to R: BR709 Sable, BR306 Leather, GR707 Patina

BR709 - an olive-brown (BR=brown)

BR306 - a slightly cool-toned dark brown (BR=brown)

GR707 - a golden olive green (GR=green)

Swatches of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors

From L to R: GR707 Patina, SV810 Tin, BK912 Caviar

GR707 - see above

SV810 - a cool shimmery silver with bluish undertone (SV=silver)

BK912 - a black with multi-coloured fine shimmer (BK=black)

So, I purchased 4 of them and will write about them soon. A reader of mine guessed correctly on my FB page! :D

It's been very very long overdue. ;)

Anyways, if you can't wait for the full review, here is a quickie...........

They all have smooth buttery texture which swatch easily and apply like a dream. Its pigmentation is very good and claims to have a proven 16-hour lasting effect. Well, I have yet to really play with this and have them on for 16 hours, so we shall see.

But from the quick EOTD which was done by the Shiseido makeup artist using VI305, PK302 and WT901, the shadows did stay put from the afternoon when he put them on for me till night time when it's time for me to remove my makeup. And I didn't see any creasing nor fading.

It retails for RM75 (6g) each. In the US, it's USD25 each. I am not too sure of the price in the UK, perhaps GBP20 (to be confirmed).

Face Of The Day

What a long post for a Monday!

But from this week onwards, posts will not be as frequently published because work is really piling up and I haven't that much time to schedule enough posts to last till when I will be free again. :)

Let's Celebrate 11.11.11 With The Festival Eyeshadow Palette From Famous By Sue Moxley! Review & Swatches

2011-11-11T11:11:00.015+08:00

Happy 11.11.11! And I have purposely scheduled this post for 11:11AM as well! Haha! Perhaps, another post will pop up at 11:11PM? ;)

So will you be doing anything special today? Anyone getting married? Having a party just because? And any of my dear readers here expecting a baby today? :D

I don't really have anything planned out for today. Just thought of may be to celebrate this date, I will review a really bright and beautiful eyeshadow palette, coincidentally named Festival. Well, it's not a festival but whatever, please excuse my lack of imagination and creativity! ;P

Famous by Sue Moxley Festival Eyeshadow Palette

Again, like a broken record, I purchased this Famous by Sue Moxley eyeshadow palette called Festival from Superdrug after seeing lusting over it when I saw it on the Famous FB page.

OK, let's get on to the palette!

It comes in a rectangular matte black plastic casing which actually feel rather weight-y. And inside, it has a rectangular mirror which spans the entire lid. It comes with a dual-ended sponge tip applicator. Normally, I would just put the applicator into storage and use my own brushes instead. No exception to this.

This palette houses 4 brightly coloured eyeshadows, each one with excellent pigmentation and good colour pay-off. I haven't tried them on my lids so I can gauge for their blendability on my lids. The photos of the swatches below don't really do justice to the real colours. Blame it on the Sun who has gone into hibernation! :P

And the 4 colours are some of my favourite colours, especially so when there is a duochrome shade in this palette! It's amazing that this is the second duochrome eyeshadow shade that I have encountered with this drugstore brand! The first one was this.

The 4 colours are a cool-toned mustard yellow, a bright true orange, the duochrome fuchsia with a blue sheen, and a blue green. I wouldn't say that they are shimmery, but all 4 have a lovely pearlescent sheen that borders slightly metallic to a varying degree, depending on how the angle of the light falls on them.

The amount of product you get is quite a lot. On the back of the casing, it states there is 5g, so I would assume each eyeshadow is 1.25g in weight. And for GBP9 which I thought was pretty expensive for a drugstore eyeshadow palette initially, the quality and quantity of the eyeshadows sort of make up for the rather high price tag.

More close-up photos of the eyeshadows..........

Swatches of Famous by Sue Moxley Festival Eyeshadow Palette - natural daylight on a cloudy day

Swatches of Famous by Sue Moxley Festival Eyeshadow Palette - under fluorescent lighting

See the duochrome in the fuchsia shade

Happy 11.11.11 again!

Have a lovely weekend ahead!

Review: Avon Naturals Renewing Black Cherry & Nutmeg Shower Gel

2011-11-10T11:31:00.004+08:00

Oh yes, you read right! I actually use Avon products. I have to admit I rarely look at brands which are direct-selling or those like MLMs (multi-level marketing! Hate it!). But anyways, some time at the beginning of the year, I met a lady who happened to be an Avon representative. I was just looking through their catalogue and I saw some bubble baths on sale, buy 1 get 2 free! Seriously, it was GBP4 per bottle of 500ml and it was on buy 1 get 2 free offer. So I jumped at it and bought myself and Princess half a dozen bottles of bubble baths, since now our place here has a bath tub. And we love having baths. Back in Malaysia, we didn't have a bath tub in our home. Then I picked up a bottle of nail polish remover for GBP2. And this shower gel came as a free gift from the Avon rep.

Avon Naturals Renewing Black Cherry & Nutmeg Shower Gel

This bottle has stayed on my IKEA bathroom shelf for the longest possible time since I brought it home with the bubble baths, and when I was almost running out of shower gel (can't believe I can actually run out of shower gels! Time to visit Bath & Body Works in the USA :) ), I decided to try this lonely bottle on the shelf!

And WOW! I was amazed and that's why I am reviewing this. If you have noticed, I rarely have negative reviews in my blog. My reviews will mostly weigh the pros and cons of a product(s). So for every product review that I write, I wouldn't write that a product is bad or a product is soooooo good! I will find the goods and not-so-goods(if any) of a product.

So a little digression aside, this is from Avon Naturals range. From their website, it states that Naturals range are everyday value products that use the best ingredients and please the mind with refreshing invigorating ingredients. Honestly, I don't know much about Avon products.

Anyways, let's get on to how this shower gel works and why I like it.

First of all, it's slightly thick with creamy consistency and has a pale pink-lilac colour. And the scent is....yummy! It's a fruity scent which is slightly sweet yet warm with a rich note(from the nutmeg). Each time I shower, the scent will fill up my bathroom but it's not overpowering and it doesn't last to linger. And it just leaves a very slight hint of fruity scent on my skin after showering.

It lathers up well, and now I am coming to the part that I like the most about this shower gel...... after rinsing off, my skin feels smooth and not dry at all! Most shower gels, even those that claim to be moisturising, will leave my skin needing a moisturiser after a shower. And I am such a lazy fella when it comes to putting on a body moisturiser, though I would force myself to apply some sometimes. ;)

As I am typing this, I am browsing the Avon online catalogue on my iPad, and this bottle (200ml) costs GBP2.60 normally, but they are going on special offer now for 99p only! And I am gonna call my Avon rep first thing tomorrow morning after sending Princess to school to place my order for the Juice Watermelon, Strawberry & Guava, and new Sugar Plum & Vanilla Shower Gels from the Naturals range to try out, of course! And the Lavender & Chamomile Hand Cream as well.

Tendency, Part 2

2011-11-09T11:32:00.000+08:00

I found more similar colours of eyeshadows in my stash. This time, they are light blues and yellows! Well, I have to admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with yellow eyeshadows. I am always looking for the 'right' shade of yellow eyeshadow, the bright true yellow yellow.

I purchased the 2 Inglot eyeshadows from the one and only Inglot store in the UK in Westfield London. But I read that Inglot will be opening in Aberdeen, Scotland soon.

And a year ago, I purchased the 3 MAC eyeshadows, 2 from the Dare To Wear Collection launched last summer, and Crest The Wave (a light yellow) from the CCO in Cabazon Outlets in the US. The 2 Dare To Wear eyeshadows are Going Bananas and Sky Blue.

Crest The Wave (left) and Going Bananas (right)

Some of the yellow eyeshadows in my stash.

L to R: MAC Crest The Wave, Inglot Eyeshadow Matte 364, MAC Going Bananas, Shu Uemura ME yellow 300

MAC Crest The Wave (left) and Going Bananas (right)

Do you wear yellow and/or blue eyeshadows?

Photo: Makeup Academy Pro Eyeshadow Palettes

2011-11-08T14:07:00.003+08:00

These are the 3 eyeshadow palettes from Makeup Academy Professional range which I purchased from Superdrug last week. They were on 3 for 2, so it was GBP8 for 3 palettes. Normally, it's GBP4 per palette.

Finally, The Famous Festival Eyeshadow Palette.......

2011-11-07T11:40:00.007+08:00

After seeing this palette on the profile photo of Famous by Sue Moxley Facebook page, I finally found it at Superdrug last Friday.

Famous by Sue Moxley Festival Eyeshadow Palette

At GBP9, it's not a cheap palette especially coming from a drugstore like Superdrug and the Famous brand is no longer on 1/2 price as when I purchased the single eyeshadow. But Superdrug now has 3 for 2 on all their makeup till 22nd November.

I found some swatches of it online and they are so gorgeously pigmented, and I just knew I have to have it. I'll come up with my own swatches of this palette and may be some looks in the next few days, hopefully. Work is starting to catch up, yes, work that will pay for more indulgence in more makeup for me! ;) Ain't waiting for the sky to rain makeup on my lap. :P

Happy Monday!

Photos: Fall 2011, Part 3

2011-11-06T13:17:00.011+08:00

Here are more photos of Fall, taken way back in late September during the Indian Summer.

Me at a picnic

The wood

Fern in the forest

Some tiny blackberries that we picked off the bushes, quite sweet.

Some unknown berries

Just a tree...........

How has your weekend been so far?

Photos From My Trip To Bicester Village

2011-11-05T11:52:00.014+08:00

It's Bonfire Night tonight! Princess has been coming home from school for the past week reciting rhymes about Bonfire Night which I never heard of! But it's just so cute listening to her reciting with her crisp English accent mixed with a bit of American accent, that if you don't look at her, you would assume that it's an English-American girl speaking! :)

So if the weather will be good this evening, there will be some firework displays. Perhaps, we might hop over to our friends' place where one of them had bought GBP150 worth of fireworks! Madness, I know! But apparently in the UK, there are only 4 days/nights in a year when you can play with fireworks, that is Chinese New Year, Diwali, Bonfire Night and New Year's eve or day.

Today, I want to share with you some photos taken during my trip to Bicester Village last month with Hubby.

Along M40, in Oxfordshire

Reaching Bicester Village

At the entrance to the shops

Outside The Cosmetics Company Store (the outlet for Estee Lauder Companies)

Inside the Cosmetics Company Store

See the huge number of Estee Lauder Surreal Violet(top photo) and Blue Dahlia(above photo) eyeshadow palettes from last Fall?

Wondering around, posing for photos ;)

Cowshed pop-up store which opened the following Monday after we went there on a Thursday! It will be there till January 2012.

Inside Cath Kidston store

There is an Italian cafe, called Carluccio's, that has plenty of Panettones, the traditional Italian Christmas cake, which we bought one for our Italian friends. :)

We stopped for a Creme Brulee Macchiato at Starbucks, in between shopping, and also grabbed a crepe from Creperie Amelie............

Photos to be cropped...........

Freebies From December 2011 Issue Of Glamour Magazine

2011-11-04T17:15:00.004+08:00

I went into my neighbourhood supermarket yesterday evening and I was greeted by a whole basket of Glamour magazines right at the entrance. I think they just went on sale yesterday and they are giving out freebies of 4 different shades of Nails Inc nail polishes, full-sized. One per magazine, of course.

And the magazine costs only GBP2, while 1 Nails Inc nail polish costs GBP11!

The 4 shades are a beigy grey, a deep red, another red-toned shade, and a deep purple shade. I didn't buy any copy of the magazine........don't know why.

Somehow the colours didn't quite attract me. May be the deep purple shade. But I have collected more than 30 bottles of nail polish in less than a year. I know, it's no big deal, but for a nail polish noob like me, I think that's quite substantial, and I am actually eyeing those Mavala gift sets of 8 nail polishes which surface at my local Debenhams from time to time. GBP16 for 8 bottles, 5ml each!

Nails Of The Day (NOTD): China Glaze Summer Escape 2011 - Cha Cha Cha, Nails Inc Electric Teal; Review, Swatches

2011-11-04T15:06:00.010+08:00

Yes, today's NOTD is on 2 shades, that I had put on my nails back in September, and whatever happened to them that I only posted them today. *shakes head, sullen face

Back in late September, we had a wave of Indian Summer, and there was one day, I spent the whole morning and afternoon in my yard, just soaking in the sun and painting my nails dressed only in a tank top and shorts! But gone were the days now. But we are having 13C this morning, not too bad for an early November day!

So here you are..............

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha on my finger nails, and Nails Inc Electric Teal on my toe nails. I had painted a teal colour on my nails as Teal Ribbon, like the Pink Ribbon, is also a colour for creating awareness for ovarian cancer and September is chosen as the ovarian cancer awareness month. But it isn't that widely publicized as compared to the breast cancer awareness month in October.

Just a few words on these 2 nail polishes, as I am sure many of you would have read about them in other blogs when they first came out.

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha is really an awesome colour. It's a bright yellow-green with shimmer which applies thinly with one coat, and a second coat makes it look alright. I didn't bother with a third coat to achieve better opacity, as I have always mentioned, any nail polish will not last longer then 48 hours on my finger nails intact due to the amount of washing that I do everyday.

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

Love it against the background of clear blue sky!

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

Almost the same colour as the early Autumn leaves..........

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

Almost similar to the colour of the yummy grapes!

Nails Inc Electric Teal came as a free gift with one of the magazines in the Summer. It has a creme finish, and is a slightly muted teal colour. And on my toe nails they lasted more than a month intact!

Nails Inc Electric Teal

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha and Nails Inc Electric Teal

For the past week, I am letting my nails rest. But I am so itching to paint my nails again. Boy, it's not too good, isn't it? I am really getting addicted to painting nails now......

Have a lovely weekend ahead!

Photos From Our Halloween Celebration

2011-11-03T15:14:00.018+08:00

I have been down again with another bout of flu or something. Guess my short course of antibiotics wasn't enough to kill off those resistant bugs famous in the temperate climate! :(

Anyways, I want to share some photos from our Halloween celebration with our friends and neighbours. Hubby made me buy the costume and I was just simply in the mood for makeup and dressing up. And all Princess wanted to wear was her tiara and angel wings and carried her magic wand. But it was quite cold and windy that night, so we had to bundle the kids up as best we could, and even I couldn't do full justice to my costume because I have put on a long sleeve jumper under my costume. Oh well, it's Fall and almost Winter now............

And the surprise and highlight of the trick-or-treat, must be Hubby! We started from our neighbours' houses, and I was with the kids and other parents. And Hubby stayed home to wait for us to reach our own house. And WHOA!!! I got the shock of my life when he came to the door.......

And for the rarest occasion, he actually perused my makeup and other skincare products! He took my MAC Melon pigment and painted Princess' face and her hair as well. But the Melon pigment wasn't really glitters, so didn't show up much in the photos.

.......

The shadow

The Fairy Princess

The devil and the Fairy Princess

The Fairy Princess and her best friend (not sure what character is the mask)

Muaahahahhaa! Guess what Hubby used for his 'beard'? It's my MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. Huh! Thank God, I still have some 3-4 spare tubes left from the time I bought them at the CCO in the US. Good thing I didn't give it away to other people either. But nay, he didn't use that much. ;)

Hubby and me

ME, the Devil!

Face Of The Day

Face:

Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation in Organic Sand mixed with MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base.

Set with Guerlain Meteorites.

Then, apply MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl onto the whole face to get that pale ghoulish complexion.

Cheeks:

Sleek Shimmer Blush in Pomegranate (this time use a very heavy hand)

Lips:

MAC Prince Noir Lipstick from MAC Me Over collection

Eyes:

Define the brow with I Nuovi eyeshadow in Sabrina (a shimmery black);

Apply Stila Shadow Pot in Honey all over the lid up to the brow, and under the eye down to the inferior orbital bone projection;

Then, generously apply with finger, L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Colour in 013 Burning Black, on the upper lid up beyond the crease and on the lower lid;

Line the upper lash line with MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Smoky Heir and winged it at the outer corner (not that it's necessary);

Finish off with MAC Zoomlash Zoom Black Mascara.

So, how was your Halloween?

Did you dress up?

What did you dress up as?

Tendency..........

2011-11-02T14:22:00.004+08:00

......to buy similar kinds of colours!

I purchased the 2 GOSH eyeshadows from Superdrug this summer, as they were on half-price. Normal price for one is GBP4.99. A lime green, 001 Golden Green, and a plum, 008 Burgundy!

Then a couple weeks ago, I was at the CCO in Bicester Village and picked up 2 MAC Big Bounce Shadows. Spread The Wealth is a golden lime green, and Luxury Touch is a reddish purple.

I guess I have to say that these, golden greens and plummy-purples, are my kind of colours. And they do go well with my skin tone. :)

What about you?

Do you have the tendency to purchase a specific kind of shades when it comes to makeup, or clothing, or anything?

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin-Inspired Look

2011-10-31T13:11:00.016+08:00

I did this look yesterday, just for fun. I had wanted to schedule it yesterday for today but we went to our friends' place for hot pot and came home quite late. And now, I just came home from picking up my Halloween costume for tonight! I saw it this morning but I thought I wouldn't want to pay for a costume which I would only wear for a few hours. Then, I came home and told Hubby about it. Being the American that he is, he made me go back to get it saying "it's Halloween! That's what you do, spend money, even splurge, and get yourself a nice costume to dress up!" I mean, growing up in Malaysia, we didn't really have any kind of Halloween celebration back then. Of course, nowadays, the 'tradition' has caught on with the younger generation of today in Malaysia. And muaahahaha! There was a further markdown on it when I went back at lunch time. So, I will wear them tonight and show you tomorrow, OK? :D

I don't think I will come up with a scary-looking FOTD, as I have a little girl and I hang out a lot with my neighbours with little children. So I don't want to scare them, just in case.

So, this look was inspired by Pumpkin! Or rather, colours of the pumpkin. Since I have been so into orange eyeshadows this Summer, and I just couldn't get enough of the Sleek Curacao Eyeshadow palette from this past Summer, though Summer is long gone for me here, I figure I'll do one more look using the bright vibrant colours from this palette before putting it away till the next Spring, at least. It's time to give some Fall colours in my stash some love. The Sleek Curacao palette just had the right shades for me to re-create pumpkin on my face, on my eyes to be exact!

Eyes Of The Day

Eyes:

Start by prepping the lid with a base. I used Stila Shadow Pot in Honey (just by random choice);

Apply Tequila Sunrise (a bright orange shade) on the entire lid up to the crease;

Apply Apres Midori (a mid-tone bright green) from the outer corner drawn into the crease and also on the lower lid; blend well;

Line the upper waterline with Estee Lauder Artist's Eye Pencil in Softsmudge Black;

Apply Laneige mascara from the liner & mascara duo. I did about 3 coats.

Brows:

Espresso Martini (a matte black) from Sleek Curacao palette.

Face Of The Day

Face:

A blend of Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation in Organic Sand, MAC Prep+Prime Face Base and Stila All Over Shimmer #6, applied to the face.

Generous swipes of Guerlain Meteorites.

Cheeks:

Sleek Aruba Blush

Lips:

Sleek True Colour Lipstick in O.M.G. (a bright orange)!

Happy Halloween!

I can't wait to put on my costume and makeup and go treat-or-trick with the kids tonight! :D But first I gotta go pick them up from school...........

Halloween Weekend: Halloween-Inspired Nails Of The Day By ME

2011-10-30T22:37:00.008+08:00

This is my version of Halloween-inspired NOTD! Please pardon my lack of imagination and creativity. My artistic streak has always been overshadowed by my over-analytical side of the brain. ;)

I used the same colours as in Princess' NOTD, but on my finger nails. I don't think there is any specific terminology for the design I did, except FREE HAND technique! Haha! Basically, I just painted my nails like an abstract art, if you can call it that. :)

Nail polishes used

From left to right:

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel in #11 Shimmering Coral

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

Prorance Black base

China Glaze Papaya Punch

China Glaze Senorita Bonita

First step

Just freely paint Prorance Black base on the nails. Photo shown above was my left hand's.

Nails Of The Day

Left hand

Right hand

Have you done any Halloween-inspired stuffs this year, be it a look, NOTD, etc?

Do share! :)

Halloween Weekend: Halloween-Inspired Nails Of The Day By Princess

2011-10-30T11:17:00.008+08:00

This is Princess' Halloween-inspired NOTD, done by Mummy actually. But the idea is hers! :)

From left to right: Black Prorance nail polish and China Glaze Papaya Punch, Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel #11 Shimmering Coral, China Glaze Cha Cha Cha, China Glaze Papaya Punch, China Glaze Senorita Bonita

Happy Sunday!

And Happy Halloween!

Halloween Weekend: MAC Prince Noir Lipstick For Vampy Lips - Swatches & Review

2011-10-29T11:50:00.013+08:00

This year, somehow I am kinda in a Halloween mood. Having been down with a bad bout of sinusitis, I finally started myself on antibiotics a couple nights ago, and now I am back to my old self again! :)

Prior to that, I have been buying some Halloween knick-knacks whenever I go to Tesco or Wilko - Pumpkin loot buckets for Princess and her best friend, loads of Halloween sweets for trick-or-treat for the neighbourhood kids, etc.

Anyways, Princess' half-term break is coming to an end. Thank God, for the past week, she has been good and didn't drive me crazy and let me have some rest I needed. And yesterday, I took out my Halloween-y nail polishes, they aren't exactly Halloween colours, I wouldn't go out to buy them just to wear for one day, but colours in my existing stash, close enough! And I painted Princess' toe nails in different shades of black, orange, green and purple. Then, I played with MAC Prince Noir lipstick from MAC Me Over Collection which was launched back in August/early September. Somehow I have forgotten about it, which was supposed to be reviewed earlier.

It is a dark dark colour! On my first impression from the tube, Prince Noir looks brown to me. It reminds me of MAC Kissable Lipcolour in Love Peck from the Peacocky Collection launched early this year. Brown in the tube, and when applied on the lips, it's a deep berry burgundy shade! That's what Prince Noir is. A deep berry burgundy......like red wine, but chocolate-like on the tube! ;)

It has a matte finish and applies opaque with one layer. But its formula is not gliding smooth, since it's rather thick. But there is no tugging nor pulling involved in its application. It lasted for about 3 hours, could be longer, had I not had a big lunch. And it fades quite evenly. It does feel dry on my lips, but is not drying on it.

MAC Prince Noir Lipstick from MAC Me Over Collection

The colour is really quite vampy. And Princess really likes it. She even gives me suggestion to complete a Halloween look with her ideas of eyeshadow colours. Will show you in a bit.

Swatch of MAC Prince Noir Lipstick

Lips Of The Day

MAC Prince Noir Lipstick from MAC Me Over Collection

Swatches & Review: Estee Lauder Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color in Pink Seduction

2011-10-28T10:56:00.011+08:00

One of the latest lipsticks from Estee Lauder is the Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color, which has a beautiful colour wrapping around a moisture-rich, soft centre. I have the shade Pink Seduction 08 for review today.

Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color

Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color in Pink Seduction

This is another winner for me from Estee Lauder in this month of October alone! It's another my-lips-but-better kind of shade! The other being Lavish Pink from the Elizabeth Hurley Pink Ribbon Collection set!

Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color in Pink Seduction

Estee Lauder claims that it is their most moisturising lipstick. Well, is it?

Let's see............

Pink Seduction has a warm reddish pink shade on the outer layer, wrapping around a supposedly softer and creamier centre of a dusty rose pink kind of shade. It's hard for me to test out the texture of the inner core of the lipstick, as I do not want to touch it with my finger, even sanitised finger! But when applied on my lips, I could feel the soft creaminess of the lipstick gliding across my lips. When I angled the lipstick so that the outer ring just touched my lips, the texture felt like normal lipstick. While applying it directly onto my lips, I could feel the extra softness and creaminess.

Swatch of Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color in Pink Seduction

The swatch of this shade appears quite sheer as compared to the colour in the tube. And on my lips as well. It imparts a soft, glowy pink colour to my lips, making it oh-so-lustrous ;) and the illusion of plumper lips. It stays on my lips for a good 3 hours before fading with food and drinks. It doesn't dry out my lips, but keeps my lips supple, not really moisturised, for some time. Very moisturising? Well, may be, but I wouldn't add "very" nor "most" to it. I think the colour is buildable but I haven't really tried it, as I like it as it is for everyday wear. Perhaps, when the occasion calls for it, I will try to layer and build up the colour. Till then......... I am loving it right now! :D

And instead of the usual fresh fig scent characteristic of Estee Lauder lipsticks, this one has a new warm vanilla scent, a tad different from that of MAC lipsticks though.

Lips Of The Day

Pure Color Sensous Rouge Lip Color in Pink Seduction on my lips

I think Pink Seduction is a name correctly given to this shade, as it's such a soft, elegant shade of pink, not the girly kind of pink.

This range of lipsticks is currently available at Estee Lauder counters in the UK and online, retailing for GBP20. I think in Malaysia, it retails for RM75 or 80, to be confirmed.

*PR sample

Review: Copa Cabbana Cantaloupe With Vitamin C, E & F Hand Cream

2011-10-27T14:29:00.000+08:00

Hand cream is an essential part of my daily beauty/skincare regime. It is especially so now that I am living in a place with temperate climate and generally dry condition. And it doesn't help that I am doing more household chores now compared to when I was still living in Malaysia. :( All the washing and cleaning certainly takes a toll on the state of my hands, making the skin very dry and flaky, especially between the finger webs.

In Malaysia, I normally applied hand cream only at night before bedtime, and when necessary. But here in the UK, I apply several times a day, about 3-4 times, at the very least.

Anyways, I have had this Copa Cabbana Cantaloupe With Vitamin C, E & F Hand Cream since this Spring. Been using it since then with a brief interval when I went back to Malaysia for my summer holiday. As I have mentioned, back in Malaysia, no house work, or rather less house work and washing to do, hence less need for super-power hand cream! ;)

Besides, this tube of hand cream is huge, and I mean huge, as in 150ml! Most of my hand creams come in 30-75ml tubes usually.

OK, first thing when I opened up this tube to try out, it's the sweet and fresh melon-y scent that caught me! LOVE! I love melon, the fruit, the colour as in my MAC Melon pigment (though I always neglect using it for me eye makeup! :P), and the scent, in general! So that's already a plus point! I don't want to be biased, but unless you hate any kind of scent in your products, or you hate the scent of melon (I can't imagine anyone would, since it's just so sweet, fresh and aromatic without being cloying nor overpowering), there is no reason for you to dislike this hand cream! ;)

So, this hand cream is a white cream with medium consistency which is neither too thick nor rich. It spreads on my hands easily, giving off a sweet melon scent (again, I am becoming a broken record! :P). It absorbs into my skin pretty fast, and I love to especially massage some extra onto my nails and cuticles, and pay attention to the webs between my fingers where they are usually dry and flaky. It moisturises my hand but I wouldn't say it's very moisturising. Perhaps, its not-so-rich texture, but I wouldn't say it's light, is good to keep normal hands moisturised, but not heavily-battered hands like mine. ;)

When I am at home, I would apply it several times a day, especially after doing some washing. But I don't bring it out with me since it's such a huge tube. Imagine, whipping out a huge tube of hand cream and applying it in a public place. And it would take up more space in my purse, wouldn't it? When I go out, I would always bring some tiny 30ml tube of hand cream with me, be it L'Occitane's or Kiehl's or Crabtree & Evelyn hand therapy. The latter I used to carry around with me in my purse but I had run out of all of them.

Guess this would give Copa Cabbana some ideas of producing this hand cream in smaller sizes, say 30ml or 50ml, besides the usual 150ml tube.

This hand cream comes in a hygienic tube of 150ml and retails for HKD110 (~RM44.26; ~USD14.15; ~GBP8.86; ~EUR10.17).

Where to buy Copa Cabbana products?

Online on their website. (By the way, they do ship to the UK and other places outside Hong Kong where the company is based. You just need to email them and inquire if they ship to your country and the shipping charges.)

You can also check out their Facebook page for a list of stockists in Hong Kong.

Photos: Haul From Bicester Village

2011-10-26T21:10:00.001+08:00

Last week, Hubby and I went to Bicester Village, one of the outlet centres in the UK. But to our disappointment, there weren't too many great bargains there, unlike those that we had known from shopping in the mega-huge outlet centres in the US!

We only got really good bargains from Helly Hansen store which was closing down because apparently this brand is not designer enough to be there. Since we needed some winter clothes for ourselves and Princess, we hauled quite a bit from there. Their T-shirts and polos and men's shorts had the greatest bargains, between GBP3-5 each!

Then I went into Cath Kidston store which again didn't have too good bargains. Though it was filled with people, mostly tourists. I just got a carry all bag and a summer fedora.

At The Cosmetics Company Store, which was the Estee Lauder Companies outlet, there weren't too many MAC products. In fact, I think about 70% of the store was filled with Clinique products. But I saw plenty of Estee Lauder's Blue Dahlia and Surreal Violet 5 color eyeshadow palettes from last Fall. And to think last year, the 2 palettes, especially Blue Dahlia, were sold out in most counters! I bought the Blue Dahlia palette for GBP24.50 (RRP: GBP35).

I happened to see MAC eyeshadow Juxt which I have heard so much about, and is one of Temptalia's favorite colours, so I bought it GBP8.25. Not much discount there though. There were 5 shades of MAC Big Bounce Shadows on sale at GBP9.50 each (RRP: GBP13.50): Sizzlin' Diva (which I think I could find a dupe of it in the form of Rimmel 8-hour mousse eyeshadow since it's a copper-brown shade), Black Diamond (black with multi-coloured shimmer), Good Fortune (Pearlised pink), Spread The Wealth and Luxury Touch. The last 2 I bought. I didn't know why I bought them, since they were pretty difficult to work with according to many blog reviews I have read. But I guess the colours just called out to me.