Each Holiday season Bobbi Brown hits us with a bag full of gifting solutions. The packaging is always spot on and there’s treasures a plenty be it gifting to loved ones or ‘gifting’ to ourselves.

As last year, i’m back with a complete swatch set of all the goodies in Bobbi Browns gifting collection (the Wine & Chocolate colour collection will be blogged separately) & of course my thoughts on the selection available and top picks.

2016 marks a special year for Bobbi Brown. Earlier this month we celebrated 25 years of Bobbi.

In order to commemorate this special occasion there’re amazing collectibles included in the holiday collection as well. If you are a die hard Bobbi Brown fan, these would be must have pieces you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Starting with, the stunning lipstick vault seen lower left lined in gorgeous burgundy.

The Original 10 25th Anniversary Lip Collection – SGD 170

This includes the iconic ten that started it all! Shades range from pale nudes to rich plummy hues and everything in between. A kit of mini lipsticks that’s bound to steal your heart!

Glow to Go Blush & Illuminate – SGD 55

A cheek palette comprising of French Pink Blush & Platinum Sparkle Illuminator. Possibly my top pick for gifting. Partially due to it’s dinky size and superbly flattering shade.

Golden Eye Palette Shadow & Mascara – SGD 63

Golden Eye palette is a simple fool proof eye palette that features a trio of shadows, an eye liner brush & a mini Smokey Eye Mascara.

Party to Go Eye and Lip Palette – SGD 63

An eye quad of versatile neutrals paired with a mini True Rose Lip Colour. All your essentials to create a sexy holiday look. I love that the palette itself includes this mini lipstick. Easy to travel with and there’s no danger of misplacing it as it comes with it’s own little slot!

Cool Dusk Eye Palette – SGD 90

A mix of neutrals to take you from day to night. This one’s in the cooler spectrum of things.

Brightening Brick – SGD 78

One of Bobbi’s new-ish products, the Brightening Bricks now come in a festive, limited edition gold packaging. A medley of rose gold and pale gold & Ivory checkered pattern to bring on some radiance.

Party All Night Eye Opening & No Smudge Mascara (not seen here) – SGD 71

A simple mascara duo including Bobbi’s Eye Opening Mascara for amped up volume and a No Smudge Mascara for layering to instantly waterproof.

Travel Brush Set – SGD 260

Another exciting release is these stunning brush kits we see during Christmas. And this year it’s a 6 piece set with gold ferules & burgundy handles. Luxurious, elegant and perfect for your travel bag.

(Set includes a Full Coverage Brush, Angled Face Brush, Eye Sweep Brush, Angled Eyeshadow Brush, Eye Liner Brush, Dual-Ended Definer & Groomer brush.)

Bobbi to the Rescue Detox & Hydrate Set – SGD 115

An SOS kit to help combat the after effects of a late night celebrating.

This kit includes, Long Wear Makeup Remover (cos you should NEVER go to bed without taking off your makeup), Rich Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Face Tonic, Instant Detox Mask (full size), Hydrating Face Cream & Hydrating Eye Cream. The mini travel size products make useful gifts for jet-setting friends or even as a trial kit to dip your toe into Bobbi Skincare if you haven’t already!

Party Prep Skincare Set – SGD 135

A mini sampler of Bobbi essentials to help you prep for glowing, party ready skin. This includes a mini Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm, Hydrating Eye Cream in a tube, Lip Balm SPF 15, Mini Radiance Boost Mask & Extra Hand Cream.

Onto some swatches I took at the preview. The lighting is never perfect but I managed to come home with decent pics which I hope would prove useful to make your list!

The Glow to Go Kit contains a little vial of liquid highlight in dropper style packaging & a pretty mid tone pink blush. If you are familiar with Bobbi Brown blushes, the quality is pretty similar to that.

The shadows range from matte to satin to shimmer, with everything swatching smooth with good pigmentation. The only exception was the matte black that always seem to swatch a bit patchy but perform well with brushes.

The lipstick included here, True Rose is a richly pigmented shade that compliments the kit perfectly. I’d recommend this as a well curated palette for gifting which creates a signature Bobbi Brown look with neutral eyes and luscious lips.

The Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick is a radiant setting powder with noticeable shimmer. Not my favourite Bobbi product as the shimmer is more noticeable than i’d like. Though I know some of you LOVE and swear by this product for day to day use.

Best suited for fair to light-medium skin tones.

Bobbi Browns Party picks (4 products) in a handy burgundy pouch.

Party Alice lipstick, a warm coral-y rose swatches creamy with beautiful payoff. Opal Glow highlighter, a dusty pink, more of a shimmering pink rose when swatched (formula seems less intense and silky in comparison to the highlighters from the summer collection) , a mini gloss with multi coloured glitter & lastly a Mascara.

A palette that creates a signature Bobbi Brown neutral eye look.

There’s a matte ivory, shimmering mid tone neutral brown, taupe-y warm grey, a matte dark slate & a sooty black. The formula & pigmentation is very much in line with the regular Bobbi Brown shadows if you are familiar. Not as pigmented as i’d like but works well with the overall Bobbi Brown look which is more of a conservative makeup look rather than BAM! colour.

On to some better swatches (I swapped out the pics from the preview for ones I took at home to show you how better lighting do these palettes & kits justice)

Truly impressed with the overall quality of this tiny palette of essentials to create an easy party look. It contains a matte ivory, a shimmering muted gold and a matte black. I swatched these heavily over a freshly moisturised hand to help the shadows adhere better as the Bobbi Brown shadow formula I noticed can be a little dry. Specially so in the deeper matte shades.

And as mentioned before, these perform perfectly well with brushes.

Lastly the 25th Anniversary Lip Collection!

Absolutely STUNNING! And a must have piece for any makeup junkie.

The collection consists of a well edited range of shades that would suit most skin tones and pretty much cover every occasion. All except one swatched beautifully with a soft creamy formula and great payoff. The shade that missed the mark was Blackberry. Lacked in pigmentation and applied slightly patchy. Overall though i’d rate this as a killer set!

Bottom Line

I find the quality across the palettes more consistent in comparison to last year. They swatched better and had very few ‘misses’. Most I can recommend without any hesitation.

I also like that the pricing of this years collection has improved as well! I recall last years brush palette being quite the luxe buy, so it’s nice to see this years one more ‘affordable’. Palettes are also more on the ‘easy-to-swallow’ price tag. They start from SGD 55.

My faves of the collection were the small, stocking stuffer size gifts and the ultra must have 25th Anniversary Lip Collection. It’s definitely worth buying for oneself just to own such a lovely collectible, and of course the colours are beautiful too.

Overall I think Bobbi did well with this years holiday offerings. I would recommend looking at the Golden Eye Palette, Party to Go kit and the Glow to Go Cheek palette. All three swatched really well and perfectly sized for travel. Something important to consider when buying these types of goodies as gifts or for personal use.

Collection to be launched in Bobbi Brown boutiques & counters on the 1st November.  

Few weeks ago I had the privilege of sitting with the NARS team for an intimate preview of the stunning Sarah Moon holiday collection over coffee and cakes.

At the time I’d already seen previews on social media, but it’s never quite the same as seeing things in person! Obviously I was bowled over by the amazing colour palette and the awesome packaging of the gifting collection. Today i’m here to share all the swatches and images I brought back with me. Brace yourselves for a very long, thorough post! xx

The Sarah Moon collection consists of a colour collection and also the highly collectible gifting collection.

I’ll run through the gifting collection first since it’s just pure eye candy!

The gifting collection consists of sets & palettes for every budget. Ranging from $52 – $180 there’s 10 unique collectibles to choose from and all good value. My favourites were the lip sets. Two incredibly cute coffrets of minis of the Audacious lipsticks and Velvet Lip Glides.

Mini sets are a great way to try out a load of shades at a fraction of the price and what can I say, they are so lovely to own (or to gift, as intended!).

The Glass Metropolis is a gorgeous acrylic vault of 8 NARS Audacious Mini Lipsticks of which two are new and limited edition. All swatch with the exceptional NARS Audacious intensity and amazing quality. Creamy, smooth and well saturated.

If you are looking to try the newly releases Velvet Lip Glides, there’s a mini set of 6 available as well. Some of the most popular shades (such as Bound) are included in here along with three new colours that are exclusive to this set.

First three swatches are new shades (L-R).

Also available for gifting are the ever popular NARS blushes & Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in a special kit.

True Story, containing the 4 blushes Devotee (highlight shade), Myth, Unwritten & Outlaw (existing shade) + Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red.

All blushes within the palette are silky smooth & well pigmented. Particularly love the highlight shade in this which is a soft shimmering oyster.

Recurring Dare is a slightly deeper mix of matte blushes suitable for more medium toned complexions. We have the ever popular Albatross highlight, Sex Appeal blush (existing), Illusive & Make Believe along with the Golshan Velvet Matte Lip Pencil.

I find the quality across both palettes quite consistent. I’d highly recommend checking them out!

As always there’s an eye palette, released with the limited edition Sarah Moon artwork. It’s a palette of 4 neutrals, all new shades.

As expected the quality is great! The mattes are richly pigmented and apply smooth. Which is why I love NARS as a brand. Their formulas are some of the best out there.

Last but not least there are two sets containing mini Audacious Lipsticks. One a lip and eye option and the other a lip and nail colour option.

Interesting to note the Lip & Nail Set contains two all new Audacious Lipsticks colours. Something to consider if you love the formula and looking to try more shades!

Get Real. Contains two mini lipsticks, Leslie & Bette + Black Moon Audacious Mascara.

Thousand Worlds. Contains two mini lipsticks, Codie & Eva + nail polishes La Dame en Blanc, La Dame En Noir.

Moving forward from the gifting collection, here’s a look at the colour collection. Absolutely love this red centric collection!  It appeals to anyone who takes the traditional route for their festive look with a bright pop of red. There’s reds to suit each and every skin tone.

The collection includes,

4 Moon Matte Lipsticks (Indecent Proposal, Rouge Improbable, Rouge Indiscret, Fearless Red)

2 Blushes (Impudique, Isadora)

3 Nail polishes (La Dame En Noir, Never Tamed, Flonflons)

2 Duo Eyeshadow (Quai des Brumes, Indes Galantes)

2 Kohliner (Witching Hour, Sichuan)

2 Eyelash sets (Numero 9, Numero 10)

Among the more exciting (new to Singapore) are these new lash sets. The packaging is quite interesting with magnetised boxes that open up.

As always the lipsticks are by far the most tempting to me. And this time around they are the matte formula. According to NARS these Moon Matte Lipsticks are a more comfortable matte (improved formula) to the matte lipsticks in their regular line. As a fan of this formula i’m excited to see more options!

My favourites from the four are Rouge Improbable (the brightest red) & Indecent Proposal (nude). They swatched so silky and wore beautifully on the lips. I also like that the NARS matte lipstick formula in general is relatively less drying in comparison to most other brands too. I’ll be picking up Rouge Improbable as soon as the collection hits as I already received Indecent Proposal as part of the press samples!

Although the differences between the reds aren’t as easy to detect at first glance, you’ll notice the slight variances between undertones as you look closer. Also note, Rouge Indescret & Fearless Red didn’t swatch as smooth as the other two which seem to be a better formulation.

Moving on to the blushes within the collection. Absolutely stunning and rather unique shades I find aren’t as easily dupable.

Impudique is a satin red with pink tones. Isadora is a rosy muave with a hint of lavender sheen. Truly unique.

Moving on to the duo eyeshadows. As always NARS offerings are unique and exciting! Particularly love the look of the grey + plummy brown mix. Certainly not for the faint hearted but easily workable as the purply red tones are more muted and wearable.

I love the interesting mix of Quai des Brumes. Although plain at first glance, the lavender duo chrome sheen adds interest to the grey and pairs well with the charcoal. A unique twist to a neutral combo.

Last but not least, the new Kohliner. Creamy, smooth and infinitely pigmented, these NARS liners are a favourite! Witching hour is a shimmering charcoal grey with Sichuan a rich chocolate brown.

Final thoughts & recommendations

Among the overwhelming gifting options and singular colour products, there were a few that stood out as must haves. Even though quality across the board was pretty awesome I managed to pick out exceptional products I feel you need to try.

From the colour collection i’d urge you to check out the eyeshadow duo Indes Galantes. A truly lovely duo that’ll be far from boring to use as you do your holiday makeup. The rich tones would work well with the vibe of the season.

If blush is your vice, Isadora is a beautiful neutral that’s more than just a rosy nude. The hint of lavender though not blatantly visible adds a glowy sheen that’s sure to satisfy.

From the lipsticks, I’d recommend Indecent Proposal & Rouge Improbable. Both of which i’d be wearing this season starting NOW!

Although not the most exciting, the kholiner too was exceptional in quality.

Price List

The Colour Collection

Moon Matte Lipsticks – S$ 40

Blush – S$ 50

Duo Eyeshadow – S$ 52

Kohliner – S$ 40

Eyelashes – S$ 38

Nail Polish – S$ 30

The Gifting Colection

Glass Metropolis Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret – S$180

Mind Game Mini Velvet Lip Glide Coffret – S$ 80 (Sephora Exclusive)

True Story, Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip Palette – S$ 90

Look Closer Eyeshadow Palette – S$ 65

Get Real Audacious Lip & Eye Set – S$ 65

Thousand Worlds Audacious Lip & Nail Set – S$ 65

Shadow Side Velvet Shadow Stick Set (not seen in preview) – S$ 52

Collection hits counters 1st November!

 Also a big thank you to NARS for the preview and samples. x

Hello everyone! Hope this week’s off to a great start!

As we approach the festive season, a few more collections will be hitting counters soon. And i’m here  to catch up on all the reviews of what i’ve been testing. First in the blogging pipeline is Bobbi Browns second launch for Christmas, the Wine & Chocolate collection.

Complete with festive gold packaging (always a winner) & delicious tones, this collection is bound to please!

2 Eyeshadow palettes. Chocolate & Wine. Each containing 4 limited edition colours + 3 intense pigment liner shades.

4 Sequin eyeshadows. Single shimmer shadows for the ultimate sparkle effect.

2 Brightening blushes. Pearlised blush that delivers a soft wash of colour.

3 Luxe Lip Colour. Bobbi’s premium, ultra luxe lipstick formula in festive shades.

2 Nail Polishes in limited edition colours, Chocolate & Wine.

The most impressive of the collection, which struck most excitement were the palettes. Of course the colours aren’t exactly ground breaking, but as a makeup addict it’d be hard to resist a perfectly curated set of neutrals. And as proven time and again Bobbi IS still the master of neutrals.

My overall opinion is that the quality of the palettes are quite nice. In the past i’ve had some BB palettes that just don’t provide enough pigment or horribly dry, but these aren’t like that at all! In comparison to last years palettes, I’d say this Christmas they have in fact improved and much easier to work with and more consistent in terms of overall quality.

Of course you won’t be getting incredibly highly pigmented saturated colour as you would say, Urban Decay or Illamasqua, what’s expected is soft neutrals that beautifully define the eyes and enhance one’s natural beauty. It’s basically an easy to use set of colours that’ll get the job done!

On to some swatches, starting off with the Chocolate Palette. All taken in natural lighting with flash (a slight departure from the usual since the sun’s been a bit shy these days )

This palette consists of 3 mattes, a shimmer shade and 3 highly pigmented liner colours ranging from sooty brown to navy.

The mattes had moderately good payoff with slight dryness to the touch. They applied well however and never looked powdery or patchy on the lids. The only shimmer included, Velvet Bronze was a better, silkier formulation in comparison and was great as a topper or single wash of colour. Together everything works in harmony to create a variety of looks.

For maximum intensity as seen in the final look I created with this palette, I used a smudged out chocolate brown kohl liner as a base. Not only did it help keeping the shadows in place, it also brought out the richness as well. My advice is, regardless of look you are planning on achieving, a primer is a must with these palettes. It helps the lighter shades adhere to the lid better without blending out to nothingness, or if you are tan like me, it also help colours show up more.

Overall I find these eyeshadows pick up wonderfully/better on a brush and apply with very little fallout. Something rare when creating smokey eyes! I’d say, this palette gets extra points for that feat alone!

The Wine Palette.

This palette would be your day to day essential neutral eye palette.

I found the payoff of the shades quite nice & great for everyday use. It’s also my opinion, that this would be the more popular choice. The warmer mix of shimmers are your average go-to mix when it comes to day to day.

All colours except one performed well. I found Pinot Noir wonderfully pigmented and delightfully easy to blend and Moon Glow the most loveliest soft shimmer. The only miss was Black Cocoa which was rather dry and difficult to swatch. The golden glitter felt gritty to the touch and didn’t quite hit the mark in terms of quality. Although I haven’t tried this particular one in an eye look yet, I can already see the gold glitter blending off and getting lost between application. Will update once i’ve given this shadow a fair chance. Let’s see :-) 

Edit- Black Cocoa applies infinitely better with no sign of powderiness with a brush. However as suspected, the rose gold/bronzy shimmers never showed up when applied. 

Moving on to more ‘festive’ offerings. These Sequin shadows are quite the little shimmer bombs. Packed with multidimensional shimmer that can be used on their own as glistening washes of colour or on top of eyeshadows to add that little extra sparkle. They are a holiday favourite that’ll add that extra ‘pow’ to your eyes.

My first impressions are, they feel quite dry and textured to the touch. The formula had no emollients that would help something so chunky adhere! Was it going to be a shimmery mess?

Not if you pick them up with your finger and press and drag to blend. I had next to no fall out and the shimmer actually lasted quite well.

On to some swatches!

Between the two shades Silver Heather & Rose Gold, I believe Rose Gold applied slightly more evenly. Though both quite lovely seen in person. Shimmery, pretty, pretty goodness!

Next up, the Luxe Lip Colours Ultra Nude & Tawny!

The very first Bobbi product i’d instantly fallen in love with, back when they were released (late last year). The payoff is incredible. Luxurious , creamy & long lasting. It’s a truly special lipstick formula.

Needless to say, I was over the moon when I saw the colours included in the Holiday Collection were all my kinda shades! Reds, nudes & browns.

Here’s are the swatches of the two in my possession. Must haves!

I like that Uber Nude swatched much warmer and peachier on the lips. Love the colour and payoff, as amazing as i’d expected.

Tawny, a more deeper shade of brown works well for an evening look. Glorious, rich colour to top off a soft effortless eye look.

Both colours give out cosy holiday vibes. Think sipping hot chocolate by a warm fire. My minds going crazy imagining all the scenarios I could wear these, lol. Minus the cold weather though. Hah!

Chattiness aside, here’s a quick look at how some of these products look worn!

A lot of you probably haven’t seen the palettes in action. And since i’ve had a few inquiries and concerns about the performance of the Chocolate palette I thought i’d create my look around that!

Here i’ve used just the three matte shades, paired with a kohl liner as base.

Here’s a closeup!

I love the lip colour Ultra Nude with this palette. So understated yet brings an edge of sophistication & polish!

Overall Thoughts

The collection on the whole is a very well thought out, wearable mix. Nothing intimidating or out of your comfort zone. It’s the kind of collection that’d make great gifts and also a nice luxurious treat to oneself.

My top recommendations would be the palettes. As weird as it sounds, an everyday staple, perfectly curated neutral palette without too many colour choices are actually quite rare. And I find that these fit the bill perfectly. (I also really like the handy size, they are so workable even for trips and things if you are looking for a palette to ‘throw n go’.)

I also am a massive fan of the Luxe Lip Colour formula. So any of those would also not disappoint and come highly recommended!

Collection Information

Launching at all Bobbi Brown counters islandwide on the 1st December.

Price List

Wine & Chocolate Palettes SGD 90 each.

Sequin Shadow SGD 53 each.

Brightening Blush SGD 78 each.

Luxe Lip Colour SGD 45 each.

Nail Polish SGD 25 each.

*Many thanks to Bobbi Brown Singapore for the beautiful sampling & preview of the holiday collection!

Last week Tom Ford launched their seasonal Lips & Boys collection. 50 shades of mini lipsticks to see you through the holidays!

As always, the collection included some new shades, 25 to be precise. And since they have never been seen before, i’m here to swatch everything for you!

What’s exciting this year, is there are mattes introduced to the Lips & Boys. The past years have only been the creams and the metallics. And with matte lips being a huge trend right now, it’s only appropriate that Tom Ford included some in the Lips & Boys collection.

The press package arrived in this lovely lacquered box. Can I just say, Tom Ford sure knows how to kill a girl with major presentation!!!!??  *takes a moment to get over initial shock.

More closeups in the mean time..

The collection consists of 10 metallic finish lipsticks, 10 matte shades & 5 cream shades in a selection of nudes to pinks, to burgundy.

Starting off with these exciting new mattes (my favourites!).

Dominic – A medium blue toned red.

Evan – A neutral taupe-y beige with a hint of rose.

Nicholas – A deep burgundy red.

Ben – A warm deep chestnut brown.

Christopher – A medium-deep warm brown with a hint of rose.

Anderson – A neutral light pink (pulls almost cool toned on my olive skin tone).

Thomas – A medium cool toned rosy nude.

Jared – A warm fuchsia pink.

Christiano – A bright orange-y red.

Dylan – A bright warm red.

The Tom Ford mattes are a very soft matte. Not too dry with a slight creamy slip to it. Although they are drying overtime, I do find this formula to be very flattering as it doesn’t emphasise lip lines too much.

As expected from TF, the pigmentation and colour pay off is out of this world, achieving full opacity in 1-2 swipes. One of my all time favourite lipstick formulas hands down!

My favourites among the mattes are, Dylan, Christiano, Anderson & Dominic. However I did struggle to pick the ‘best’ of the bunch as everything I swatched and wore looked pretty amazing.

And now on to the metallics!

Ryan – A warm reddened rose brown with finest gold micro shimmer.

Inigo – A warm burgundy red with fuchsia micro shimmer (very similar to Black Orchid though redder in tone).

Jon – A deep prune with purple tones & silver shimmer.

Logan – A medium bright fuchsia.

Elliot – A mauve rose with hints of purple & silver micro shimmer.

Graham – A peachy champagne gold.

Douglas –  A light baby pink with golden micro shimmer.

Snowdon – A ultra metallic warm peachy gold with rose gold shimmer.

Aaron – A warm medium copper brown.

Travis – A neutral deep brown with rose gold micro shimmer.

Overall the pigmentation and pay off varied within this collection. I found colours such as Inigo apply almost as a creamy satin formula and some apply more patchy and sheerer.

The best colours in terms of formula were, Inigo, Logan, Snowdon & Travis. These swatched very evenly with good colour payoff. Although several passes were necessary, I found these to be the best of metallics.

However my favourites weren’t necessarily the best pigmented! I found sheerer shades such as Douglas & Graham equally captivating. Both apply without any patchiness delivering a beautiful wash of colour. For a more opaque look, try layering it over your favourite nude lip liners. I particularly love Douglas worn like this.

Lastly, swatching the signature Tom Ford creams!

Jack- A muted medium mauve plum.

Ashton – A medium mauve rose brown.

Mitchell – A slightly plummier version of Ashton.

Bradley – A warm beige nude

Alexander –  A pale chalky pink.

All shades within the creams swatched with really good pay off with no duds in terms of formula with my top favourite being Ashton. A beautiful everyday shade with wonderfully creamy application.

Least favoured was Alexander. I find it hard to conceive of a skin tone that this would flatter. A strangely pastey shade. Needless to say this look horrible on my medium olive skin.

Overall Thoughts

Hands down one of the best lipstick launches this year. Tom Ford Lips & Boys pretty much knocked it out of the ball park with excellent formulas, amazing pigmentation and colour variety. I would have liked to see more medium pinks & lighter nudes though, as I felt the collection was slightly plum/burgundy heavy.

As mentioned earlier, the mattes are the way to go if you are on the look out for opaque pay off and vivid colour. Loads of great shades to choose from here.

P.S – for lip swatches of the complete collection, do drop by Instagram (@bubblymichelle). I’ll be counting down to Christmas with these boys. <3 

Pricing and Collection Info

The Lips & Boys are now available at Tangs Tom ford counter and the Raffles City Robinsons Tom Ford counter.

Each priced at SGD50.

*Special thanks goes out to Tom Ford Beauty Singapore for providing me with the collection for review.

Possibly the hardest gifts to buy are stocking stuffers. Sticking to a budget but also buying something that the recipient would appreciate can be a harder task than anticipated.

Today I’ve rounded up a few goodies under the $50 mark. Most of these are easily shop-able through the direct link (not affiliate links btw) and all you have to do is sit back, wait for the packages to arrive! No need to run down to the mall this busy season.

P.S- All the gifts listed today are things I’ve tried and love my self.

1. Origins Peace Treat 15ml S$30 – A wonderfully uplifting minty balm that’s to be applied to the temples whenever you feel stressed. It’s the most wonderful thing to carry around in your handbag. Perfect for a little pick me up whenever the day gets rough.

2. Aromatherapy Associates Instant Wellbeing Duo S$47 – Aromatherapy Associates is one of my favourite brands! They do the most luscious essential oil blends for body and skincare. One of the cutest stocking stuffers I found today is a duo of their award winning Revive Morning and Deep Relax oil blends in roller ball form. I always have one at hand whenever I travel to put me to sleep on a red eye flight or to wake me up when I land. Excellent gift to anyone who travels loads or just a bed side treat to wind down or a handbag essential to uplift.

3. Becca Opal Glow on the go S$34 – A travel sized duo of the amazing Becca Opal highlighters. A must have stocking stuffer for any beauty junkie. (I noticed the Moonstone duo was out of stock online. However a trip to the Takashimaya Sephora will ensure you have access to both! Moonstone is my favourite!)

4. Aromatherapy Associates Perfect Partners duo 7.5ml x 2 S$49 – A larger bath sized version of Revive Morning & Deep Relax. If you have a friend who loves taking long baths. This makes a luxurious treat to gift. Last year I picked up the Bath Collection set and found it to be absolutely amazing. This duo is a smaller, more affordable delight that’s bound to please.

5. Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Party Eyes $27 – My favourite holiday stocking stuffer packaging by far! This little ornament is a light metal ball that comes open to reveal a mini mascara and mini liner. A handy duo in exquisite packaging. Love love love! Available at Beautylish.

6. Bobbi Brown Glow to Go Blush & Highlighter duo S$55 – So this is where I cheated a little and added this cute gift set even though it was $5 over! Haha. But seriously, this year Bobbi has nailed it with some amazing gift options and this little compact is bound to make some lucky girl very very happy! For swatches and more holiday gifts from Bobbi, head to this post!

7. Origins Go Ginger Set S$28 – If you are stuck for holiday gift ideas, head on down to the Origins flagship boutique at Ion. It’s stocked to the brim with stunning gift sets for every budget. One of the BEST VALUE kits I found was this festive (ginger scented) body care trio. Contains a Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash (50ml), Ginger Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub (50ml) and Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream (50ml). All good sized products which will last a while!

8. Pixi Beauty Rose Oil Blend S$39. It’s not everyday you find good skincare at a great price. And under the $50 mark very rarely so! I saw Pixi Beauty just landed in Sephora online and had to include this incredible rose oil. The blend is all natural (no artificial fillers) and smells amazing. Perfect gift for a friend who enjoys face oils or someone with mature or dry skin.

9. Aromatherapy Associates My Treat S$26 – So I couldn’t resist adding one more since it was soo beautifully packaged and priced so well! You can actually buy several and throw one in every gift bag without breaking the bank.

10. Pixi Glow Tonic mini S$28 – A cult favourite and a worthy stocking stuffer! This Pixi Glow tonic would make a great gift for girls as well as guy friends/brothers etc. This gentle daily peel takes off any dead skin revealing a brighter, younger complexion. A daily essential that’ll eventually be repurchased

11. Pixi Best of Bright Set £20 – A great way to try out a few Pixi beauty products one go. This little set contains a trio of Glow Tonic, Glow Mud Cleanser & Glow Mud Mask. Sephora Singapore unfortunately doesn’t carry this cute holiday set. However all my readers from the U.K & U.S can easily pick one up directly from Pixi Beauty Online.

12. This Works Dream Team S$25 – Another wonderful find from last year, back again in festive holiday packaging is this duo of a wonderfully relaxing sleep spray and roll on balm. The spray doesn’t really contain much product, but a nice way to try out the product. I ended up buying the jumbo sized version from Net-a Porter subsequently and recommend this to EVERYONE who have trouble sleeping.

(btw, this years LE packaging is already sold out on Sephora SG, though you can still grab last years version. No one needs to know )

13. Chanel Mirror S$50 something – Everyone needs a mirror in their handbag, so why not make it extra special! Get yours at any Chanel counter. I’ve had mine for years! And spotted them again at Chanel Boutique in Ion recently.

14. Best of Becca Blushed Radiance $32.50 – Possibly one of the best value sets you can ever find. There’s a mini blush, an Opal highlighter as well as mini backlight primer and Shimmering Skin Perfector Wand in Moonstone. Available through Beautylish.

15. Caudalie Hand Cream Trio S$28 – Everyone needs a good hand cream in their life. And one of my favourites are the ones by Caudalie. It’s lightweight, absorbs fast leaving the hands hydrated and nourished without that greasy feel. Every Christmas Caudalie releases a trio with special packaging. You can either gift it as a whole set, or break it up for three separate stocking stuffers! Either way, it makes a wonderful gift that’s gonna be useful!

So that’s it for my guide to gifts under $50. I hope you found a few good options for this year! Coming up next is, Stocking Stuffers over $50, hitting the slightly luxe mark and a guide to Luxury Gifts of Makeup & Lifestyle! Stay tuned

When you are truly out to spoil someone and delight with exceptional stocking stuffers, I have options for those too! Here’s a round up of some fantastic products that I would LOVE to receive myself (hint hint).

1. Tweezerman Rose Gold Love Story Gift Set S$65 – Tweezerman make some of the best grooming tools. This LE holiday set comes with a tweezer, lash curler and a tussled pouch all in luxurious rose gold!

2. Sephora Favourites Glow For It Kit S$55 – Filled with plenty of options to illuminate this festive season, the Glow For It Kit carries some of the best/latest highlighters. Great value for money as well!

3. Stila Highlight Trio (around S$50) – The only link I could find online that ships worldwide was on BeautyBay. Sephora Singapore carries this too but in store.

By far one of the most beautiful highlighters i’ve seen this Christmas and the quality is AMAZING! The formula is a soft bouncy one, totally unexpected as I had mistaken it for a baked version (hard pressed as the Chanel eyeshadows) but then….. a quick swatch ….. and the rest was history.

4. Film Noir Nights Lipstick & Eyeliner Set £35 – This brand new lipstick shade Opium Noir is only available as a box set for now. Order directly from Charlotte Tilbury.

5. Diptyque Sapin 70g approx. S$75 – Each Christmas Diptyque comes out with a trio of holiday scents. The special edition packaging is just hard to resist and any candle lover (or anyone with a home really!!) would love to have the scent of pine wafting through their living room this season. Available at Escentials Paragon & Tangs. Also available at Space NK and major department stores worldwide.

6. Kikki K Candles S$49.50 – So it seems I missed one amazing gift that should have made it to the under $50 pile. No worries, i’m gonna sneak it in here! These candles in metal jars need to be on your shopping list! Available in three versions, gold, rose gold & silver.

7. Smythson Leather Note Books $62 – I picked out this beautiful leather note book in a festive cheery green! Possibly the most stylish book to keep ones grocery list in. Order from Net-a-Porter.

8. Jo Malone Holiday Bon Bon (approx. S$75) – Filled with useful Jo Malone minis, this little bon bon was one of the best gifts I received last year. This years contents are the same but in a different mix of scents. A gift you can be sure gets used up

9.  Bbrowbar Brow Kit $51 – Everyone needs a nifty little brow kit in a stylish case! And this one is just the perfect set. Comes with a tweezer, brow scissors, spooley and brow gel. I need one for myself too!

10. Slip Silk Eye Mask $42 – A luxury eye mask for that jet setting friend. These ones by Slip are soo soft and fit comfortably ensuring you get good nights rest. Also available in several other colours. I picked up the one in pink and I love it to bits!

11. Origins Mask Marvels S$68 – Origins masks are some of the best out there. And this year for the holidays they’ve put together a kit with their best sellers along with the newly released Maskimizer (mask primer). A great value set filled with essentials.

Available at Origins Boutiques.

12. Bobbi Brown Party to Go Eye & Lip Palette S$63 – One of my favourite sets from this years holiday gifting goodies! There’s 4 eyeshadows and a mini lipstick included here to create a quick party look in a matter of minutes. For more gifting options from Bobbi, check out this post.

Have you already started on your shopping or a last minute shopper? Let me know in the comments along with any great finds you’ve snagged this year.

Thank you for reading❤

Back in November Estée Lauder launched their new Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Collection. A selection of 4 products inspired by the mystical powers of morning dew, designed to reawaken skins innate powers of regeneration & renewal.

As someone who believes in preserving the ‘canvas’, skincare as you’d imagine is of utmost importance to me. It isn’t just about slapping on makeup and looking pretty. For a truly youthful reflection of one’s natural beauty, skincare has become my secret weapon. It’s a huge confidence booster and i’ll continue to test and try to bring you the best of the best, such as…. this new product i’m reviewed today!

The Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Eye Crème is a luxuriously soft cream which brings an infusion of Floralixir™ Dew plus powerful Ultimate Lift technologies and rich rejuvenating nourishment to the delicate eye area. 

Packaging

As Estée Lauders most premium line, the Re-Nutriv collection sports the most luxurious packaging. Elegantly housed in a golded tub, this little cream also comes with a gilded spatula to help scoop up just the right amount of product you need. Ideally though my preferred packaging for any skincare is a pump version, using a clean spatula helps keep contamination to a minimum (provided you religiously wash it after each use!) so I can’t complain too much.

Formula

The soft, lightweight cream absorbs instantly making this the perfect formula for day to night use for continuous anti-ageing action. And as someone who wears makeup regularly, I appreciate that this particular formula pairs well with my concealers and never had a problem with it balling up or flaking. It eliminates the need to have a separate eye cream for the day and another for the night.

Instantly nourished! This is literally all I need for both eyes per single use.

Results

The first month of use, results were practically nonexistent. I was tempted to give up and switch up my eye cream for something else but i’m glad I persevered. As with all skincare patience is key as products do take time to work!

Month two I finally notice some finest lines had completely disappeared. To be clear, this is a first for me. Most creams and expensive serums i’ve used in the past have only reduced the appearance and depth of fine lines, not erased them. I am truly TRULY impressed. 2 months of use, 1/4 jar for very promising results.

Unfortunately as claimed, I don’t feel my undereye is any more lifted or firmer than it started out. In fact I could recommend a different product which has delivered results effectively, if you are looking to address that concern. See this review.

Overall thoughts

It’s an eye cream for serious anti-ageing. Reversing the effects of age as it claims. Perfect for anyone looking to get rid of a few fine lines and don’t require tonnes of hydration (I would say, anyone with extremely dry undereyes may have to look elsewhere for your hydration needs). For normal to slightly dry undereyes this should work well!

Highly HIGHLY recommend!

Pricing and availability

All Estée Lauder counters islandwide.

Retail price – SGD194/15ml.

*Sample sent for review consideration. Thank you Estée Lauder Singapore!

Super excited to deliver my round up of the best of 2016! Getting back into the swing of blogging has been slow after the holidays, but I believe a quick look at the past year and closing the book of 2016 is a great way to get on with business this new year.

Best of Beauty 2016

1. Givenchy Healthy Glow Powder – I hadn’t been a regular user of Givenchy beauty till this came into my life. Absolutely stellar product on all fronts, packaging, quality and finish. Blogged here.

2. NARS Hot Sand Illuminator Duo – If epic highlighters aren’t your thing, NARS Hot Sand is your match made in heaven. A wonderfully glowy highlight with a soft peachy pink base, this adds subtle glow for delicate radiance. Although initially LE, I’m happy to see it come back in another newly released face palette. The Unfiltered 2 Cheek Palette. Blogged here.

3. Dior Nude Air Glowing Gardens 002 – In 2016 Dior ruled the world of highlighters. Each season I could not resist getting at least one! Possibly my favourite highlighter of the year. Also was available in a pink option.

P.S- how stunning is the floral embossing ❤

4. Dior Diorific Splendor – Part of the holiday collection, this highlighter was the key piece / must-have which everyone needed in their lives. Sadly, did not make it to the U.S market. Luckily I live in sunny Asia and for once I was happy to be here! Didn’t waste any time picking this up for myself. wink. I also got a few extras as gifts!

The packaging, quality and colour was just perfect for that extra sparkle for the holidays. Get it while you can!

5. Clé de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge – As someone who did not hop on the matte lipstick bandwagon, I was mighty pleased CPB came out with these ultra luxe glossy liquid lipsticks! They are luxury in every sense. If you loath the dry lip syndrome that’s plaguing the world right now, maybe this nourishing glossy type would interest you Read all about this collection here.

6. Bobbi Brown Nourishing Lip Colour – Possibly my favourite lipstick release this year. Think ultra nourishing, balmy colour with superb pigmentation! It’s all my lips want to wear this season. To be blogged soon!

7. Tom Ford Lips & Boys 2016 – It seems the Lips & Boys get better each year! This year, the colours to watch out for were the new matte ones. Absolute must haves. Blogged here.

8. VB x Estée Lauder collection – Overall my favourite collection of the year! The formula, packaging and colours were to die for! Even though I loved almost everything I received, the stand out products were the nude lipstick in Brazilian Nude, the eye kajal duo & the single shadow Bitter Clove. Unfortunately LE collection sell out fast. However if you come across any, do not hesitate! Blogged here.

P.S- There’s talk of a new VB collab happening soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

9. Tom Ford Fiber Brow Gel – The perfect solution for light short brow hairs. I find myself reaching for this almost every time I do my makeup. It’s got the perfect formula to set your brows in place while also adding colour and some body. It’s brows-on-fleek, all day, everyday! To be blogged soon!

10. Tom Ford Le Mepris – Part of the summer collection, this little number was clearly a hot item, specially with that irresistible LE white packaging!!  Blogged here.

11. Dior Diorific Nova – 2016 wasn’t the year of nail polish that’s for sure. Almost all brands left me with boring options. However, just as the year ended Dior launched their holiday Diorific Vernis and this unique little number was quick to come home with me. Almost like fairy glitter/flakes on the nails, this works great as a topper or on it’s own. Don’t miss out!

12. Zoeva Concealer Buffer Brush – I am so happy I finally got to try Zoeva brushes this year and this brush in particular is now my essential/everyday, concealer blending brush. Everything just sits better when buffed with this and i’m happy to recommend it to everyone. To be blogged soon!

13. Zoeva Luxe Fan – A great multi purpose brush, (not just for highlighting). This is my go-to for flicking off any eyeshadow or mascara fall out, dusting off excess powder and of course applying highlighter PERFECTLY. A must have brush in any collection.

14. Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting brush – On a whim I purchased this brush off Net-a-Porter last year. I just needed something precise that’d work for contouring smaller areas of the face. Not surprised, this works brilliantly! It’s my favourite for some nose contouring (which is the only contour I ever do) whenever I know i’ll be taking photos or for special events. Love it!

15. Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage – The only product that’s featured here which isn’t new for 2016. However it’s new to me! I picked this up from a sale last year and let’s just say, my world is a better place. The Cocoa Mirage palette is pretty much the standard matte shadow palette but BETTER. Perfectly curated and multi functional as this mixes great with any other TF palettes you may have. The light cream shade is my go-to brow highlight, there’s a perfect transition shade that’s not too warm, and also a shimmer shade thrown in just for variety. ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE if you are on the look out for a great everyday palette that delivers. Can’t recommend this enough!

That rounds up my list of favourites. Products i’ve used and loved! Unfortunately in terms of foundation & concealers I didn’t find anything new that was truly outstanding, therefore left out a fair few that I tested last year. What you see here is a brutally edited skinny version of what has been tested and I find to be A+!

xx.

Among all the spring beauty releases happening right now, there’s a surprise Tom Ford palette to be launched soon. It’s another Soleil Palette similar to ones launched during the holidays. Exquisitely packaged and just as gorgeous, it’s sure to disappear as fast!

At first glance it does look quite similar to the Warm palette as many of you had commented on the initial photo I posted on Instagram.

Here’s a closer look!

Each of these palettes come with 4 eyeshadows (in shimmer, satin & celestial finish) and a blush & highlight.

This new palette includes a peach blush with fine gold shimmer, a neutral pale yellow, a soft rosy brown celestial shimmer, a neutral light taupe-y brown, a deep satin brown and a pale pink highlight with fine silver shimmer.

All except the darkest eyeshadow shade swatched well with smooth application and good pigmentation. The deep brown was in comparison slightly drier. When tested out on the eyes I did not see any problem getting it to show up though which made up for the poor swatch.

The main difference I saw between previous palettes and this new addition is the blush was considerably more shimmery.

The Warm and Cool palettes seem to have a similar formula to Flush from the permanent line. While this is more along the lines of the Lovelust or Ravish. The result is more glowy.

Here’s a look at all three lined up! I believe the new Solar Exposure palette to be the ‘neutral’ palette. A well balanced mix of colours that don’t lean quite as warm or cool.

(All swatches taken on a primed arm in natural light near a window)

The differences between the palettes are quite obvious. As you can see even the highlight shade seen in the swatches show Solar Exposure to have a silver glow rather than a warm beige as the Warm palette.

Here’re a few extra swatches of the blushes and highlighters alone just so you see the subtle differences clearer.

Bottom Line

Quality wise, the palette is good! I didn’t see any shades perform badly. Although i’d have liked the darkest eyeshadow to swatch as well as the other three shadows.

What’s interesting to note is the darkest eyeshadow in all three palettes to be of similar formula. If you have already swatched or own the Warm or Cool palettes, you’d know what to expect.

Among the blushes, the Solar Exposure palette had the best finish in terms of colour a performance. It was blendable, smooth and easily buildable.

Final verdict, if you already own one of these palettes (specially the Warm) I don’t think having this as a second palette a must. No palette is a must have at SGD250 to be honest. More of a want i’d say. Though if you do have some extra cash to splash….. you know where to head to come February!

This February NARS introduced a new concealer to their line up of complexion products. A formula that promises the highest coverage with a natural-looking finish; a mix that’s hard to come by in the world of makeup!

Packaging

This new concealer comes packaged in a small acrylic pot with a screw top lid. It’s sleek, it’s sturdy and true to the typical NARS aesthetic.

Formula 

According to the press info at hand, this new concealer is an oil-free formula that blurs, conceals and smoothes out imperfections. There’s an Optimal Diffusion Powder that helps light diffuse just so that it instantly transforms the look of the skin to smoother and softer focus finish, skincare ingredients such as peptides to boosts collagen and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and soften skin for a healthier look.

The formula is velvety smooth when swatched. It blends easily and covers any imperfections with ease! I prefer this for the under eyes as it covers my dark circles like no other.

As with most concealers i’ve tested and used before this too creases quite easily. I blame the deep lines under my eyes. Nothing really is crease-proof on me, including the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer which I didn’t enjoy truth be told.

In general, formulas that set work best for me, and this does. The concealer stays in place and minimises further migration into wrinkles.

Longevity

Overall I find this the best wearing formula thus far. This concealer does.not.budge. It looks as fresh at the end of the day as when applied. My holy grail Clé de Peau concealer doesn’t beat the staying power of this.

On to some swatches of concealers currently in use.

The best colour match for me is the MUFE Ultra HD. Lightweight with medium coverage. And the closest corresponding shade in the NARS line up is Custard. However with the fuller coverage formula, it ends up looking too light on my medium olive skin. Therefore my best recommendation for NC 35 skin would be Macadamia or Ginger.

Here’s a before & after.

The overall look is a more even toned fresher, less tired face. In real life the effect is even more exaggerated.

Bottom Line

It does live up to the claim of extra EXTRA coverage with an undetectable finish, and even though this does crease on me i’m willing to let it slide (no pun intended) purely for the fact that it covers so well without looking cake-y AND lasts all day.

If you are looking for something for severe dark circles, this would be the best place to start. I hope you love this new concealer as much as I do!

Swatches! 

Pricing & Other Info

The Soft Matte Complete Concealer retails at SGD45 for 6.2g. Available at NARS boutiques and counters.

*Thank you NARS Singapore for the samples to test!

Later this week Tom Ford spring 2017 finally hits Singapore. A host of exciting new releases as well as newly reformulated blushes and shade extensions!

I was lucky to get a look at these gorgeous goodies earlier this week. Swatch, play and test run! Truth be told, Tom Ford releases are what I look forward to the most each season, there’s always something exciting and innovative and this season did not disappoint!

Among the new collection are two new Shade & Illuminate Cheek palettes, six Lip Contour Duos & three brand new Cheek Colours.

I’ll be focussing mainly on the Lip Contour Duos as they are limited edition, with a quick look and swatches of the rest.

No words needed, but these are the stuff of dreams! Absolutely stunning saturated shades from nudes to corals to pinks.

The packaging is identical in size and design to the blushes. Small, compact and easy to store. However as far as portability and application on-the-go is concerned, I find the applicator duo quite useless. The lip brush is sparse and doesn’t perform as well a regular lip brush would (colour applies rather streaky and uneven). I also instinctively shy away from sponges for sanitary reasons.

So far i’ve been using these with clean fingers. Plus I don’t really feel the need to touch up through the day so it’s been working out fine for me.

The lipsticks apply creamy and smooth as seen in the swatches above. What’s interesting though is they are ultimately matte! and set into a velvety finish. I believe this finish lends a modern edginess to the overall look created. Something unexpected and tasteful.

On a side note, I wouldn’t recommend these duos to anyone with dry, dehydrated or flakey lips. The formula isn’t hydrating (even though they apply creamy) and tends to emphasize flakes. 

So far my top pic would be Tantalize. The contrast between the shades allows endless possibilities. For an instance, a Korean ombre lip. Just fill in the entire lip with the lighter shade and dab on the bright coral in the middle and blend. Easy peasy!

P.S – For more pics of this collection & previews, join me here on Instagram!

Also exciting is the new blush line up, with all existing shades freshly reformulated. The most noticeable difference was that the shimmer content is now minimal and no longer have the ‘glowing from within’ look that TF blushes normally achieve. Overall they look matte/satin once swatched, with an exception to the shade Flush that is now satin with chunkier, noticeable shimmer.

The colours of the older shades do seem slightly different as well. Flush is noticeably more pink, with Ravish looking more brown as opposed to it’s usual rose tone (If you never owned the old Ravish, PICK IT UP NOW).

I haven’t had the opportunity to see all the reformulated shades (Frantic Pink, Love Lust & Savage are missing here), but overall I do believe the new blushes are slightly more powdery.

Here’re swatches of the three new shades alongside the (new) old ones.

Gratuitous (new)  is a mid tone plum in a satin finish.

Disclosure (new)  is a pink rose.

Inhibition (new) is  peachy nude.

Savage is a warm rust.

Wicked is a neutral mid tone pink.

Flush is a bright pink coral in a satin finish.

My top pick from the new blushes would be Inhibition. It fills the gap for a good everyday neutral. Literally love at first sight!

Bottom Line

It’s the Lip Contour Duos that are on my must-have list. Even though the palette form can be tricky to work with, the product alone screems high end, high quality, luxurious, which Tom Ford represents. Hypnotic colour that’s bold and audacious!

The pricing too make these even more tempting (SGD85), technically two lipsticks for the price of one.

The Shade and Illuminate duos (not featured in this post), were two blush & highlight additions to the existing Shade and Illuminate palettes. I found the colour very glossy and a little too sheer for my liking. My first impression, they aren’t must haves. Specially in the kind of humid weather we live in Asia, they run the risk of looking oily on the skin. I’ll be swatching and reviewing this separately after a longer test run, so stay tuned

Other Info

All products discussed here will be available at Robinsons Tom Ford counter on the 25th February with Tangs carrying the line from the 2nd March.

*I urge you to run, not walk to the counters to grab the Lip Contour Duos. LE products tend to disappear from the counters within a matter of hours, and these are too beautiful to pass up!

Among the many spring collections possibly the most exciting blush release has to be the new potted cream blushes by Clé de Peau. I managed to get my hands on these as soon as they hit counters and was pretty much all I wore when I travelled to Singapore and Venice. I love the ease of brush free application, plus these fit into the tiniest of makeup bags which is always a good thing! They just had to come with me.

Packaging

The packaging of these blushes are identical to their cream shadows. Small pots, but contain a fair amount of product (6g).

I like that the screw top is also quite secure, and judging from the cream shadows i’ve had for a few years now, it prevents the product from drying out.

Formula

Among the 4 shades available, the one that instantly caught my eye was the brightest!  Persimmon Orange! and since I’m a lover of pink, I decided to pick up Fig Pink as well. I literally could never walk away from a counter with just ONE blush.. Specially when it’s a new product release. Right?

I discovered the texture to be similar to the cream eyeshadows. They are balm like with amazing pigmentation. I believe it’ll take months of continuous use to make a sizeable dent in these and therefore, a product that will ‘last forever’!

The tiniest bit is required for a soft luminous blushing glow. I try to use as little as possible and build up from there. Luckily these blend very easily and any ‘clown cheeks’ can be fixed with some more blending and setting powder.

What I love about the formula is that the blush contains the finest shimmer, almost a sheen when applied. The result is a very healthy, natural look. The product does set, but doesn’t dry to a powder either so the sheen last throughout the day unless you decide to set it further with a powder or a powder blush to extend wear (although these last on their own quite well, and i’m talking aaaalllll day!).

Swatches!

Apart from the blushes I purchased, I also received a little sample of the 4th blush shade Peach Beige. Therefore included here!

Fig pink is a medium muted pink. Not too warm or rosy.

Persimmon Orange is a bright, almost neutral orange.

Peach Beige is a neutral rosy beige.

Here’s what a combination of Persimmon Orange and Fig Pink looks worn. I used the orange towards the outer corner of my cheek and the pink as a ‘pop’ towards the centre. (Please excuse my otherwise naked face, I always feel so weird without mascara.. )

I believe my mug shot captures the finish of these gorgeous blushes perfectly. They melt into the skin and look so natural!

Bottom Line

The Clé de Peau Cream blushes are absolutely wonderful. I would recommend them to anyone! And for the price you pay (SGD65) they will last quite a while.

My top recommendation would be Fig Pink, an elegant pink that looks great on it’s own to elevate the complexion. I also use this as a base under nude blushes too for an extra tint of pink. The result is very natural and long lasting.

P.S- a quick note for anyone sensitive to fragrance (me included) these cream blushes are quite heavily scented (to my dismay..) Although what’s great is this scent isn’t noticeable on application, it’s just lingers in the pot.

Availability

I purchased mine at the Tangs Clé de Peau counter. At the time all but shade 1 was sold out, but I hear they restock regularly.

Lastly, hope you found todays review useful, and happy mid week! ❤

Seeing upcoming MAC launches got me in the mood to blog again! It’s been quite a while since my last post, been busy with some stuff and the weekends have been family time.

Anyways, Monday seems to be the perfect time to have a little MAC-gasm. I hope you are ready to dive into June releases and summer is what it’s all about!

The collection sports the most amazing pop colours of yellow and baby pink. Unfortunately my preview samples weren’t in final packaging (only some as you see above).

Among the first products to catch my eye was the blushes, these were well pigmented and look nice worn. Obviously not groundbreaking shades but still worth a look me thinks

I’ve already tested both shades and the cool pink was my top pick. It instantly uplifts warmer complexions for a pop effect.

*Best for skintones under NC35.

My favourites of the collection are hands down the lipsticks. The texture was sublime! Especially the first peachy nude (Spotlight Me), long lasting and far less drying in comparison to other MAC lipsticks I wear on a regular basis.

Also making it to the must-haves list, A Killing Smile is one of those Relentlessly Red-esque shades that aren’t quite red but more of a brightened pink.

More on the lips! Here’s the Yoni Attraction lip palette.

The colours compliment a tan very well and therefore perfect for summer! Everything from pastel pinks to muted corals to hot bubblegum pinks. MAC’s got you covered. ❤

Not for the faint hearted and full of spunk!

Meet the eye duo Touch Me Baby, featuring MAC staple, Soba combined with a shimmering baby pink.

Soba, a classic paired with the shimmer shadow Keep On Twinkling makes for an interesting combo. I’d wear these as a defined crease with a extra sparkly pink lid.

The Dazzleshadow duo featuring Sparkling Moment & Let’s Boogie looks great as toppers (pair with some Fix + for extra intensity). Linking a review to this formula HERE.

Overall Thoughts

The packaging is gold! It’d be hard to pass up on some of these gorgeous products if you are a hardcore MAC addict.

My top picks are, the super awesome makeup bag which is also well made and exceptional quality, following the eyeshadow duo Touch me Baby & the lipstick Spotlight Me.

Collection Info

Releasing 1st June in Singapore.

Prices to be updated!

Today i’ll be discussing Su:m 37 skincare.

A premium Korean skincare brand that launched in Singapore this June.

Just over a month ago I attended their media preview, where I had the opportunity to try out the skincare & also learn about the process of fermentation and how it improves efficacy of skincare.

Su:m 37 prides itself in it’s natural fermentation process. Where ingredients are harvested seasonally and then put through a slow process of fermenting for a minimum of 365 days. The process of fermenting purify the raw ingredients creating properties safe for the skin and also micronises these actives into particles so small they absorb easily and drive deeper into the skin for faster, better results.

The products i’ve added to my skincare regime are the stars of their lineup. The Secret Essence & the Water-full Timeless Water Gel Cream. I’ve given these more than a month of testing and so far and the results have been pretty impressive.

The Secret Essence is basically your first step after toning. The product is thicker than other essences I’ve tried but absorbs instantly. Usually just two splashes is sufficient for my skins needs, pressed and patted directly onto the face.

I also love that the smell of Su:m 37 skincare is also very very pleasant. Nothing that you’d expect from fermented skincare. It’s a mild floral scent, the result of all the naturally harvested flowers and roots that goes into this potion. I can honestly say, I look forward to my skincare routine each morning/night. The experience is soo calming and truly luxurious.

Results

Within the time I was testing the two products, I’ve kept my routine very minimal. Partly cos I was travelling (still am) and therefore can’t pack tonnes of skincare. Also I didn’t want to corrupt my findings and mix in other products that might interfere with my review.

Overall the most noticeable difference is how smooth and even my skin looks now. There’s obvious luminosity, glow and skin texture is at it’s best I’ve seen all year! Of course a healthy diet plays a part and I have been extra healthy these days, but the glow and radiance can’t be from my food choices alone.

I notice my skin does look more hydrated and also plumper. I have had so many compliments on my skin lately even though I do suffer from the occasional hormonal break out.

Safe to say, The Secret Essence is now a product I can not live without.

Next up, the Water-full Timeless Water Gel Cream.

To seal in all that fermented goodness of the essence, an effective moisturizer is key! And the Su:m 37 Water Gel Cream really packs a punch. I never anticipated how super hydrating this light gel is. And even more surprising, the hydration this provided lasts and lasts.

All you need is a teeny tiny bit of the spatula (which is cleverly designed to magnetically attach itself to the lid) to seal in moisture.

I find it lightweight enough for the day time and also just hydrating enough for the night as well even though I sleep in an air conditioned environment that sucks all moisture.

I always, ALWAYS wake up with comfortable, bouncy skin.

Bottom line

What’s interesting is how fast you see results with this product. The active ingredients are obviously absorbing into the skin better.

If there’s one product you try from the line, let it be the Secret Essence. It’ll fit into your routine no matter what your skin concerns are. After all who doesn’t want luminous, even skin?!!!

Between these two products, I’ve seen my skin improve immensely and you can say I am a firm believer in Korean skincare now and will be adding a few more things into my routine soon!

Other Info

Su:37 is now available exclusively at Tangs Vivo City and 25^th July at Tangs Orchard.

*PR samples provided by Su:m 37 Singapore.

Pricing

Water-full Water Gel Cream – SGD108 for 50ml

Secret Essence – SGD108 for 80ml

The Chanel Les Beiges summer collection is something I look forward to each year. I just Love, love, LOVE the limited edition bronzers and all those gorgeous eyeshadow quads that hit the counters each summer.

You could imagine my excitement when Chanel decided to drop the cushion bomb this time around. It was a must-have-at-any-cost kind of situation, so I made a quick trip to the counter the second it landed.

The packaging is the same chic beige packaging of their Les Beiges collections although with a slightly bulkier box. Inside there’s a protective flap that keeps the foundation sealed in with a sponge securely fitting on top. Everything is just sleek and beautifully presented in a very elegant case.

What’s interesting about this Chanel cushion is that the foundation is dispensed through a mesh, not the typical sponge where the liquid is soaked in. This design is not uncommon but I do favour it over the sponge as it can be wiped clean with an antibacterial wipe now and then for sanitising.

According to Chanel Beauté, ‘the foundation is an aqua-gel foundation with a unique mesh delivery system. It provides natural, sheer medium buildable coverage. “Healthy Glow Booster” mineral pigments instantly deliver a fresh radiant glow. Together with soft-focus powders they create an optimal reflection of natural light for a more even-looking complexion along with visibly diminished colour and surface imperfections. Skin is luminous with a fresh, natural dewy finish. 

The water-based formula creates a moisture cushion on the surface of the skin for a refreshing sensation and unique texture with a Hyaluronic Acid derivative that helps provide comfort and hydration all day long.

The product is a very fluid formula, which feels quite watery on application. It also has a slightly cooling effect as mentioned above, which actually makes application quite refreshing. Once applied, the texture stays dewy and feels gel like and slightly tacky even after it has dried down and settled in.

I also like that the product is lightly scented with camellia, which is typical of most Chanel bases.

Personally I love this scent (even though I don’t favour scented products in general), it’s not powdery at all and feels very mild yet adds an element of luxury to the ‘chore’ of application!

The sponge that comes with the foundation is washable and quite good quality. I love that it can be used for on the go touch ups, though find it sheers out the coverage quite a bit in comparison to using a brush (which is my preferred method for a light to medium coverage). A gentle tap picks up enough product to saturate the applicator and blend in seamlessly. In the photo above i’ve used too much pressure, which is why the product is practically oozing out from the edges!

Application

I use a foundation buffing brush to apply this cushion. I find it’s easier to blend and also adjust the coverage. The sponge applicator absorbs quite a bit of the product as well, most of which never ends up on the face! Given this cushion foundation doesn’t come with an extra refill (as the Dior does) i’d like to be quite frugal with my new foundation!

There’s also the hygiene factor, and being a germaphobe, I can’t bare the thought of using a sponge more than once without a proper wash! Therefore a brush will continue to be my preferred method of application, of course cleaned after every use.

Coverage & Finish

In general without any layering, the cushion delivers a light to medium coverage. Anything over medium is a bit of a long shot.

I find it evens out the skin tone easily & covers redness for a glowy natural look. It is the most skin like finish i’ve ever seen.

Below is a quick comparison of my bare face / foundation + my usual Charlotte Tilbury powder. The finish before powdering looks almost wet, a very glowy K-beauty effect. Of course after setting (as seen in the ‘after’), it still retains the luminous sheen which is visible on the cheek.

The watery formula also makes blending very easy and perfect for days when you only have a few minutes to get ready. It’s next to impossible to get visible, unblended lines or uneven coverage. This formula is really idiot proof.

Here’s a quick look at some swatch comparisons.

As you can see the cushions are all deeper in colour than my regular Chanel Perfection Lumiere shades. Mostly because they all oxidise, including the Chanel.

I decided to pick up shade 40 in the cushion for the simple reason it’ll suit my tanned skin better once summer kicks in. Also I like the warmth. It doesn’t look muddy on my complexion and for now i’m pairing it with a slightly lighter setting powder.

Wear & Longevity

What I absolutely love about this foundation is that it survives well in warm conditions. Even though most foundations break down and get quite oily within a few hours of application, I find this to really last and keep looking fresh through the day without greasing up my t-zone or dehydrating my cheeks.

All the reasons why I believe this was absolutely created with summer in mind.

Other Observations

I find the packaging is quite good and doesn’t leak when travelling (I flew back home with this and not a drop had seeped out) and as long as the lid is firmly shut, the liquid should remain contained under the mesh. This makes it great for packing on beach vacays, gym bags and also your daily makeup pouch for touchups, any time anywhere.

Bottom Line

If a whole lotta coverage isn’t your primary requirement and have near flawless skin that requires very little coverage, this is for YOU. Also recommend it to anyone who prefers light coverage  (regardless of skin condition) & usually look for a glossy, dewy, skin like finishes.

This is honestly a great product to fake good skin! No one could tell i’m wearing foundation. Specially since you can always see your skin peeking through. This is as natural as it gets, but with some coverage just to look more polished. PERFECT for summer.

Ingredient List

Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polysorbate 85, Silica, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide (nano), Alcohol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, KA-lanchhoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Peg-240/HDI Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20-Ether, Phenooxyethanol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sobitan Laurate, Dimethicone, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfume (fragrance), Stearic Acid, Alumina, Tocopherol Acetate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xantham Gum, Aluminium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, BHT, Maltodextrin, Potasium Laurate, Tocopherol, [+/- (May Contain) CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77491,CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides),CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Mica

Pricing & Product Info

Chanel Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation retails at SGD 88 for 11g.

Currently available at all Chanel counters in Singapore.

It’s summer! And NARS is on top of the game with several enticing launches to get us through the hottest months of the year.

The collections have been steadily making their way to the counters, and by now everything i’m reviewing will already be in stores. As the current trend, i’m a little late, but hope this review and swatches will be helpful nonetheless!

The collections for summer 2017

Floral Redux Collection (June) 

2 Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Sets in Tribulation & Mustang (SGD90 each)

Fox Dancer Mini Multiples Coffret (SGD70)

Angel Pride Cheek Palette (SGD110)

Highlighting & Bronzing Collection (July) 

Bord De Plage Palette (SGD90)

3 Velvet Shadow Sticks in shades, Corfu, Nepal & Dark Angel (SGD45 each)

Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer Collection (June)

4 shades –  Seaside, Laguna, Casino & Falaises

Kicking off with the hottest item from summer… the highlighter/bronzer palette Bord de Plage that’s practically on everyones wish list!

This palette comes with 4 gorgeous highlighters and two bronzers.

Rivage is a ivory with a silver opalescence, Crique is a pale gold, Corniche is an oyster pink with cool silver opalescence and Galet is a warm coppery gold. On my tan medium complexion the colours that work best are Corniche & Crique. Don’t think i’d be dipping into Galet much often as I noticed the base colour shows up way too gold and dark on my skin.

These new highlighters come in a new water activated formula, where a wet brush would transform it to a molten metallic look that’s absolutely mind blowing. If you prefer your highlighters more discrete, wearing this dry with a very light hand would be my recommendation, although overall, I still find this to be quite intense even applied dry (as seen in the swatches).

The bronzers included in here make for a good travelling, however for daily use i’d still prefer a full sized pans as these strips don’t accommodate my regular bronzing brushes without sneaking into the highlighter pans. The formula is a soft matte, that bronzes the skin with a very natural finish. The powder is harder pressed but I find they are undetectable on the skin and never look powdery or artificial.

Along with the palette there’s three new shades of Velvet Shadow Sticks launching as well. I have two to share with you today.

Nepal which is a satin warm pink and Corfu, a shimmering taupe.

I find this particular cream shadow great as a base/primer for powder eyeshadows. They are easy to apply, set quickly and hold makeup in place for hours!

Worn on their own, I always see some creasing, and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with oily lids unless you plan on setting with a translucent powder. It’s a matter of taking precautions to ensure longevity.

Between the two shades, Nepal’s too close to my skin tone to show up on my lids. I do enjoy the warmth this gives the eyes but most likely wouldn’t purchase this for myself. I’d go for Corfu instead, which is a great everyday shade with just enough shimmer to keep the eyes interesting and elegant.

Next up, the mini multiples of the Fox Dancer coffret.

If a full sized multiple is something you’d never use up, this cute limited edition set of minis is the perfect solution!

The kit comes with 4 shades ranging from a pink champagne to a striking raspberry red to warm terracotta .

The colours blend beautifully onto the skin for a natural dewy glow that’s ideal for summer. Skin looks fresh, glowy & youthful.

I love that the mix of colours make it wearable for all skin tones. Although on their own, a majority of the shades work better for paler skin types. This is when you get creative and mix your own colours and i’ve been loving Remember Me and Fox Dance as a duo. It also helps blend the more ‘scary’ shades better for a wearable day time look.

My preferred method of application is just patting and blending with the fingertips though with Fox Dancer I use a foundation buffing brush (with synthetic bristles) better suited for a soft diffused look.

Here’s one more look at this stunning coffret.

Last but not least, the Mustang Velvet Lip Pencil kit.

A set of 4 matte lippies in a red colour scheme that’s got you covered no matter what your red lipstick mood might be.

As seen below, everything comes neatly packed in a pretty vinyl pouch which makes for easy storage and also doubles up as a summer makeup bag.

Here’s a closer look at the pretty shades!

Left to right there’s Lesbos, a warm bright red, Bonifacio a deeper berry red, Rouge Immortel a muted coral red and Rouge Palatin a carnation pink.

If you are a long term reader of BubblyMichelle you’d know the NARS Velvet Lip Pencils are one of my all time favourite formulas. They are ultra comfortable on the lips and very long lasting. The pigmentation is always superb too and apply smoothly for a matte formula.

Within the set, I have found a new favourite, Lesbos which will be my go-to summer red!

On to some swatches!

Lastly a look I created with this collection!

The whole focus is on the bright lip (Lesbos) and limited work on the eyes.

For highlight i’ve used Crique mixed in with a little bit of Rivage. It’s lightly dusted on the top of my cheekbones and bridge of my nose.

Bottom Line

The palettes and value sets are my top recommendation. Specially the mini Multiples which I believe will be absolutely well loved this summer.

Bord de Plage is also an excellent buy if you don’t already own Blanc de Sable from a few months back.

Do you think you’ll be picking up anything from the collection? Do share your favourites in the comments below!

Packing just the bare essentials into a pouch that’s small enough to fit in your hand bag can be quite the task. Especially if you find yourself catching a long haul flight for the very first time.

To make sure my complexion looks healthy and vibrant when I disembark, the first thing I do after take off is to cleanse and prep my skin for the dry cabin air.

I pack a mini cleanser like the Nutritious Radiant Vitality Foam Cleanser from the Nutritious Vitality 8 line. It gets the makeup off and leaves skin clean for all other skincare.

For toner, I take the Nutritious Vitality8 Radiant Energy Mist. The packaging is super convenient for travel (just 30ml) and I absolutely love how uplifting and refreshing it smells.

Also keep this at hand for spritzing throughout the journey so my skin doesn’t get dehydrated.

To keep the eyes nourished as well, pack your regular eye cream. Whether you’ll be travelling day or night, the conditions inside an airplane call for something nourishing. Fitting into my little pouch, is this Resilience Lift Firming Sculpting Eye Cream. It ensures the under eyes don’t get dehydrated, and has a light texture that absorbs fast!

*If you are travelling soon, check out the value set (of two 30ml) of the Resilience Lift Firming Sculpting eye cream that’s exclusive to Shilla Duty free & www.ishopchangi.com

Finally, to keep the skin nourished and hydrated I put on a moisturiser, or better, a sheet mask while I catch a movie on the inflight entertainment system. Just 10 mins is all it takes to ensure you look rested when you land.

The Advanced Night Repair Power-foil Mask is an excellent choice (check my review here). Once removed, the deeply hydrating serum will continue to soothe & repair your skin while you catch some zzzzzzz….

30 minutes before landing I like to do a quick touch up. My skin is already plump and rested and doesn’t need much to look healthy so I use something like the Global Anti-aging Wake Up Balm. Not only does it prep skin for any base (as a primer would), but also has illuminating ingredients for a radiant finish so my skin looks glowy.

Lastly, I put on some light makeup, usually just the brows and lipstick or even a cream blush to look healthy and glowy!

Do you have any favourite items you travel with? Please do leave a comment below! ❤

*In collaboration with Estée Lauder. PR samples included.

It’s been a year since the initial Victoria Beckham x Estée Lauder collaboration and guess the excitement hasn’t died yet.

In my review of the last launch I mentioned it was possibly the best makeup launch of the year. And I stick to my guns when I say, this year was just as GOOD!

With the addition of new and exciting products, I was (and many of you) have been waiting eagerly to get busy applying this loveliness on our faces.

So luckily (lucky me) press goodies arrived just in time, and I packed all my new VB and took it along on holiday this summer for a full 2+ weeks of testing!

From last years launch my top favourites were the Eye Metal in Bitter Clove, the Eye Kajal Duo Black Saffron/Vanille and the Modern Mercury Highlighter (Click here for the reviews).

Which explains why I practically leaped in joy to see new additions to the Eye Metals and Kajals!

This year I received, The Skin Perfecting Powder, Eye Kajal Duo in Java/Vanille, Eye Foil in Blonde Gold, Eye Matte Duo in Noir/Vanille, and the gloss in Desert Heat.

Skin Perfecting Powder. A translucent powder that sets makeup, blurs pores for a smooth airbrushed effect.

Eye Kajal Duo Java/Vanille. A dual ended kajal with medium brown and peachy beige.

Eye Foil Blonde Gold. A shimmering liquid champagne gold for a high metal shine.

Eye Matte Duo. A deep black and cream matte shadow.

Lip Gloss Desert Heat. A neutral brown nude.

From last year to this year, packaging changed slightly. Instead of the ridged matte black, we now have a pebbled leather effect on all but one of the powder products. Standing alone, the Skin Perfecting Powder released in a weighty gold (metal) case, obviously appealing to the customer with expensive taste.

The Eye Foil Blonde Gold was repackaged into a pot rather than the initial lip gloss style tube. Even though I’ve had mixed feelings on this change, I do love that the new packaging allows a lot more product to be picked up one go; for an even INTENSE metal look.

It’s the perfect topper to enhance your evening eye makeup! Therefore, still madly in love with this unique product.

Among the new releases, the Eye Kajal Duo Java/Vanille was a sure shot winner. I loved the first release in Black Saffron.

On first swipe I was relieved that the formula hadn’t changed. It’s as silky and smooth as the black and just as smudge-able. Since my daily look involves smudged brown liner, this was obviously my new go-to

below I put together a bunch of my (best) black and brown liners for comparison. As you’ll see, the warmth and tones are different in every one.

My initial thoughts on the colour was that the red undertones were too pronounced. Although since I do wear my VB Kajals as a base for eyeshadow I find this works really well smudged closer to the lash line and topped with my new favourite bronzy brown shadow (Dior fall 2017 Bronze), a deep brown with warmth and soft red shimmer.

Bottom line, these kajals were made for smudging (for a worn in look), as the Tom Ford eyeliners which I also adore. Oily eye lids will most certainly need a primer before these go on and setting with a translucent powder or brown eyeshadow is recommended.

Among the mix of newness, the new lip gloss Desert Heat was somewhat of a let down. Although the colour was quintessentially Victoria, the formula looked and feels quite regular. Overall, if this was blind tested, i’d probably assume it was ANYTHING but a Victoria Beckham gloss. The faint vanilla scent is quite regular, the wear was regular and it did migrate like any regular gloss would.

My thoughts are, unless you love a nude gloss and can’t have enough, probably skip this. I most likely would not reach for it as often as my Brazilian Nude lipstick, which is pricey but fully worth the money in my opinion.

Onto more exciting things! The Skin Perfecting Powder was the jewel of the collection, quite literally! The metal gold packaging, so weighty and luxe, it just appeals to every luxury makeup collector.

What I love is that it does feel (and look) very much like something Victoria Beckham would use daily, a wonderfully rare expensive powder that makes you look like a superstar!

But is it?

What I can say is, in comparison to other translucent (colourless) powders, this doesn’t over mattify or dry out skin or emphasize flakes. It’s a very sheer powder, just enough to set makeup and leave a slight sheen. The finish is quite sublime. I would recommend this to anyone without major sebum issues, specifically for dry and normal skin types.

As a person with combination skin, I feel it doesn’t work hard enough to keep the oil under control. However, that being said, I do love it and use it most days, simply for the fact that it doesn’t make my skin look white (as most other translucent powders do) and blurs out the pores and other little lines around my face.

Ingredient list,

Zea Mays (Corn) starch. Nylon-12. Polymethylsilsesquioxane.zinc stearate. caprylic/capric triglyceride. Isostearyl Neopentanoate. Silica. Caprylxl Glycol. Hexylene Glycol. Phenoxyethanol. [+/- Mica. Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891). Iron Oxides (CI 77492). Iron Oxides (CI 77491). Iron Oxcides (CI 77499)] <ILN43787>

Last but not least, an entirely new product by Victoria. The Eye Matte Duos.

For testing I received Noir/Vanille. My usual smokey eye combo in the smallest palette ever.

As far as matte black shadows go, the texture was quite good. It didn’t feel dry to the touch and quite pigmented as would a high end shadow. The beige too, of similar quality, very silky to the touch and not at all patchy.

I believe the overall quality to be good. Packaging wise too, easily fits into a makeup bag and ideal for touchups.

However, I do own a load of other matte blacks and matte beiges… therefore do I really need it? The answer is, probably not. Although if you do fancy your smokey eye duo in fancy packaging, this would be the ideal choice!

Something extra special, to have and to hold.

Now on to a quick look I did while in Mykonos Of course my beach look is very simple, but I used the beautiful Java Kajal duo as the star of my makeup, so you see how I normally wear this!

Bottom Line

From what i’ve tested I believe the Eye Kajal Duos to be my favourites. Even though I don’t use blues much, I need to get my hands on the Saphir/Vanille duo as well before it sells out! It’s a great product and in my humble opinion, and a worthy addition to any makeup bag!

Also on the ‘love list’ is the Eye Foils in the new packaging. I apply these with my fingers, and like that I can pick up more product than before (as opposed to the old wand type applicator). Such a great way to add extra oomph to simple golden eye looks when I wear red lipstick! If you generally opt for minimal eye makeup this is a fool proof way to amp it up and look like a pro.

P.S- Do check out this review for Blonde Mink (cream blush) which is on my shopping list as well!

Pricing & Availabilty

This time around the Victoria Beckham x Estée Lauder collection will be retailing exclusively at Sephora Singapore.

Eye Foils – SGD70

Eye Kajal Duo – SGD58

Lip Gloss – SGD55

Skin Perfecting Powder – SGD102

Eye Matte Duo – SGD85

Each year, the beginning of the festive season is marked by the viewing of the NARS Holiday Collection. It’s the BEST NARS launch of the year, featuring loads of exciting gifting options offering a variety of colours and possibilities. To me it’s quite literally Christmas coming early, the opportunity to swatch all the new products with the NARS team early October!

This year François Nars offers a collection that’s inspired by Man Ray. An American visual artist who’s renowned for his photography. His artistic captures adorn the gifting collection with elements of his work running through the packaging. Beautiful makeup wrapped in the best way possible!

Since i’m planning on sharing some reviews and a makeup look later on, i’ll be keeping this post pretty brief, containing mostly swatches from the preview and some first impressions. Just enough to get your wishlist finalised so you won’t miss out on the best bits when it launches Nov 1st!

As always the NARS holiday launch is a formidable one. The Colour Collection featuring sultry plummy burgundy eyes with bright cheeks, and intense lip lacquers to tie this glamourous look together.

Among the most highly anticipated products is the new lip embossed highlighter, Double Take. An all new formula by NARS. If highlighters are your weakness, you should know this looks like liquid metal! A powder formula that swatches as smooth as a cream!

If the cool lip embossing hadn’t sucked you in, rest assured this outstanding formula will win you over. What you see here is one swipe that’s incredibly pigmented & ultra smooth!

Moving on to the eyeshadows. There’s two options to choose from. Debauched containing a satin plum & deep aubergine (with violet micro glitter) and Montparnasse with a pale satin gold and burgundy combo.

The colours aren’t exactly new or groundbreaking, but the formula of the two were quite good. Between them, Montparnasse swatched better with a smoother finish, giving you a more classic eye look for the festivities. Debauched on the other hand delivers a more smokier eye, perfect for the daring NARSissist.

For lining the eyes, this collection includes two ultra smooth Velvet Eyeliners, my eyes went straight to Nagoya. A rather unique shade of purple. I love that it was a cream finish with zero shimmer. Just a statement colour to create some drama.

Santiago too was of excellent quality. Both in fact make wonderful additions to any makeup collection! You won’t be disappointed with these.

……moving on to some cheeky goodness! Intenstly & Fetishized.

The blushes had to be the most interesting offerings of the collection. There’s a pale matte orange (so fun and cheery colour for fairer skin tones) and a vivid satin coral pink.

Both swatch smooth and with good payoff.

Last but not least, a new formulation of gloss for intense shine and maximum impact!

Ranging from the rather unique sheer gold to shocking pink, to the nudes and vampy reds, Nars pretty much covered all bases.

If I had to pick one though, it’s Off Limits for me. The intense colour and fun sparkle is always a good choice when it comes to Christmas parties.

Added bonus, it’s guaranteed to stand out from the usual reds that everyone else will be wearing!

Also in a seasonal special edition packaging is this years Audacious Lipstick shade, Anita. It was the first product I reached for and best believe, this one’s a must have!

Anita is part of the initial Audacious launch, therefore an existing shade, which also happens to be a best seller. I didn’t swatch this, but there’s swatches a plenty on the net. Including my very first Audacious lipstick post from 3 years ago!

Next up, my favourite part of the launch! The Gifting Collection!

As always, showcasing amazing artwork by the featured artist, in this case, Man Ray. The palettes seen here are The Veil, Love Game and Glass Tears. Two for the eyes and one complexion palette.

My first pick of the palettes would be Love Game. A stunning mix of neutrals combined with jewel tones. A palette that’ll take you from day to night!

All shades swatched with good payoff, including the mattes. They’ve obviously perfected the formula over the years!

Here’s a look at swatches.

Next up, The Veil. A combination of a bronzer, blush and highlight.

If you feel the need for an all in one palette, the Veil would be your best bet. A complexion mix that should work great on fair to medium tones. My favourite would have to be the highlighter, Surreal. It’s slightly more rose tone in comparison to Double Take. If you plan on getting The Veil and Double Take, you wouldn’t necessarily be duplicating the highlighter.

Among the three powders in here, everything but the bronzer swatched with intense pigmentation! Please note the bronzer is the newer formula which is a sheerer build-able colour.

Adding more options for the eyes is the Glass Tears palette.

Filled with sultry smoky shades, (a palette that’s ideal for evening makeup looks). There are two mattes (the cream & black) with 4 shimmery satin shades. They all swatch pretty impressive and would highly recommend this if you do wear bolder eye make up!

Next up, The Kiss. A golden pouch containing 4 new Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. Unfortunately I hadn’t snapped a pic of the pouch.. but here’re the swatches!

My eye instantly went to the gorgeous shimmering pink! Are you Spellbound too?? How amazing would this look with smokey eyes? (insert multiple heart eye emojis!)

If a unique collectible is what you are after, I’ve saved the best for last. Two gorgeous lipstick coffrets in a stunning magnifying case.

There’s a set of neutrals and a mix of reds to choose from. Both equally enticing to me!

That rounds up all the swatches for the Holiday Preview.

There were also mini stocking stuffer kits containing minis of NARS best sellers which I never swatched. I shall share those on Instagram later on!

Top Picks

The best buys from this collection would be the Double Take highlighter, the Love Game palette which is excellent quality (and value) and the Audacious Lipstick Coffrets (which happen to be limited to very few pieces). You might want to snap them up as they land. The packaging it definitely something special!

So far the release dates are 1st Nov, with a  majority of the collection available at the stand alone boutique at Takashimaya. Come Wednesday, run, not walk!

Tom Ford Fall 2017 is an exciting one! Be it dressing up the eyes with the new Private Shadows or choosing the perfect Kohl eyeliner to suit your mood. The Eyes Of Tom Ford gives women a range to express her mood with the looks she creates.

The shadows are created with the Tom Ford colour palette to deliver a luxurious look, wether you go for vibrant bold colour or subdued neutrals.

If the words ‘limited edition’ make you giddy with excitement, you are in for a treat! These single shadows come in 30 shades.

Choosing favourites doesn’t get any easier as there’re 5 different finishes to choose from!

Ultra Suede – Completely matte

Suede Finish – Demi matte

Sateen Finish – Lustrous pearl with a glowing sheen

Vinyl Finish – Highly pearlised metallic chrome

Pailette – Glittery pearl

As you can see the colour range is pretty wide. Literally something for everyone. Warm neutrals, pale pinks, deep burgundy to teals (featured below is just 12 of the 30 to be released).

At the time of preview there were only 12 shadows available for swatching. None of the  glitters were in sadly (which was what I was looking forward to the most!) However what was available did not disappoint.

On to swatches!

Silverscreen (sateen finish) – A deep steel grey with a high pearlised finish. (One of the best shades in terms of pigmentation and texture)

Nightcast (ultra suede) – The blackest matte black.

Purple Reign (vinyl finish) – A medium opalene purple. Contains a very soft silvery blue sheen.

Videotape (suede finish) – A deep burgundy with the finest silver and pink glitter.

Smoked Opaline (sateen finish) – A pearlised dull khaki green.

Photographic (vinyl finish) – A high pearlised teal blue.

Vertigo (ultra suede) – A neutral medium grey. (the swatch seen here is distorted, the true colour is a neutral grey)

Naked City (ultra suede) – A light cream with good pigmentation.

Hush (suede finish) – a light pink in a soft satin finish.

Exposure (sateen finish) – A light pearlised pink with good pigmentation.

Loveshade (suede finish) – A soft burnished rose.

Warm Leatherette (vinyl finish) – A golden bronze.

Of the twelve shadows I swatched, the ones that stood out were, Photographic, Silverscreen & Nightcast in that order. Exposure was also a colour worth a mention as the texture was quite nice and pigmented.

Overall I really liked the pigmentation of the deeper, more vibrant shades. The lighter colours were somewhat underwhelming to me. However this is purely my personal opinion based on the fact that lighter shades could be easily duped as the pigmentation or formula of those were not exactly extraordinary.

Next in the collection are the newly repromoted Kohl Intense pencils. I’m already a fan of the existing formula and the addition of new shades sparked my interest!

Swatches!

The new shades are Tourmaline and White Smoke. Both a matte finish.

Overall the quality of these are soft & smudge-able. A formula that can be smoked out for a beautiful sultry look.

Last but not least, three new, limited edition mascaras. Each of them designed to create a distinctive lash look.

For lashes with a heavy, lofty, featherlike effect Shutter Lash Mascara is the one. The customised dual fibre brush helps add volume to achieve maximum lash impact! I believe the formula also includes tiny fibres to bulk up the lashes to a full look.

For defined, and well separated lashes, there’s the new Fullscreen Lash Mascara. It’s unique brush design uses a mix of fibres to coat lashes from root to tip for length and separation. If you already have dense lashes and looking for definition and length this is for you!

The mascara that sparked the most interest though was the Spike Lash Mascara. Featuring a moulded wand that creates a spiked lash effect as though ‘risen from the water’. The wand pulls the lashes together for an editorial, wet lash look.

Here’s a closer look at all three side by side!

Overall the collection is a winner in my opinion. I just love the fact that there’s such a extensive selection dedicated solely for the eyes. If you love playing up the eyes like I do, it’s pretty much irresistible.

Some concerns that I did have though were, how often do we reach for single eyeshadows? As a makeup junkie I do tend to go for the palettes more. That being said, I also do enjoy collecting single shadows that are accent shades (such as Photographic) that I might not have in my massive collection of neutral palettes. Therefore, the Pailette shades and the Vinyls would be worth swooping in on me thinks.

Also another great way to shop is singling out the ‘lid shades’. Colours that you generally like to wear as an all over lid option for day to day. Won’t it just be useful to have a few in singles? I tend to do this with Dior Mono Shadows. Having single lid shades in singles just makes sense!

As for the khols, the TF ones in particular make for great bases when doing smokey eyes. They smudge so well and blend out like a dream. Whatever you put on top just grabs on to the creamy formula for a long lasting makeup look. My top recommendation is my favourite shade Espresso. This is my go-to liner in most of my daily eye looks. I smudge this very close to the lash and top with a single eyeshadow and I am done! I love that this brown is not red toned or too light. It’s my favourite brown liner of all time.

Prices & Launch Dates 

The collection is said to launch later this week.

The Private Shadows (LE) will retail at SGD50, Kohl Intense at SGD52 and mascaras (LE) at SGD70.

P.S- I’ll be sharing an eye look with my selection of Private Shadows later this week! So check back or subscribe to be notified when I post! xx