Haul and Review: Spoilts from Guerlain and Paul and Joe

This can be considered my first makeup haul of the year and i am proud of myself for being able to resist the temptations for that long, plus i am very happy with my purchases as well.

My most recent haul- Mainly Paul and Joe items and 1 Guerlain.

Paul and Joe makeup items- 3 eyeshadows and 1 blusher. 

 Paul and Joe- Toner and Cleansing Milk.

As we all know, Paul and Joe has pulled out of Singapore since end March, it's a shame that beauty brands are moving out due to the lack of critical mass (demand) to support their presence (we saw IPSA moving out previously and now Paul and Joe, one can't help but ponder who's next?)

So, i took this chance to try out more of their skincare products that i am new to (reviews coming but not so soon), i will be quite sad if i were to like them enough to want to repurchase them afterwards.

 Paul and Joe Nail care oil.

 List of Ingredients.

 The bottle of Nail care oil- in signature Paul and Joe nail polish bottle.

The Nail care oil is packaged in the signature P&J nail polish bottle with the orange flower motiff, it has a pleasant scent and the texture of the oil is actually thicker than what i am used to using (OPI's Avoplex nail and cuticle replenishing oil), furthermore it felt a little sticky to me.

I will go back to it and see if it will grow on me as time passes by, though i doubt so.

 Paul and Joe Face Color- Blusher.

 List of ingredients.

 The pretty packaging that caught my eyes.

 2 tone blusher in 18.

 Left to right: More berry rose pink and light pink.

 Paul and Joe Face Color #18.

This would be my 2nd P&J face color, i would say the coloring of this blusher is actually a little out of my safe zone, it leans more in the favour of fair and cool toned beauties (see the swatches below) but i am giving it a shot as it seems to be quite usable if i use it with care (i am thinking of using it with MAC's 187 Duo fibre brush which seems to work when i am using more pigmented blushers). The texure of the blusher is soft and pigmentation is not a problem, it does not contain any shimmer. I like a variety and this is a nice addition to my collection if i may say so.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow singles.

I have walked pass P&J's counter countless times, yet i never felt drawn to their eye colors (i wonder why myself too.... perhaps its too sweet and cute, i felt out of place?). This could very well be one of the those last chances that i can lay my hands on them and i am so glad i did this time round. I was pleasantly surprised by their buttery soft formula and that it glides on the skin beautifully.

Pigmentation is very decent, not the most intense i have encountered but nice overall, though #03 gold is a little less pigmented compared to the other 2. I think this is the revamped range of eyeshadows, if i recall correctly the previous eyeshadows are larger in the pan.

I have picked "safe" colors (those that are tried and tested to work on me) and i am glad i did as i can am already reaching out for them everyday for almost a week).

Each eye color contains 1.1g/ 0.03 oz of product which is slightly lesser than MAC's (1.3g). In terms of pricing, P&J's is S$25.00 while MAC's is S$28.00 ( ? ). P&J's is a wee more expensive that MAC's probably by only a few cents.

In this instance, i am really sad to see P&J pulling out of Singapore.

 Light pink beige with subtle pearlescent shine.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #11.

 Pearlescent gold without the glitter chunks.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #03.

 Warm toned medium brown with a hint of shimmer.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #17.

 Swatches L-R: Paul and Joe face color in #18, self select eye color in #03, #11 and #17.

 A closer look at the Eyeshadow singles or eye colors.

 Guerlain Ecrin 4 couleurs Eyeshadow palette.

Guerlain..... Guerlain...... I can't help but to be drawn to you everytime.

This time, i behaved myself and only gotten myself 1 eyeshadow palette from Guerlain, yes! Its from the Holiday Collection last year.

Sleek and luxurious packaging, gorgeous colors.... nothing less is to be expected from this high-end makeup brand.

It is no surprise that i am very much captivated by this palette, first of all the packaging...... it is a improved packaging if you asked me. The large pan surface meant that one can sweep her brush over each color more easily.

While the colors are not terribly unique (except perhaps the aqua turquoise above the navy blue), there are dupes available for the other colors elsewhere. But what sealed the deal for me is the PIGMENTATION!

They are INTENSE!!! Totally love the color payoff.

 #10, Les Ombres De Nuit (Limited Edition from Guerlain's 2011 Holiday Collection).

 The sleek packaging.

 Contains a total of 7.2g/0.25 oz of product.

 A closer look at the palette.

 Swatches L-R: A Shimmery Grayish Silver, a Light Aqua Turquoise, a Rich Blue (reminds me of OPI's You yoga-ta get this blue but less intense), a matte black (the only matte color in the palette).

All in all, a great haul for this year!



Haul: The object of my Desire....Guerlain Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder and Blush

How can i possibly forget this beauty..... waiting to join the others in my beloved stash?

LOTD: Hybrid of Guerlain 160 Plus Que Jamais Rose and 121 Orange Encore

Happy Chinese New year to those who celebrate this festive season!

After all that spring cleaning (which is decluttering for me mostly) and preparation for Chinese New Year, contemplating of what look i should wear on the first day of Chinese New Year is a headache to me. This is especially so since i have been tidying the house non stop for the past few days and having to stay awake as long as i can the previous night, which is "shou ye" (a chinese tradition whereby the children would stay awake as late as they can so that they can enchance longevity of their parents).

I looked tired in the morning of the first day of Chinese New Year (obviously lacking sleep), and that.... no amount of miracle foundation or highlight powder can bring me back my radiance. : (

I am desperate to look alive that morning, so i figure the best way to go about it is to be extremely lighthanded when it comes to foundation application (before that, moisturiser for sure), a light pink blusher (i chose NARS Oasis), highlighter (The Bodyshop's Bronze shade: Warm Glow), loose powder (RMK in N00), kept my eyemake up to the minimal and some warm coloured lipstick.

Having to go though the my makeup stash in the morning is not a fun thing, when i finally to made my choice, it would be between Guerlain's 160 Plus Que Jamais Rose and 121 Orange Encore, which i find the former too blue based and the latter a tad too overwhelming for my minimalist look in the morning.

What to do?

I start to get creative.

Blending 60 % of 121 Orange Encore and 40% of 160 Plus Que Jamais Rose, what do i get?

A lovely 137 Ma Belle Corail (i named it for the fun of it : ) ), that is actually flattering on my skin tone and makes me look alot less tired.

 The Guerlain Kiss Kiss Extreme Lip series......

 160 Plus Que Jamais Rose- a cool slightly lilac tone pink.

 Actual 160 against my palm.

 121 Orange Encore - a bright orange red, almost fiery.

 Actual 121 against my palm.

 Swatches L to R: 121 Orange Encore, 160 Plus Que Jamais Rose and 137 Ma Belle Corail.

A photo of how it looked in the morning (please excuse me for the lighting).

 I say it made my smile looks better. Ha!

And yes, 137 Ma Belle Corail brighten my skin tone quite a fair bit too.

The swatches as you can see are swatched the next day, i would say it looks quite close to the photos i have taken of my lip colour on that day. I guess, i put on slightly more Orange Encore that morning.

I am not saying that this is a unique shade of lipstick, just that sometimes when we are at our wits end and nothing seem to be able to work for us , solution found its way to us sometimes. Its more of like i have gotten more bangs for my bucks... 3 colours for the price of 2...heheh...

In this case, i love the hybrid too much, which i think i will start to wear my 160 and 121 this way. : )

How do you get creative with your current stash?

Do share if you would like to : ) 

Family of Guerlain Eyeshadow Palettes...

Yes, this post is entirely about eyecandies..... whenever i am feeling down, usually a peek at the beauties in my makeup drawers will manage to lift up my spirits somehow...

Am i mad, obssessed, a hoarder or what..... probably all of the above... and so for those who are a little down in spirits, i do hope these will cheer you up a wee bit as they do to me. : )

The Guerlain Eyeshadow family...

I didn't realise that the compacts were of different colours until now.

Guerlain Terre Indigo 4 shade eyeshadow- Limited edition (Summer 2011 Inca Collection).

Guerlain 408 Jeu D'Ombrelles- Limited edition (Spring 2010 Cherry Blossom Collection).

Guerlain 410 Velours Dór- Limited edition (Holiday 2010 Les Ors Collection).

Guerlain 404 Paradis Exotique- Limited edition (Spring 2009 Exotic Paradise Collection).

Guerlain 400 Fleur De Feu- Limited edition (Spring 2008 The Guerlain Woman Collection).

Guerlain 490 Turquoise Cendre- Permanent range (first introduce in the Spring 2008 The Guerlain Woman Collection).

These Lovelies were acquiried as i continue my journey into the world of beauty from 2009 and i do remember fondly my very first Guerlain eyeshadow palette being the Guerlain 404 Paradis Exotique- Limited edition (Spring 2009 Exotic Paradise Collection).

I was deeply impressed by the vibrant colours and the silky colour pigment and subsequently sinking deeper and deeper into the realm of beauty products with intricate packaging and quality which fascinate me time and again.

And so... my journey in the world of beauty is nowhere near its end.....