Review and FOTD: Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Blossom

Hauling... there are just some days that you feel like nothing but to haul.

Okie, here's my most recent cosmetic hauling, a very small but quality haul. : )

I present Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in No. 5 Blossom.

                                Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Blossom, 7g or 0.24oz.

                                                         Light Glow in No. 5 Blossom.

                                                  The iconic design, velvet-like pouch.

                                The details that the people at Burberry pays attention to.... : )

                                                                       Just Gorgeous.

                                                                 A Close look at the blush.

      The brush that comes with the blusher is not too bad, good if you are touching up outside.

                                                 One gentle swipe with my MAC129.

               After a whole day's work (8 to 9 hours later), i used 1 swipe on each side of the cheek.

Note:I usually go for the neutral and "try to have good complexion" kind of look as my company would not take certain look too well.

                                           The troop of makeup that i use in the morning.

The bases (L-R): RMK Pressed Powder in 04, RMK Smoothing Polished Base, RMK Liquid Foundation in 104 and Creamy Makeup base in 02.

Stila Eyeshadow Palette (forgot the name, it's a neutral palette), Clinique Lash Power Mascara in Black Onyx, The Bodyshop Brow & Liner Kit in 02 and Maquillage.

                        Highlighter: Chanel Empreinte de Chanel (used on top of the cheeks sparingly).

L-R: MAC 219, MAC 217, The Bodyshop Liner Brush, Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush and MAC 129.

Well... well... well, i have heard so much rave about the quality of Burberry's makeup line and so now here's my humble take on the Blusher (the one item that interest me most, and the liquid foundation would come a close second).

Packaging is something that Burberry did very well in this aspect, the cloth cover and the metallic casing with the house's signature design simply ooze high-end, especially the lid is held closed with magnetic strip.

In terms of texture, the blusher is extremely soft and well...... buttery. It makes the picking up of powder a breeze, a very gentle swipe of my brush and what i get is well enough for 1 application. Impressive.What's more, the plaid design does not disappear that easily, i have been using it almost everyday (except my off-work days), it is still very much intact.

Colour payoff is something i would be quite concern about, considering that i am rather tan and most blushers would not show up that nicely on me. I realised my worries were actually unfound. The pigmentation of this blush is WOW. The very first swipe impart a healthy pinkish coral on my cheeks, it has a certain transparency that looks as if it is in my cheeks, not sitting on top of it. Intensity can be built up very easily, yet one does not have to be overly cautious as i do need to be with NARS blushers (yes, i am talking about my beloved Taj Mahal). Again, impressed.

Now, lasting power..... i have oily combination skin. In our tropical hot and humid weather, i would not expect the blush to wear as well on me as our foreign counterparts. I get about 5 to 6 hours of decent wear and by the time i reached home to take a snapshot of my face which is about 9 hours later (apologies of the half face photoshot, i swiped a cotton pad full of makeup cleanser before realising i have not taken a photohot yet). A hint of the colour remains, not too bad. I guess it will stay on better and longer on other skin types.

Overall, i really like how easy it is to wear the blush and the quality of it wow me. At this stage i am very much eager to try another blusher of theirs and probably their liquid foundation too.

So, yah i like it.

Priced at S$61.00 for 7g or 0.24oz, made in Italy. Available at Tangs Orchard.

Note: The Singapore pricing is quite comparable with the US pricing, so it is not necessary to ask friends to haul this for you overseas. Though i do find overseas GWP more generously than Singapore.

Haul: Finally a Home for the Precious......

Well, its about time isn't it?

I mean to get a proper home to house all my Precious and let them live with their own kind.....

TOday, i made up my mind to visit Muji to purchase this 6 tier drawers that i have been contemplating for the longest time....

And so, yes... finally.....

The "home"to the Precious.
The side view.

The top drawer-hair accessories.

2nd drawer-Brushes, sponges and eyelash curlers (tools).

3rd drawer-all things lippy, and eyeliners, mascaras and eye primers.

4th drawer-where the eye colours lurk......

5th drawer- where the bases and highlighters hangout.

6th drawer (bottom)-Limited editions and blushing beauties only.

I would have thought that there will be spaces left for future hauls and such...... BUT i was so so so wrong.....

My currently collection occupied all the 6 tiers! Okie, the 1st tier where hair accessories are housed doesn't count- i have it that way just in case and the 2nd tier probably doesn't count too as its for the tools...

Not too bad i say. I have spaces for hauls but small and carefully edited ones i suppose.

Haul: Shiseido Sale June 2011

I got to know about the sale at the very last minute on the 2nd day, in fact i wasn't even planning to go but the "go see see no harm" mentality resulted in the damage done below......

The haul that fateful morning.

GR634 Green Black with gold liquid eyeliner and mascara.

Alexander Wang Limited Edition Maquillage Compact case.

Maquillage Lasting Powder with UV protection.

Shiseido Hydro Liquid Compact Foundation.

Maquillage nail colour.

A closer look.

I got myself some necessities and a couple of pressies for friends.

During the 2nd day of the sale, there isn't much things left (all the goodies are already gone on the 1st day,especially in the morning).

All in all, i am quite glad that i didn't splurge too much during this sale.

Review: Napoleon Perdis NP Set Lash and Dash Lipgloss Palette and Mascara

I happen to be in the town area, dropped by Kinokuniya and came across this set of freebie that came with a Australian magazine "Dolly". I was quite curious about the set as i do recall reading it somewhere about NP Set and so i decide to satisfy my curiosity.

NP Set is a drugstore or rather pocket-friendly brand (it is not available in Singapore from what i know), it is a lower end brand which was developed from Napoleon Perdis (a high-end brand whereby a 4 colour Eyeshadow palette is priced at US$35.00). The founder of the brand is none other than Napoleon Perdis himself, a native Australian who is currently based in Los Angeles. Apart from developing cosmetics, Napoleon Perdis has a skincare line and a Makeup Academy in Australia and USA.

And so... the review of today's loot.....

L-R: NP Set Lash & Dash Lip Gloss Palette and Black Mascara.
NP Set Lash & Dash Lip Gloss Palette.
Made in China, 3g or 0.11oz.

Inside of the Lip Gloss Palette.

Swatches L-R same order as the Lip Gloss Palette.

Swatches again.

A closer look.

The Lip Gloss Palette is packaged in a compact that resembles those plastic compact mirror that one can easily get from stores like SASA. It doesn't feel all that filmsy but at the same time it doesn't signify quality too, which is pretty reasonable as NP Set is a lower end branch of Napoleon Perdis. Having said that, there are drugstore brands whose packaging are much more prettier to look at and sturdier too despite its lower end price tag.

Personally, i am not too keen on the white plastic compact that house the Lip Gloss Trio, especially the double end lip gloss applicator (usually i will just throw away those and use my own brush). I rather the people at NP Set totally do away with the applicator and give more or better products.
The Lip Gloss Trio has a fruity vanilla scent which might appeal to the younger female demographic (young ladies : ) ), i am neutral to scented products most of the time but this is a little too artifical for my liking.

When i tried to use the given applicator to do the swatching, i realised that the applicator is unable to pick up the lip gloss properly (the texture of the lip gloss is rather jelly-like). Despite trying a few times, the swatch turn out to be too sheer, so what i did in the end was to dig and scoop the lip gloss in the palette and spread it on the back of my hand which the colours turn out decently (though they are sheer and the shimmer in the lip gloss didn't show up in the swatches). If you are into pigmented lip gloss, this is clearly not for you.

The colours in palette were not stated anywhere and so i will describe them to the best i can (from left to right), Bright berry red, Coral Orange and Dusk Violet Pink.

I would say the colours in the palette are universally flattering and there shouldn't be any problems carrying off them, however one needs to reapply quite frequently as they don't really have much staying power. The amount in the palette, i think is sufficient to last a week or so.

This palette is more suited for the 12+ (in my humble opinion), serious or hardcore makeup fanatics need not apply.

The Black mascara on the otherhand didn't fare that bad......

NP Set Lash & Dash Black Mascara. Made in China, 4.3ml or 0.15oz.

The applicator.

Swatch of the mascara.

Trying out the mascara.

Eye Shut.

I am not usually a mascara user and it has to be quite some ocassion if i were to put it on (too much of a hassle for me... cannot rub eyes, bad skills in removing them blah blah blah). I was quite keen to find out how it would fare and so i curled my lashes carefully with my Maquillage Eyelash curler and apply the mascara to it.

Upon application, the first thing i noticed was the instant lengthening effect it has on my lashes, it doesn't clump but i do notice too that the mascara doesn't hold the curl of the lashes well, so my lashes appear to be long and straight, no volumising effect too. I gather this is a very basic mascara that girls who are blessed with thick nicely curled eyelashes would be able to put much use into it. I am not saying that it is a bad product, just that it doesn't WOW me or maybe wrong technique in the application.....

In conclusion for both the lip gloss palette and mascara, its ok to splurge a little money to try out brands that we can never get here (yet), especially since they are freebies from magazine. However if you ask whether i would give my dime to buy them from the stores... nah at the moment.

Do check out the websites if you are keen on them,
NP Set :http://www.npsetcosmetics.com/

Napoleon Perdis:http://www.napoleonperdis.com/

Haul and Review: Benefit Some Beauty to Love Limited Edition Set

Nothing can hold a beauty addict back especially when you know that you are going to get more bangs for your bucks and since it is that time of the year again.... yeah Christmas season...

Cosmetic brands and companies will launch all the makeup and skincare goodies that proves to be too good too resist.

I am a easy prey when it comes to value for money sets (which include items that i am using and things that i really want to try for the longest time) as well as exclusive Limited Edition releases (regretfully......sigh......).

In this case, it didn't take me too long to decide on taking the plunge to order the Benefit Some Beauty to Love makeup set (My most gracious BFF compiled the orders and send it as soon as all things are in ).

This makeup set comprise of some of Benefit's bestselling items, the That Gal Brightening Face Primer, Eye Bright Instant Eye Brightener, Bad Gal Lash mascara and lastly....... the star of the deal for me..... Coralista Blusher.

Without further delay, i present Some Beauty to Love......

Benefit's Some Beauty to Love (exclusive to Sephora Online)

The set is presented in a cardboard box that resembles a handbag completed with 2 black ropes on top as handles. The sturdy box housed the goodies nicely and safely : ) Kudos for the design, but if the postman or delivery company is not careful in the handling of the item (imagine droping hard on the floor (+ _+), items such as the blusher might break in the box....

Perhaps they should consider those sponge cut-out moulded according to the shape and size of the items or even just 2 pieces of foam (they don't weight much) to keep the items snug and safe.

Nevertheless, it's a cute box that i can use to house some of my knick knacks. : )

The cute bag-like box that holds the loot nicely.

Items from L-R, T-B: Eye Bright (full size), That Gal (deluxe sample size), Bad Gal Lash (deluxe sample size) and Coralista (full size).


Eye Bright Instant Eye Brightener.


Pencil with soft pink "lead".


Swatches: Left- Eye Bright unblended, Right- Eye Bright blended.

The Eye Bright is like a pink coloured crayon pencil and according to Benefit, simply apply it in the inner and outer corner of the eye and it will instantly brighten them.

In terms of texture, it resembles those very soft eyeliner that glides without too much effort. I didn't use it the way that was recommended by Benefit, what i did was to draw a small circle at the brow bone (the area just below the arch), blend it in properly.

Yes, it did brighten my eyes, but not a must-die in my book given the price tag and what it solely does.

If only the price is not marked up that ridiculously high in Singapore, i would say it is a good to have as i have nothing really bad to say about it, except that one have to be careful to make sure that proper blending is done to avoid the "what's that patch of pink on your eyes?" situation (it did happened to me the first time round and yes, i was in a morning rush).

Not much scent detected, although its a mere 1.4g or 0.06oz, i figure it will take me quite some time to finish it with everyday usage.

That Gal Brightening Face Primer.

Swatches: Left- That Gal blended, Right-That Gal unblend.

The That Gal brightening Face Primer is something that i really wanted to try ever since it was launched but i can't simply find the chance (the fact that i have not finished my tube of RMK Face polish tells me that i shan't attempt to buy it).

The face primer is a light pink thin paste that spreads easily and evenly across the skin, it gives my face a very nice and very very subtle brightening effort, i figure it would work better on someone with lighter skin tone (perhaps a shade or two). Nice scent too, a little fruitly though.

My only gripe for this product - 11.00ml or 0.37oz for S$58.00 ?

Nah, its way too much... considering that a tube can last like what.. 2 months worth of daily usage?

Bad Gal Lash Mascara.

A closer look at the applicator.

Swatch of the mascara.

The Bad Gal lash is one of Benefit's award-winning bestseller, honestly i am not a mascara kind of gal, so it holds no magic on me. The applicator is a those of traditional mascara bristles which is cone-shaped with wide gaps in between the bristles which is supposed to volumise eyelashes.

As my eyelashes are quite thick, the volumising effect is not that apparent on me, on my sister on the otherhand, the effect is quite obvious but it doesn't lengthen the eyelashes as well. Pity.

Coralista Blusher with brush.

A closer at the pan.

Swatch of the blush.

The concluding factor that seals the deal for me would be the much-raved about Coralista Blusher. It is a warm peachy pink tone blusher with a hint of sheen that is versatile enough to be used on almost all skintones.

It is also considered by many to be the dupe for Nars' Orgasm. Although i do not own Nars' Orgasm, personally i felt that Orgasm leans towards warm whereas Coralista leans a little towards cool.

In the pan itself, Coralista might even look very pigmented and very bright, in actual application the colour is a little sheer and easily buildable to your desired intensity plus it didn't accenturate my pores at all, just a nice pop of colour.

The box packaging is neat too, considering that you don't get loose blush powder all over the place and you save quite a fair bit too as all the powder are nicely contained within the box.

Scentwise, i do detect a whiff of subtle sweet scent here and there, kind of like it. : )

Is it worth a peek?

Nah.... just buy it!

Eye Bright Instant Eye Brightener (full size): Priced at S$41.00 for 1.4g or 0.06oz.

That Gal Brightening Face Primer (deluxe sample size), estimated at S$36.90 for 7.5ml or 0.25oz. Priced at S$58.00 for 11.00ml or 0.37oz (full size).

Bad Gal Lash (deluxe sample size), estimated at S$19.00 for 4.0g or 0.14oz. Priced at S$41.00 for 8.50g or 0.30oz.

Coralista Blusher (full size): Priced at S$58.00 for 12.00g or 0.42oz.

Total Value: Priced at S$ 65.00 for a value of S$154.00 (Almost 60% off retail price).

Priced at S$65.00 for the set, available at Takashimaya and Sephora Online (Limited Edition).