Friday 26 December 2008

My Favourite Things

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! Christmas was a bit of a snoozefest for me this year. There are still a few weeks to go before the spring collections hit the counters in Singapore and the winter collections seem to have been on the counters forever. There are sales everywhere but I hate shopping among massive crowds so I usually end up not buying much during sales.

I thought of doing a round-up of the makeup products that I got great mileage out of this year. These are the products that I found myself reaching for over and over again.

Eyeshadows
1. Jill Stuart Seductive Eyes #3 Twinkle Venus
2. Jill Stuart Illuminance Eyes #4 Aqua Crystal
3. Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes #2 Lavender Coral
4. Lunasol Geminate Eyes #4 Sapphire
5. Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact #1 Shiny Sand Beach
6. Lavshuca Summer Gradually Compact #2 Windy Aqua Beach
7. Lavshuca Grade Color Select PU1
8. Lavshuca Eye Color Select PU2
9. Lavshuca Eye Color Select PU2
10. Awake Moon Illusion Eyes X1 Forest Shadows
11. Awake Star Illusion Eyes X3 Rosa Nova
12. Majolica Majorca Majolook (Trick On) GR741
13. Canmake Color Stripe Palette #2
14. Canmake Color Stripe Palette #3
15. Aube Impression Eyes #52 Green
16. Ipsa Optimum Balance Eye Palette VIII4



As you can see, there is a preponderance of purple-themed palettes among my favourites! I find purple to be the most flattering shade on my MAC NC20 skin. Brown/beige are just too boring for me while blues and greens seem to get harder and harder to pull off the older I get! Not that it stops me from wearing blues and greens at least 50% of the time ;-p I also have a soft spot for smokey intense grey/blacks.



This Ipsa palette, which I picked up for cheap at the Luxasia warehouse sale a few months ago, has been my favourite palette of late. I like layering it over Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color #18 Amethyst Mauve as the base.


Blushes
1. Jill Stuart Compact Mix Blush Illuminance #101 Platinum Illuminance
2. Canmake Loose Cheek #6 Mauve Pink
3. Canmake Loose Cheek #8 Peach Squash
4. Love Clover Pon Pon Cheek N #5124
5. Kiss Pure Bloom Cheek #1
6. Pop Rose Belle
7. Excel Gradation Cheek G2
8. Sana Cheek Color Benisakura
9. MAC Mineralize Blush Gentle
10. MAC Mineralize Blush Love Thing
11. NARS Blush Mounia
12. NARS Blush Deep Throat
13. NARS Blush Outlaw
14. Pout Rouge Berry Bage
15. Pout Rouge Apricot Totty



Comparison of Canmake Loose Cheek #6 (left) versus #8 (right). #6 is more of a blue-based baby pink with silver sparkles while #8 is a more peachy pink with less obvious shimmer.




Other favourites:

1. Loose Powder: Kiss Mat Chiffon Powder

2. Powder Foundation: Lancome Maquicake UV Infinite

3. Mascara: Anna Sui Super Mascara DX Long Lash 001

4. Lipstick: Paul & Joe Lipstick C #201 Amuse Bouche

5. Lipgloss: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips

6. Eyeliner: Maquillage Dramatical Gel Eyeliner GY831

My makeup stash is so overwhelmingly massive that it's very difficult to pick favourites, so I just picked the ones that I kept reaching for this year. But if I had to pick one product to recommend to everyone, it would be the Maquillage Dramatical Gel Eyeliner GY831. I was never a big fan of using eyeliner before I stumbled onto this little gem. Liquid eyeliners tend to give an uneven line while pencil liners were usually tough on the delicate eye area and prone to smudging and fading. The wonderful thing about gel eyeliners is that they combine extreme ease of application with long-lasting power in gorgeous complex metallic shades. The Maquillage version is expensive at S$45/2625yen but it's worth every penny as one pot can probably last a year with daily application. GY831 is also a limited "seasonal" shade, so do get it before it's gone!

14 comments:

Kathi said...

Wow, I love this post! Some of the palettes you mention in your e/s top list are among my faves, too! =D

Anonymous said...

Hey Iris I still have not figure out how to use that IPSA eyeshadow palette! Kindly advise or do a EOTD for it!
;p
pinkdolphi1

Anonymous said...

I second you for the eyeliner. my fav! :)

Haru said...

Hey Pinkdolphi1,

Here's how I usually weat the Ipsa palette:

1. Dark purple shade (extreme left) as the liner
2. Medium purple shade (2nd from left) in the crease)
3. Pink shade (3rd from left) just above the medium purple shade in the outer crease
4. Green shade lightly brushed over the brow bone area as the highlighter shade. It's pale enough that it does not come off as very obviously green.

Another way of wearing it:
1. Either the dark purple shade OR the medium purple shade from lashline to crease
2. Pink shade in the crease
3. Green shade lightly brushed over the brow bone area as the highlighter shade.
I then use one of my Maquillage gel eyeliners to line my eyes.

Yet another way of wearing it:
1. Either the dark purple shade OR the medium purple shade from lashline to crease from the outer corner to the middle of the lid
2. Pink shade from lashline to crease from the inner corner to the middle of the lid, blend well.
3. Green shade as highlighter shade.

Hope that helps!
Sorry I can't do an EOTD as my camera does not pick up the colors well.

Yumeko said...

oooh this is great
i love knowing wat everyone's fave is!!

Anonymous said...

Iris;
Would you mind swatching or at least describe the MQ GY liner shade? Is it similar to MAC Lithograph fluidline? I have several MQ palette that includes the gel liners but they sucks :p. I hope the pot ones are better!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Iris! I shall try it!

pinkdolphi1

Haru said...

Hi Cavano,

You should check out this post on Makeupalley for swatches and close-up pics by MUA member, Albion

http://www.makeupalley.com/m_87617659

Fleckenschnitte also has pics and swatches on her blog here
http://lotuspalace.blogspot.com/2008/12/xmas-2008-shiseido-maquillage-jewelling.html

The MQ Dramatical Gel E/l is definitely better than the ones that come in the palettes. I don't have MAC Lithograph so I'm afraid I can't compare the two.

Anonymous said...

Hi Iris, just wanna tell you that I tried using the IPSA palette today using the first application method & its very nice!
Thank you so much!
I also love Opera My Lash! Its my current HG ;)

pinkdolphi1

Haru said...

Hey Pinkdolphi1,

That's great! I'm glad you found the tips useful :-) It's a lovely palette that I've used a lot more than even some of my Jill Stuart palettes!

makeupmag said...

What a beautiful array of makeup. I always love looking at stashes and yours is an exquisite one.

pinkdolphi1 said...

Hi Haru I went to test the MQ gel liner GY831 its awesome! I was thinking that it might be similar to MAC FL Lithograph which I already have but it turn out to be different! Its more shimmering & nicer than Lithograph!
I shortlisted it in my wishlist, maybe buying overseas or when there's a sale cos its retailed at S$45! One of the most expensive gel liner I come across :S

Anonymous said...

hihi can i know where you get your kiss mat chiffon powder from ? thanks :D

Haru said...

hi,
I bought the Kiss powder when I was in Japan. You can check Ichibankao.com to see if they carry Kiss.