Sometime before last Christmas, the Shiseido Eye Color Bar finally landed at the Shiseido counter here in Geneva. I wasn't planning on purchasing it as the online swatches didn't seem that special. However, it looked more appealing in person, plus there was an attractive gift with purchase on offer to facilitate this piece of holiday retail therapy. It ended up sitting on my desk for the next two months as I didn't wear makeup regularly until I went back to work. Having a four month old son brings endless joys but it usually means very little time for myself, hence the erratic blog posts and even rarer product reviews. I've lost count of the number of times I had to stop to attend to him tonight while trying to write this but hey, I'm not complaining because I'd rather carry him for the umpteenth time around the house than, well, pretty much anything else!
Based on my previous experience with Shiseido's Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trios, I was expecting the shades to be of the sheer and luminous variety. I was pleasantly surprised by the good color payoff of Parfait Amour (purple) and Liquorice (black), which required very little layering to achieve the shades as seen in the pan. They have a soft satiny sheen and glide onto the skin with no loud frostiness or messy glitter.
For this look, I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance as the base and applied Parfait Amour from the lashline to the crease, Liquorice in the outer corner, Menthe (pale green) along the lower lashline and shaded into the crease, and Champagne (pearly golden white) over the browbone area and inner corners. I used Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Tulip along the upper lashline and Oyster Glow along the lower lashline.
Under brighter indoor lighting, the lovely glowy sparkles of Champagne and the full attraction of this Color Bar become more visible. Champagne and its pink-tinged cousin, Soda, are useful shades for layering over other eyeshadows to add some tonal complexity.
Having used only four out of the nine shades in the Color Eye Bar, this cannot be a definitive review but I'm delighted with the Eye Color Bar so far. After 8 hours of wear, there was no creasing or fading at all, which was impressive. It retailed for US$50 in the US, versus S$80 in Singapore, which is a reasonable price for the quality and the generous amount of product (9g, 0.31oz). The cardboard packaging (with magnetic closure) lacks the sleek chicness of the Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trios, but it's much more compact than Urban Decay's Naked palettes or Too Faced's palettes.
It is likely sold out in most locations by now although there were still a few pieces remaining at my local counter last week. On the off chance that you come across it, it is worth a look as it is office-friendly and yet versatile enough to offer a variety of creative looks, thanks to the genius talent of Shiseido Artistic Director Dick Page. Shiseido also rarely releases a large eyeshadow palette which makes this quite a collectible for fans of the brand.
Other products used for this look include L'Oreal's new Infaillible 24H foundation #130 True Beige and Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tint in Moody, a lovely deep plum red. The Infaillible foundation is supposed to be a high coverage longwear foundation that hides the appearance of fatigue and blemishes, formulated with a Hydrating Hyaluron Complex. I didn't wear it for 24 hours but it held up pretty well for the 8 hours that I wore it, requiring only occasional blotting of the T-zone. It's more medium coverage rather than full coverage and does not feel heavy on the skin. The lightest shade available in Switzerland is #130 True Beige, which is a good match for me, but in the UK, there is a wider range of 8 shades that does not include True Beige.
You can read more reviews with swatches of the Eye Color Bar on Drivel about Frivol, Wondegondigo and Beauty Reflections.
With winter now upon us, I've been slathering on all manner of moisturisers to stave off the dry flakies, which explains the preponderance of moisturisers in this batch of product empties for October and November.
1. Korres Basil Lemon Body Milk: This has a lovely citrusy scent that is refreshing without being too generic. The body milk is light with a runny texture well-suited for the summer months when skin needs less hydration.
2. Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker Soft Body Lotion: Lovely was one of my favourite scents a few years ago and a distinctively unique creation amidst the flood of cynically sweet floral fruity celebrity juices. It's a pity that SJP has stopped releasing fragrances as she had an interesting range. (Chandler Burr wrote a great book "The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry" detailing the creation of Lovely and a Hermes fragrance, which is a must-read for anyone interested in fragrances.) I liked this body lotion for the dreamy scent. It moisturised my skin without leaving any greasy feeling.
3. Rituals Mei Dao Rich Moisturising Body Cream in Organic White Lotus and Yi Yi Ren: Rituals offers several beautifully scented bodycare lines and this is one of my favourites. It's a calming, comfortable scent. The cream offers good hydration without the greasy after-feel of Body Shop's Body Butter.
4. Kenzoki Energisant Stimulating Body Moisturiser: This was the most pricey body moisturiser that I ever purchased but it was well worth it with a cooling texture that hydrates without feeling greasy or heavy. The scent is also wonderfully relaxing. I liked using this in the summer.
5. Philosophy Summer Grace Perfumed Body Emulsion: This worked nicely enough on my skin and had a pleasant scent although it was much less memorable than the Lovely, Mei Dao and Kenzoki moisturisers.
6. The Body Shop Candied Ginger Body Butter: A past holiday release, I liked the ginger scent but this never fully absorbed into my skin and I could feel the oiliness when my skin brushed against the furniture.
7. Shiseido Tsubaki Massage Spa Mask: This was pretty mediocre in terms of conditioning my hair. The Tsubaki conditioners in red or white are much more effective.
8. L'Oreal Elseve Relaxing Mask: This helped to detangle and soften my hair but it was otherwise rather average, so I would not re-purchase.
9. Suqqu Refining Foam: This was included in Suqqu's holiday coffrets for both 2013 and 2012. It lathers up easily and cleanses my skin thoroughly but like many Japanese foaming cleansers, it does tend to leave the skin feeling dry so following up with a good hydrating lotion or moisturiser is a must. Not quite worth the £33 price tag as there are much more affordable cleansers that are more gentle on the skin.
10. H2O+ Marine Cleansing Gel: This has a clear wobbly jelly-like texture that feels refreshing on the skin. It cleanses well without leaving the skin feeling stripped.
11. Ren Micro Polish Cleanser: This contains small scrub particles and glycolic acid for double exfoliating action. This is gentle enough to use 2-3 times a week and it never irritates my skin. Used in combination with Pixi Glow Tonic, this has helped to keep my skin clear.
12. Astalift Jelly Aquarysta: This red jelly moisturiser works well for my skin without making it more oily than normal. My skin also feels more supple when I use this.
13. Elisha Coy Herb Clay Pore Refining Mask: This left my skin feeling softer and smoother. It felt like a nice weekly detoxing treat for the skin and does not dry it out excessively even if left on for more than 20 minutes.
14. Lancome DreamTone 1: Just released a few months ago, this supposedly helps to even out skintone. The 5ml sample lasted around two weeks with daily usage. It absorbs nicely without making my skin greasy but I didn't notice any significant lightening effect on the dark pigmentation spots on my cheeks, although two weeks is probably too short a testing time to make a definitive assessment.
15. Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Overnight Repair Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Pads: My skin stayed generally clear and free of major eruptions while I was using this. The pads also stayed nicely soaked up until the very last one, unlike some other brands which dry out in the pot.
16. Lancome BiFacil: This works well for removing eye makeup including waterproof mascara without irritating the eyes. It's too pricey for me to purchase it as L'Oreal makes a cheaper alternative, but I often get BiFacil as a gift with purchase or included as part of a set.
17. Jill Stuart Shower Gel: This was part of a summer travel bodycare set. The scent is a tad artificially sweet, typical of Jill Stuart and probably too cloying for some people.
18. Lush It's Raining Men: This has the same sweet honey scent of Lush's bestselling Honey I Washed the Kids soap, so I did not hesitate to purchase it. It cleanses thoroughly without drying the skin. I would re-purchase it except that I still have far too many shower gels to use up.
19. The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel: This was pleasant enough but not that special that I would re-purchase it.
L'Oreal's latest liquid foundation, Magic Nude Liquid Powder, is often described as being a dupe for Giorgio Armani's Maestro so naturally I was curious to try it. The American version was released earlier in June this year with 12 shades available while the European version (made in France) has just launched in the UK where it comes in only six shades, with different shade numbers.
I purchased the lightest shade 100 Porcelain from FeelUnique.com where it is £9.99 for 20ml (with free international shipping). Boots.com has it on introductory offer for just £6.99 at the moment. The name in Europe is also slight different - Nude Magique Eau de Teint. Both the US and European versions have SPF18 but the US version contains slightly more product (27ml). In Switzerland, the lightest shade available is 140.
List of ingredients below.
Described as L'Oreal's lightest foundation formula ever, Magic Nude has a watery texture that feels ultra lightweight on the skin. Given the dominance of silicones on the ingredient list, it is not surprising that the foundation transforms to a slightly slippery feel on the skin without feeling overly powdery. It is recommended to apply this with one's fingertips, and not a brush or sponge. It takes some effort to blend in to ensure that it does not pool in the pores.
100 Porcelain turned out to be a good match for my MAC NC20 skintone.
Despite being so watery, I was surprised to find that it does offer some light coverage and helps to even out my skintone. A separate concealer is still needed for darker spots and under eye circles though. I think this would be more suitable for the hot summer months, when one does not feel like wearing heavy makeup but still wants some coverage. Pic below taken under indoor lighting
Pic below taken near window in natural daylight
One flaw of Magic Nude was that it brought out dry patches on my cheeks and nose which were not visible before I applied it. It is definitely much more suitable for normal to oily skintypes and not ladies with dry skin. This was similar to the experience I had with a sample of Armani Maestro. You can see the dry patches in the close-up shot below. Strangely though, the foundation looked better after a few hours and the dry patches became much less obvious. I had to blot my T-zone after 3 hours, while my cheeks remained relatively shine-free, which was pretty good by my standards. There was also no caking or oxidisation after several hours of wear. Overall, I did like the light texture although it does not provide the most flawless finish. The affordable price tag certainly helps too if Maestro is out of your budget.
For this look, I used Sleek Lagoon i-Divine palette which was released as part of the Aqua collection back in March. Although it was limited edition, it can still be found easily on Ebay.
Lagoon contains mainly shimmery shades with a couple of mattes thrown in. Nothing super unique if you already have a huge stash of i-Divine palettes, but it's still a fun palette to play around with for creating colorful looks.
Another month has passed by, which means another clutch of product empties on their way out of here.
1. Ettusais Foamy Rich Mousse: True to its name, this produces a firm foam that does not dissipate quickly. It is supposed to be a 5-in-1 product that removes makeup, acts as a cleanser, foam massage, foam pack and moisturises the skin. This can lasted four months with once daily usage in the mornings. It rinses off cleanly but can leave the skin feeling a tad dry. You need less than a ping-pong ball size for each use. Ettusais has just released an extra large version with 25% more product for the same price (S$35/1365yen). I would repurchase this except it is not available here.
2. Za Total Hydration Fresh Foamy Cleanser: This is a typical white foaming cleanser with some small blue particles mixed in. I usually use this after using a cleansing oil or micellar water to remove my makeup, just to make sure my skin is thoroughly cleansed. It does leave the skin feeling stripped, so I would not repurchase this.
3. Ren Rose Centifolia Cleansing Gel: This watery clear gel cleanser is extremely gentle on the skin, perfect for use in the mornings when you only need a light cleanse. The rose scent is also subtle enough not to be irritating. This would work well for all skintypes. Ren has just revamped and expanded its Rosa Centifolia range, to include a cleansing balm, foaming cleanser, cleansing water and makeup remover. Check it out here.
4. Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser: This is a clear gel cleanser that thoroughly cleanses my skin without leaving it feeling dry. It contains 0.5% grapefruit extract and amino-acid based cleansing agents which is supposed to help purify and hydrate without irritation. It is also supposed to help prevent blemishes but I did not find it to have much effect in that area.
5. Lush Cosmetic Warrior: This is supposed to be targeted at acne-prone skin but I did not find it to be that effective. It was also thick and hard to spread, unlike Ayesha, perhaps due to the egg content. Ingredient list below.
6. Lush Breath of Fresh Air: This lightweight toner helps refresh the skin but does not really hydrate or soften it despite containing aloe vera, so even in the hot summer months, it can leave my skin feeling in need of extra moisture. I would not repurchase it. Ingredient list below.
7. Origins Brighter By Nature: This contained cotton pads soaked with a fruit-acid based solution that is supposed to help brighten the skin tone. Sadly, the pads dried out before I had used even half of them, despite the fact that I kept the pot tightly shut. The few that I did use did not do much for my skin and felt a tad rough actually. Definitely will not repurchase this.
8. K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow: A daily staple which I just stocked up on again.
9. Paul & Joe Fragranced Body Cream: This light body cream was from a Christmas set a few years ago yet it has kept its scent surprisingly well without any visible change in the texture. I liked the scent and moisturising effect but it did leave a slightly oily residue on the skin.
10. H20+ Moisturizing Body Balm: This has a nice clean scent and lightweight texture that absorbs easily without making the skin feel greasy.
11. Steam Cream: As this is very emollient, I use it mainly on my legs which are prone to dryness instead of my face. It hydrates effectively, getting rid of dry patches but it can feel a tad greasy especially in the summer.
12. Philosophy Limoncello Italian Soda: I love Philosophy shower gels for their extensive variety of scents and that they do not dry out my skin. This had a light sweet fizzy scent that was a pleasure to use and it lathers up easily.
13. Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Showergel: Not a fan of this due to the heavy cinnamon note, which I do not like in fragrances. It does lather up easily and did not strip the skin. This was part of a set of three Korres showergels.
14. Peter Thomas Roth Mega-rich Body Wash: This gel cleanser contained microbeads that burst on contact with the skin. It had a lovely refreshing citrus scent but otherwise, it was pretty average overall so I would not re-purchase it.
15. Anna Sui Rose Hair Shampoo: I adore the rose scent but it does not linger strongly on my hair. This worked quite well with my dry hair, rinsing out cleanly without leaving it tangled but it's probably too pricey for me to use on a regular basis.
16. Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Conditioner: This helped to detangle my hair but there was no extra glossiness or brilliance.
17. Pantene Repair & Protect Shampoo: This was a freebie with a magazine. While this lathered up easily, it left my hair slightly tangled and in need of conditioner so I would not repurchase this.
18. Philip B. Lovin' Leave-in Conditioner: This helped to tame the frizz and make my hair more manageable. I usually apply it in the mornings to the ends of my hair and then follow up with a styling spray.
19. L'Oreal Studio Indestructible Gel Spray: This helped to control flyaways around my fringe and provided moderate hold without making my hair hard or sticky.
20. Muji Sweet Orange & Clove Essential Oil: I purchased this in London to use with the Muji Aroma Diffuser. I adore the uplifting scent which has just enough sweetness to soothe the senses. I would definitely repurchase this except I have several other Muji essential oils to use up first.
21. Clarins Body Treatment Oil: This is supposed to help firm and tone the skin. I liked the clean, green scent but found that the oil was surprisingly not hydrating enough for my skin which ended up flaking.
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