The Urban Decay Vice 4 palette is currently marked down to US$39 from US$60 at several US retailers including Sephora and Ulta, so I finally picked it up. With the Ulta 20% off prestige brands coupon for Platinum members, this ended up costing just $31! Perhaps Urban Decay over-estimated the demand for this palette, and hence the deep discount just a couple of days before Christmas.
The Vice series is one of my all-time favourites for their vibrant shade combinations with Vice 4 being possibly the most gorgeously constructed with its multi-hued metal packaging. However, given the plethora of reviews that warned of glitter fallout, it did not seem to justify the original price tag of $60. Moreover, I was less than impressed with the last Vice Limited palette. But for half the original price, it's just too good of a steal to pass up with its veritable smorgasbord of 20 shades.
At Ulta, I also picked up the Becca Radiant Glow Collection which comes with a full size Raspberry/Opal Lip Shimmer Souffle, plus deluxe sample sizes of their popular Moonstone Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed, Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight in Opal and Under Eye Brightening Corrector. With the 20% discount, this was just $25.60, a pretty good bargain considering that the Lip Shimmer Souffle usually retails for $25 by itself.
The Stila Shimmer & Shine Deluxe Beauty Set ($20 with a $45 value) is another attractive set of minis of their Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Pixie Dust, Huge Extreme Lash Mascara and Lipglaze in Kaleidoscope. I also purchased the Got Inked Cushion Eyeliner in Smoky Quartz Ink and Rimmel The Only One Lipstick in Peachy Beachy ($6.99). Although I've been an Ulta Platinum member for over half a year, I've never received any of their 20% off prestige brand coupons (which are sent out randomly and never to all Platinum members) until this holiday season when they sent me two mail coupons and one email coupon code. I'll probably use the final remaining code to order the new Stila Aqua Glow Serum Foundation.
CVS was running a buy 1, get 1 75% promotion off all Physicians Formula products so I snagged the new Mineral Wear Cushion Foundation SPF50 in Light ($16) and Disco Glam Extreme Shimmer Strips ($12). The PF foundation was supposed to have a $4 instant rebate coupon on the box but this was missing. Fortunately, the cashier was nice enough to enter a store coupon so I received the discount. Elsewhere, these have been sighted with $9 rebate coupons.
Curiously, it is not stated anywhere on the packaging where this is made. The usual suspect would be Korea, given that this has the standard SPF50 seen in many Korean cushion foundations. The cushion plastic insert cannot be removed.
This haul helped to kick me out of my recent funk in which I've just been too lazy and exhausted to slap on anything aside from a cushion foundation, brow liner and mascara. I'm 22 weeks along now with the twins and already can't see below my massive bump. The twins are also kicking away merrily every day. At least I'm almost two-thirds of the way through. Just hoping I can hold them in till 37 weeks and avoid any time in the NICU.
Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas!
With the avalanche of tempting new products each season, it's easy to get caught up in the latest limited edition offerings. While I try to rotate the brands in my stash, the carousel keeps getting ever larger and I do feel guilty that some excellent products get neglected while I keep testing out new products for reviews here. Here's a list of 12 products that I found myself reaching for regularly in 2012, often snapping up multiple shades. These are all items that I will happily re-purchase.
1. Favourite Lip Balm: Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments are an instant balm for my lips. This holiday gift set of minis was the perfect addition to my collection.
2. Favourite Lip Gloss: YSL Glossy Stains offer truly long-lasting shine without drying out the lips. The shade range is also impressive, with another 4 new shades set to debut in the spring collection.
3. Favourite Lip Stick: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks by Kate Moss offer excellent color payoff, a diverse range of highly wearable shades and are super easy on the wallet.
4.-6. Favourite Eyeliner: Integrate Kira Wink Gel Liner, Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens and Three Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencils are my daily staples. These are so reliably easy to use and gentle on the eyelids that I don't even reach for my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners anymore.
7. Favourite Cream Blush: Becca Beach Tints are superbly easy to use, long-lasting and wake up the complexion instantly.
8. Favourite Powder Blush: Paul & Joe Color Powder CS #79 Les Tourtereaux, #80 True Love and #81 Inseparables from the Lovebirds collection for autumn 2012 have just the right amount of color payoff and are pretty much fool-proof.
9. Favourite Foundation #1: Coffret D'Or Silky Fit Liquid Foundation is easy to blend, provides good coverage and a lovely natural finish.
10. Favourite Foundation #2 Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation gives a more glowy finish than the Coffret D'Or foundation.
11. Favourite Eyeshadow Palette: Three 4D Eye Palette 04 Art of Parties may be less versatile compared to Urban Decay's Vice and 15th Anniversary palettes but the magical purple and creamy black shades form a stellar combination.
12. Favourite Fragrance: Jo Loves Pomelo and A Shot of Thai Lime Over Mango are delightfully zesty confections that never fail to lift up my mood. After using up these, I'll definitely invest in the 100ml bottles. Jo Loves now ships internationally.
What were your favourite products of the past year? Do share in the comments!
Becca recently released three new Beach Tints. Being a fan of these cream tints for the lips and cheeks, I couldn't resist getting all three, Lychee, Dragonfruit and Papaya. I also picked up the new Ultimate Colour Gloss in Hummingbird.
I ordered these from Zuneta.com where they are normally £20 each, but if you are located outside the EU, they cost £16.67 each. Zuneta currently has free international shipping for orders over £40 with the code FREESHIPXMAS until 18 November.
The fine tapered tube opening makes it easy to control the amount dispensed. Each Beach Tint contains 7g/0.24 fl oz and is made in Germany. The tube looks tiny but it can last several months even with daily usage. The petite size also makes it very convenient for travel, plus there is no need to fiddle with brushes.
Here are swatches of my current collection of Beach Tints. Papaya is more pure orange-toned than Strawberry. Dragonfruit is more rosy pink than Watermelon, which is much more sheer. Lychee is a blue-toned baby pink. I did not encounter any separation or wateriness with the three new shades.
The three new shades have very good colour payoff while retaining their easy blendability. Only a very small pinhead amount is needed for one application. These have a light scent that match the shade name, which is not detectable when applied on the cheeks. Do also check out Drivel about Frivol and here for more swatches.
In the pic below, I am wearing Dragonfruit. It lasted about 4 hours on my cheeks and had completely disappeared by the evening. I think this was partly due to the Topshop Skin Tint that I was using, which made my skin a tad more oily than usual. The lasting power might not be that great but nevertheless, I'm still happy with the new Tints as they are so easy to use and help to liven up the complexion effortlessly. The only thing I wish Becca would do is print the shade names on the tube. The box comes with the shade name on a sticker, but once you peel it off, it does not adhere properly to anything else so I ended up having to slap some clear scotch tape on top of it to get it to stick to the tube. Not the most glamorous definitely!
Hummingbird lipgloss is a nice shade for every day wear. The gloss feels moisturising enough without being sticky or streaky. There is no shimmer or glitter, so the formula feels very smooth. It lasts about 3-4 hours on me. I do wish I had picked the darker Berry Twist instead though.
This week's photo challenge theme by Yumeko is summer must-haves, so here goes!
1. Base Makeup – [sunscreen, powder, foundation, BB cream, whatever you use in the heat/humidity of summer]
My current range of primers include Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV SPF40 PA++, Dior Radiant Base SPF20 PA+, Anna Sui Protective Foundation Primer C SPF38 PA++, Za True White Instant Brightener SPF30 PA++ and RMK Smoothing Polished Base SPF13 PA+. I've been using the Paul & Joe primer virtually daily, usually under powder foundation, and love it for the high SPF and non-greasy texture. After finishing this, I'll probably switch to either the Dior or Anna Sui primer next. The latter is a lavender tinted primer with a brightening effect. The Za version is the most watery of the lot, feels very lightweight and silicone-y on skin but it does not offer good oil control. The RMK primer is the best in terms of concealing pores.
2. Point Makeup [blush,eyeshadow,whatever you use in the heat/humidity of summer]
When it's so hot, I reach for makeup that is super easy and quick to apply, without the need for complicated layering or blending. Dior's Eye Glosses from their recent summer collection are great for adding a tint of color with a slightly shimmery finish. Once these set, they do not crease and I can layer powder eyeshadow or eyeliner on top if I wish. Becca Beach Tints are also very lightweight and easy to blend though I would not use them with powder foundation.
I prefer lipglosses over lipsticks these days, as well as lip tints like Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. Coral, orange and pink hues are my staples for the summer.
3. Sunglasses/Hat/Anything you are wearing to block out the sun’s harmful rays
For walks in the park and hiking, I've been relying on this Union Jack print hat from Next that I picked up in London a couple of months ago. And I'm never without a lip balm with SPF like Ettusais Lip Essence SPF18 PA++ and Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment SPF15.
4. Deodorant/Body Spray/Perfume [whatever you are using to make yourself smell good]
For the sweltering days, I prefer light zesty fragrances. Jo Loves fits the bill perfectly with Pomelo, A Shot of Thai Lime Over Mango, and Mango Nectar.
5. Other must-haves for Summer
These would be Gatsy Oil Clear Sheets (the non-powdered type) which soak up every last drop of oil without disturbing one's makeup, L'Occitane Angelica Mist for a refreshing pick-me-up during the day, and an "uchiwa". These fans are a popular form of advertising in Japan and often given out free on the streets. I've got dozens of these!
BeautyOshaberi has also done this challenge, so do check out her picks. If you would like to join in the fun, just leave a comment on Yumeko's post and here with a link to your blog post, and I'll be sure to check it out!
Looking forward to this Becca Endless Summer collection with three new Beach Tints in Papaya, Lychee and Dragonfruit, plus seven highly pigmented lipglosses! This is supposed to launch in June. I'll be stalking Zuneta!
Last week, I ordered Becca's new Balearic Love collection from Zuneta, which was offering a Shimmering Skin Perfector (15ml) gift with any £40 purchase of Becca products. The GWP was so popular that it lasted just two days on the website. Thanks to the ELLE20 code (valid until 28 February), I also got a 20% discount off my order.
The Balearic Love Palette (£35) is for me, the highlight of Becca's 10th anniversary collection.
The slim case houses three powder eyeshadows and a brush for creating the perfect smoky eye look. Each eyeshadow is generously sized at 1.5g, the same weight as a MAC eyeshadow single. Zuneta has a short video demonstrating how to create gorgeous smoky eyes with it.
The rubberized case isn't my favourite material because like NARS packaging, it can develop stickiness over time in humid tropical weather.
The two photos below were taken under a bright spot light so the tones look slightly different compared to the photos above which were taken under normal room lighting.
Atlas is a matte dusky tan that looks muddy on my skintone while Romal is a matte smoky blackened brown. Romal is incredibly well-pigmented, so tapping off the excess on one's hand is recommended before applying to the lids as otherwise the brush easily deposits too much product. Atlas takes a bit of layering and is the most sheer.
Marcella, a shimmery dirty bronze shot through with micro gold flecks, is the most complex shade in the palette and my favourite of the three. Becca's description of this palette as containing "jewelled tones of bronzed plum and violet" does not seem accurate as the three shades are more bronze and brown-toned rather than plum and violet.
Below is the list of ingredients.
The Balearic Love Smokey Eye Set (£44) contains a Line & Define Pencil in Cabrera, Romanticism Eye Tint, the Ultimate Mascara and an Anti-Bacterial Sharpener. If purchased individually, these cost £20, £20, £18 and £8 respectively, so the set represents savings of £22.
Romanticism Eye Tint is a sheer light bronze with a slightly shimmery finish. Zuneta has a helpful video showing how it adds a nice subtle gleam and dimension to the lids. Swatched on its own, it is not the kind of shade that wows instantly as it starts off very sheer and does not become particularly rich or intense even when layered. However, it did work very well as a base under the eyeshadows from the Balearic Love Palette and lasted through more than 8 hours of wear without creasing or fading.
The Ultimate Mascara held the curl of my lashes well, and adding decent volume and length without clumping. The brush also performed well for coating the super short and sparse lashes on my lower eyelid.
The sharpener is not something I would have bothered to purchase on its own as I'm happy with my Urban Decay Grind House sharpener. The blade is treated with a special silver and zinc based anti-bacterial additive to sanitize pencils with each sharpening.
The box states that it has "one hole for creating a pointed tip and an adaptor for creating a rounded tip". However, I can't figure out which is the adaptor part! It also comes with a cleaning wand, which is definitely useful for getting the pencil shavings off the blade.
The Line + Define Pencil in Cabrera is a smoky dark brown paired with a dark bronze. These had decent payoff but tugged a little at the skin.
Ingredients lists.
Below are swatches of the Balearic Love Palette, Cabrera pencil and Romanticism Eye Tint (with Baroque Eye Tint for comparison) done on bare skin without any primer. You can see more swatches on Perilously Pale and Indigo Kir Royale here and here.
For this look, I used Romanticism as the base, Marcella along the upper and lower lashlines, Romal blended into the outer half of the crease and Atlas in the inner half of the crease with a glittery blue Shu Uemura eyeshadow on the lower lashline. I also used the Ultimate Mascara and Cabrera eyeliner.
I also picked up Tempranillo Nail Color (£12), a deep blood red. Zuneta also has a video showcasing this polish. It's a chic hue that gets darker with each successive layer but similar shades probably exist in most nailpolish brands.
Zuneta also offers three samples with each order, so I picked Becca Luminous Skin Color in Sand, and Rouge Bunny Rouge Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers and Sea of Nectar. I used to own Becca LSC years ago and was disappointed by the sheerness but I thought I'd just give it another try, to see if it gets along better with my skin. Unfortunately, it still does not sit well on my skin and started balling up when I applied it with my fingertips.
Shopping at Zuneta is truly a breeze as they are so fast, reliable and prompt in responding to email queries. If you are outside the EU, the prices are also automatically adjusted to exclude VAT (after you create a profile and log in). This was my third order in two months and each time, the items arrived speedily in perfect condition.
