Real Technique Core Collection & Expert Face Brush Review

Filed under brush by on April 13, 2013 at 7:35 am {13 comments}

Hello all!

I am sure most of you are familiar with Real Technique brushes by Samantha Chapman. You might have read tonnes of review about these brushes and I hope you don’t mind if I write something about this :)

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I bought two sets of Real Technique brushes; the core collection and the expert face brush. I have read many positive reviews on these sets. So let’s start with the review of the Expert Face Brush.

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According to Real Technique website, this brush is

Ultra firm and broad for application and blending of cream or liquid foundation

look pixel-perfect even in harsh light

ultra-plush, synthetic taklon bristles are hand-cut and 

100% cruelty-free

self-standing for easy storage

extended aluminum handle is light and easy to use

Firstly the design of real technique brush is simple; a rubbery feeling stick at the end and the body of the brush is made of very light metal. Expert face brush is unique; it has an oval shaped brush. Most of my foundation brush is either flat kabuki or a thin flat brush. The synthetic brush feels very soft and doesn’t feel harsh on my skin at all.

I tried blending few of my foundations with this brush and the result is awesome. It leaves a very smooth looking finish. One thing I notice with this brush is that this brush does not take in my foundation too much – which is great. Some brush takes quite a lot of product while blending the foundation, but I notice that expert face brush does not do that.

Core Collection

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Create a perfect canvas with this collection of coverage essentials:
includes 4 full-size brushes + case:

detailer brush: precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition

pointed foundation brush: Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage

buffing brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation

contour brush: delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft-focus finish

panoramic brush case is a 2-in-1 case + stand
look pixel-perfect even in harsh light
ultra-plush, synthetic taklon bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free
extended aluminum handles are light and easy to use

Buffing Brush: 

I have to admit that one of the reason I am getting this set is because of this brush. Many people are raving about how wonderful this brush is. Now I know why people are loving this brush a lot. This brush blends my foundation beautifully. The hair is really soft and feels fluffy on my face.

The difference I see between the Buffing Brush and Expert Face Brush above is that buffing brush is more suitable for ladies who prefer a light foundation. I do feel that this buffing brush takes more product compared to the expert face brush. Hence, I feel that expert face brush is more suitable when I want to have more coverage whereas buffing brush is more suitable when I prefer to have lighter coverage.

Contour Brush:

At first I was quite skeptical on the shape of this brush. Most of my contour brush has bigger shape than this brush. After trying this brush to contour my cheek area, I realize that the shape of this brush fits nicely to contour my cheek area. It creates a nice deep dimension on my face.

Pointed Foundation Brush:

Honestly I don’t really use this brush so much. I am so satisfied with the buffing brush and the expert face brush that I don’t really use this one so much. I tried it once on my face, only to cover certain places that needs more coverage. Other than that I rarely use this brush.

Detailer Brush:

I use the detailer brush multi purposely. I use it to cover small spots that needs a more detailed attention and sometimes I use it as a lip brush too. So far this brush works fine with me, I don’t rave it a lot and I don’t have any complain with this brush too :)

Brush Cleaning:

I have cleaned the Expert Face brush, Buffing Brush and the Contour Brush. I experienced no shed at all. I usually clean my brush with a regular shampoo and I clean my brush once a week. Cleaning these brushes is not a pain, it doesn’t take too much of my time. As much as I love my Sigma F80 flat kabuki brush, I really hate the cleaning part. Cleaning my Sigma F8 brush takes so much effort and the drying time takes so much longer compared to the Real Technique brushes.

Final Thought:

I am very happy with my purchase. Real technique brushes are affordable and the quality satisfies. What more can I say? I love it and you should try it if you have not! :)

Have you tried Real Technique brushes? What do you feel about it?

By: Meryl

a One Stop Face Palette: Urban Naked Flushed

Filed under blush, bronzer, highlighter by on April 8, 2013 at 1:15 pm {12 comments}

Hello everyone,

I’ll be doing a quick review on Urban Decay Naked Flushed. Recently Urban Decay has launched quite a number of new products from Naked Basic eyeshadow palette, Oz The Great & Powerful – Theodora & Glinda Palette (Monica has done a review of both palette here ) and this Flushed palette.

When I first see this palette revolving in beauty blogosphere, I have been so excited to get my hands on  this palette. I think Urban Decay has once again come out with a smart product. Combining three products into one palette! a blush, highlighter and bronzer are necessity for me. Urban Decay Flushed  retails for S$ 40-50 in Sephora Singapore. Now let me stop rambling and start the review :)

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The Packaging:

Urban Decay Flushed comes in a simple packaging. It’s handy in size. The casing is made of plastic material and it is in brown color. Just like most Urban Decay’s product, there’s nothing fancy about the packaging of this product. It doesn’t come with any brush or sponge. Flush packaging looks just nice functionally and very simple.

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The Texture & Shade:

Let’s start with the texture of the bronzer. The texture of this bronzer is decent. It does not wow me because it’s a bit dry for my liking. The pigmentation is just fine. It not too pigmented so it’s not easy for you to over contour your face with this product. The shade is not my favorite shade of bronzer because it looks a bit orange for my liking. Compared to my favorite bronzers such as Nars Laguna & Burberry Sheer Summer Glow, this bronzer leans more to orange rather than warm brown.

The highlighter has a very nice texture – it is soft, buttery and the pigmentation is very nice. When swatched, it glides on beautifully on my skin. The highlighter shade is something that I like; it’s a soft beige with a slight pink tone. I can see myelf using this highlighter a lot especially on my browbone and upper cheek bone.

Now onto the blush –  I love the shade of the blush, it’s a very nice pink with a slight coral tone. It has a very soft metallic sheen which is not too much. I think this is a friendly shade for ladies who don’t like shimmer. It  makes your cheek looks brighter without adding too much shimmer in it. However I find the texture is a bit hard for my liking. It doesn’t feel as smooth as the highlighter, but still it’s better than the bronzer.

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Final Thought:

Urban Decay Flushed is a very nice palette to own. It’s like a one stop face palette with bronzer, highlighter and blush in it. Although I am not that satisfied with the texture of the bronzer, the blush & highlighter are good enough to make me feel happy. For its retail price, getting this one stop face palette is really worth your money :)

 

Are you considering to get Urban Decay Flushed? Share with me :)

 

Thank you for reading

 

By: Meryl

 

 

 

 

Dolce & Gabbana Blush in Provocative

Filed under blush by on April 4, 2013 at 8:03 am {18 comments}

Hello!

This review has been sitting for few weeks as a draft and finally I had the time to finalize the review of this product. Provocative is my first ever Dolce & Gabbana blush, so I am really excited to try whether I’d like this blush. My experience with Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadow quad has been very positive, and I hope I’d have the same feeling with this blush too. You can read my review of Dolce & Gabbana quad in Vulcano here. 

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The Packaging:

The casing is made of gold metal casing that looks reflective. There’s a Dolce & Gabbana written on it. The casing feels heavy and it’s prone to finger print. It also comes with a black velvety pouch and a mini size brush. I like the packaging of this blush as it feels luxurious and elegant. Although it’s prone to finger print, I really like the gold metal casing of this blush. It looks regal, royal :)

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The Shade & Texture:

Provocative is a matte bubble gum pink. There’s a hint of blue undertone in this blush. The texture of this blush is pretty good and finely milled. Although it feels soft enough, I don’t think that it feels buttery to me. It’s not as buttery as Burberry’s or Illamasqua. The pigmentation is good but not the best.

I have tested quite a number of blushes and if I would have to compare D&G blush with other brand, I’d say that D&G blushes is good but not the best for me. Burberry blushes and Illamasqua are by far my favorite brand for blushes. Those brands never fails to wow me. D&G feels on par with Le Metier de Beaute or Chanel. I love Le Metier de Beaute & Chanel blushes, but still my fave is from Burberry & Illamasqua :)

The Swatch & Look:

When swatched on my hand, you can see that it’s a really pink blush. However when I apply it onto my face, you can see that it leans more to coral pink. I applied this blush using my Tom Ford Cheek Brush very lightly. This blush is buildable, so if you want the shade to be true to pan, you  can always add another layer.

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Firstly I contoured my cheek with NARS Bronzer in Laguna  and I topped it off with thin layer of Provocative.

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Final Thought:

Provocative is a beautiful bubblegum pink shade that’s lovely to own. I won’t say that this blush is a must have but this is definitely a must for blush collector ;) I just can’t resist the luxurious feeling of having this blush :)

 

Thank you for reading!

By: Meryl

Sneak Peek of April’s Vanity Trove

Filed under BB Cream, CC Cream, Cleanser, Cleansing Oil, Makeup Base, Serum by on April 2, 2013 at 1:31 pm {one comment}

Hello everyone!

I hope all of you had a good long weekend. My long weekend was good. I had good foods, good rest and I had few hours of exercise which makes my weekend feels perfect. I received my first box of Vanity Trove and today I am introducing this box for the first time on this blog.

Vanity Trove is a beauty discovery platform for ladies to learn more about beauty products around town and the world. When ladies sign up to be a member, they get plugged into a network of beauty information via social platform, newsletters, facebook and more importantly, the vanity trove box! There will be different products sent to your door step each month, so be ready for a boxful of fun surprises :)

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April’s Vanity Trove contains products from Elizabeth Arden and Dr Ci Labo. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dr Ci Labo, it’s a Japanese brand that’s created by dermatologist. Dr Ci Labo star product is Aqua Collagen Gel that’s sold 23 million jars worldwide.

Now let’s start with Elizabeth Arden‘s products:

Visible Whitening Smoothing Cleanser

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Description:

This gently foaming cleanser with enzymatic micro beads instantly removes dead surface cells, reducing the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tone. Melts into skin to effectively cleanse, purify and detoxify. Skin looks instantly brighter , more even tones and glowing. Visible whitening smoothing cleanser retails at S$55 (125ml).

Elizabeth Arden Visible Whitening BB Cream

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Description:

This protective daytime beauty balm provides high protection from sun and pollution as it instantly hydrates and brightens shin. Contains melanin-inhibiting and anti aging technology to fight the appearance of discolorations and fine lines. Imparts a smooth, even toned look and a soft translucent glow. In 3 skin enhancing shades. Visible whitening multi- targeted uv shield BB cream spf 30 pa++ retails at S$80 (125ml).

Elizabeth Arden Visible Whitening Control Night Capsule

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Description:

This high performance nighttime serum in a capsule delivers potent natural hop extract to intercept melanin synthesis at every phase, diminishing excess pigmentation and the appearance of uneven skin tone. Powerful botanicals, vitamin C derivative and environmental protectants fight the damaging effects of pollution and support skin’s natural collagen and elastin matrix, to give skin a smoother brighter look. Visible whitening melanin control night capsules retails at S$140 (50 capsules).

Dr Ci Labo Aqua Collagen Gel

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Description:

Aqua-Collagen-Gel has proven as a runway success, with over 23 million jars sold worldwide to date. This multi-tasking formula provides the benefits of 5 products in 1 as the simplest skincare by believing human skin’s natural healing power – moisturizing lotion, emulsion, treatment essence, brightening essence, makeup base. Now the “Moisturizing Gel” becomes a category of skincare which Dr. Ci:Labo made in the skincare market thus Dr. Ci:Labo is the innovator and founder. Aqua collagen gel super moisture EX retails at s$130 (120g), s$65 (50g)

Dr Ci Labo Super Cleansing EX:

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Description:

Gently remove makeup without losing moisture ! When the cleanser is worked with makeup on the skin, it slowly turns into oil, Thoroughly remove even the toughest makeup, dirt and other impurities. While massaging, the gel will transform into oil, its gentle warming effect soften dead skin cells and lifts the makeup. It carefully catches impurities and clears the pores, removes dead skin cells. Super cleansing EX retails at S$50 (100g) .

Dr Ci Labo Super Cleansing Foam EX

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Moisturizing ingredients encapsulated in a nanocapsule. A fine, a botanical cleansing ingredient’s creamy lather’s elastic texture to remove debris, dirt, pollutants and other impurities thoroughly yet gently. Super washing foam EX retails at S$47 (120g).

Dr Ci Labo BB Perfect Cream

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This multifunctional cream foundation consists of Beauty Essence + Facial Cream + Makeup Base + Concealer + Makeup foundation all-in-one tube! Covers instantly all blemishes, small wrinkles and dullness and amazingly creates a smoother and lustrous radiant looking skin. It is very easy and quick to apply on the face and is for all type of skin. BB perfect cream white377+ retails at S$67 (30g).

 

Sounds good? You can also get this box sent to your door step at $25 :) Here’s how it goes:

1) Sign up for an account and subscribe to the service on www.VanityTrove.com for the monthly subscription fee of only S$25/- (inclusive of packing, shipping and handling fees) or pick the 3, 6, 12 months subscription options to get credits that goes towards redeeming a complimentary trove!

2) Receive each month’s edition before the month starts. (You’ll get September’s themed trove by end of August!)

3) Receive the troves hand-delivered to you and enjoy the beautiful surprises within it!  Test and share it with your beauty buddies.

For S$25/-, you get to receive the top products in the beauty industry because we know the ladies want only the best for their beautiful selves. Additionally, our beauty experts behind the scene identify and pick the newest beauty trends for you to test. Beauty sampling and pampering has never been made so accessible and affordable.

 

By: Meryl

The products mentioned above are provided by the company/PR representative at free of charge for review purposes. The information provided for each products are taken from the press kit or the respective product website. 

 

Chanel Raffinement review

Filed under eye shadow by on March 31, 2013 at 1:59 pm {18 comments}

Hola!

I have Chanel Raffinement to show to you today! I bought this eyeshadow quad from Saks.com :) Jacqueline from Mybeautyhoard was so kind arrange orders from me, Joy from LookNookHook, Ruby from  Miaka-Mylife and Luna from Lunalunaface so that we can share the shipping cost :) Jacqueline has posted about our haul in her blog here.

I am sure most of you have read the review of this product since early this year when it was first released. When I saw the swatches online, I know I had to get this one but only in US version. I have swatched this quad at the counter and as usual the Asian/Euro baked version does not feel as smooth as the US version. I am glad that finally I own Raffinement in US version.

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The Packaging:

I won’t be talking much about the packaging as the packaging looks the same like other Chanel eyeshadow quad. It comes with a velvety pouch and two mini sponges.

The Texture:

The texture is so smooth; it glides on nicely when I swatch it. I see some fallout on the champagne color but the rest of the shades are fine. The pigmentation of this quad is fine; it’s not sheer and it’s not overly pigmented too. I think the pigmentation level is suitable for people who wants both soft eye look or even a heavy smokey eye as the color is buildable.

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The Shade:

All the shades in this quad is very wearable. On the top lest is a taupe with a frost shimmer. On the bottom left is a frosty champagne; I foresee that I would use this shade as a base a lot.On the top right is a cream with a heavier frost and on the bottom left is a dark brown with frost sheen.

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The Eye Look:

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Final Thought:

I am a happy girl to own this quad. This quad has wearable shades which can be worn day for day and night look. The texture is lovely and it’s up to my expectation of a Chanel quad! Yayness :D

 

So ladies, what’s your favorite quad so far? Share it with me :)

 

By: Meryl

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