Make up Blog - Cosmetics and Makeup Reviews

Eye Shadow reviews - the Eye Shadow I love!

2007-11-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

1) Anna Sui Eye Color Accent

I love this eye shadow. This is my new favourite and the colour shown here, Soft Turquoise 101 is the one I am using. It has a subtle shimmer effect, which is good for work and parties!

This eyeshadow comes in a very elegance black case with the signature Anna Sui patterns. It is silky smooth and it stays on for a long time. So you don't have to reapply all the time. It comes with a little brush but I usually just use my finger to apply the eye shadow for the whole eye. Personally, I only use the brush if I need to add a thin line of darker colour accent on my eyes. Moreover, the Anna Sui Eye Color Accent has a smell of Rose perfume too. I love it! :) I am sure you will love it too!

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2) Shiseido Maquillage Double Shiny Eyes

Another new favorite! I don't usually like creme eye shadow due to my previous bad experience (see #3). My friend gave this one to my as my birthday gift and I was hooked after using it.

Not like the other cream eye shadow I have used before, this one does stay evenly on my eye lid for the whole day. It is easy to apply and it stays on smooth. I do think this eye shadow is perfect for the summer. I have picked the purple (V1164). I first use the purple on my eyes and blends it out with the white highlight on the upper part of my eye lids. You can do all this with one eye shadow, don't need to buy extra colour for accent! The only problem is, I use the purple more than the white, that means I still have lots of white eyeshadow remaining when the purple is used up. Anyhow, Shiseido Maquillage Double Shiny Eyes gives a very freshing shimmering effect. I love it! :)

3) NARS Creme Eye Shadow

Yes, this is the bad experience I talked about. I love the colour (Carioca) I bought and it does match perfectly with my clothes (that's why I bought it). I do not find it too easy to apply. Well.. I mean I found I need to apply it a few times before I can see an effect. However, when you first apply it on your eye lid, it does in fact give a transparent and shimmering look.

However, that does not stay too long. Soon, the eye shadow will spread unevenly on your eye lid. It is like patches of colour on your eyelid - some part of your eye lid will have colour and some part will not. I will have to spread it evenly again from time to time. I don't know why this happened, but it is what has happened to me. I really like the colour (which I cannot find an exact one from another brand), however, I cannot accept a makeup which I have to fix all the time. I don't have the time to take care of it.

4) Urban Decay Eyeshadow

I love this eye shadow. The colour I bought is Grifter, a sheer lavender w/ lots of silver microglitter. Yes, it gives your eyes glitters! I always get compliments (from guys and girls) when I wear this eye shadow. Girls will ask me where did I buy it and guys will say I look so nice with it! :) One time my friend was picking a gift for her husband's female colleague, I asked her to buy this eye shadow. The female colleague loved it so much, and kept on praising my friend having a very good taste for gift. People are saying they are always looking for an eye shadow like this but never knows it exists.

I would admit not many people knows about this eye shadow nor the brand. I was browsing Sephora one day and came across this little gem. You just need to put a little on and you will get a very apparent glittering effect. Don't think it is only for party, I wear it to work too. Well.. for work, I will first use a matte eye shadow, and lightly put on a little bit of the Urban Decay eye shadow. It stays on the whole day. One of the best eyeshadow I have. Beware thought, don't put on too much, a little bit is fine, or else your whole face will be glitter up! Urban Decay Eye Shadow is a must-have for your makeup collection.

5) Pout Eye Shadow Duo

I love this eye shadow. It comes in a funky paper case with a little pink ribbon on top. I have bought 2 different duo: Miss April and Miss Antiqua (as Shown). I love Miss April, it has a very nice light blue shimmering shade along with a dark blue shimmering shade. I always love to apply the light colour and gives it an accent with a darker colour of the same shade. Anyhow, the shimmering effect it gives is very nice (not as subtle as Anna Sui's and not as apparent as Urban Decay's) and the eye shadow is very smooth and easy to apply (I just apply it with my finger).

This eyeshadow can be applied dry or wet. You can apply it wet as a liner or to get a bolder look.

Miss Antiqua doesn't work for me though. After applying the eye shadow, I don't really see it on my eyes. I guess the colour is not apparent enough for me.

One common problem with any duos, you would finish one shade faster then the other. My light blue shade in Miss April is almost used up, but I still have a lot of the dark blue shimmer. So should I buy another Miss April? Pout doesn't offer just the light blue shade in their single eyeshadow.

6) Clarins Mono Reflets

I never thought I would buy an eye shadow from Clarins. For a long time, Clarins is only a brand for skin care for me. I have used their skincare products for a long time. One time I was getting their creme at a department store, they told me if I spent a bit more, I could get an extra set of skincare bonus. So I browse around and see if I can find something I like.

Surprisingly, I found this little eye shadow. It is so smooth and silky. It is so easy to apply and the colour stays on even and sharp. Yeah, I get a darker shade of green (#25 groovy green). It gives a very good accent to my light green eye shadow (#7 below) I have. It stays on your eye lid smoothly for the whole day. I love it!

7) Cargo Eye Shadow

Cargo's eye shadow is priced very reasonably and in good quality. It is but it doesnot as silky as the others (but good enough) stay on smooth for the whole day. I just need to apply a little bit to get the result I want. The colour I get is Green Bay. As I mentioned above, I use it together with the Clarins' Groovy Green.

8) Christian Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow

This is very fine eye shadow, silky, smooth and long lasting. The colour blends very well with the rest of your makeup. The only problem I have with duo or multi-colour eyeshadow pack is one colour will be done before the others. That's why I started to buy mono colour eyeshadow these days.

9) SOFINA Aube Eye Shadow & Eye Liner

I bought this SOFINA Aube Eye Shadow & Eye Liner when I was traveling in Hong Kong back in July this year. I fell in love with the eye shadow instantly. The liquid eyeshadow is so easy to apply with the applicator which comes with the eye shadow. It becomes powder instantly after you applied it on your eyes. The colour is so subtle, transparent and very natural on your eye lid. I bought the #73 (Green) as shown here. I never have such a good eye shadow before. Yes, it is silky smooth and long lasting. I totally love it.

The only problem I have with this pack is, I don't like the eye liner which comes with it (it comes with much more eyeliner than the eye shadow I love). This eyeliner is so hard to apply. I mean the colour doens't stay on your eye lid. It will be better in the morning when your face is fresh and clean. It is like impossible to apply when your face gets a bit oily later on in the day. Moreover, even you can apply it, personally, I think the effect is not very good. It is like a line of plastic sticking on your eye lid. And, that line of plastic can be easily rubbed off.

I asked my friend in Hong Kong to check if Sofina has just the eye shadow portion for sales (I can't even find this brand in Canada). Unfortunately they do not. I guess if I need to buy this nice eye shadow, I also need to get the eyeliner which I will never use. I guess that's how cosmetic companies made money, always force you to buy 2 instead of just one, so they can charge you more money (doesn't matter if you need it or not).

Best Foundation I have ever used - Cream Foundation Reviews

2007-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Shu Uemura Water Perfect smoothing water-in fluid foundation is the best foundation I have ever used. I have used many different ones and I will talk about 3 of them in this page.

1) The Best Foundation: Shu Uemura Water Perfect smoothing water-in fluid foundation

Shu Uemura Water Perfect smoothing water-in fluid foundation is very smooth and natural. You will not feel an extra layer of makeup on your face, it blends perfectly with your skin. It gives you a very natural and silky finish. Others won't feel you have put on makeup but just think you have very nice skin and complexion. (of course only when you didn't overdo your foundation!)

Moreover, it will not dry out your skin. It keeps your skin moisturized while giving you the benefit of a foundation. It is very important to keep your skin moisturized as dry skin will make your face and your makeup look bad. Don't ever use foundation that will dry out your skin. The only downfall is it doesn't have SPF. To use this foundation, you need to use other products that provide you with the UV protection. E.g. cream, loose powder etc.

More importantly, it does stay for the whole day. It keeps you look good for the whole day. I remember one time I was in Hong Kong and went out to have my passport picture taken. In Asian, especially in the summer, the weather is very humid. On that day, it started to rain soon after I went out. I was so worry when I was on the street as I think I would look terrible with the rain soaked my face. I thought I would have to postpone my passport picture as I would look so bad after soaking in the rain. Surprisingly, my look didn't change much when I got to the passport office. I just need to fix my hair and re-touch the eye shadow and some lipstick and I am good to go! From that time on, I know I will be sticking with this foundation for a long time.

2) Clarins True Comfort Foundation SPF 15

This is my second favourite. If you prefer a foundation that provides you with UV protection, you should try this one.

I have dry and sensitive skin and many foundation can dry my skin out. However, this one gives me a nice complexion while keeping my skin moisturized. I guess you would know how you would look like when you put on make up on dry skin - flaky skin with visible layers of makeup that don't blend together, which is very horrible. Never use a foundation which will dry your skin out.

I think I have picked Shu Uemura over Clarins is because Shu Uemura has a shade matches better with my skin tone. All depends if you need SPF for your foundation or not, if you do, pick Clarins True Comfort Foundation. If not, you can consider Shu Uemura's Water Perfect smoothing water-in fluid foundation.

3) Christian Dior Diorskin Fluide SPF 12

When I used the Diorskin Fluide, I used it with the the Dior translucent powder also. This combination did not work for me. It made my skin so dry and look like there is a layer of makeup on my face, very unnatural. Of course, since my face was so dry, the other makeup I put on did not look good on me either. My face was so dry and it became very itchy too. At first, I thought my facial cream is not moisturizing enough. Later on I found that my skin is much better without the foundation. That's when I stop using this foundation and try out other products.

I am not sure if it is the foundation itself or the powder which dried out my skin. However, I will not use it even if it has kept my skin moisturized. It did not give me a natural look. I guess just with the foundation is better, but with the powder, I feel like I have just put a layer of paint on my face, not very good.

Perfect Eye Makeup Remover - Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover

2007-10-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

It is important to remove your makeup completely before putting on any skincare products. I have been using different eye makeup remover before I try Mary Kay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Seriously, I think it is the best eye makeup remover you can ever find. I tell you why.

I have used some eye makeup remover which left my skin tight, or not able to remove my makeup easily or leave my eyes very oily. Since I wear contact lenses, the oily remover always blur my vision, which I hate!

Anyhow, Mary Kay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover will give you none of these problems. It cleansed very effectively - put a small amount on a cotton ball to wipe off your eyemakeup. Your eyes will be cleaned completely with a few wipes (Oh well, depends how much makeup you have put on).

You can feel the remover does help dissolving your eye makeup, which makes it more effective. If you have lots of eye makeup to be cleaned up, leave the cotton ball with the remover on your eyes for a while, before wiping away the makeup, that would definitely help you to remove your eye makeup effectively.

Not only that, nothing will be left on your face - no oil left to be cleaned up. It will not make your skin tight and dry. You are all ready to put on your skincare right after cleaning up your eyemakeup. How good it is? Trust me, you will love Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Makeup remover once you tried it.

Perfect eyeliner - Eyeliner reviews

2007-10-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Eyeliner is one of the key element in my makeup collection. It helps to define and enhance your eyes and makes them look bigger, more defined and brighter. When you have well defined eyes and nice eye makeup, you just need a clear/ natural lip gloss to complete your look. I will only use a red or darker lipstick if I am wearing red clothes or to a formal evening.

1) Mac Fluidline - The best eyeliner I have ever used!

I have tried so many eyeliner before I use Mac Fluidline. I do think it is the best and will give your eyes a very nice definition which stays on for the whole day. Mac Fluidline is a gel liner that gives you the precise but not too hard eye line you want easily - just take a little Fluidline with the Mac Small Angle brush 266 to outline your eyes the way you want it.

Mac Fluidline is smudge-proof and water-proof. I remember I still have a nice eye line after soaking in the rain, crying and enjoying the sauna. Smudge-proof is very important for me as I always scratch my eyes. Anyhow, Mac Fluidline stays on the whole day for me no matter what I do.

It also gives you a softer look than the traditional liquid eyeliner which claims to stay on for a longer time. I like to use the "blacktrack" shade as it is good for all different colours of eyeshadow I have and really define my eyes very well. Of course you can try out their 15 other shades for a more dramatic look.

Another good thing is it lasts for a long time. I wore eyeliner everyday and the little bottle has lasted for more than a year for me. I do think it is much better and cheaper (much better value) than all the other eyeliner I have used. I am going to share my experience with you below with a few other brands I have used.

2) Pout eye pencil (retractable crayon)

Pout eye pencil used to be my favourite as it is very easy to apply and its colour really shows on my eyelid. (There are so many crayon and pencil give you little colour no matter how hard you tried them on your eyelid) Anyhow, there are 2 problems with this nice eyeliner though.

The main problem is it doesn't stay on. As I have mentioned before, I always scratch my eyes so my nice makeup in the morning will be gone very soon by noon (or earlier).

The second problem I found is it doesn't last for very long. I paid around the same price for this one as the Mac Fluidline. However, this liner will be used up in 2-3 months for me.

Anyhow, if you really like crayon more than gel liner, you can try this one. ( I haven't tried one crayon or pencil that is easy to apply and stays on for a long time though). It gives you a softer look and is very easy to apply. I love "Eye See You" from the 8 shades available, which is a black colour with dark green shimmer. It is good with any colour of eye shadow you are going to wear. Too bad this colour is not available in Mac Fulidline, or else I will definitely get it.

3) Bourjois Khol & Contour Eyeliner Pencil

If you still prefer eye pencil rather than others, you should try the Bourjois Khol & Contour eyeliner pencil. This one is priced very reasonably and it does work pretty well. Although it does stay on longer than the Pout Crayon, it still doesn't last for the whole day. (That's why I switched to the Mac Fluidline) This eye pencil is very easy to apply and the colour does show on the eyelid. I used it up for around a year time, which means it lasts much longer than the crayon, but not as long as the Mac Fluidline gel liner. I like the 05 Vert Inspire shade, which is a very dark green liner to define your eyes and at the same time gives a nice accent complimenting your eye shadow. This dark green eyeliner is almost black and goes well with any eye shadow colour. Eye pencil/ crayon gives you a softer outline than the liquid liner. I do not like liquid liner which is so hard to use and give you a hard line (Of course, it is only personal preference).

4) L'Oreal Line Intensifique Liquid Eyeliner

I do not like the L'Oreal Line Intensifique Liquid Eyeliner nor any liquid eyeliner at all. It is so hard to apply (at least for me) and the line it gives is also very hard. Well, I think you really need a steady professional hand to use this one. Moreover, (anyhow at least the line I draw) the line it gives is not as natural as the one by the Mac Fluidline.

Quote from my friend Karen, she does have a different experience with the Loreal eyeliner, which might be useful for my readers - "The L'Oreal eyeliner is the only one they have, they offer it in either brown or black, I know other people have said it's tricky to use, but I find the liquid easier, and what I like most is it stays on. When I use the pencil or the pots (like MAC or Bobby Brown) they melt off, my complexion is on the oily side, for someone with dry skin, probably very good. Plus with liquid eyeliner you can alter the thickness of the line easily, so for a dress up occasion make it really dramatic."

Perfume (Parfum) - Perfume that stays on the whole day

2007-10-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Trouble finding a perfume that stays on for the whole day and right for your function?

Do you have trouble finding a perfume that stays on for the whole day? I have bought and tried so many different perfume (they all smell nice) but only a few of them does stay on! I love to use different perfume to match with my clothes and my mood. Sometimes it is hard to find a perfume that is right for you, since all perfume works differently on different people. Anyhow, see below for my top picks for perfume. They all work very good on me... and smell very good too. :) I hope you would like my recommendations! (By the way, I love to buy my perfume online, as it is usually much cheaper, and sometimes you can find online stores which offers free shipping, which is even better! Sometimes I like to go to outlet to buy perfume too, since their prices are unbeatable! Unfortunately they do not have all brands I love!)

1) Christian Dior J'Adore Eau De Parfum Spray

I love this perfume! Whenever I wore it, I will get compliments from people - both men and women. And the best thing is, it does stay on for a long time. I put it on early in the morning for work, and can still smell it late afternoon. It blends with Mandarin, Champaca Flowers, Ivy, African Orchid, Rose, Violet, Damascus Plum, Amaranth Wood and Blackberry Musk notes. I love its feminine floral smell, very pleasant, not too sweet nor too strong. I do think it is suitable for both work, dates and evenings, both summer and winter. I love it!

2) Ralph Lauren - Lauren Style Eau de Parfum Spray

I just recently add this one to my perfume collection and everyone loves this scent on me too. Its lightly sweet floral scent stays on a long time. I would say Laurent Style is not as strong as J'Adore but surprisingly it stays on for the whole day too. It blends with Kumquat, Lime, Tangerine, Bulgarian Rose, Nectarine Blossom, Orange Blossom, Violet Leaves, Gardenia, Jasmine, Tuberose, Hedione, Magnolia, Patchouli, Suede Note, Woods, Skin Musk 2000, Heliotrope, Benzoin and Vanilla notes. I love its feminine scent, it smells so good. I will use it in both summer and winter. It might be too light for a formal evening event. I would wear it for work and dates. Anyhow, I love Lauren Style.

3) Gucci Envy Eau De Toilette Spray

This is another perfume I love that will stay for the whole day. I do think it stays for a very long time for a Eau De Toilette Spray. However, I don't know why I do not like to wear it in the summer; I only wear it in the winter. I do think Envy is less feminine than the rest of the perfume I talk about on this page. Don't worry, it is nothing like those unisex perfume, just a bit less sweet than the rest. It does have a very refreshing scent. I would wear it for both daytimes or evenings. It blends with Hyacinth, Magnolia, Vine Flower, Flower Violet, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Musk and Iris notes.

4) Lacome Miracle Eau de Parfum Spray

I love Lancome's Miracle! I remembered one time I got a sample from purchasing Lancome's cosmetics and I have loved this perfume since. It smells so good. I love its feminine and light floral scent, very refreshing! It blends with the Freesia, Jasmine, Magnolia and Lychee, while amber permeates the floral heart. Yes, I got compliments from wearing Miracle too. People will ask me what perfume I am wearing. However, it works weirdly for me. Sometimes it does stay on for a very long time, sometimes I can no longer smells it in the afternoon. It stayed on my friend for a whole day though. I guess it is different for different people! I do wear it for work and dates.

5) Clinique Happy Eau de Parfum Spray

I really do feel happy when I wear this perfume! This perfume makes me feel energetic and refreshing. It is priced very reasonably (much cheaper than the rest) and at the same time stays on for a long time (the whole day) for me. Its fruity floral scent is perfect for young and active women. It blends Bergamot, Boysenberry, Honeyuckle, Bushflower, Grapefruit and Moss, with a base note of Freesia, Lemon and Hawaiian Wedding flower. I do wear it for dates and work. I would think it is not formal enough for an evening event.

6) Lanvin Eclat D'Arpege Eau De Parfum Spray

I really love the scent of this perfume! I remember one time I smelt it in the department store, I fell in love with the scent and kept on dreaming about buying it! I didn't buy it on the spot as it was very expensive. When it was first introduced in Canada a few years ago, the 100 ml spray was selling for $150 CAD plus taxes. I was so glad that I found it online later for half the price. It is its light floral scent that attracted me. It blends with the Sicilian Lemon Leaves, Lilac Green, Wisteria Flowers, Green Tea Flowers, Peach Flowers, Red Peony, Chinese Osmanthus, White Cedar of Lebanon, Musk and Amber notes. Although it smells so good, it doesn't stay on very long for me. :( I will still buy this perfume (online only, not in stores) since I really love the scent! At least I will smell very good for the whole morning! Oh well, sometimes it does stay longer than that.