Blush Crush – Milani Blushes

Have realised that my photos are turning up a smidgen darker than usual. My dad changed my lights to LED type and it sorta puts the white balance out of whack. Here I have with me, my new acquired milani blushes! A good IG friend of mine helped us to order these from the US and had them shipped to Singapore! Milani is unavailable in Singapore, boohoo 😦 They have a fantastic range of blushes and coupled with a discount, these little pretty things are very affordable! I picked 3 different types to have a variety of blushes to play with!

This is Rose Powder in Flora Passion. It is a bright pink a touch of coral. The rose powder series have many ladies out there gushing over its gorgeousness. It is almost impossible to resist the delicate rose on this blush! The powder is a little dry but I still find it easy to pick up the blush with a slightly denser brush. It imparts a soft healthy flush to my cheeks and I am kicking myself for not ordering more!

Baked blush in Berry Amore. Ohh look at the marbling pattern on the blush. It is berry tone blush that ladies with more olive tones would favour. It has chunky gold glitter but a gentle flick of the the brush before you apply this on your cheeks with help to reduce the glitter on the face.

Lastly, this is the Illuminating face powder in Amber Nectar. It is a little shimmery and I use it on top of my blusher to give some glow to my face. I thought it would give some warmth to my face, but surprisingly it swatches a lot lighter than I expected. Nevertheless, it is a pretty blush!

Swatches! – Amber Nectar, Flora Passion, Berry Amore.

Looking forward to trying out more Milani blushes and exploring blush colours that I do not really use 🙂

MAC x Pedro Lourenco and Alluring Aquatic Haul

Even though I have given away my naked 3 palette to a lovely young lady who will cherish it much better than me, my heart aches for something nude to fill the gap. I jumped at the opportunity when Tangs Orchard did an early release of the Mac x Pedro Lourenco collection. The nude eyeshadow palette is to die for! The packaging is matte rubber, similar to that of Nars and mirrors Pedro Lourenco’s minimalistic style. Simple and functional.

From Cafe Makeup , I learnt that the shimmer shades are permanent while the matte shades are limited edition. The shade names are: Pink Sands, All that Glitters, Sable and Rose Cloud (lightest colour first, clockwise direction)

Swatches! Sable, All that Glitters, Rose Cloud and Pink Sands. The swatch at the right most corner is Lorelei which I will be showing you later. The palette is a great combination of nudes with hints of rose gold. If you have been afraid of pink eyes or looking swollen, this is the palette you should be getting! Pink cloud does give me a little pink eye situation but the brown tones in the other shades balances it off. Definitely foolproof and good for someone looking for a basic palette that you can take from office to night. The texture is soft and easily blendable, making it really easy to use.

At the same time, I also purchased the Extra Dimension eyeshadow single in Lorelei. Oh my, can you just gush at the packaging? Metallic teal packaging with faux water droplets! Altogether now, say WOW! I am really hardly swayed by MAC and it has been astounding how I caved into so many items at once!

 

Let me digress a little. I purchased Lorelei mainly for its name. I was in Germany, St Goar about 5 years ago. Strolling down the beautiful Rhine river with an ice cream in hand and then bf (now ex) in tow. One of the land tours brought us to the rocky area that was named Lorelei. It was folklore that a pretty maiden named Lore Lay was betrayed by her sweet heart and climbed up this dangerous rock where she fell to her death. It is said that she still bewitches the sailors to go closer to this dangerous rocky area where they met their death as well.

Folklore aside, it is a very gorgeous area where I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I still recall the white wine tasting sessions in cold cellar! Had my first taste of ice wine there, definitely nothing like what you get in Singapore supermarkets. (drinking ice wine before it was hip yo!). I would love to share the wonderful pictures but my hard disk crashed and I had no way of getting the photos back again. There was DVD as well but I cannot remember where it is or perhaps it is one of those that is already corrupted due to time. Ah.. memories, only residing deep in my thoughts.

Ok ok, let’s go back to makeup!

This is Lorelei and All the Glitters swatched side by side. Can’t tell the difference? It’s okay, neither can I! The one on the left is Lorelei, it is a little more brown in real life and the finish is a tad more metallic.I know Lorelei is very popular, so if you are not able to get your hands on it, All that Glitters is a very good dupe! What do I do with 2 similar shade? I don’t really know.. just enjoy them!

I picked up the blush in Sea Me Hear Me as well. It is a natural berry-red toned blush that is perfect for a soft flush.

 

Heavy swatch and blended out.

I would advise you to be a little light handed and build up as you go. It is a very lovely blush but it can result in you looking a bit bruised and muddy if not careful. I hunted a few places before I managed to get my hands on this blush. Regret? Perhaps. I love the colour but the extra time needed to blend it and ensure it is not muddy is a little irksome in the morning. Perhaps I’ll try a different brush and see how things go with it. I want to love it alot more, I really do but I am finding it difficult.

Anyway, I appreciate your attention to the end of post! Apologies for my absence, have been really sick with food poisoning and severe infection. I have almost fully recovered and am very thankful to stop throwing up all my food. You have no idea how torturing it is to be hungry, wanting to eat but yet knowing eating will result in you throwing up the very next minute. Hydrate plenty my lovelies!

 

 

Diorskin Nude Shimmer Powder – 001 Rose/Pink

A few days ago, I typed out a full review on this. I could not save the draft nor publish it. After 30 minutes of waiting, I got frustrated and closed the window. Lo and behold, there was no draft, so I am re-typing this.. *rant over*

I was quite keen on getting this powder when it was released with the Summer Collection, but when the SA told me it was going to be permanent, I decided to hold out for sales. And indeed I chased after this during the Sephora 20% discount. What a great way to score something so gorgeous 🙂

 

 

The silver compact is a magnet for sticky, oily fingers. It comes with a velvet pouch and I cannot seem to find any small pouch for the brush. Did it come with a pouch for the brush? I recalled 2 years ago, when I got the Nude Tan powder, it had a pouch for the kabuki brush. Perhaps my set is missing it 😦 I do bring such small brushes along when I travel.

Time for swatches! Blended, light shade and darker shade. The shimmer is quite fine and will not leave you looking like a disco ball. Nevertheless, you should bear in mind that this is meant to be shimmery and not really so much as a blush. This is used best on top of a blush as a soft highlight. I was having a bad acne day today and I found that it did not make my pores or poor acne more obvious.

This is a good addition to my stash as I do not have something similar. I suppose if you concentrate more on the darker shade, you will be able to use this as a blush. It is not LE, so wait for sales!

Chanel Joues Contraste in Fleur de Lotus

First up, apologies if you, my dear readers, have been checking my blog for updates during the weekdays. I usually work 10-12 hours a day and by the time I reach home, all I want to do is bath and sleep. As such, the only time I can write is during the weekends.. sighs. Thus the spam of posts on Saturdays/Sundays!

I love blushes and have way too many of them for my own good. Well, I have only one face, two cheeks.. and so far I have not hit pan on any blusher. *sheepish look*

Here I have with my today is Chanel’s blush in Fleur de Lotus. It was released sometime last year but I am unsure if it is limited edition or permanent. It was used during my makeover at Chanel and I liked it so much that I bought it.

It is a pink blush with hints of coral. When swatched, it looks decidedly pink, but when blended on the cheeks, that is when the coral shows up.This blush is quite powdery and I had a hard time wiping the powdery dust just to take some photos. It is rather pigmented and the swatch below is just one swipe across the blush. It has no discernible glitter and has the signature rose scent reminiscent of all Chanel blushes.

Here, I have it juxtaposed against Burberry’s blush in Blossom. You can see that Fleur de Lotus has almost no reddish tones in the swatch and is very different from Blossom. I really love this blush, despite my initial misgivings that it is too pink for me. You really have to try it and see!

 

 

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in #10

 

 

 

When I first learnt that Giorgio Armani Beauty is going to discontinue this blush (read it here – Best Things in Beauty), I thought it would be time to go check this out. We only have 1 GA Beauty counter in Singapore, which is at DFS Scotts. The popular items are largely sold out.

The blush is a beige-pink with micro shimmers. It supposedly suits all skin tones and will give a natural looking light flush.

Here, I have it juxtaposed against some of my favourite blushes. It is decidedly different from my usual coral scheme of blushes.

L-R: Tarte – Tipsy, Burberry – Blossom, Chanel – In Love, GA – #10. 

Initially, I was quite worried if the shimmers will emphasize my pores or be too glittery for my liking. My fears was promptly eliminated when I tried out this blush on my cheek. It translate to a soft radiant flush on my cheeks. The micro shimmers are very very fine and glistens gold in the sun. Now, it is one of my favourite blush. Time to head to the counter to have a look at it!

Nars, you’re Killing Me Softly

Ever since Nars entered Singapore with much fanfare and longed anticipation, I must say that I have walked past many times but seldom saw much that caught my eye. The only things that came home with me were the Light Reflecting Powder (in both pressed and loose version)

Nars Orgasm blush is one of those cult status items that regularly goes into each makeup addict’s must-have. What better than to have a palette of Nars blushes, with Nars Orgasm taking centre stage!

Presenting to you, Nars – Killing Me Softly Palette! Comprising of Albatross, Orgasm, Outlaw and Gilda (in clockwise order).Absolutely excited to find it at Robinsons Orchard(the swanky new one that reminds me of Lane Crawford in HK). Plus, I was hem-hawing at Gilda some time ago and I am very happy to find this!

I was pleasant surprised that Outlaw was not difficult to carry off, but requires a bit more work at blending. The blushes are pigmented, so please use a light hand with them. As with my pigmented blushes, I use Hakuhodo Kokutan Blush Brush to gently pat the colour on my cheek and I use a more fluffy brush to blend it out.

Orgasm, Outlaw, Gilda, Albatross

Outlaw’s perfect for Christmas!

Blush Me Up!

There you go, my collection of blushes. I have blush-crush syndrome – never ending purchase of blushes! They all look so pretty to me 🙂

Top row, L-R : Guerlain Rose Aux Joues in Golden High, Chanel Joues Constrate in In Love, Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel, Chanel Joues Constrate in Frivole, Burberry Blossom

Bottom Row – Tom Ford Flush, YSL Blush Radiance No. 9, Guerlain Madame Rougit Blush, Suqqu Balancing Cheeks in Hinageshi, Benefit Rockteur

L-R 

Benefit Rockteur , Hinageshi (Dark & Light Shade), Madame Rougit, YSL No. 9 (Dark & Light Shade), Flush, Blossom, Frivole, Blush Horizon de Chanel, In Love, Golden High (Dark & LIght Shade) 

 

Out of all these blushes, my favourite is Frivole, It is just right for my skin tone. Looks really natural for me. It is orange yet has some red in it to balance it out. I was seriously bummed when I dropped it and thus it is in pieces. Have not been able to find a dupe for it, but I am unsure if it is still available as it was LE for Spring 2013. 

Some Tom Ford Never Hurts

Tom Ford Lipstick in Bare Peach

It’s Tom Ford alright, but why am I having trouble with this? It applies patchy on my lips and emphasizes all the dry lines and crevices. I wonder if I am doing something wrong.. maybe I need to use a lip balm before it or take better care of my lips.

Nevertheless, gorgeous colour and unstated shine. 

Tom Ford Blush in Flush

The hot raspberry pink threw my camera’s autofocus off. It’s unabashedly hot pink and in your face. When applied with a soft brush and gentle hands, it creates a lovely glow.

What’s not to love about Tom Ford? (except the price) 

With the Tom Ford Cheek Brush. In my sister’s words “Just like a fluffy bunny tail”. I couldn’t agree more. 

Swatched, 1 swipe. It should ideally be blended out to avoid clown cheeks. 

Shall lay off the Tom Ford hauling for awhile. Excuse me while I go comfort my wallet. 

A blush a day keeps the blues away!

There are the 3 main blushes I use on a day to day basis.L-R: Burberry Light Glow No. 05 in Blossom, Blush Horizon De Chanel, Chanel Joues Contraste – 55, In Love

Chanel’s Joues Contraste In Love is the first expensive blush I purchased, I think somewhere at the beginning of last year. Or perhaps the year before.

Packaging

The blush comes in a black plastic casing with a mirror and a small brush attached. I don’t usually use the small brush unless I am in a rush or my blush brush is still in process of drying. Easy to carry around.

Texture

In Singapore, we get the baked texture, the same as the one in European countries. Takes a few more swipes if you want more colour. Decent colour payoff

Price

At the point when I purchased, I believed it was $64. Chanel Joues Contraste now retail for $67.

Thoughts

I have a particular fondness for this blush and I carry it with me everywhere. It seems barely used and I think it will probably be another 2-3 years before I can even think about hitting pan for this blush. The name of the blush makes me wonder if this is the colour I am supposed to flush if I am in love. Thankfully, I don’t blush naturally so no one know if I am embarrassed or anything. Random thought haha.

Packaging

This blush comes in Burberry’s signature checked gunmetal casing. The brush is good and feels soft. It is slightly angled and I do use it in place of my normal brush when I am in a hurry.

Texture

Finely milled with very little shimmer. This blush is indeed an understated beauty.

Price

It retails for about $60+. I am unable to recall the exact price.

Thoughts

My apologies if the review of this blush is a bit rushed. My internet has gone all cranky on me again and the upload speed is crawling. (and I need to sleep..) I seldom use it blush, choosing to give more love to Chanel’s Joues Contraste instead. I don’t really know why but perhaps it sits silently at the bottom of my drawer. I shall resolve to give it more love! In colour, it is very similiar to Joues Contraste’s In Love. The swatches below will show you!

L-R: Burberry Light Glow No. 05 in Blossom, Blush Horizon De Chanel, Chanel Joues Contraste – 55, In Love