elixelle's Beauty Moments

Birchbox Teams With Teen Vogue

2012-02-09T11:59:00.002+08:00

As I was reading my Twitter timeline, I saw a tweet by Teen Vogue and they mentioned Birchbox. Curious, I clicked on the link and was excited to see that Birchbox and Teen Vogue has teamed together to come out with a spring inspired box with products selected by Teen Vogue Editor, Eva Chen.

From the site, it looks like the boxes will be limited and you can reserve your box (subject to certain conditions?) by entering your email address on the site.

The box will contain not only samples but tutorials and tips as well. I think there will also be corresponding features posts up on the Teen Vogue website next month to complement the box.

Click on the image above to be transported to the site and reserve your box while stocks last.

Battle of the Lash Curlers: Shu Uemura vs Urban Decay

2012-01-31T12:35:00.001+08:00

Here's a post I've been wanting to write about for awhile. A comparison between the cult favorite Shu Uemura eye lash curler and the significantly different Urban Decay The Revolution. The Urban Decay curler is no longer available for purchase (previously priced at US$20) at the moment but I figured I'll give my opinion on the products anyways.

The Curl

Left: Shu UemuraRight: Urban Decay
(Both eyes without mascara)

Click image to enlarge

The Comparison

I've had the Shu Uemura curler for a few years now and it still works wonderfully on me. The frame is durable despite being lightweight. The curve of the grip fits my eye contour perfectly and it is wide enough to not snag on (or miss) my inner and outer corner lashes. Each curler comes with an extra silicone pad but if you've used up both pads, you will have to repurchase the curler as Shu Uemura does not sell the curler's silicone pads individually (or as a pack). You don't need to put too much pressure when crimping your lashes with this one either. The result, beautifully curled lashes that not only looks natural but also you don't get that awful crimp dent.

Shu Uemura Eye Lash CurlerPrice : RM60

During the Urban Decay release last year, I hesitated purchasing The Revolution High-Performance Lash Curler. It looked interesting and I thought would help crimp falsies and my natural lashes together so that they blended better. The construction of the tool looked, well, revolutionary and was completely different from your average lash curler. After watching the accompanying video on the Urban Decay website, I thought I'd give it a try and was excited when it came in the mail. It is slightly shorter than the Shu Uemura curler with a somewhat bulkier frame. The crimper was open ended and was attached to a spring mechanism. The tool also came with extra silicone pads (5 actually) and padded inner finger loops (for comfort?). The crimping head is slightly more curved than Shu's but also about 30% shorter (not the best to use for a longer lash line).

Urban Decay The Revolution High-Performance Eye Lash CurlerPrice : US$20

The bar at the center of the top part of the crimper makes it difficult to work with with false lashes on. I felt that it was much easier to simply pressed lashes together with my fingers to achieve the desired results I had hoped with the curler. I also felt that this fancier 'revolutionary' design makes crimping your eyelids a bit easier (ouch!).

The Verdict

Personally, I felt the Shu Uemura is still the clear winner. The simple conventional design just works. I've tried generic brands (i.e. no brand) in the past and have met with pinched eyelids and snagged lashes. Shu's curler applies even pressure throughout the lash line in one smooth motion resulting in beautifully curled lashes. Apply a good mascara and curls last all day and I didn't have to bust out the hairdryer to heat up the tool.

Sigma Palettes Repackaged!

2012-01-22T23:39:00.000+08:00

Mid last year Sigma came out with 3 eyeshadow palettes -- Flare, Bare and Dare.

Admittedly I found the packaging to be quite bulky before and am happy to share that the palettes have been repackaged and are now significantly slimmer!

Photo source: SigmaBeauty.com

The thickness is down by about 50% (woo hoo!) and should be of similar size to the famous Urban Decay Naked Palette. This new thickness makes the palettes much more portable and won't take up unnecessary space.

Click here for my thoughts on all the palettes as well as

looks made with colors from each palette.

Birchbox & Glam Bag: December 2011

2012-01-22T01:14:00.001+08:00

My latest package arrived and it came with more goodies (of course). If you're wondering why my Birchbox and Glam Bag are here a month late, it's because it takes awhile to get it shipped to me here. Nonetheless, I'm always excited to see what I've received!

Birchbox | Frolic & Fancy
December 2011

For the past holiday season, Birchbox had teamed with Baby Buggy, a non-profit organization that supplies needy families in the US with essential goods for their children. 100% of profit from full size sales was donated to the organization on top of a generous US$25,000.

In line with the holiday theme, the samples came wrapped in shimmery white tissue. Pretty as always.

Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional (7.5ml/0.25 US fl.oz.)

33% of the full size product
Value: US$9.67

Harvey Prince | Ageless Pink Grapefruit perfume (It doesn't say how much product is in the sample but estimating from the size of the vial, I'd say 2.5ml)

5% (of 50ml) or 2.5% (of 100ml) of the full size product
Value: US$2.75 (based on 50ml) or US$2.45 (based on 100ml)

Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink (2ml/0.06 fl.oz.)

almost 29% of the full size product
Value: US$5.71

L'Oreal Professional Mythic Oil (3ml)

2.4% of the full size product
Value: US$0.77

[ Bonus ] PREP ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape in Nude (2 strips)

8.3% of the full size product
Value: US$0.83

[ Bonus ] EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster (1 packet)

5% of the full size product
Value: US$1.40

December 2011 box value:
US$20.83 (min.)

I am happy to receive the POREfessional sample considering I was just thinking of looking for another sample of this wonderful product for travelling. For me, it works wonderfully in reducing the appearance of enlarged pores and it can be use before or after make up. Sometimes I like to wear it on it's own sans make up too. I've heard nice things about the Jouer gloss and am excited to give it a try. That bright pink would look nice over NYX Matte Lipstick in Summer Breeze. As for the perfume, Ageless, it reminds me of Philosophy's Summer Grace. I'm not sure but it might share similar notes. The 2 bonus samples are actually quite practical too.

Save for the POREfessional and JOUER samples, I wasn't too excited with the December box. I've been seeing some January box videos and it's looking promising. I wonder which products I'll be receiving.

Glam Bag | December 2011

Soon after finding out about MyGlam, I didn't even think twice about signing up. I suppose mostly since I can't help but support Michelle Phan and that the stylists were all YouTube beauty gurus I follow. A sneak peak at the contents of the bag helped too.

The bag itself is cute and perfect for toting a touch up kit in your purse/bag. I can't wait to see the other designs in the upcoming months (yes, I couldn't resist a full year subscription).

MyGlam December Launch Glam Bag value:
US$57.88

Not only does the bag come with full size and deluxe samples of products, it also came with discount codes! Unfortunately, these codes won't do much good for me due to logistics. Haha.

Mai Couture (Value: US$20 + US$0.35)

[ Full Size ] Blemish Control Blotting Papier (100 sheets)
[ Sample ] Blush Papier in Sunset Blvd (1 sheet)

Urban Decay (Value: US$17 + US$6.39)

[ Full Size ] Eyeshadow in Sin (1.5g/0.05 US oz)
[ Sample ] Eyeshadow Primer Potion (3.7ml/0.13 US fl.oz)

NYX Cosmetics (Value: US$6)

[ Full Size ] Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paolo

Tarte Cosmetics (Value: US$8.14)

[ Sample ] Lights, Camera, Lashes! Clinically Proven Mascara (3ml/0.10 fl.oz.)

I'm incredibly excited about the Glam Bags and loving how much value for money these products are. Each bag is only US$10/month or US$110/year. If you can't subscribe for the bag yet (they're working on shipping internationally but for the moment shipping is only available in the US), sign up and join the MyGlam beauty communities and be a Glammie. The community membership is free.

I already use 4 out of the 6 products in this bag and are definitely some of my favorite products too. I had gotten the Tarte mascara from a Sephora Lash Stash set and I love how full they make my lashes look (and natural looking too!). The one in the bag is the regular version while I normally use the waterproof version (and bought the full size recently as well which goes to show how much I love it). Great separation, no clumping and no smudging. Urban Decay's Sin eyeshadow is part of the original Naked palette and is a pretty highlight or lid color. I think it's one of those shades that works with a variety of skin tones. While the UDPP isn't at the top of my list of fave eyeshadow primers, it is a pretty good product and loved by a host of beauty junkies all around the world. One of my absolute fave lip products is the Soft Matte Lip Cream. The texture is just different from any other lip product out there and the finish is beautiful. I do suggest prepping lips with a balm prior if you tend to have dry lips. If you're not into matte finishes, just top it up with a gloss. Another thing I love about it is the scent. It smells like vanilla or cupcake which are some of my fave things. Yummy!

I've seen Mai Couture products used in JulieG's videos before and the concept is interesting. I'm super happy to get the full size blotting paper with salicylic acid. With our humid climate here in Malaysia, this would work well for me even though my skin isn't particularly oily (just that I sweat a bit). The blush papier is an excellent product for girls on the move a lot. It's compact, mess free, quick and perfect for touch ups or on the go make up application.

Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Mineral Veil To Go

2012-01-16T02:19:00.000+08:00

Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Mineral Veil has been a popular finishing powder in the beauty world especially amongst mineral make up lovers. Since the original version is in loose powder form, it can be a tad of a hassle for on the go application. With that in mind, Bare Escentuals are offering 2 options for their fans.

The original Mineral Veil loose powders come in 0.3oz and 0.21oz (with SPF) respectively and priced at US$20 each. The Mineral Veil without SPF is available in 4 variations -- Illuminating, Hydrating, Regular and Tinted which can be used to refill the Buffing Brush to easily throw in your purse for easy access while you're on the move. If you prefer compacts, the latter option should entice you.

In terms of price to product value, both options above are considerably more expensive than the full size product possibly due to packaging variations. However, between the two products, the Buffing Brush has 60% more product per US$ compared to it's compact alternative.

Both products are available at Bare Escentuals retailers.

Product photo source: Sephora.com

Sampling with Birchbox

2012-01-15T00:04:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I posted a video at the beginning of last month to update on what's coming up this year and yes, I am super excited with this new chapter of Beauty Moments. Not only will there be more posts, stay tuned for complementing videos as well as tons of giveaways.

I'm sure a lot of you (if not all) are familiar with Birchbox. There's been so much hype going on about this service in the past year and the concept of it is quite appealing. Each box shipped out every month contains 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes full size products too!) at a monthly subscription fee of US$10 or you can opt for a yearly subscription of US$110.

When you join Birchbox, you will be greeted with a welcome box to get you started.

In all of the Birchbox boxes, you will receive a little intro card to prepare you for what's in store in that particular box. Also included is another card in pink explaining how to service works and how you can purchase the full size product as well as earn points.

At the back of the intro card is a list of the products received, full product size, price and brief information about each product and below is a list of the products that I received:

AHAVA Revival Bath Salts in Mandarin Cedarwood

I actually received 2 packets of the AHAVA Dermud Foot Cream (4ml/0.14 fl. oz) only instead
almost 4% of the full size product
Value: US$1.12

colorescience pro sunforgettable Mineral Powder Sun Protection SPF30 (1.5g/0.05 oz) in the shade Perfectly Clear - Medium

24% of the full size product
Value: US$6.72

Kissable Couture Lip Gloss in the shade Glamour (Full size -- 0.16 oz) which is a light bubble gum pink with gold and fuschia sparkles.

Value: US$22

Korres Guava Body Butter (50ml/1.69 fl. oz) for dry skin

21% of the full size product
Value: US$6.17

Tatcha Aburatorgami Blotting Papers (3 sheets) suitable for all skin types and doesn't disturb make up

10% of full product
Value: US$1.20

Welcome box value:
US$37.21

My first actual Birchbox came in for the month of November which was themed "Getting Gifty".

Once again there is an intro card with some words from the Birchbox team and on the reverse side, a list of products included in the box accompanied by full size product info (size and price) as well as a very brief description of each product and mine had the following items:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Lifting Mascara (3ml/0.10 fl. oz) in the shade Black

37.5% of the full size product
Value: US$8.25

Befine Night Cream (0.5 fl. oz) with Cocoa, Millet and Rice Bran

29.4% of the full size product
Value: US$8.82

Kerastase Elixir Ultime (5ml) which is a beautifying oil for all hair types

4% of the full size product
Value: US$2.16

Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste (14.2g/0.5 oz) in Icy Mint flavor

11.9% of the full size product
Value: US$2.50

[ Treat ] Alex and Isabelle Classic Hair Ties (1 piece) in a shimmery gray color

16.7% of full product set
Value: US$2.00

November 2011 box value:
US$23.73

Unfortunately I haven't had the time to try out any of the products but I am excited to try a few of the items I've received. Since I don't have dry skin, I've given the Korres Body Butter (which has a 4.4 out of 5 rating by Sephora beauties) to my brother instead and in my opinion is of a good size for a sample. It's more of a travel version of the product. The Kissable Couture Lip Gloss came full size and I was happy it came in the box because I had been curious about it since Ren from Makeup By RenRen talked about it around end of 2010 (Ren's blog post and video). It looks like a pretty color and although I don't particularly like shimmer glosses, I'm definitely giving this one a try. The colorescience sunscreen would be interesting to try as well. I'm curious to find out if it's anything like the elf SPF45 sunscreen which comes in a similar form. And yes, another mini mascara to add to my mini mascara stash. *smiles*

Overall I think that so far the boxes are definitely a cool way to try out new products that most probably I won't purchase otherwise. The total value of the products in each box has exceeded the amount I paid for them (yay!) and most items come in a decent size. I like how the products are varied and not focused solely on make up too. The packaging is simple and samples are beautifully wrapped in hot pink tissue paper.

Are you a Birchbox subscriber too? Like it, love it, hate it or over the fence about it?

New Travel Brush Kit from Sigma: Make Me Up Travel Edition

2011-11-29T00:23:00.001+08:00

If you enjoy travelling whether near or far, packing brushes to go can be a bit of a problem. Not only do you have to figure out which brushes you'll need to bring that can help you in creating the looks that you want on the road but also ensuring the brushes are protected from damage form being tossed around in your luggage.

MAKE ME UP COLLECTION (TRAVEL EDITION)
USD 59

Photo Credit: Sigma Beauty

Sigma has just launched today the travel edition to their popular Make Me Up Collection in the same range of colors. Each kit comes with a set of 7 travel brushes in a smaller version of their brush cup holder. The brushes selected for this kit are perfect for creating many different looks and super convenient to travel with. Not only are your brushes safely stored in the brush cup holder (which splits into 2 holders to store your brushes), you could also throw in a mascara tube, eye liner and gloss in there too.

Click Here For My Previous Post For More Info On The Kit

Psst... You'll also get a free gift (hint: E25 travel brush) with your purchase. No code necessary. Don't forget to use the coupon codes for 10% off. November's code is IN2011.

My Thoughts

Personally I think this is the best travel kit Sigma has come out with so far. The selection of brushes is extremely practical and having it in a holder case instead of the traditional foldable clutch is genius! If The Cities didn't tickle your fancy (or you missed the boat on those limited editions), the Make Me Up Collection Travel Editions are definitely your best bet. Plus, I like the color options for these sets better than The Cities but that's just personal preference. I am super excited for the next product launch though, Mr & Mrs Bunny full and travel kits.

A Very Sigma Holiday

2011-11-26T12:22:00.000+08:00

Sigma is on a roll this holiday season with tons of new products coming up in the next few weeks. In case you haven't seen them yet, here's a little sneak peek from them:

Come this November 28th, their best selling Make Me Up Collection will include travel versions as well! Just like the full sized kits the travel sets will be available in all 4 colors - Purple (Crazy), Black (Classy), Coral (Blush) and Turquoise (Cool). The travel sized sets comes with the following 7 brushes and the same (albeit smaller version) brush cup holder to hold and protect the brushes:

E30 Pencil - For smoking out eye liner, defining the outer V and crease as well as applying color to the lower lash line and inner corners.
E40 Tapered Blending - For blending out harsh lines, merge colors and sweep away excess pigments.
E55 Eye Shading - A must have eye brush for packing on color on lids and slight blending.
E65 Small Angle - For easy application of gel/cream eye liners, applying eye shadow or pencil eye liners to the lash line and filling in and defining brows.
F30 Large Powder - Large fluffy dome brush for applying powder and bronzer all over face.
F40 Large Angled Contour - For applying blush, highlights and contours.
F60 Foundation - A classic foundation brush that doubles into a large concealer brush for that flawless finish. Great for applying face primer too.

If you're not a big fan of natural bristles when it comes to brushes, Sigma will soon be offering the same brushes from their Make Me Up Collection that are vegan friendly. On December 5th, Sigma goes will be introducing Mr & Mrs Bunny. All brushes are made with the awesome Sigmax HD bristles we've come to love from their Sigmax range and features all 12 brushes from the full sized kit and 7 travel sized brushes for the travel kits. Not too sure what colors the Mr Bunny set will be (possibly glossy black handles with silver ferrules) but Mrs Bunny will come in a light blue case with matching light blue handle brushes with light pink ferrules.

Remember the Extravaganza B05 Body Brush? Come December 12th, 4 new brushes will be added to the range as the Extravaganza Face Kit which includes a much awaited luxe fan brush. Of course Sigma doesn't stop there, the full range of 29 brushes will also be available with 18K gold-plated ferrules as the Extravaganza Complete Kit from December 19th. These beautiful hand crafted brushes are the perfect touch of opulence for the brush enthusiast.

Product Photos Credit (for editing): Sigma Beauty

Jewelmint Picks: November 2011

2011-11-25T09:11:00.001+08:00

November is coming to an end and this month's Jewelmint picks are definitely long overdue. Anyhow, I decided to share my favorites for this month anyways and at time of post, these pieces are still available.

The Emerald City Rings caught my eye immediately. I love the ring design and color combo of these rings. The rich emerald green crystals on the 14K gold-plated bands are gorgeous! Unfortunately these rings only go up to a size 8 which is too small for my fingers so it looks like I'll be wearing these on a chain when I get them. Wouldn't it be awesome if Jewelmint had these offered with chains too?

This 14K gold-plated embellished bracelet/bangle is a beautiful demure piece that can be worn on its own or stacked. I love how it is both feminine and chic at the same time.

Similar to the Empress Necklace in my October 2011 picks, the Le Beau Necklace comes in a brass and black faceted cable chain measuring 26" with a 6" extender. The pendant is a gold-plated band with two rows of silver-plated link chains wrapped around it giving it that edgy appearance. I think this would look great worn as an accent to a simple crisp outfit.

Jewelmint is a subscription based service providing personalized jewelry suggestions for US$29.99/month. The subscription gives you 1 credit for use to purchase any one piece of jewelry item from your personalized showroom (or you can add other pieces not in your showroom that were not suggested to you). Additional pieces can also be purchased at US$29.99 each. Membership is free and the subscription charges commences only after the first purchase. Option to skip payment for any particular month can be done by the 5th of each month. This service is currently available in the US and US territories only. [Jewelmint FAQ]

Photo source: Jewelmint website

New Limited Sigma Collection: The Cities (Black Friday & November Code)

2011-11-25T00:04:00.001+08:00

Inspired by 4 beautiful and distinct cities in the world, Sigma has developed a limited edition travel kit to kick start the holiday season. Each kit features 7 carefully selected brushes from their existing range and are complemented by their convenient brush cup holder (in travel size!).

Brushes Included In The Kit

E05 Eyeliner
- Synthetic bristles are tapered to a point to create varying eyeliner thickness with ease.

E35 Tapered Blending
- Fluffy goat hair tapered blending brush to remove harsh lines and blend eye shadows for the perfect gradient.

E45 Small Blending
- A small tapered natural hair blending brush ideal for crease works and friendly on smaller lids.

E60 Large Shader
- Large and flat, this brush is good for packing on lid color and minor blending. It's also a good brush to use for precise color placement in the crease.

F05 Small Contour
- Dome shaped and a good balance of density and fluff, this is an excellent brush to aid in contouring cheekbones. Works well with applying highlights too.

F15 Duo Fibre Powder/Blush
- Flat dome duo fibre bristles applies all types of blushes from powder, cream to mineral/mineralized.

F30 Large Powder
- The basic paddle brush for powder application whether it be powder foundation, setting powder or even powder blushes.

The Collection (Available In 4 Colors)

New York (US$59)

NEW YORK is classic, sleek, stylish and fashion forward with a black color scheme and silver ferules.

Tokyo (US$59)

TOKYO is a bright pink set with matching light pink ferules inspired by the bustling metropolis and harajuku influences.

Paris (US$59)

PARIS comes in a captivating and sexy bright red with coral red ferules representing the romance capital of the world.

London (US$89)

LONDON is a luxurious chestnut brown set with 18K gold-plated ferules reflecting the poise and elegance of the city.

Photo Credit: Sigma Beauty

Jewelmint Picks: October 2011

2011-10-18T08:58:00.002+08:00

I know I'm pretty late this time around for my Jewelmint picks but these items are still available for those interested. *smiles*

This being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I think I'll start with a piece that isn't necessarily my fave of the bunch but is channeled to a cause that is very dear to me.

Desert Rose Necklace

I don't think that this piece is something I would gravitate towards personally but I'll admit it is interesting. 15% of the retail price of this lariat-style 36" silver-plated necklace, I believe for this month, will be donated to the Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Program.

Now for the October pieces that I liked although not necessarily recommended to me on the site:

Soleil Bracelet

I love the combination of the pearl and oxidized brass. I felt it exudes a very classic elegant vibe yet still being trendy. The scarab design gives it a rather Egyptian feel and would look amazing as a statement piece with a simple crisp white shirt and well fitted dark wash jeans. This was in my October Showroom. <3

Lovers Only Necklace

I do love dangly pendant necklaces such as these. The idea for the design (at least in my opinion) is super romantic and was executed in a very chic way. The brass key and keyhole (instead of the usual lock) with complimenting black and pink beads are symbolic and sweet. This piece doesn't give out an overly antique feel and looks great for casual wear.

Empress Necklace

And last but not least, the Empress Necklace. This 26" necklace was inspired by Russian Faberge eggs as is clearly apparent in the pendant design. This piece features elegant intricate designs matched with crystals and a black and gold chain.

Jewelmint is a subscription based service providing personalized jewelry suggestions for US$29.99/month. The subscription gives you 1 credit for use to purchase any one piece of jewelry item from your personalized showroom (or you can add other pieces not in your showroom that were not suggested to you). Additional pieces can also be purchased at US$29.99 each. Membership is free and the subscription charges commences only after the first purchase. Option to skip payment for any particular month can be done by the 5th of each month. This service is currently available in the US and US territories only. [Jewelmint FAQ]

Photo source: Jewelmint website

New Product: SigMax Collection adds new Precision brushes and Tapered Kabuki

2011-10-11T10:24:00.000+08:00

After learning that Sigma was working on mini versions of their amazing synthetic HD brushes, SigMax, in May (read previous post), I'm extremely excited that it is finally available for purchase on the Sigma website now.

Synthetic Kabuki Kit (US$56)
A US$64 value, you save US$8.
Individual brushes available at US$16 each.

Photo source: SigmaBeauty.com

The original face kit has been updated to include the brand new F86 Tapered Kabuki brush. The new tapered design is perfect for application of face products in hard to reach areas such as around the nose and under the eyes and is a great tool for contouring and highlighting as well. Read more on the F80, F82 and F84 brushes in my previous post here.

Synthetic Precision Kit (US$49)
A US$56 value, you save US$7.
Individual brushes available at US$14 each.

Photo source: SigmaBeauty.com

If you want extra precision in your make up application, then this set of mini versions of the Kabuki Kit is for you.

P80 Precision Flat - Ideal for concealing blemishes, sun spots and other small imperfections especially on flat areas of the face. Just stipple concealer or a full coverage foundation where you need it and set it with powder.
P82 Precision Round - Developed as the "finger" brush, this brush was designed to mimic your fingertips when applying product such as eye shadow primer and under eye concealer. The brush works nicely for precise highlight application on the bridge of the nose, cupids bow and cheekbones.
P84 Precision Angled - Perfect for precise contouring of the sides of the nose as well as the hollows of your cheeks creating very defined results. It is also great for highlighting the browbone and cheek to temple areas.
P86 Precision Tapered - The tapered shape and small size of this brush allows for easy application of concealer in the under eye area, around the nose and around the mouth for extra definition and prevent lip color bleeding.

Synthetic Essential Kit (US$99)

A value of US$120, you save US$21.

Photo source: SigmaBeauty.com

If you're new to the collection and are interested in getting all the above brushes, consider getting the Synthetic Essential Kit which contains all 4 kabuki brushes and 4 precision brushes at an additional US$6 savings.

Coupon Code: MAX2011
(Expires 31 October 2011)

I've just placed an order for the Precision Kit and F86. Can't wait for them to arrive to try them out and share my thoughts on them!

Sonia Kashuk Fall/Winter 2011 Collection

2011-09-17T11:09:00.005+08:00

A few months back I had the opportunity to see the Sonia Kashuk products in Target and fell in love particularly with the make up cases which has since become my travel train case and video camera case. I felt the design was spot on perfect for my needs and am so happy to see the latest Fall/Winter designs on the Sonia Kashuk website.

Since Target has recently undergone a complete site redesign and pulled out of Amazon, I am no longer able to provide a link to their site for your easy reference as it seems that Target has blocked access for visitors outside of the US.

Anyways, here are the items that I've had my eye on while browsing SK's website:

Product photo source: SoniaKashuk.com

I love the new Tribal design. The black, white and pink complements each other beautifully. I'm glad that the structure of the cases are maintained and only the fabric options are changed. The double zip clutch is perfect for carrying accessories and additional make up products (although be forewarned that these are not waterproof). I bought a similar soft cosmetic pouch in their Geo design which is the perfect size for my Canon video camera and this latest Sparkle design would work beautifully as a make up case for my purse/handbag.

The small train case has to be my fave of all. The structure design is perfect for travel! The inner lid has a pouch to store make up brushes and a protective plastic flap as well. And on the inside is a small plastic pouch which I use to store my lipsticks and other tube products. The base is big enough to fit the entire length of the Urban Decay Naked Palette which I love to bring travelling and the width is just the right size to fit theBalm's Shady Lady Palette. The size is perfect to carry my foundation, tinted moisturizer, blush, powder and lash curler with some room to spare. Love this!

The triple train case has a similar design to the small train case only with the brush pouch on the top half and an additional zippered compartment in the inner lid for additional storage. Make up products will fit nicely in the bottom half of the case. This is nice if you want to carry a little more than the basic make up products or if you want a little more option while travelling.

Since I'm in love with the Tribal design, the Brush Couture brush set definitely called out to me. Don't you think the handles are just gorgeous? Sonia kasuk brushes are also of excellent quality from what I can tell from the ones that I have. I think the selection of brushes in this site is a good mix of the basics and I can see it working to create a good number of looks. And for the price, it can't be beat in my opinion.

This time around, Sonia's pink brush set will be available year round with 15% of proceeds going to breast cancer research. The silver pouch is beautiful but I"m personally not a big fan of foldover clutches. However, if I were to get this set, that clutch would definitely become a dinner clutch for me and I'll stash the brushes in the train case instead. I like that this set came with the bent eye liner brush. One of the best brushes for gel/cream eyeliners I've come across for sure.

Jewelmint Picks: September 2011

2011-09-03T22:00:00.000+08:00

September is here and so are the latest pieces from Jewelmint. Here are some pieces that I like this month and I'm happy that the site has begun to figure out my sense of style and recommend pieces that actually appeal to me.

From the looks of it, this month most of the new pieces are inspired by vintage jewelries of the 1920s era. Interesting pieces of vintage designs with a modern twist.

Savoy Bracelet

The Savoy Bracelet just happened to be my September Top Match and I love it! It's elegant and bold but still not too overpowering. I can see it worn casually and as a statement piece for a function. Either way, it's beautiful!

Pomander Pendant

The Pomander Pendant is a very interesting piece and I love the concept of it. The pendant is half perforated (top) and half solid (bottom) and held close by a magnetic clasp. The idea behind it is to place a small scented ball of cotton and the fragrance will make it's way through the tiny holes in the top dome. Genius!!

Gatsby Bracelet

My last fave piece is this bracelet. Doesn't it just look like diamonds? The pattern is quite unique and a girl loves her bling. I love how it's simple yet dressy at the same time. As much as I love gold tone jewelry, every now and then, I like to have some silver tone ones on hand too.

Jewelmint is a subscription based service providing personalized jewelry suggestions for US$29.99/month. The subscription gives you 1 credit for use to purchase any one piece of jewelry item from your personalized showroom (or you can add other pieces not in your showroom that were not suggested to you). Additional pieces can also be purchased at US$29.99 each. This service is currently available in the US and US territories only.

Photo source: All product photos were obtained from the Jewelmint website.

New Product: Sleek Makeup Nude Collection

2011-09-03T01:58:00.000+08:00

Looks like Sleek has also come out with an au naturel collection aptly named the Nude Collection. In trend for Fall, the company has launched an eye shadow palette for their iDivine line, a Pout Polish and a Blush.

Photo source: Sleek Makeup Newsletter

The collection available here (or in Superdrug in the UK) is priced as follows:

iDivine eye shadow palette in Au Naturel - US$10.50
Pout Polish in Bare Minimum - US$6.50
Blush in Suede - US$6.50

I don't personally own any of the items in this latest collection I can't personally provide up close product photos or swatches. However, I do like the idea that the palette offers a nice balance of light and dark shades which I find to be uncommon in most palettes. Sleek's take on neutrals seems to looks quite flattering I think on a wide range of skin tones (theoretically speaking). The top row offers some light to medium shades while the bottom row is filled with another 6 eye shadows ranging from medium dark to dark colors.

Suede looks like a nice contour color for light to medium skin tones or to add overall warmth to the face. It looks like an almost neutral shade with a hint of warmth. I can't tell what kind of finish the blush is though but it would make a great eye contour color as well I believe.

The Bare Minimum Pout Polish might work great as a lip concealer although, I've never tried any of Sleek's Pout Polishes to know the actual texture and consistency.

You've got to admit though, the model in the campaign shot looks amazing using the colors and products from this latest collection. Just beautiful!

Tarina Tarantino Fashion Collection Make Up at Sephora

2011-08-28T05:27:00.000+08:00

As I was browsing through the Sephora website, I stumbled upon the cutest sets and thought I'd share them with you.

It appears that Tarina Tarantino has an exclusive collection for Sephora (US) called the Fashion Collection featuring 5 different color sets:

Tokyo Hardcore - Green (Kiwi tones)
Bibarucci - Yellow (Honey tones)
Electric Butterfly - Orange (Orange-Tangerine tones)
Candy Cameo - Pink (Lollipop pink tones)
Victorian Punk - Purple (Purple-Fuschia tones)

Each set adorns a different set of graphic on its packaging in correspondence to the set name and inspiration. If you're a fan of Tarina's make up line or if you love cute make up collections, these are priced at US$5 (gloss and eye dream eye shadow) and US$10 (lip gloss ring) per item.

On a side note, I won't be around for a week during this Raya (Eid Il-Fitr) festivities and would like to take this opportunity to wish all Muslims a blessed Raya/Eid. I'll be back with more posts soon. Til then, feel free to browse past posts and if you have any requests or suggestions, email them to me at elixelle@gmail.com.

Watsons Malaysia VIP Card 1st Anniversary Celebration

2011-08-23T22:52:00.001+08:00

Watsons Malaysia is celebrating its 1st Anniversary of their VIP Card. Party with Amber Chia, Julie Woon, Scha Alyahya, Mizz Nina, Joey G and more at Zouk Club, KL on Saturday 10th September 2011 from 6.00 to 10.00pm for free. Just RSVP your Name, Watsons VIP Card Number, Email and Contact Number to membership@watsons.com.my to join in the fun.

- Click image to enlarge -

There'll be surprises, chances to win a shopping spree as well as goodie bags for early birds. I won't be able to go since I'm not going to be in KL at the time but wishing everyone who is going a fabulous time! *smiles*

Free Sample: Burberry Body EDP

2011-08-23T05:23:00.001+08:00

Burberry is launching its new fragrance for women, Burberry Body this September (less than 10 days left!) and in conjunction with this new release Burberry is giving away free samples via their Facebook page at this very moment. The new scent is modelled by Transformers 3 star Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and comes in 2 variations -- Eau De Parfum Intense and Eau De Parfum. Eau De Parfum Intense is offered in 2 sizes (85ml & 60ml) while Eau De Parfum comes in an additional 30ml bottle as well.

The samples are available on a first come first serve basis and limited to one sample per account. I found this to be super exciting because it is not just available in the US and/or the UK but in many other countries as well including Malaysia. As of yet, the fragrance notes have not been revealed but Burberry is describing their latest scent as sensual and feminine. I'm looking forward to trying this out since I already love their Burberry Brit and Burberry Brit Sheer which I felt is very true to the Burberry brand.

Photo source: Burberry Facebook Page

All you have to do is:

Log into your Facebook account
Like the Burberry page (click on the image above to be transported)
Click on "Burberry Body" in the sidebar
Click on the "Request Sample" button (as illustrated in the image above)
Select your country from the drop down list
Fill in your details and submit
Don't forget to share this info with your family and friends on Facebook too!

Happy sampling everyone!

Summary: Sigma Eye Shadow Palettes - Product Photos, Swatches, Review and Looks

2011-08-21T05:39:00.000+08:00

Here's a recap of all three Sigma Eye Shadow Palettes:

- Click on image for full post -

The Flare palette is a beautiful set with peacock inspired shades of green and purple and a fun palette to have. The E55 is good to pat on color while the E40 is a good blending option for those with bigger lid space. Create a fun contrasting look to smokey eyes or try out the eco-inspired look I created to test the palette. Available here for US$35 (excluding shipping).

- Click on image for full post -

When it came to the Dare palette I felt that the colors wasn't as bold as I had imagine and instead was greeted with quite wearable shades. Not my preferred palette per se but it reminds me of fall. My favorite colors are Surrender, Grasp, Reveal and Catch which are the same eye shadows used to create the looks in the Dare palette feature. I wasn't quite as excited about the brush included in the palette and would have preferred an E55 and E25 double ended brush instead. Available here for US$35 (excluding shipping).

- Click on image for full post -

I'd initially thought the Bare palette would have been a fine contender to the cult favorite Urban Decay Naked Palette but it isn't quite there. I can see this working for a wide range of skin tones and for neutral lovers out there. The palette didn't stir much excitement for me although if you are seeking a nice earthy palette that has less shimmer or satin finishes, this might be up your alley. I love the brush that came in this palette the most of the 3 palettes and made a look inspired by Christina Aguilera's make up from the show The Voice. Available here for US$35 (excluding shipping).

Sigma Bare Palette

2011-08-21T02:47:00.000+08:00

Last but not least from the latest Sigma eyeshadow palettes is Bare.

Sigma Bare Palette (Sleeve and Palette)

Sigma Bare Palette (Opened)

Bare is the neutral palette of the three and comes with the E30 (pencil brush) and E25 (blending) double ended brush. I'm actually glad that this palette came with these brushes as I find them to be excellent for a good variation of looks.

COLOR AND SWATCHES

Sigma Bare Palette (Colors)
- Click image to enlarge -

(L-R) Shine, Control, Snoop, Hitch
- Click image to enlarge -

Shine - Sparkly black
Control - Matte charcoal black
Snoop - Matte slate gray
Hitch - Mid-tone chocolate brown

(L-R) Act, Command, Elope, Approach
- Click image to enlarge -

Act - Dark sand brown taupe with gold undertones and satin finish
Command - Shimmery yellow gold
Elope - Matte pale powder pink
Approach - Shimmery light wheat gold with a light satin finish

Overall I feel the colors are pretty basic and has a relatively nice texture. The powders are not chalky but aren't creamy either. Again, I recommend a good tacky base for these colors to adhere and stay on longer. This is a good palette for classic smokey eyes as well as for eye contouring as the color selections are more towards matte finishes with Shine being the only color with microglitter in it. The rest are either satins or very light shimmer finishes.

However, I do not think that this is anywhere near a great alternative for the UD Naked Palette. It falls short in pigmentation and texture as well as color options. It is also bulkier than the Naked Palette which makes it less likely for me to travel with.

As with the other two palettes, these eye shadows are more suitably applied dry. Do make sure your brush bristles aren't damp when picking up colors from the pan or it may affect the surface texture of the eye shadows.

The brushes in this palette were actually quite comparable to their full size versions but I felt that the pencil brush could have been tapered to more of a point. The E30 that came with my palette was somewhat had a medium sized blunt dome shape and I much preferred my travel sized E30 for more precision. This one worked more as a crease brush instead. The E25 was a bit fluffier compared to the other ones that I have and it was not as flat. On a lighter note, this brush had the softest brush of the 3 palettes.

THE LOOK

I know I could've gone for a regular smokey eye look to represent this palette but I decided against it. The promos for The Voice has been aired repeatedly on Astro and I kept seeing Christina Aguilera on it possibly every single day. Anyways, I thought her look would be great to replicate using the Bare Palette and here it is:

This cut crease eye look gives a nice contoured effect and is something I've wanted to try out for awhile now. It adds depth in the crease and highlights the lid area for a defined look. I used Elope all over the lid up to the brow bone, then with the E25 sweeped Act in the crease to form a broad semi circle shape and further defined the crease with Hitch using the E30. Without adding anymore product to the brush, I took the E25 to lightly blend the colors and rid off any harsh lines.

Products Used
Face

Stila Perfecting Foundation Stick - Shade C
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder with Real Cocoa
MAC Wonder Woman Mineralize Skinfinish - Pink Power (Blush & Highlight)

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sigma Bare Palette - Elope, Act, Hitch
Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - Black
Sasa Super Dolly Powerful Mascara - Black
Sasatinnie Extra Precise Eyebrow Liner - 03 Dark Brown

Lips

NYX Matte Lipstick - Summer Breeze

Tools

Sigma Brushes
Real Techniques Brushes
Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler

If you're interested to purchase this palette or would like to check out Sigma brushes, click here.

Disclaimer: The Sigma eyeshadow palette was sent to me by the company for review consideration as a selected affiliate. I do not receive any monetary compensation or am I biased or influenced to provide positive feedback on the product. The thoughts and opinions stated are my own and based on my own experience and tests.

Selena Gomez - Love You Like A Love Song Music Video Inspired Look #1

2011-08-19T02:23:00.001+08:00

I, I love you like a love song baby
I, I love you like a love song baby
I keep on hitting repeat-peat-peat-peat-peat...

I was in love with almost all the looks in Selena Gomez's music video for her song Love You Like A Love Song I had to at least try to recreate them. This first look is inspired by her make up in the karaoke bar scenes.

I decided to play around with some colors that I have and work with my own eye shape and have come out with two variations of the inspired look -- a day and night look.

The day look uses lighter shades of purple and is more diffused yet still paired with a bold lipstick. You can always tone this down with a light gloss over top or a neutral lipstick color altogether.

The eye shadow may look a little bit less blended on one eye because my eyes are somewhat uneven and the lighting makes one side look darker than the other. That aside, the night look is closer to the eye make up Selena has in the music video. The brow bone color I used for this look is just face powder which also serves to help blend out the edges of the purple.

The tools used to create these looks are available here:
Sigma brushes
Real Techniques brushes

Online Shopping: All Cosmetics Wholesale

2011-08-16T06:35:00.000+08:00

Online shopping isn't such a big market in Malaysia yet as far as I can tell. We're still used to conventional shopping methods and at the same time, the amount of retailers and companies offering an online store is small especially when compared to more developed markets like the US and UK. At most, the online shopping experience here is geared more towards blogshops and the likes.

There are still a lot of brands out there that are not readily available in Malaysia (and most other countries as well) but offer products that we'd like to purchase nonetheless. In this series, I'll be featuring websites that ship internationally or at least accepts international credit cards and/or PayPal accounts.

For the first online store in this series, I'm featuring All Cosmetics Wholesale or ACW:

- Click on image to go to ACW -

I've personally made several purchases through this website and have enjoyed their services and products sold on their site.

WHAT THEY SELL

Authentic drugstore to high end brand cosmetics and tools at discounted and below retail prices
Discontinued/phased out products at lower prices
Rare limited edition MAC products (prices are marked up based on how rare the product is)
Authorized reseller of brands such as Red Cherry Lashes, Kryolan, Me Me Me, Michael Todd, Paula Dorf, Lime Crime, 100% Pure, Lola, Stars Makeup Haven, Z-Palette and OCC

WHAT TO EXPECT

This is a great site to find bargains on make up products as well as make up tools. All their products are brand new and have never been used before. Some items may not come in their box packaging (read: no packaging build up at home) and sometimes might be missing its product label sticker which are clearly indicated in the description (i.e. "unboxed", "blems"). Products sold are usually not the full range offered by the brand and color selection are limited.

If you missed out on a certain product or collection, check back often and you might find it here. They're always updating their inventory so you can expect to find something new and might interest you. From time to time they will also have clearance sales (read: further mark downs) or you can check out their 'Daily Deals' (more like weekly deals) for and additional 30% off on selected products. Also, if you might have wanted a single item that was sold in a set, you might find it sold separately here too.

ORDERS AND DELIVERY

Some products may appear to be in stock on the product description page but you might find that on the shopping cart page the site lets you know the product is in fact sold out. This happens sometimes but not too often in my experience.

The store pretty much ships anywhere in the world but I highly recommend Express International Shipping (arrives within a week or so) for secure and definite arrival or your orders (plus you can track your items). I've always been a bit wary of the cheaper modes of delivery because it runs the risk of getting lost in transfers with no way of tracking and locating your missing package. I've had problems with a few other packages (bought from other sellers/stores) that were sent via regular mail and have gone AWOL (goodbye hard earned $$). My first parcel from ACW was sent via Priority International Mail and almost didn't reach me for some odd reason but fortunately it arrived safely after a couple of months or so.

SAVINGS

So what kind of savings or discounts are we talking about here? Below are some examples of the treasures and bargains that you'll find there:

Stila Eye Shadow Trio (RRP: US$28) - US$9.99 (~65% off)
NARS Blush (RRP: US$27) - US$21.99 (~20% off) or US$19.99 (refill pan)
Laura Mercier Eye Color (RRP: US$22) - US$9.99 (~55% off)
Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer (RRP: US$38) - US$23.99 (~47% off)
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (RRP: US$32) - US$19.99 (~48% off)
MAX Factor Products - US$4.50 to US$6.99 each

FINAL WORDS

I must warn you though, the site can get pretty addictive. I don't know how many times I've had to steer myself away from the site to make sure I don't place an order. Price-wise, I find that they offer better deals overall compared to Strawberrynet, Beauty Crunch and Beauty Ticket where the latter 2 sites ships only to the US.

MAC Cinematic Collection: Reel Drama (Mini Haul)

2011-08-15T05:32:00.002+08:00

The MAC Cine-Matics Collection recently launched here featuring their lip, eye and brush sets. I wasn't planning on getting anything but I did end up buying a set which I'm sharing with you here.

The Reel Drama Lip Bag set (RM165, available at all MAC counters in Malaysia) includes a zippered make up bag, a lipstick, a lip liner pencil and a gloss. There were 4 sets to choose from and product photos and swatches of the those as well as the other items in the collection are available at KarlaSugar.net.

I believe in the US these are part of the Nordstrom 15th Anniversary celebration and is not available for purchase on the MAC website. Anyways, the one set that I was attracted to was Reel Drama. I felt Pillowtalk (lipstick) from the Overnight set was a bit too dark and brown for me and it's not the kind of lip colors that I go for. The other two sets had lighter (paler) shades of pink and beige that normally just doesn't work too well on me. Plus, I already have the Innocence Beware lipstick in the It's A Girl set from the Venomous Villain collection promo.

PRODUCT PHOTOS

Cremesheen Lipstick in Reel Drama

Cremestick Liner in Softwood

Dazzleglass Creme in Scenestealer

Dazzleglass brush tip applicator

Dazzleglass color close up

SWATCHES

(L-R) Reel Drama (Lipstick), Softwood (Liner), Scenestealer (Gloss)
- Click image to enlarge -

For the Reel Drama lip bag set, you get:

Cremesheen Lipstick in Reel Drama - a mauve-rose color with a creme finish
Cremestick Liner in Softwood - a deep wine color
Dazzleglass in Scenestealer - a peach-coral gloss with light pink and silver glitter
Diagonal-zip kuboid bag/pouch

I've always loved MAC's cremesheen lipstick formula and this color is a nice addition to my lipstick collection. I didn't realize it but I don't own any mauve lipsticks. The closest shade that I have to it is NYX Round Lipstick in Thalia which is more mauve (and more opaque might I add). It reminded me of MAC's Fanfare but Fanfare is definitely a lot more pink.

Seeing Softwood swatched, I wasn't expecting it to be as deep a color as it turned out on my lips. I will definitely be pairing it with a lighter lipstick (perhaps one that is too pale for me?) or gloss to balance it out.

As for Scenestealer, I like the color but I'm not much of a fan of glittery glosses. However, that aside I think the texture is nice and slightly tacky. I didn't like the brush applicator which looked a bit messed up (my theory is it's caused by the twisting motions when you open and close the cap) and would have preferred a regular doe foot or sponge applicator instead. The glitter particles were not gritty so that was a good thing but when I removed it, I had some sparkle residue on my lips and all around.

In order of application:
Softwood (Liner), Reel Drama (Lipstick), Scenestealer (Gloss)
- Click image to enlarge -

Reel Drama (lipstick)
- Click image to enlarge -

I love the lipstick on it's own as the color is lighter and top it off with a complementing gloss. Putting on all the lip products in the set all together for me is a bit too dark for my liking. I might try the lip liner with the gloss though.

PRODUCT VALUE & THOUGHTS

The set offers at least RM50 of savings plus it comes with a free bag. Personally though, I think if you like the color combo and the product finishes, it's worth a buy. It's not what I would classify as a must buy.

Polly Dolly v2: Masquerade (Week 19)

2011-08-14T08:00:00.000+08:00

Polly Dolly v2 Week 19 by elixelle featuring purple crystal earrings

This week's theme is pretty cool. How would you dress up for a masquerade ball?

At first I wanted to work my look around a pair of these gorgeous Gucci heels I saw on the Polyvore home page but once I saw this beautiful elegant ombre gown, I could help but have the look surround the dress instead.

I paired the gown with an intricate venetian mask, a pair of understated jewel earrings, a jewel and lattice statement cocktail ring and a pair of glittery brown heels.

For make up, I didn't want to much going on since the mask is already such a statement piece and decided on a black smokey eye with lush lashes paired with a light orange tone lipstick. To complete the look, I added a dark wine nail polish as well. A spritz of a sexy fragrance and we're all set to go.

Click here for the Challenge page on Danimezza.com

Make Up Basics: Powder

2011-08-12T11:30:00.005+08:00

Face powders are good to have in your collection for a myriad of reasons. Apart from powder foundations, there are other types of powder products for the face used in make up application.

LOOSE POWDER

Loose powder simply means that the product is in a loose form typically packaged in sifter jars. The texture is silky soft and usually has little to no color. Face products in this form are most commonly found to be used as a setting powder and ensure the staying power of liquid and cream foundations as well as tinted moisturizers. Some BB creams also require a dust of loose powder to make sure it doesn't appear greasy throughout the day or slide off.

Translucent - There are generally 2 tints of color for translucent loose powder and that is in white and a pale skin tone color. Although translucent powders should be invisible on skin when applied, white powders can appear ashy or leave a white cast on medium/dark to deep skin tones.
Beige/Skin Tone - You can also find loose powder that are not translucent but tinted. These are great for setting your foundation or tinted moisturizer and gives a more natural finish. Depending on the ingredients in the powder, it can also provide a glowy finish.

If you don't have much problems with your skin but do tend to have a bit of shine towards the end of the day, lightly dusting some loose powder should do the trick.

PRESSED POWDER

Not to be confused with powder foundation, pressed powder is similar to loose powder but in pressed form. These are normally available in compact form and may or may not come with a powder puff or sponge. The main difference between pressed powder and powder foundation is that these are worn dry. Powder foundations on the other hand are also known as 2-way cakes because they can be used wet and/or dry (you will notice ventilation holes in 2-way compacts but none for powder foundation).

Pressed powders is used to set foundation quite similarly to loose powders. They are available in different skin tone categories -- fair, light, light/medium, medium, tan, dark and deep -- and are usually a sheer formula. This product is quite forgiving and getting a color that is slightly lighter or darker than your skin tone will not adversely affect your overall make up.

It is also used for touch ups and to mattify skin during the day as needed. Make sure to blot any excess sebum/oil with a blotting paper (a tissue paper also helps if you don't have blotting papers handy) before applying pressed powder.

Another variant that I've come across is a color corrective pressed powder. These have a quadrant of pastel neutralizing shades that you can dust on to your face to set make up and even out your complexion a little more. Personally, I find that if you've used the right foundation and concealer/corrector, a regular pressed powder would work just fine.

HIGH DEFINITION POWDER

High definition powder formulas are more often than not silica based. The powder contains light reflecting properties that helps mask fine lines and create a soft focus effect on skin resulting in a flawless looking complexion. Additionally, these types of powders have oil-absorbing and mattifying properties, eliminating shine.

It is used as a setting powder and although commonly found in white color, the product formulation works in a way that it is not visible on any skin tone when applied. Most brands offer high definition powder that not only hides skin imperfections but adds a radiant glow to skin and some even offer SPF coverage.

APPLICATION

Loose & High Definition Powder

Brush onto entire face to set make up.
Let it sit for a few minutes for product to settle and set.
Then with a clean brush, sweep your face to remove any excess product.

Loose Powder to Catch Fallout

Pat a considerable amount of loose powder on the area a little below the under eye. This creates a layer on top of the foundation to catch any eye shadow fall out.
Continue to apply eye make up. The fall out should fall on the layer of powder applied and not the skin.
Once done with eye make up, with a clean fluffy brush (a dense fan brush would do nicely too) gently sweep off the layer of powder with the fall outs.

Pressed Powder

You can either use the powder puff/sponge included in the compact or take a powder brush (or any fluffy brush you own) and pick up some of the product.
Lightly dust the powder on your face to set. If using the puff/sponge, lightly pat on and press the powder into skin. Try not to drag the puff/sponge to avoid streaking the foundation and concealer before it sets.
Pressed powder don't normally result in excess but for good measure, you may sweep your face with a clean brush to remove any excess product.

NOTE: All the above powder products can be worn over top foundation/concealer to set or worn alone.

Polly Dolly v2: Hippie (Week 18)

2011-08-10T20:30:00.001+08:00

Polly Dolly v2: Week 18 by elixelle featuring gold jewelry

It's been awhile since my last Polly Dolly set and since this week's theme was Hippie, I almost didn't put up a set since I'm not quite familiar with the style. Anyways, I decided to play it safe with a comfortable jersey maxi dress paired with gladiator sandals and an assymetric shoulder bag. For accessories, I felt like it should be kept simple so I went for the feather braided headband and a chunky cuff bracelet.

As far as beauty was concern, I felt that it was best to go completely au naturel with only a moisturizing lip balm and sheer sun block. To complete the ensemble, I threw in a casual scent as well.

Click here to view the Week 18 Polly Dolly version 2

Challenge Page on Danimezza.com

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

2011-08-10T05:15:00.000+08:00

Urban Decay has come out with a lot of products to celebrate it's 15th year anniversary this year. Among those was the limited edition boxed set of 15 shades of their famous 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. Having tried samples of their Zero pencil that came with some of their palettes, I already knew that I love the formulation of these pencils. True to their name, it really does glide on when applied and for me at least, it was long lasting.

Needless to say I wasted no time to jump at the chance of grabbing one of these collector editions which retails for US$92. These are full sized pencils at only a little over US$6 each compared to its individual retail price of US$18 each. That's approximately 66% off and it includes 6 brand new shades plus a free sharpener.

Although it's been awhile since these came out, I hadn't posted product photos and swatches because they were no longer available for purchase by the time I'd wanted to mention them in a post although I had received them much earlier. However, Urban Decay has just announced on Twitter that they're back in stock on their website while stocks last. (it's still sold out on Sephora and ULTA at the moment).

Click image to enlarge

If you're familiar with Urban Decay eyeshadows, you'll notice that some of the colors included correspond to matching eye shadow shades already available:
Stray Dog (regular eyeshadow)
Midnight Cowboy (regular eyeshadow)
Baked (regular eyeshadow)
Mildew (regular eyeshadow)
Perversion (matte eyeshadow)
Electric (matte eyeshadow)
Ransom (deluxe eyeshadow)
Zero (deluxe eyeshadow)
Uzi (regular eyeshadow).

(L-R) Stray Dog, Corrupt, Bourbon, Midnight Cowboy, Baked
- Click image to enlarge -

Stray Dog (UD15 shade) - greyish taupe with shimmer
Corrupt (UD15 shade) - chocolate brown with shimmer
Bourbon (Permanent) - warm brown with gold reflects
Midnight Cowboy (UD15 shade) - pale peachy beige with gold shimmer
Baked (Permanent) - metallic golden bronze

(L-R) Stash, Mildew, Perversion, Electric, Binge
- Click image to enlarge -

Stash (Permanent) - dark olive green with gold shimmer
Mildew (Permanent) - metallic deep moss green
Perversion (UD15 shade) - matte blackest black
Electric (Permanent) - metallic bright turquoise
Binge (Permanent) - metallic navy blue

(L-R) Ransom, Asphyxia, Rockstar, Zero, Uzi
- Click image to enlarge -

Ransom (Permanent) - bright iridescent purple
Asphyxia (UD15 shade) - pinky lavender with iridescent purple shimmer
Rockstar (Permanent) - deep eggplant with a slight metallic finish
Zero (Permanent) - matte black
Uzi (UD15 shade) - dark gun metal grey with silver shimmer

These pencils have a creamy texture that allows them to apply effortlessly for a smooth line. The more vibrant colors are great to use for that extra pop of color to an overall neutral look. As far as I can tell, the colors do not smudge or budge until you take them off. I tried rubbing my palm on the swatches and the colors were still vibrant and I didn't notice any color bleeding. The shimmer on the other hand did get shifted to other colors but even that was very minimal transferring.

While still a little tacky, you can also use these pencils as a base for your eyeshadow. Be warned though, once dry, it's not going to be an easy blending experience. As for using these pencils for lining the waterline and for tightlining, I've only used Zero for that purpose so far and my eyes were not irritated by the product despite my eyes being quite sensitive. I wouldn't recommend using the more shimmery colors for waterlining and tightlining though.

Free UD15 double sharpener

I loved that all the colors in the collection were very wearable (practical!). These are perfect for days where you want a quick eye make up look -- just eye lining and mascara -- as well as to complement almost every eye make up.

Click here to go to the Urban Decay website

to check out the product on their site

If you prefer liquid eyeliners instead, Urban Decay has also recently introduced their 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in 11 beautiful shades.

Sigma Dare Palette

2011-08-09T14:00:00.000+08:00

Now for another post for the new line of Sigma eyeshadow palettes, this time featuring the Dare palette.

Dare Palette (sleeve and palette)

Dare Palette (opened)

This palette also comes in the same type of packaging as the Flare palette, 8 warm shade selection and a double ended brush (E20 Short Shader Brush and the E45 Small Tapered Blending Brush).

Click here to read on my previous post for the Flare Palette

COLOR AND SWATCHES

Click on image to enlarge

(L-R) Surrender, Grasp, Chase, Escape

(L-R) Reveal, Catch, Shout, Vanish

Surrender - Deep wine with purple-fuschia reflects
Grasp - Peachy coral with gold shimmer
Chase - Pearlized pink cream with a purple base
Escape - Dusty beige gold
Reveal - Burgundy with a bronze base
Catch - Matte terracotta
Shout - Matte vibrant amber yellow
Vanish - Shimmery pale yellow gold

These colors remind me of autumn and I think the colors in the palette are inspired by the season. The name of the palette I think is quite spot on as the color combination in this set is bold and not your usual go to kind of palette.

Half of the colors have a satin finish while the other half is a mix of matte, shimmer and pearl finishes. The colors were fairly easy to blend but aren't the best when it comes to layering colors. The individual shades themselves are buildable in terms of intensity though.

That being said, I felt that this was the palette that I was having trouble working with. The colors look amazing in the pan but color payoff wasn't amazing. I don't think that these colors can be used wet for more intensity either and I recommend using a creamy base instead to bring out the colors as seen in the pan.

Personally, I would've preferred if the palette came as a quad with Surrender, Grasp, Reveal and Catch and without the brush. When trying to create a look using only the colors in this palette, I barely touched the brush that came with it. The E20 came in handy for applying color on my lower lashline but even that could've been done with a regular shader brush like the E55. I also found that I was using a lot more of my E25 too.

I love Sigma brushes but was actually quite disappointed with the one included with Dare. The E20 was harsh and prickly and the bristle fibre seems to be bluntly cut at the tip instead of a naturally tapering (as should be with natural fibres).

THE LOOK

This palette for me was a bit tricky to create a look for. I tried several different color combinations but it just didn't look right for me which was the main cause for the delay for this post and I apologize.

Anyways, here's a day and night look using the Dare palette.

Left: Day Look; Right: Night Look

Day Look (close up)

For the day look, I used the Benefit Stay Don't Stray eye primer and the following:

Grasp - 2/3 of lids (middle to outer corner) and lower lash line
Reveal - outer corner and 2/3 inwards below brow bone and 1/3 on lower lash line
Vanish + Escape - inner corners
Escape - brow highlight
Surrender - line upper lash line (on top of black kohl liner)

Night Look (close up)

The night look is a darker version of the day look and I used the MAC Vibrancy Eye Primer and the following:

Reveal - 2/3 of lids and lower lash line
Surrender - outer corner and 2/3 inwards above my crease (or at the eye socket) and 1/3 on lower lash line
Vanish - inner corners
Chase - brow highlight
Black kohl liner to line the eyes (upper lash line only)

Disclaimer: The Sigma eyeshadow palette was sent to me by the company for review consideration as a selected affiliate. I do not receive any monetary compensation or am I biased or influenced to provide positive feedback on the product. The thoughts and opinions stated are my own and based on my own experience and tests.

Sleek iDivine Bad Girl Palette: Photos, Swatches and First Impression

2011-08-08T13:00:00.003+08:00

For my second Sleek order, I also picked up the iDivine Bad Girl palette.

Sleek iDivine Bad Girl Palette (Box packaging)

Sleek iDivine Bad Girl Palette (Opened)

As with the other iDivine eye shadow palettes, Bad Girl comes in the same packaging with the full sized mirror on the inner lid and a double ended sponge tip applicator.

COLORS & SWATCHES

Sleek iDivine Bad Girl Palette (Colors with names)

The image above although slightly lighter is a better representation of the actual colors in the palette. I found this palette to be a bit harder to photograph because of the sparkle especially for the lighter shades and ended up with over-exposed shots instead. The colors in the 2 close ups below are a much brighter version of the actual colors.

Top: (L-R) Innocence, Gullible, Blade
Bottom: (L-R) Intoxicated, Envy, Obnoxious
- Click image to enlarge -

Innocence - Frosty snow white
Gullible - Frosty pale beige rose quartz
Blade - Shimmery silver
Intoxicated - Frosty forest green
Envy - Deep blackened green
Obnoxious - Dark indigo

Top: (L-R) Gun Metal, Underground, Noir
Bottom: (L-R) Abyss, Twilight, Rebel
- Click image to enlarge -

Gun Metal - Frosty grey
Underground - Dark grey
Noir - Flat black
Abyss - Deep blue
Twilight - Dark purple with shimmer
Rebel - Matte burgundy plum

Top (L-R):
Innocence, Gullible, Blade, Gun Metal, Underground, Noir
Bottom (L-R):
Intoxicated, Envy, Obnoxious, Abyss, Twilight, Rebel
- Click image to enlarge -

A lot of the shades in the palette are shimmer and frosty. Similar to their other signature eye shadow palettes in the iDivine collection, these colors have a soft texture with high pigmentation. I only found Underground to be a little hard to swatch though. Due to the softness of the powder, you will need to be extra careful of fall outs or have a cream base (or primer) and pat on color first before blending. Sweeping color directly will definitely leave the rest of your face shimmery from the excess shadow.

I'm quite pleased with the color combination in this palette and am excited to play around with the colors in the bottom row the most. I had hoped that there would be a satin finished highlight color included but no such luck. Despite the evident shimmer/frost in 8 out of 10 of the colors, a few of the colors didn't come out overly sparkly namely Envy, Obnoxious and Abyss. I'm in love with Abyss personally. I love how amazing the color payoff is and it's a really beautiful color.

Especially with the darker shades, I highly recommend a primer to avoid any staining on lids. These shadows are super potent and like most similar formulations, it is best to be careful.

AVAILABILITY & PRICE

For those in the UK, I believe Sleek is sold at Superdrug as well as their website. The palette is also available for purchase on the Sleek website which ships internationally for a retail price of US$10. Shipping outside the UK and Europe is at US$13.50.

PRODUCT VALUE

For the 12 shades, it's a little more than US$0.80 per pan of 1.1g/0.03oz of eye shadow.

Sigma Cleansing and Polishing Tool vs Clarisonic Mia

2011-08-07T12:30:00.006+08:00

A couple months back I posted product photos and my first impression of the Sigma Cleansing and Polishing tool which I received just prior to my trip to LA. During my trip, I'd also managed to get myself a Clarisonic Mia which I've been wanting to get for the longest time.

Click here to read my first impression of the Sigma Cleansing and Polishing Tool

Now that I've been better acquainted with both products, I can share my thoughts on both and which one I prefer over the other. Let's begin the battle of the cleansing tools!

Basically both tools are meant to be used for effective cleansing resulting smoother more radiant skin by minimizing enlarged pores and fine lines as well as giving a light exfoliation.

SIMILARITIES

There really isn't much similarities between the two products when you think about it. They're actually quite different in many ways that I'm finding it difficult to find what these two have in common. Both tools have pretty much the same intended function, both have interchangeable brush heads and a waterproof body. Another thing that is the same is that both companies recommend replacing the brush head attachments every 3-4 months.

Left: Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool
Right: Clarisonic Mia

DIFFERENCES

Packaging

Sigma : Comes in a bulky hard plastic case and includes the tool body and 3 different brush head attachments. When purchased on their website, a free gift (usually the travel size E25 brush) is included.

Clarisonic : Comes without a case. The package includes the tool body, 1 sensitive brush head attachment (with cap), charger and a travel sized cleanser. If bought through their website however, it also includes an additional free gift that varies from time to time. At time of post, the free gift offered is a travel bag and a body serum.

Cleansing Technology

Sigma : Brush head attachment rotates uni-directionally at 2 speed levels as chosen by user.

Clarisonic : Uses sonic oscillation (300 movements per second) which I can best describe as a rapid pulsing motion by the inner bristles. More information on how the technology can be found on the Clarisonic website here. The Mia operates at only 1 speed but the Classic and Plus models operate at 2 and 3 speed levels respectively.

Here's a video demonstrating the difference between a spinning and a sonic oscillation brush head motion as shown on the Clarisonic blog (click here for the full post on their blog):

Power

Sigma : Is operated by 2 AA size batteries. You can opt for rechargeable batteries which is more eco-friendly and economical in the long run.

Clarisonic : Rechargeable using the compact pLink international charger (Mia) or the charging cradle (Classic and Plus).

Usage

Sigma : Switches on and off manually without timer. High speed rotation causes product lather to splatter.

Clarisonic : Has an in-built 60 second timer and automatically switches off once timer is done. Does not cause product lather to splatter as brush head does not rotate.

Brush Heads

Left: Sigma Soft Brush Head Attachment
Right: Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head Attachment

Left: Sigma Soft Brush Head Attachment (Side profile)
Right: Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head Attachment (Side profile)

Sigma : Longer bristles with a higher density and larger size. Bristles also cover a larger area compared to the Clarisonic. Brush head attaches via snap connector (push on to snap and pull out to remove). Comes in 3 options -- soft, medium and firm.

Clarisonic : Bristles are less dense and shorter in comparison. Middle portion of brush head is movable (for oscillation motion) while the outer rims are static. Brush head is screwed on to attach and to remove, just push down and twist open. Offers several brush

MY THOUGHTS & PREFERENCE

While I'd initially liked the Sigma tool when I received it, I absolutely love the Clarisonic even more. To begin with, the packaging and construction of the tool was much more favorable to me. I felt Sigma could have packaged the tool in a smaller, more practical case minus the flimsy plastic mould or maybe have it in a waterproof travel bag or some sort. I loved the fact that the Clarisonic brush heads had a protective cap which helps keep the bristles out of harms way. The body of the Clarisonic also feels sturdier and well made but I suppose for the price of the Sigma tool, it's acceptable.

Personally, I felt even with the soft brush head attachment, the Sigma tool was still a bit harsh on my skin compared to the Clarisonic. I felt that the rotating motion made the tool more abrasive as it sloughs of dead skin cells and cleanses and polishes the skin. I noticed redness on my skin every time I used it and for me was not suitable for daily use. The Clarisonic on the other hand left my skin feeling quite clean minus the redness. I also noticed most of my pores minimized within the first week or so of using the Clarisonic that I didn't experience with the Sigma tool. The design of the bristles and brush head also made it easier for me to use the Clarisonic around my nose area compared to the Sigma tool.

I have generally good skin and my friends and family can attest to that. But I do have enlarged pores especially on my cheek near the nose and also my nose area. In addition to that, I was also getting white heads that were slowly developing into black heads in those areas. So you can imagine how happy I was to see an improvement in that respect from using the Clarisonic. I also felt that I didn't necessary need to use a toner too which was odd but good. And because of the changes in my skin texture, the moisturizer that I had been using for months now is no longer suitable for my skin.

I know that at the moment the Mia (US$149) is not available in Malaysia yet and only the Plus model is sold in Sephora KL for somewhere in the RM800 price point. The Plus model is of course has more functionality than the Mia and you can check out the differences between the models here. Still, the basic concept is still the same and the brush head attachments are the same except the Mia doesn't support the body brush.

Now, as for the Sigma tool (US$39), I've decided to use it for body exfoliation. The skin on the body is more resistant and thicker than the skin on the face so why put a perfectly good tool to waste, right? You know, I have half a mind to use the Sigma tool for cleaning bags too for some reason. Hurm... *pondering idea*

So to sum it up, I believe the Clarisonic is almost 4x the price of the Sigma tool but it's an investment and if you have the money or are willing to spend as much, I highly recommend getting one for yourself. I love Sigma and I love their brushes, but this foray into skin care isn't cutting it for me unfortunately.

What I do wished the Mia had is a battery life indicator light. Or maybe I'll just need to get used to the signals at the end of the 60 seconds letting me know that it's running low on juice.

Sleek iDivine Primer Palette: Photos, Swatches and First Impressions

2011-08-06T13:00:00.013+08:00

This palette arrived a little over a month ago but I haven't been able to give it a try yet (but I'm excited to). After my first 2 palettes, I felt like getting more.

Click here to check out product photos, swatches and first impression of

the Original and Storm eye shadow palettes here

One of the things in my second purchase is the Sleek iDivine Primer Palette:

Sleek iDivine The Primer Palette (box packaging)

Sleek iDivine The Primer Palette (opened palette)

PRODUCT INFO

The palette comes with 12 creamy colors and a double ended brush in a sleek black plastic case which includes a mirror on the inner lid. Each pan offers 1.1g/0.03oz of product. This product is specially designed to complement the eye shadows in their iDivine palettes for added intensity and longer wear.

I'm not a big fan of the flimsy loose plastic film with the color names though. I felt that they could've done a much better job at that by either having the names printed on the palette itself above the top row and below the bottom row or have a diagram at the back of the case with the names printed. Not too keen on the brush included either. The bristles are of poor quality and badly cut too. Definitely use your own brush or a clean finger to apply.

COLORS & SWATCHES

Top: (L-R) Moonshine, Calypso, Ultra Violet
Bottom: (L-R) Noir, Peach, Money Tree
- Click image to enlarge -

Moonshine - Frosty white
Calypso - True blue
Ultra Violet - Vibrant grape purple
Noir - Black with slight shimmer flecks
Peach - Light golden peach
Money Tree - Fern green

Top: (L-R) Dare Devil, Pink Frost, Silver Lining
Bottom: (L-R) Truffle, Money Honey, Hot Wired!
- Click image to enlarge -

Dare Devil - Red with pink undertones
Pink Frost - Frosty baby pink
Silver Lining - Light frosty silver
Truffle - Ash dark brown
Money Honey - Pale gold
Hot Wired! - Orange copper with yellow gold shimmer flecks

Top: (L-R)
Moonshine, Calypso, Ultra Violet, Dare Devil, Pink Frost, Silver Lining
Bottom: (L-R)
Noir, Peach, Money Tree, Truffle, Money Honey, Hot Wired!
- Click image to enlarge -

The texture of the cream is light with mediocre color payoff. I would definitely say that the pigmentation of these are much better compared to the recent MAC Bounce eye shadows. The palette generally offers slight frost in colors but if applied alone, the colors do tend to come off rather dull.

After application, I would suggest quickly layering your powder eye shadow over top because it does dry relatively fast. However, the product is buildable so if you'd like the color to be more intense, you could just layer it on.

While swatching and playing around with the product, I felt that it would serve better as an eye shadow base compared to the intended purpose of a colored primer. I would still suggest priming your lids with your favorite eye primer first and use this product to intensify and bring out the colors of your eye shadows.

This pretty much works like a regular cream eye shadow and if you like, can be used as such in place of a regular powder eye shadow. Once it dries, it really doesn't budge much if at all. Apply all over lid, and define with a darker powder eye shadow.

AVAILABILITY & PRICE

The product is available for purchase from the Sleek Makeup online store here for US$10.50. Sleek ships worldwide except for the African continent at a flat rate of US$13.50 outside UK & Europe. For more info on shipping/deliveries click here.

PRODUCT VALUE

Excluding shipping, each color would cost approximately US$0.87 each. And you do get 12 colors in a single palette. Factoring in the shipping charges, it's still about less than US$2 per color. This palette is definitely a nice to have palette and not exactly a necessity.

Make Up Basics: Concealer & Corrector

2011-08-05T08:00:00.000+08:00

Everyone's skin is different and there may be certain areas that require extra coverage or neutralizing. Foundation alone might not be able to assist with these needs and hence a concealer -- and sometimes a corrector as well -- is applied.

CONCEALER

Concealers does pretty much exactly as the name suggests, it conceals. Similar to foundations, concealers are available in a variety of forms:

liquid - often packaged in click pens, tubes with doe foot wands, pumps or squeeze tubes
cream - commonly packaged in jars, pots, metal pans, palettes, pencil or stick form
powder - packaged in a sifter jar and mostly found in mineral make up lines

The most common usages for concealers are to mask darkness under the eyes (mainly caused by sleep deprivation but is sometimes hereditary) and to hide acne, zits/pimples, birthmarks, scars, redness and dark spots.

CONCEALER GUIDELINES

Here are some basic guidelines to choosing a concealer based on your needs:

For under eye circles : Select a shade that is one or two shades lighter than your foundation color. Not only will it diffuse the darkness under your eyes but it will also bring in more light to the area for a brightening effect enabling eyes to look more awake and fresh.
For general cover ups : Select a shade that matches (or is closest to) your skin tone and foundation shade. You don't want the concealer to look obvious since you want to hide and not bring focus to the area.

Concealers in liquid form have a lighter texture but it doesn't necessarily mean that it falls short when it comes to coverage. That being said, if the formulation feels too runny, you might end up applying more product than you normally would with a concealer that has a slightly thicker consistency.

CORRECTOR

For darker or more intense discoloration, a corrector is applied before the concealer to neutralize the spot or area. Correctors are usually color tinted and not in skin tone shades. Different colors are used to neutralize different types of skin marks such as:

Green : Neutralizes redness and pink tones (i.e. blemishes, pimples, rosacea, vascular birthmarks, broken capilaries)
Salmon (or yellow, pink, bisque, peach) : Neutralizes black, blues and purples (i.e. severe under eye circles, pigmented birthmarks, acne scars, bruises, tattoos, dark spots)
Lavender : Neutralizes yellow tones (i.e. recovering bruises). Also helps brighten up dull and sallow complexions.
Baby blue : Neutralizes orange tinged skin sometimes caused by overtanning.

Correctors tend to be creamier in consistency and can be found in palette form. Certain brands in the market also offers corrector based primers which helps neutralize overall complexion in addition to their clear or neutral colored version.

APPLICATION

If a corrector is required, start off by taking a small amount of the corrector and dabbing it on the affected area with a brush or a clean finger. Blend it evenly.
Apply a small amount of concealer to the area (on top of the corrector if corrector was applied) with a brush or a clean finger. If you prefer, a small or pointed sponge would do the job as well.

When applying concealer to the under eye area, tilt your head down while looking at the mirror. Apply the product in the dark hollows and blend upwards towards the lower lash line.

Make sure to spread the product evenly on the area required and blend it seamlessly into skin/foundation.
If you're using a liquid or cream concealer, set the product with a powder (loose or pressed).

Fair to light skin tones : Set with a translucent or light powder.
Medium skin tones : Set with a light or yellow based powder.
Dark to Deep skin tones : Set with a yellow based or skin tone powder.

THINGS TO NOTE

Concealer and corrector can be applied before or after foundation. However, applying the products after foundation generally uses less product amount as it is only applied to areas where foundation is unable to fully provide coverage.
When applying a liquid or cream concealer over top of a powder foundation, spritz a refresher mist (not setting or finishing spray) to dampen the skin first then apply.
Have a color wheel ready to guide you on which corrector color best suits your needs. Images of a color wheel are freely available online.
Since these products tend to be on the creamier side, opt for a brush with synthetic bristles should you choose to use a brush as your application tool. Synthetic brushes are less likely to soak up the product and therefore you will need to use a smaller amount of product.
However, when using a brush with natural fibres, dampen the bristles slightly before picking up product.

Perfumes & Mists: GUESS (New) for Women

2011-08-04T05:49:00.001+08:00

Those close to me are very much aware of my inability to resist scents. I'll be the first to admit that my perfume collection is insane but I love them all! Lately, I've been into body mists/splashes as well and thought this would be another nice series to add to the blog.

Starting off this series is GUESS (New) for Women:

This is one of the first perfumes that I bought when I started working. I hadn't planned on getting it at all but after a whiff, I was sold. I typically steer clear of musky scents but the combination of all the other notes makes this one a personal favorite. The scent lingers throughout the day (read: long lasting), is youthful, edgy and undoubtedly sexy. Despite my obnoxious perfume collection, I'm almost done with my second bottle of this with a back up in store. I bought a smaller version for travelling and a pendant version of it as well. The full size packaging is considerably durable but for one of my bottles, the cap detached from the plastic mould insert somehow. I love that it comes with a cute drawstring pouch too.

Notes
Tangerine, green apple, freesia, pink peony, muguet, peach, red fruit, cedar wood, amber and musk.

Type
Eau De Parfum (EDP)

Retail Prices
30ml (1oz) - AUD$19 (Bought at Priceline ~RM62)
50ml (1.7oz) - US$45
75ml (2.5oz) - RM215 (Bought for S$49 in Singapore at a wholesaler ~RM120)

NOTE: Online retailers and discount outlets may offer lower prices.

Special Deals on Sigma - Save US$10

2011-08-03T01:00:00.004+08:00

There's currently a US$10 savings (no coupon required) on the Sigma website for selected items as pictured below for those interested.

Click image to go to page

The only coupon code I could find at this time is LEESHA2011 which takes off 10% from your entire purchase. The coupon is only valid until August 4th, 2011 (EST).

For a limited time, Sigma is offering a sample of their latest eye shadow palettes for purchases of US$75 and above per order:

Photo source: Sigma Facebook page

The sample includes Reveal, Act and Oversee from the Dare, Bare and Flare palettes respectively. This is the same mini palette they were giving out during IMATS LA in June and is definitely a fun little palette to tote around in your purse or just to try out the quality of the eye shadows.

For every purchase of US$30 and above, you'll still receive a free gift -- a travel sized silver handled E25 (previously the SS217) brush:

Photo source: ACW

This has to be one of my favorite eye brushes. It's an ideal size to contour my eyes and blend out color.

Jewelmint Picks: August 2011

2011-08-01T19:40:00.001+08:00

August is here and Jewelmint has already come out with brand new pieces for their showroom. Selected pieces from previous months' collection are still available for purchase on the site but here are some of the new pieces that I caught my attention:

Here To Eternity Set

I felt this was a beautiful elegant set. It's rare to find jewelry integrating both yellow and rose gold in one piece. The earrings are cute and demure all in one, and perfect everyday studs. The multistrand necklace looks delicate and romantic with a knot, the word "Love" and a horizontal bar filled with crystals on each strand respectively. This piece was one of the pieces included in my August showroom. Jewelmint is slowly beginning to capture my style.

Krishna Diamong Earrings

I could be wrong but I think this has appeared in previous months before but aren't they just a beauty? These stud earrings are double layered and is such a classy piece to be worn for formal events and functions but yet is still wearable enough for regular days to glam up a more relaxed T-shirt and jeans outfit.

New Wave Ring

I've seen similar armadillo type rings before and gives an edge to any outfit. YouTube gurus such as Jessica Harlow and Michelle Phan have often worn rings that look like this in many videos and photos. I'm not sure where they bought their rings but I know Karmaloop has a few to choose from:

Photo source: Karmaloop

Jewelmint is a subscription based service providing personalized jewelry suggestions for US$29.99/month. The subscription gives you 1 credit for use to purchase any one piece of jewelry item from your personalized showroom (or you can add other pieces not in your showroom that were not suggested to you). Additional pieces can also be purchased at US$29.99 each. This service is currently available in the US and US territories only.

First Impression: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

2011-08-01T05:03:00.002+08:00

While in the States a month ago, I got to see up close and swatch the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush. I had relatively high expectations for this blush and was already thinking of getting one or two (or more) especially after hearing such good things about it and seeing it on one of emilynoel83's videos awhile back.

Photo source: Sephora

Here are some keywords from the product review on Sephora.com:

Click image to enlarge

Excited lil ole me went swatch happy at Sephora when I spotted the Tarte display. I know a lot of people have been singing praises for this particular product but sadly for me, it completely did not meet my expectations. I was rather disappointed at the color payoff from the swatches and ended up buying none.

For every color that I had swatched from the display, I could barely get any product on my skin. And for the swatches that I did managed to pick up some color, it completely disappeared when blended into my skin. The texture was hard and powdery and not at all buttery or creamy. Of course it being clay based I guess I should've expected it though.

I might eventually try an order a color in the future to re-evaluate the product and try picking up color with a brush instead. I imagine if a brush would be able to pick up the color, it would look beautiful and natural blended on the skin (maybe even with a cream blush base?).

The blush comes in 8 shades in Sephora and retails for US$25 each.

Have you tried this product? Love it or hate it?

Sigma Flare Palette

2011-07-29T08:30:00.229+08:00

Finally! I'm so excited to be able to start posting about the Sigma eye shadow palettes. I received mine a month ago and despite having taken some product photos, I thought it best to do some a little test first and try to conjure up a look to go with the palette. Plus, I think I've been doing too many Sigma posts back to back in this space I felt I should break it up a bit.

Each palette is priced at US$35 and is available for purchase on the Sigma website. Assuming a brush value of US$9 (the full size brush retails at US$9/each), each eye shadow is only US$3.25 (less than RM10/each)! Click on the image above to purchase and receive a free gift with your order.

Anyways, there are 3 palettes altogether: Flare, Dare and Bare. The package came with a little leaflet (Sigma's signature) that talks more about the palettes as well as a sample look for each.

Palette Leaflet

I was quite surprised at the actual size of the palette. It's approximately +3/4in in length, +1/3in depth and height compared to the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

I'm starting off with the Flare palette so here we go.

Flare Palette (in sleeve)

Flare Palette (sleeve and palette)

Flare Palette (opened)

The palette comes with 8 eye shadows and a double ended brush. For Flare, you'll get the E55 Eye Shading Brush and E40 Tapered Blending Brush. The palette is made of hard durable cardboard (not plastic and thicker than theBalm & Urban Decay palettes) which is recyclable, features a decent size mirror and is secured shut by a magnets embedded at the long edge of the palette.

Click on image to enlarge

The brush quality is quite similar to the full size version which is great. As with any new brush, you will need to give it its initial wash first prior to use. My E40 had some breaking and shedding but I expect that to be a non-recurring problem. Bristles are soft and pick up color well. I did have to use my E25 Blending Brush as well to create the look below for adding color to my outer corner and crease and simultaneously blend. The E40 was a bit big for my lids but great for overall blending.

Below are the swatches for all the eye shadows in the palette without a base/primer:

(L-R) Crush, Oversee, Define, Publicize

(L-R) Resist, Gossip, Allure, Beware

Crush - Dark chocolate brown with a hint of sea green shimmer
Oversee - Blue green algae with a satin finish
Define - Frosty charmeuse with a satin finish
Publicize - Semi-matte yellow beige
Resist - Plum brown with bronze shimmer
Gossip - Matte raisin purple
Allure - Bright fuschia purple with blue shimmer
Beware - Light blue base pink with iridescent purple shimmer

The colors in this palette are simply beautiful. As you can see, you can mix and match the shades within the entire palette or see it as two gradients in one palette - first 4 shades for a green look, last 4 shades for a purple look. One the Sigma website here are a few video tutorials from YouTube beauty gurus using a combination of both the green and purple sides to create beautiful looks that you can try out.

As far as I can tell, the shadows swatch and apply beautifully. The product offers good color payoff and are easy to blend. I would however highly recommend applying an eye primer prior to applying these shadows. Also, I didn't notice any creasing with or without a primer.

Below is a look created with the first 4 shades in the palette and tested with and without a primer (using the same shades from the palette for each eye):

Left Eye (without primer/base):
As you can see from the photos above, the eye on the left is obviously the one sans primer and the eyeshadows just didn't pop at all. It applied vibrant but as I added more colors and as time passed by, the vibrancy diminished and shadows looked muddy and dull.

Right Eye (with primer - Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer in Skin):
Now for the right eye, colors are true to pan and after the 4 hours or so that I had it on, I didn't notice much loss in color intensity.

For one of the looks that I was experimenting on for the palette, I tried using the NYX Jumbo Pencil as a base without a primer. The eye shadows did show some potency initially but faded significantly once blended with other shades.

Disclaimer: The Sigma eyeshadow palette was sent to me by the company for review consideration as a selected affiliate. I do not receive any monetary compensation or am I biased or influenced to provide positive feedback on the product. The thoughts and opinions stated are my own and based on my own experience and tests.

New Product: theBalm Meet Matt(e) Palette

2011-07-28T10:30:00.025+08:00

Talk about coincidence. A few days ago I posted about neutral palettes and lo and behold, I received the latest theBalm mailer announcing their latest palette which just so happens to have some of the most beautiful neutral shades. I'm personally very excited to get my hands on this palette simply because it's all matte shades!

Photo source: theBalm website

Not all matte eye shadows are created equal and I'm crossing my fingers these offerings from theBalm would live up to my expectations and not end up being a powdery, chalky mess. From my experience with their other eye shadows, theBalm eye shadows are generally beautifully pigmented, smooth, creamy, easy to blend and long lasting.

Similar to their Shady Lady palettes, this palette comes with 9 eye shadows and a bonus dual ended brush. The packaging seems to be the familiar durable hard cardboard with in built mirror theBalm is quite known for. I feel like this would definitely be perfect for everyday make up to define and highlight your peepers. Depending on your hair color, it looks like you might also use some of the shades to fill in your brows too.

The colors (based on the product image):

Matt Smith - A bamboo beige
Matt Gallagher - A light to mid tone wheat brown
Matt Ramirez - A light milk chocolate brown
Matt McDonald - A warm medium grey
Matt Horowitz - A steel blue grey
Matt Chung - A baby petal pink
Matt Batali - A warm medium to dark brown
Matt Schilling - A cool teal base grey
Matt Patel - A light to mid tone ash brown

I find theBalm to be an interesting brand. Their packaging concept tends to be a little similar to Benefit but at a much less hefty price tag. Quality wise, I've been impressed so far too. It does however seem a little odd to be carrying around a make up product with a guy's smiling face on the lid. Humor factor? Haha.

The palette is 9.5g (a tad smaller than the 17g Shady Lady palettes) and retails at US$34.50 (US$5 less than Shady Lady palettes). At the moment the product has just debuted on the theBalm website but can be expected to appear in stores soon. I anticipate this to be priced at around RM105 when it reach our shores in Sasa outlets.

New Product: Stila Brighten & Correct Concealer

2011-07-27T11:30:00.030+08:00

For those in the market to try a new concealer, Stila has come out with a brand new concealer formula aptly named the Brighten & Correct Concealer retailing for US$28 each.

Photo Credit: Stila Newsletter

The product comes in the same kind of tube/twist pen as their signature glosses. This latest offering from Stila comes in 5 shades and for a limited time ships for free with the checkout code CORRECT.

Fair	Tone	Medium
Tan	Deep

Here's a description of the product from the Stila website:

Swirl your way to a perfected and brightened complexion! Stila's new Brighten & Correct Concealer contains a unique multi-mineral complex and Haloxyl™, making it a perfect multi-purpose undereye brightener, illuminator and correcting concealer that help reduce the appearance of dark circles over time.

Swirled with two shades, one for brightening and another for correcting, and infused with light-diffusing pigments, this beautiful formula offers lightweight, buildable coverage while improving the look and feel of skin. This innovative concealer delivers one high performance, high definition, complexion-perfecting product.

Brightening, illuminating, correcting concealer
Includes Haloxyl™, which immediately helps reduce the appearance of dark circles
Multi-mineral complex includes: zinc (antioxidant), magnesium (maintains skin barrier), chlorine (maintains mineral concentrations), sodium and potassium (key electrolytes)
Diminishes the look of fine lines & wrinkles
Reduces imperfections and improves skin texture
Hydrates, balances and nourishes the skin
Serum cools as it dries, which helps reduce puffy skin around the eye
Paraben, Oil, Lanolin, Fragrance Free

Sephora Favorites, Great Way To Sample Products

2011-07-26T19:51:00.001+08:00

I love samples. It allows us to try different products from a variety of brands without having to purchase the full size and realizing it's not delivering the results we'd like. During my recent US trip, I picked up 2 amazing sets from Sephora at what I feel is great value:

Sephora Favorites: Give Me Some Lash, US$30
(Approx. US$4.30/tube)

You get deluxe samples of the following mascaras to try out and they're perfect for travelling or to throw in your purse too.

Talika Lipocils (0.07oz)
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! in Black (0.1oz)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash in Black (0.1oz)
Bare Excentuals Flawless Definition Mascara in Black (0.16oz)
Smashbox Lash DNA in Jet Black (0.2oz)
Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black (0.14oz)
Buxom Lash in Blackest Black (0.2oz)

A set of mascaras like this is great because you get to try out different mascara formulas and find your new favorite. Plus, since these are mini sized, you won't have to worry about having a lot of product left in the tube come time to chuck them in the trash.

Sephora Favorites: Set For Summer, US$39
(Approx. US$4.30/item + free clear make up bag)

In this set you get 2 full size and 7 deluxe sized samples in a clear plastic zippered make up bag to put your make up in. I love the selections and variation in this set especially since you can get a complete look with just the products in this set and your own tinted moisturizer/foundation.

Sephora Collection Mono Eyeshadow in Choco Excess 19 (0.07oz) - Full size
Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pop (0.20oz) - Full size
Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in Dusk (0.13oz)
Too Faced Mini Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer (0.08oz)
Sephora by OPI in I'm WIred (0.125oz)
Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment (0.08oz)
Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Make-Up Base (0.18oz)
Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara in Black (0.10oz)
Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Make-Up Setting Spray (0.34oz)

These sets are limited edition and available at Sephora.com and Sephora outlets. I'm not too sure if these sets are available in the Asian Sephora stores as I don't have one near me. Could anyone confirm this?

Photo credits: Sephora.com

Look of the Night: Attending A Wedding

2011-07-25T08:45:00.064+08:00

Last night I attended a wedding reception at a local hotel and decided to try out some Real Techniques brushes and my new Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. Since I still have my travel make up unpacked, I went ahead and utilized whatever I could find in it for the look (hope you don't mind how tired I look in the photo as it was taken when I got back home from the function).

Face

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Medium Ivory
Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder in Light/Medium
NARS Blush in Orgasm

Eyes

MAC Prep+Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer
Urban Decay Naked Palette

Virgin + Sin - All over lid and brow bone
Virgin - Inner corner and below brows
Half Baked - All over lid
Smog + Darkhorse - Crease/Socket (area approx where the brow bone begins)
Smog - 2/3 outer corner of bottom lashline
Darkhorse - 2/3 outer corner of upper lashline and 1/3 outer corner of bottom lashline

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - 01 Black
Maybelline Eyebrow Pencil by Eyestudio in Black (it's really a dark ash brown)
Rimmel Extra Super Lash Waterproof Mascara

Lips

EOS Lipbalm in Sweet Mint
Too Faced Lip Insurance
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - 423 Pink Velvet (Creme finish)
MAC Kissable Lipcolour in So Vain

Tools

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes (Core collection & Stippling brush)
Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush
Sigma E50, E25 & E30 brushes

Benefit B.Right! Radiant Skincare... The Minis

2011-07-24T11:30:00.066+08:00

If you've been thinking of trying out the Benefit B.Right! Radiant Skincare line but don't want to invest in the full size products just to end up not quite liking how the product works or finding out that it's not agreeing with your skin, then you're in luck. On a trip to ULTA while I was in the US, I happened upon these intro kits and felt that this would definitely be the perfect opportunity to try our part of the line without that hefty investment.

Click here for the introduction post for the Benefit B.Right Skincare Line

b.right! Radiant Skincare by Benefit intro kit

3-pc Intro Kit, US$12

Exfoliator, Refined Finish Facial Polish (8.9g/0.3oz)
Face cream, Total Moisture Face Cream (3g/0.1oz)
Face lotion with SPF, Triple Performance Facial Emulsion SPF15 PA++ (8.9ml/0.3fl oz)

b.right! Radiant Skincare by Benefit 6 piece intro kit

6-pc Intro Kit, US$24

Facial wash, Foamingly Clean Facial Wash (8.9g/0.3oz)
Exfoliator, Refined Finish Facial Polish (8.9g/0.3oz)
Toner, Moisture Prep Toning Lotion ()
Face cream, Total Moisture Face Cream (3g/0.1oz)
Face lotion with SPF, Triple Performance Facial Emulsion SPF15 PA++ (8.9ml/0.3fl oz)
Eye cream, It's Potent! Eye Cream (3g/0.1oz)

These mini sets are limited edition and are available on the Benefit webstore, Amazon.com and in selected ULTAs. Give these a whirl and if you only like one (or all) of the products, the full sized versions are already part of the permanent skincare line.

NOTE: Unfortunately these sets do not ship internationally due to hazmat regulations.

Neutral Palettes For Everyday Make Up

2011-07-23T11:00:00.020+08:00

Neutral palettes and earth tones have been make up staples for practically every beauty lover and make up artist out there. I'm sure even those less inclined in make up would probably own at least 1 neutral palette or own earth tone eyeshadow shades. From beginners to advanced users, fresh to smoky looks, fair to deep skin tones, these types of palettes are a definite win.

Practically every cosmetic company has their own version of the neutral palette which means, we're pretty much spoilt for choice here and picking one up is only a matter of budget and personal preference. Check out a few palettes available at varying price points below.

Click image to enlarge

Sigma Eyeshadow
Palette - Bare, $35
Sigma

Whatever your budget, there's bound to be a neutral palette to fit your needs. Drop by a drugstore, beauty outlet or every your fave departmental store and pick one up. Have fun with this staple palette!

Photo credits: Target.com, Sephora.com, Walgreens.com, Sigma Beauty

New Product: Sigma Brush Cup Holder

2011-07-23T00:18:00.002+08:00

Not to long ago Sigma came out with the Make Me Up collection and a lot of people were excited with the brush cup holder packaging the brushes came in. Click here for a link to my previous post on the collection.

Now that Sigma owner, Simone, has announced that the they'll be doing away with the brush roll, here comes its little sister, the Brush Cup Holder in its place for the same price of US$20.

Photo courtesy: Sigma

At the moment the product is available only in the classic black but I wouldn't be too surprise if they release the other colors for individual purchase as well. These oval cylinders consists of 2 parts and snap together to protect your brushes. Have them placed separately on your vanity/table top as brush cup holders (hence the name) or snap them on to take them on the go. When you're travelling you can place you clean brushes in one cup and used ones in the other getting them ready for cleaning.

Jewelmint Picks: July 2011

2011-07-18T14:28:00.005+08:00

There's been a lot of hype online about Jewelmint and I have to admit there are some beautiful unique pieces on the website. For a subscription/membership fee of US$29.99 a month, you get to choose your favorite piece(s) to be shipped to you. Each additional piece costs US$29.99 (first piece is included in the subscription/membership fee) and were created/designed by actress Kate Bosworth and stylist Cher Coulter. Click here for more information on how it works. You also have the option to purchase special jewelry pieces where 50% of the proceeds goes to support charitable causes like this.

If you're interested, feel free to click here to join Jewelmint.

Since at the moment the website only ships to the US, I haven't been able to get my hands on the actual jewelry as much as I would definitely love to. Anyways, I thought why not just share with all of you my top picks of the month (pieces I'd love to buy and not necessarily those suggested to me that month) had I been able to purchase them.

Forever Yours Bracelet

I think that is a beautiful demure piece with a nice combination of silver-, gold- and rose gold-plated finishes and a couple of plates that are perfect for engraving your name and special messages on.

Forget Me Knot Trio

I'm not sure what it is but I love rings that come in 3s. This one in particular is a gold toned set which looks gorgeous worn together or separately. Personally, I love the braided ring the most and it reminds me of a grass wreath ring from a romantically epic movie.

Paramour Bracelet

This piece is definitely unique. A string of rings held together with silve and gold toned links forming a toggle bracelet. I just love dual tone jewelry!

Unlock My Heart Necklace

My last pick for the month is this padlock pendant necklace. The chunky chain and medieval inspired padlock pendant (it's a locket too!) gives this piece an edgy feel.

Photo Credits: Jewelmint website

First Impression: Sigma Think Pink Cleansing and Polishing Tool

2011-06-12T02:18:00.000+08:00

May 30th, 2011 Sigma launched their latest product -- Cleansing and Polishing Tool. At USD39, the tool is a mere 26% of the price of a Clarisonic Mia. It is also comparable pricewise with other market contenders, Sirius Beauty Skin Sonic ($49.95) and the Olay Pro-X ($39.99).

Use discount codes available on the top page
and sidebar for more savings!

Click To Read Introduction Post

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool
(Box packaging)

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool
(Description on box)

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool
-- Hard plastic casing, tool body, 3 brush head attachments
& soft plastic moulded storage insert --

The Tool

The Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool is nicely packaged in a hard plastic case with moulded inserts. The hard case is designed with a frosted see through top lid with the Sigma logo on it and hinged to a dusty pale violet opaque bottom portion. The plastic insert however in my case seems to always get stuck on one side of the casing when slightly lifted. I personally would've preferred if the mould was built in with the bottom half instead of moving around every time I pick up the tool or try to take out the brush head attachments.

The tool itself is made of a sturdy hard plastic with the Sigma logo in pink and a pink rubber strip running along the side gap enabling it to be more water resistant. I had expected the plastic to be a bit more white though instead of slightly yellow-tinged from the various photos on online and the promo photos.

With brush head attachment

Without brush head attachment

The tool features dual speed action:

Press switch once for low speed
Press switch again for higher speed
Press switch one more time to switch off

If you pressed on the switch before inserting the batteries, don't be surprised if the tool starts working as soon as you pop those batteries in as there are no indicators on which level the switch has been pressed.

The tool does not come with a charger which means:

No worries of whether the tool needs a universal charger for worldwide travel and use.
You'll need to stock up on AA batteries.

TIP: Use rechargeable batteries (under RM100 for 2 batteries with charger) instead of regular alkaline batteries. Rechargeable versions are readily available at various strengths and are more eco-friendly as well.

To open the battery compartment, just turn the dial to the side without the raised dot and remove the cover. Insert batteries accordingly, place the cover back and turn the dial back to its original position to keep in place. The battery compartment is also lined with a clear rubber strip to keep water out.

The Brush Head Attachments

Brush Head Attachment
Soft

Brush Head Attachment
Medium

Brush Head Attachment
Firm

The tool comes with 3 attachments:

Pink bristles - Soft
Pink & White bristles - Medium
White bristles - Firm

The bristle colors makes it easy to distinguish which is which and these attachments snap on and off the tool with ease. However, I noticed that the bristles on the attachments weren't all cut level (a few bristle fibres were longer than the rest) as you may see below:

Brush Head Attachment
Soft

Brush Head Attachment
Firm

It is recommended that brush heads be replaced every 3-4 months with regular/daily use. The attachments aren't sold separately as of yet but will be available tentatively in August 2011. Simone has also indicated that different attachments are also in the works and I'm definitely curious to know what they'll be coming out with then.

Mode of Operation

The tool operates by rotating the brush heads in a single direction at low or high speed depending on your preference. Just snap on the brush head attachment you'd like to use and press the pink switch/button.

First Impression

When I first received the tool, I was excited that it had finally arrived and was extremely eager to try it out. The product claims to help skin feel smooth and flawless before and after make up application and allow skincare products to absorb better too.

I'll admit that the price is definitely very tempting especially with the cult favorite Clarisonic having a hefty price tag. I would prefer though if the casing had been a bit more compact. I felt that it was a little bulky for travelling and the one that I have seem to be a bit tight at the hinge to completely open and won't stay up for too long. Also, it would be nice if the brush heads had either a cap or if the casing had some form of air vent to dry the bristles after usage and avoid bacteria build up (I'm not sure if the bristles are anti-bacterial like the Clarisonic as it isn't mentioned on the site).

For the actual tool, although at first sight it looked a little dated (yellowish toned white), it does feel sturdy in the hand and fits nicely in my palms. One of the brushes came out of it's well in the soft plastic mould and squashed my soft brush head a little bit but it's still in pretty good condition.

The box doesn't say whether the cleanser should be applied directly on face or the brush head and I suppose that would be based on personal preference. I tried it out by applying the facial cleanser on my brush head and massaged the rotating brush on my skin in circular motions. It felt nice and wasn't abrasive as I thought it might be (The Body Shop facial brush felt harsher). I wouldn't recommend a foaming cleanser though as the tool does cause it to foam up quite a bit and you may have difficulties breathing when you're working around the nose area. If you're cleanser does lather up, try using a smaller amount instead. My cleanser was all over my t-shirt and other places by the time I was done with the cleansing and polishing process.

I tried the product on one of my brothers as well since he had some blackheads cropping up and wanted to see if the tool made a difference. Guess what? It did! It didn't remove all the blackheads but there was a noticeable reduction and his skin was smoother too (the tiny bumps on his face had flattened a bit). For me, I have whiteheads on my nose, chin and above my brows. At times I find some on my cheek area under my eyes near the bridge of my nose especially when make up isn't removed completely the day before. My other main problem is enlarged pores around that same cheek area and my nose as well. Of course using the tool did not shrink more pores in 1 usage and I'll need to test the tool further for efficacy but my skin was definitely smoother to the touch more than usual. Since the brush head rotates however, I felt that I would probably use it every other day instead of daily. My skin felt nice and clean but the new layer of skin exposed was a bit more sensitive to the toner I was using and I could feel more of the toner's effect.

Another feature I think would be a nice addition to the tool is a brush head attachment for the nose area. The brush head although small enough for the rest of the face, felt a bit more difficult to reach the sides of the nose and work around the area overall.

I'll be doing more testing on the product in the next few weeks and will report on any new findings as soon as I can. If you've already gotten the Cleansing & Polishing tool, do share your experience with it in the comments below. I'd love to know your thoughts about it too.

Review: Sigma Dry'N Shape System (vs Brush Guard & Air Drying)

2011-05-25T18:54:00.001+08:00

Recently, I blogged about a new product from Sigma called the Dry'N Shape System which basically works to speed up drying your make up brushes after a good deep clean and concurrently shape the bristles to it's original form.

Click Here for the Product Introduction Post

Product Photos

The Dry'N Shape comes beautifully packaged in a classy box

A brief introduction on the back of the box

Also some key features highlighted on the back of the box

The leaflet that came with the product

I love the fact that all Sigma products pretty much comes with a leaflet explaining the product features as well as how to use them. Very convenient for new users as you won't be fumbling around looking at the product trying to figure out how to use it. Plus, as mentioned in the previous post there's an accompanying video on the Sigma YouTube channel as a product demo.

The Dry'N Shape (folded)

The Dry'N Shape (unfolded)

The Dry'N Shape (close up)

The Dry'N Shape seems to be made of the same material as the Sigma Brush Rolls and I was quite pleased that it didn't come with the glue stench that came with the original brush rolls before. The system fits 12 brushes of varying sizes but is targeted more towards larger brushes which tend to take a lot longer to dry. The product is foldable and is held together by 2 magnetic buttons which means it can easily double up as a brush roll as well. The special elastic bands at the top are sewn on one side creating the elastic loop to hold the brush bristles completely while they dry.

Drying Test

Since I don't have exact duplicates of the brushes, I've used similar types and bristle density brushes that I own to test out the system.

The test subjects:
The Synthetic Face Kit and The F30 (2pcs) & F20 (1pc)

If you've purchased the Synthetic Face Kit, you'll know that due to the high density of the bristles packed into the brush, it takes an absurd amount of time to completely dry for subsequent use. If you own either the Complete Kit or the Premium Kit (or if you bought the large powder brushes individually), the F30 and F20 can take some time to dry as well.

Here are the sets of brushes put to the test with the 3 different drying methods:

Set 1 (Dry'N Shape) : F82 & F30 : The F82 is the most dense amongst the 3 brushes in the Synthetic Face Kit while the F30 is comparable in density with the F20. Brushes were inserted into the appropriate slots as recommended.

Set 2 (Brush Guard) : F80 & F30 : The F80 is the second most dense brush from the Synthetic Face Kit and the F20 is the same as type of brush used in Set 1. Brushes were fitted with the appropriate sized mesh tubes and inverted in a cup as recommended.

Set 3 (Air dry) : F84 & F20 : The F84 is the least dense of the 3 and the F20 is comparable in density as the F30 used in Set 1 & 2. Brushes were laid flat on a hand towel with bristles fully exposed to air (not in contact with towel).

Set 1: Washed and slotted into the Dry'N Shape

Set 2: Washed and fitted with the Brush Guard

Set 2: Left inverted in a cup

Set 3: Laid flat on a hand towel

Set 3: Laid flat with handles on a hand towel
with bristles fully exposed to air

The Results

	After 2 hrs	After 4 hrs	After 4.5 hrs	After 5 hrs
Set 1	Both brushes are damp to touch.	The F82 has dried. F30 is almost dry.	F82 is completely dry. F30 is dry but cool to touch.	Both brushes are completely dry.
Set 2	Both brushes are still wet to touch.	Both brushes were still wet to touch.	Both brushes are still wet to touch.	Both brushes are still wet to touch.
Set 3	Both brushes are still wet to touch.	The F84 is still wet to touch. F20 the outer bristles has dried and the inner bristles are slightly wet.	F84 is wet to touch. F20 is almost dry (damp inner bristles).	F84 is still wet to touch. F20 is almost dry and cool to touch.

Comparisons after 7 hours:

Set 1: Completely dry F82 brush with perfectly shaped bristles

Set 1: F82 (top view)

Set 1: F30 completely dry with minimal fraying on one side
(NOTE: My F30 came a little odd shaped)

Set 1: F30 (top view)

Set 2: F80 still quite wet but shaped nicely on most sides

Set 2: F80 Slightly frayed due to fibers getting caught
in plastic mesh

Set 2: F30 still quite wet and flyaways apparent

Set 2: F30 kept its shape but with isolated straying bristle fibers

Set 3: F84 bristles are wet going on damp

Set 3: F84 still drying (top view)

Set 3: F84 bristles are in place and still in good shape

Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the F20 in Set 3 but as per my normal deep cleaning routine, there were no stray bristles. The brush head is nicely shaped albeit a little fluffy.

Shaping Test

Since my brushes have pretty much kept shape as I use the original brush sleeves when storing them, I've decided to try out a couple of brushes with bristles that were out of shape to see if it will help reshape them to look like new.

So here are the before photos:

Test Subject 1: An old frayed eye brush

Test Subject 1: And old frayed eye brush (side view)

Test Subject 1 is an old eye brush from my mum's stash (no, I haven't a clue where she got it either) that was badly frayed due to being placed in a container that was too small for it. It was in worst shape when I originally found it but managed to somewhat salvage it a little bit via previous washing but as you can see from the above photos, it still looks terrible.

Test Subject 2: F65

Test Subject 2 is my F65 Large Concealer Brush which I'm not really sure how it got to look the way it does.

Here are the after photos:

Test Subject 1: Bristles have been regrouped and neatly packed

Test Subject 1: Bristles are clearly compacted and
not as fluffy and all over the place as before

Test Subject 1: Another shot of the reshaped bristles
from a different angle

Test Subject 2: The F65 bristles are flattened

Test Subject 2: Bristles aren't completely flattened
but shows significant improvement from before

My Conclusion

I'm very impressed (an excited) with the results. The Dry'N Shape system has definitely cut down the drying time for brushes and I'm particularly ecstatic at how quick the F82 was completely dry. The F8x series of brushes from Sigma are some of the most time consuming brushes to dry and for it to be dried in 4 hours or so is great. Previously, I had to leave to dry overnight and at least half a day more for it to be dry and ready to use again as mentioned in a previous post. The fact that it compacts and shapes the bristles as well is definitely nice.

As far as shaping goes, the brushes from the Dry'N Shape did come out a bit more sleek and had minimal fraying. For both of the shape test brushes however, although the bristle shape had improved, it did not completely reshape it to it's original form. This might be because the 2 smallest loops were still a loose fit for both brushes and thus affecting the performance of the system for those brushes. However, as evident from the photos, it did still help the bristles regain at least 90% of its "as new" shape.

Unfortunately the Brush Guard failed miserably in the tests conducted above. Despite claims that the special plastic mesh feature helps to regulate air to dry the bristles, it appears air drying yields faster results. As for keeping the bristles in tip top shape, the Brush Guards certainly help but at the same time they run the risk of fraying the bristles at the same time as the mesh can easily slide up (or the brushes slide down) causing some bristle fibres to get caught in it. Another thing to note is that for brushes with tips that are smaller than the ferule, the Brush Guard mesh will completely not be in contact with the bristles. Hence, no shaping action.

So the battle here would be between the Dry'N Shape and regular air drying. Here are some pros and cons to weigh in on:

Pros

Brushes are dried quicker. (i.e. Less time consumed to dry even highly dense brushes) Brushes are ready to use within a few hours.
Great for those who like to clean brushes between use (e.g. Uses the F80 for foundation in the morning, washes after and needs to use it again for a night event.)
Brushes are held more securely while drying.
Portability of brushes while drying. (i.e. You can wash your brushes before a trip and it will be dried by the time you reach your destination assuming it takes more than 4 hours for the trip.)
Doubles as a brush roll.
Elastic bands helps to keep bristles in it's original form with minimal fraying.
Protects bristles from collecting dust and such during the drying process.
Helps to mould out of shape bristles.

Cons

Not practical if you do not own super dense brushes or if you don't mind drying brushes overnight.
Elastic bands are limited to larger brushes only. Smaller brushes are only allocated 2 bands. (The handle slots are capable of holding various brush handle sizes to carry smaller brushes when used as a brush roll.)
Because the drying system uses elastic bands (albeit specially engineered ones), you might experience some wavy edges with prolong use especially near the areas where the bands are sewn. Not sure how that will affect the performance of the product though but it might not be able to hold the brush bristles as firmly as before.
It takes a bit of effort to slot in larger short handled brushes like Kabukis/Buffer brushes (e.g. the F45 or the MAC 182)

Personally, I love the Sigma Dry'N Shape for it's drying efficiency and reshaping benefits. Although most of my other brushes can easily be air dried, this product works perfect for me particularly for those Sigmax brushes. It's also great if I'm pressed for time to get my brushes cleaned quick (i.e. I overslept and forgot to clean my brushes the night before but I need to use them pronto -- clean). It's also convenient to store as it folds up just like a brush roll instead of having to keep track of my plastic mesh tubes.

The Dry'N Shape is priced at US$29 each. Keep on the lookout for discount codes for Sigma products to purchase at a reduced price. I'll have codes that I know displayed clearly on my blog from time to time as I come to know of them.) If you feel that the Dry'N Shape is for you, you can place your order by clicking on the image below.

Click on the Image To Purchase

NOTE: All brushes were washed in the same method and squeezed out excess water prior to performing the tests. All brushes and drying methods were exposed to the same environment.

A special thank you to Simone and Sigma for the opportunity to share the product on my blog.

DISCLAIMER
The product was sent to me by Sigma for review consideration. Test results and opinions expressed in this post were based on my objective findings and not influenced by Sigma or any other parties. I am not paid by Sigma or any other company to publish this post for them.

Sale Alert: Stila Friends & Family

2011-05-20T00:12:00.000+08:00

Stila is currently having a 20% off discount and free shipping code until May 24th 2011 at midnight PST.

Enter code FRIENDS11 at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied to your cart as well as free shipping.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Convertible Color
(RRP: $25/ea save $5/ea with code) - This 2-in-1 cream color is great for travelling or for your on the go make up. It works great as a blush as well as a lip color and is super compact for convenience. (5 out of 9 shades available now)
Kajal Eye Liner
(RRP: $18/ea save $3.60/ea with code) - Super creamy liner that is great for an easy smokey eye effect. Shades Pearl & Topaz are also great for highlighting the inner corners of the eye and the high points of the browbone. (6 out of 8 shades available now)
Smudge Pots
(RRP: $20/ea save $4/ea with code) - Smudge pots are great as a cream liner and as a quick wash of color on your lids. Texture is smooth and long wearing. (7 our of 8 shades available now)

The offer is a one time only use per person and cannot be combined with other offers and discount does not apply to last call items.

Happy shopping!

Upcoming Products: Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool and Precision Sigmax Kit

2011-05-14T01:00:00.169+08:00

Looks like Sigma is on a roll without new product launches and sneak peeks at upcoming line ups. Previously I've posted about their upcoming eye shadow palettes and hopefully I'll be able to get a mini version of the palette(s) during IMATS LA next month (can you sense my excitement?).

Simone and her team has been working on new brushes that would be perfect for applying eye primer, under eye concealer and fit in small areas of the face. End of last month (April 29th) she tweeted the perfect tools for just that and something that we'll be expecting soon:

Mini versions of the F80, F82 & F84.
The Precision Sigmax Kit (L-R: P82, P84 & P80)
Source: Simone

These new brushes will be using the same Sigmax filament bristles and just like the original Synthetic Face Kit, and would be able to buff in products flawlessly and well blended without streaking. I would imagine the price point for these to be at about USD9 each (referencing current prices for eye brushes).

Click here to read my thoughts on the Synthetic Face Kit

Another product we can look forward to from Sigma is their rival to the cult Clarisonic tool. Having tried the Clarisonic Mia, Simone felt that the product fell short in some areas and decided to come out with a tool that could meet with her expectations.

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool
Source: Simone

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing tool in a plastic case
with 3 interchangeable brush heads
Source: Simone

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing tool
with 2 speed settings
Source: Simone

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing tool - Brush heads
(L-R: Soft, Medium, Firm)
Source: Simone

From the photos released by Simone, it looks like the tool is battery operated since there doesn't look like there's a charger or cradle in the package. It's nice that it comes in a nice hard plastic case (read: portable) and comes with 3 brush heads. Clarisonic comes with a charger/cradle and 1 brush head with a sample of their cleanser.

Clarisonic Mia (RRP: USD149)

Available in 10 color choices and operates in 1 speed.
Includes charger and sample cleanser.
4 choices or brush heads: Normal, Sensitive, Delicate & Deep Pore
Source: Clarisonic website

The Sigma tool has 2 operating speeds and a rotating head. At the moment, we're not too sure if it will be using a similar sonic technology as the Clarisonic and Skin Sonic or a rotating/vibrating motion like the Olay Pro-X. It seems to be available in only 1 color -- baby pink -- aptly corresponding to the "Think Pink" slogan printed on the box.

Sirius Skin Sonic Skincare System
(RRP: USD49.95)

Includes 5 attachment heads: Normal, Sensitive,
Exfoliating, Toning, Hydrating.
Battery operated.
Source: Sirius Beauty

Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleaning
System (RRP: USD34.99)

2 speed operation with rotating system.
Includes 1 soft bristle brush head and exfoliating cleanser.
Source: Walgreens

As far as prices go, Simone has assured us via her Twitter that it would definitely not be as pricey as the well known Clarisonic tool (Priced at Mia-USD149, Classic-USD195, Plus-USD225) but I can't confirm if it will be as competitive as the Skin Sonic (USD49.95 with 5 attachment heads) and the Olay Pro-X (USD34.99).

UPDATE: Based on a recent tweet by Simone, it looks like the Sigma Cleansing and Polishing Tool is priced at USD39 and replacement brushes available at USD9 each. If this product pans out to be as impressive as some of their other products, expect this to be another bestseller!

Can't wait to see the reviews and thoughts on these new products as well as how much they're going to cost. What do you think of these upcoming products?

New Product: Sigma Dry'N Shape System

2011-05-11T19:21:00.003+08:00

Early this year, Simone (Sigma's Owner and Founder) had tweeted about one of Sigma's upcoming products to help dry make up brushes in record time. After over 3 months, the actual product is finally here and claims to have your brushes completely dry in 4 to 6 hours!

If you own make up brushes, you know that after deep cleaning them, it could take close to forever to get it completely dried and ready to store/use. For me, I'd clean my brushes at night and let them air dry overnight and wake up to clean dry brushes. Of course for brushes that dense like the Sigmax HD brushes, getting them completely dry can take longer (i.e. overnight and then some).

Source: Sigma website

The Sigma Dry'N Shape brush drying system is in a brush roll form with magnetic buttons and fits 12 brushes of varying bristle density and handle diameter. The idea behind this system is to encase the freshly cleaned bristles with enough pressure in a specially engineered elastic fabric that helps accelerate evaporation and at the same time reshapes the bristles nicely. The slots at the bottom portion of the tool keeps brushes in place while drying and avoids brushes from rolling off the tabletop.

HOW TO USE IT

Deep clean brushes with a mild/baby shampoo of your choice or a brush shampoo and squeeze out any excess water.
Slip the brush handle through the elastic and all the way to the slots, ensuring the bristles are fully snug in the elastic slot. Make sure the fit the brushes into the smallest slot it'll fit in.
Remove the brushes gently from the drying tool after 4 to 6 hours and your brushes should be completely dry and beautifully shaped, ready for your next use.

BENEFITS

Quicker brush drying time especially for brushes with higher bristle density.
Bristles are packed neatly shaping them beautifully as they dry without fraying.
Brushes look brand new all the time and lasts longer.

PRICE

The Dry'N Shape system is sold online for USD29.00.

Simone was kind enough to share part of her experiment while testing the Dry'N Shape system in January 2011:

Test subjects: Sigma F30 & F80
1 set for testing with the Dry'N Shape and another set as the control set
Source: Simone

A control set is used in the experiment for comparison to show how the test affects the results relative to normal/other drying systems. (In this test I'm not sure but the control set could have been tested with the Brush Guard drying system.)

All 4 brushes are immersed in water so the fibers are able
to absorb water to simulate actual cleansing.
Source: Simone

After 10mins, the brushes are put into contact with absorbent paper
and the diameter of the absorbed water is measured.
Source: Simone

At 0 hour: The water from the F80 is approximately 18cm.
Source: Simone

After 2 hours: No water transfer on the absorbent paper from the F80.
Bristles are humid to touch. (With the Dry'N Shape system)
Source: Simone

After 4 hours: Both the F30 and F80 are completely dried.
(With the Dry'N Shape system)
Source: Simone

After 6 hours: The water absorbed from the F80 measures approximately
7cm. (The control set)
Source: Simone

After 32 hours: Both brushes are still not
completely dry. (The control set)
Source: Simone

I can't wait to get my hands on one of this and will be placing an order for myself soon. Sigma Beauty ships internationally but personally if you're purchasing outside of the US, I strongly suggest opting for Express International Shipping (it's a bit pricey though) to ensure safe arrival of your orders.