Over the (extremely shortlived) weekend, I attended my cousin's tea ceremony and took it as an opportunity to get a non-neutral LOTD done.

My looks these days have been boring with a captial B so any form of color inclusion is a big hurray in terms of variety.

I usually do 'the works' for work days (foundie, mascara, eyeshadow etc) thus weekends are reserved for kicking back in nothing but some UV protection, light powder, done up brows and maybe a dash of eyeliner if I feel like it. Super minimal and understated.

So when it came to working up a look for an occasion, you could say I was in a bit of a rut. Regardless, I reached for an old MAC palette I loved and tried to work some (very simple) magic with it.

The look is simple and quite a shame that the colors ended up looking a lot more blended out than I would have liked, instead of being rather 'individual'.

To better explain it, it's like how you use 2 shades and somehow they blend such that it ends up looking like one? But oh well, so long as the look works.

For the lips, I reached for a new inclusion to my stash, something I will talk about real soon! I am in love with the shade, the texture and how moisturizingly luscious it feels on.

Products Used:

Face / brow
K-palette liquid brow liner in 01
Maquillage brow wax in 77
Biore UV Aqua Rich SPF 50 PA+++
Elizabeth Arden Good Morning Serum
Lancôme Teint Miracle Liquid Foundation
LUV Carat Long Last Face Powder in Natural Beige (to set)

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Mac eyeshadow in Shale
Mac eyeshadow in Trax
Mac eyeshadow in Beauty Marked
Mac eyeshadow in Parfait Amour
Majolica Majorca Palette in BR742
Stila Jewel Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz (very sparsely)
Sleek palette in Oh So Special (blending)
CLIO Professional Brush liquid liner in black
Mac PowerPoint liner in engraved
Dollywink Mascara in Volume

Cheeks
Make Up Store blush in Pink Reef

Lips
Dior rouge Dior in 659 wild pink

Highlighted products were provided by companies/distributors,
I was not obliged to use/feature them in LOTDs.

The MAC palette I dug up is this one over here and I can't even remember which collection or year it was out in.

L-R: Seedy Pearl, Crystal, Shale, Trax, Beautymarked, Parfait Amour (my fav shade!)

Since the eye look appears to be one sole blended shade, here's a little idea of what went where with the MAC Gem palette.

Inner Corner - Lilac-silver shade from Majolica Majorca palette
Inner Lid Portion - MAC's Shale
Outer Half of Lid - MAC's Trax
Outer-V Contour - MAC's Beauty Marked
Purple 'Accent' - MAC's Parfait Amour

Outfit-wise, I wore the newly acquired dress from My Fashion Affair. I didn't have any outfit shots taken because the tea ceremony setting was way too people-infested to have any shots done there and I didn't remember otherwise.

This is as close to an outfit shot as I got.

And so this wraps up my weekend!

I hope everyone had a good rest the past 2 days and aren't too depressed about the looming week ahead. I know I am... Well, not depressed but not exactly looking forward to the extreme busy-ness to come but sometimes we have to grab life by the horns! ha!

Thanks for reading!

After attending the lovely event that Make Up Store had to introduce their Summer 2012 Makeup Collection, we all left with a generous goodie bag in tow.

I believe the items distributed are at random which means that we probably received different items. Here's a run down of the goodies I found in mine!

❧

First up, I pretty much squealed in delight when I saw the Heated Eyelash Curler (S$59) within the products.

I think that this product is pretty much the answer or somewhat close to the answer to droopy lashes mid-day. I hate having my lashes droop through the day as it defeats the whole purpose of wearing mascara. In reverse, droopy lashes tend to 'close' up the eyes rather than open them. This would also be another reason why I am so particular about my mascaras.

But with this, you can actually refresh your mascara while you are out and about.

This heated lash curler was designed to be used after applying your mascara. Which means that you can opt out of the traditional eyelash curler, just wiggle on some mascara and curl with this. However I still prefer the traditional curling method and would use this as an emergency beauty item when I'm out and about.

It runs with 1 AAA battery and the curler heats up in about 15 seconds after switching it on. The heat isn't intense but it is enough to melt and remodel the mascara wax to help 'rebuild' the curls.

Since there could be some leftover mascara on the curler, there is a brush included to clean it after every use. I normally prefer to wipe it while the mascara wax is still pre-hardened. Again, it's not hot, just warm.

Wow, that was a lengthy explanation for product no.1 but I'm sure you can see my excitement for this. Sure there are other heated curlers out there but the ones I have seen are geared towards heating your lashes, not so much of remodeling the mascara's wax.

Well now, moving on!

I received the blush in Pink Reef (S$32), which is a rosey-pink shade infused with very fine flecks of shimmer.

Here's a heavy and light swatch of it. I like that when worn in a light fashion, since it is a rosey shade, it mainly enhances the complexion as opposed to pointedly adding a flush of color to the cheeks.

I always envisioned that summer is all about Coral and peachy cheeks but maybe a nice rosey glow is the new way to wear blush?

I also received one of the two colored Eye Pencils (S$27) released with the Coral Collection.

I got the shade Wave, which I pretty much loved when I swatched it at the event.

Water Spring, the other shade is a greenish tone which is lovely too but I find myself more inclined towards purple and blue colored liners.

The above showcases how the pencil applies with 1 swipe (thinner line) and the other with 2-3 swipes (thicker one). The pencils are creamy without feeling too soft and squishy which would make them more ideal to be used as liners.

You could use them as a base color on the lid too but you would have to blend them out quite fast after application.

Lastly, another item I was thrilled to see included is the Lipstick in Attitude (S$29).

I don't know a whole lot about Make Up Store and their products but I know for sure that I really like their lipsticks, especially their 'Sheer' formulation.

Addiction lipstick comes in the Sheer formulation which means that while it looks like a hot bright pink within the tube, it isn't as intimidating on.

Though the term 'sheer' could also make one think that the formula is transparent and almost gloss-like, it's not entirely the case as Make Up Store's sheers do carry some color to them.

It still swatches as a pink but not as hot bright and red.

Here's a full face shot I snapped back in my golden hair phase, sorry to remind you guys of that again!

I really like the lip shade, with it being pink but not too pink and yet leaning a little towards a rosey tone, somewhat like the blush.

If anything I would recommend you all to check out the lipstick and Heated Eyelash Curler. Those are the items that really caught my eye with this goodie bag.

Not forgetting the gorgeous Eye Dust. It's not included in my goodie bag but it is, too, a beautiful product.

Thank you for reading and I hope everyone is having a fabulous Labour Day thus far. Hope noone is working and that everyone is just chilling and enjoying this day off!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to Evonne, I had the chance to drop by Make Up Store's preview event where I was introduced to their Summer 2012 range.

At a very appropriate location by the beach at the East side of the island, Make Up Store explained that this Summer, it is all about the majestic oceans and what lies within. Very fitting for that refreshing dip in the hot summer heat! While we rarely have seasons, aside from rainy and dry, I think it's safe to say that the weather has been hot, hot, hot of late.

The deco, drinks and atmosphere was played up very well to suit the theme of the event and nothing was left out. All right down to the location and that was a marvellously meticulous effort on Make Up Store's part.

p.s. the salmon was delish.

But back to the collection!

The idea behind the Coral collection is allowing your face to "illustrate the ocean with it's immaculate landscape of seaweed and starfishes". That sounds entirely vibrant and captivating and while in the pan the colors do look rather daunting if you are a neutral lover, you would be glad to know that they aren't as hard to pull off!

Products in this Coral collection include:

• Microshadow in Starfish - yellow (S$27)
• Microshadow in Lagoon - blue (S$27)
• Microshadow in Algea - moss green (S$27)
• Eyedust in Sea Moss (S$29) - this one is beautiful!
• Eye Pencil in Wave - blue (S$27)
• Eye Pencil in Water Spring - green (S$27)
• Lip Pencil in Pink Soda S$27
• Lipstick in Attitude (S$29)
• Lipgloss Pot in Sea (S$27)
• Blusher in Pink Reef (S$32)
• Nail Polish in Tanja (S$22)
• Nail Polish in Jari (S$22)

The lipstick, lipgloss pot and lip pencils are all in complimenting shades. The way the lipgloss pot functions would be for those who want a hint of pink without that vibrancy of a lipstick and with added moisture.

When worn on the lips, it actually looks fairly similar, as you can tell with the models below. The one in pink is wearing the lipgloss pot and the one in white, the lipstick.

I did some swatches of the shadows and liners available in this collection and Yina had helped me snap a shot below.

They Microshadows carry a decent wash of color, which you can build, along with a soft (what they refer to as) 'Tahitian Mother of Pearl' effect.

The swatches were done without any primer of any sort but I think these would look lovely over a base. That random white streak you see at the right is their Hi Tech Lighter, an intense base color for eyeshadows to adhere to.

Here's a shot of the model's makeup look during the makeup demonstration.

What I forgot to swatch was the Eyedust in Sea Moss, which looks absolutely gorgeous in the pot. It's just, me being afraid of a mess didn't want to fuss with it but Kas has a beautiful swatch of it here.

I will go into the blush, lipstick and some other interesting stuff in my next post where I showcase and swatch the items from the goodie bag. Do look out for that!

❧

In the mean time, aside from solely mentioning their Summer 2012 offerings, Make Up Store had also introduced some newly released products.

One of which is this Body Butter (in Melon), a savior for those with dry skin conditions. It feels a little heavy on and is something that I would use at night to prevent the aircon from drying my skin out.

Though a very welcoming use for this was through a hand massage that was performed on us the minute we arrived.

This tub costs S$59 which may sound like a lot but it's a fairly big disc and I would reserve it for going over dry areas like elbows, knees and heels along with an occasional sweep across legs and arms. I believe in my posession, as a moisturizer drainer, I could use it for a good while.

Another really interesting product is this Candle Massage Oil. From my memory it feels like I have heard of such a product before but I just can't recall where from right now.

Containing shea butter, almond and coconut oil, this candle releases a lovely chocolatey aroma as it burns and sweetens the area though in a way that isn't cloying or sickly. After burning the candle for a good while, you can actually dispense the melted oil and use that as a massage oil.

The very first thing I thought of as they went around pouring a little for everyone to try was "Isn't it hot?!".

As turns out the oil has the ability to prevent itself from heating up too much. I really can't explain the science of it but it carries a nice warmth to it without feeling scorching hot.

Again, being an oil, it runs quite thick and would be ideal for a choco scented massage. It would feel quite indulgent to use it daily or regularly.

The candle holder has a tiny spout to aid with dispensing the oil though it can still run down the sides if you aren't careful. All in all a very novel product since there aren't many out there but honestly I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head about hearing of this somewhere else. Where is that somewhere else?!

Aside from the Summer collection, there are loads of other new inclusions to Make Up Store's shelves, including pouches, soaps, body wash and all. The best would be for you to pop by the stores and give everything a look for yourself!

The Summer 2012 Coral Collection is currently available at all Make Up Stores.

Paragon #03-20 Tel: 6887 5828
Vivocity #01-02 Tel: 6276 0988
Raffles City #B1-33 Tel: 6337 5688
313@Somerset #04-10 Tel: 6884 6008

Have you dropped by the stores or eyeing anything from their new products?

This is a rather belated Look of the Day, it was actually the look I had wore to the Skin79 Dinner and Product Launch event.

Here are the products I used. Inspired by Chantana (everbluec) I have decided to highlight the products that I had received from companies be it through goodie bags or packages. Aside from the obvious FTC clear disclaimer stuff, this can also help with reviewing the products and showing how they perform - outside of a sole review entry.

Products Used:

FACE
- Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation in Sand Beige
- Revlon Loose Powder (to set)
- MAC Solar Riche Bronzing Powder

EYES
- Etude House Proof 10 Primer
- MAC Delft Paintpot (only on outer corners)
- MAC Birds & Berries Eyeshadow (outer half)
- MAC Bough Grey (inner half)
- MAC Deep Truth (outer corner)
- 28 Color palette (brown for crease blending, highlight)
- Maquillage Palette in BE763 (light pink color)
- MAC Powerpoint Liner in Engraved
- Majolica Majorca Lash Bone (mascara) Primer
- L'ancome Fatale Mascara

CHEEKS
- NARS blush in Madly
- MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder (highlight)

LIPS
Worn off here, but I initially had on:
- Make Up Store lipstick in Invisible

Highlighted products had been provided to me by companies/distributors.

I attempted to use both Birds & Berries and Bough Grey eyeshadow that I had hauled from MAC's Liberty of London Collection.

Within that haul entry I made an assumption that these two shadows would look pretty cute together, though I might be wrong? Bough Grey actually goes on quite sheer and takes awhile to build up, so I find that it didn't do much for the look.

In the end I layered the pinkish shade on the Maquillage BE763 palette over Bough Grey. Though it's hard to see in the photos, the color became a light pearl-ish almost lilac shade at angles shade. In the end it all worked out. As much as I love Bough Grey, it is not quite a color I will reach for as often as I had expected.

Shell Pearl Beauty Powder (from MAC) on the other hand is LOVE. I can't get over how lovely it works as a highlight, really thankful I bought it even though I wasn't so enthusiastic about it at the start.

And that's it, working on a couple entries, but I think I'll only be able get them up over the weekend, depending...

Thanks for reading!

Just a quick LOTD entry on the look I had worn to the Elizabeth Arden White Glove Extreme Pre-Sampling Event, which you can read about here. Wow, now that is a mouthful. That linked entry also features a little of my outfit so I shan't post my outfit on here since it would be posting the same picture up again.

So eversince I had gotten the MAC Teal pigment, I haven't had a chance to use it as I am reverting back to my neutral kick, but it's a super pigmented, bright and pretty shade. Not sure if I would wear it the same way again as though it is nice, it's a little default. I'll probably try pairing it with some other color the next time I use it.

Products Used:
FACE
Monistat Chafing-Relief Powder Gel
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation
Revlon Loose Powder

EYES
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Delft Paintpot
MAC Teal Pigment
My own pigment mix
Rhomlon Black Eyeshadow
28 Color Palette (warm brown in crease)
Revlon Colorstay Quad in Nude Elements (highlight)
MAC Powerpoint Liner in Engraved
Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Primer
Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel.. Mascara in Black

CHEEKS
ELF Blush in Candid Coral
MAC MSF in Refined

LIPS
Make Up Store Lipstick in Invisible
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Toast To Shine

I've (finally) started using the Majolica Majorca mascaras starting with the Lash Enamel one (the one that promises volume) and I love it! I wouldn't think that with the comb-styled wand it would actually be able to provide decent volume and that it might just seperate my lashes too well and make them look sparse. Though apparently it doesn't do that.

In this look I wore it with the primer for an added effect, but I think without the primer it's a good everyday mascara.

Oh oh! And I am wearing that new Make Up Store lipstick. I really love how the color looks on, a nude with a hint of peach. I am pretty certain this is easily going to be a favorite of mine.

I have one more entry going up that is slightly related to the happenings on the EA event day, it's a mini haul entry (: I should have posted all three entries up in one day but I didn't have the time for it (and have been slacking off resizine the photos) so I am spreading them out a little.

And that should be it, thank you all for reading!

In my words, you can never have too many nude lipsticks!

This particular shade had caught my eye during the Blogger Xmas Gathering (sometime last year) when we had gone into the Make Up Store to shop around, or in my case swatch around. For some reason, I had passed on picking this up. I have this habit of really liking something but not picking it up on the first visit, how strange...

So yesterday I went by the Make Up Store again and I couldn't help myself but venture inside to haul.

Seriously though, I should branch out a little more and explore other lip colors, but till then, here's another nudist ;)

Make Up Store lipstick in Invisible - Matt finish
I made sure to check the finish this time. The last lipstick I had gotten from the Make Up Store was a 'sheer' and while it's pretty, it's sheer.

Looking at the lipstick from the tube I thought it looked rather similar to this other nude lipstick that I have raved countlessly about....
NYX's Round Lipstick in Circe.

Here's how they compare:

(excuse the funky nails, they are going to be taken care of, don't worry.)

Circe is noticeably a little lighter. Maybe not so much from the 'wall' of the lipstick but you can tell that the inside of the lipstick of Circe is a little ligher then Invisible. If that made sense.

Here's a lipswatch, comparing it with my bare lips to show you how the color shows up.

My bare lips

Swatch of the lipstick.

As you can see it's not a complete dead-nude, it has a tinge of peachiness in it (which Circe does not quite have). I actually really like how it wears and if you have noticed, it's not matt at all! I don't mind that though seeing as matt lipsticks can often be a chore to work with. I chose the matt finish purely on the basis that it would have a better color pay-off. I would say the finish of this is sightly similar to MAC's Creamsheens or Amplifieds. It's not exactly the same, but the closest comparison I can think of.

Oh and I forgot to mention, this liptick costs SGD29, it's a dollar more then MAC, for reference.

I don't know how I can get so rambly in a 1 item haul entry, but I think that should be all.
Thank you so much for reading!

Out of pure curiosity, I decided to venture into the Make Up Store today after work.
For those who are slightly lost at the name of the shop, yes you heard me right, it's called Make Up Store and it's a cosmetic brand from Sweden.

So I've always walked by the Make Up Store but I've never once gone in because compared to any other makeup store, it doesn't look as appealing. Besides, half the time the store is usually empty so I definitely had my reservations against this brand.
However, I decided on my way back from work that I should give this brand a shot and at least go in and have a look at their products. Also, I was hoping that I would be able to find a good nude lipstick as aside from Peachstock, I can't find another nude lipstick to my liking at MAC.

Before going to the store I did a little research online about their products and all. Sadly I did not manage to find much reviews, aside from one that mentioned that the Sales Assistants (SA) are fairly snobbish. With that thought in mind, I was prepared to be ignored or snobbed upon entering the store, but that wasn't exactly what happened.

I'll break my review up into 2 parts. One about the experience shopping there, and another about the product I had purchased.

My experience/encounter with the SA
Unlike the review that I had read, the SA that attended to me wasn't snobbish at all. Instead she was very helpful, almost TOO helpful to be honest. The minute I entered the store, she came up to me and asked if I needed help and when I said I was just looking around, she continued to hover behind me, which really does annoy me. So in an effort to just occupy her, I mentioned I was looking for a nude lipstick.

The minute I said those words, the SA went into maniac mode and started swatching tons of nude lipsticks on the back of my hand, and at times throwing in some pinks ("why not try a pink, this is a popular color") even though I did mention upon the second swatch I wanted something more beige-toned.
Once the major swatching session was over, there were a few shades that had caught my eye. Two to be precise, however one of them looked a little too similar to Peachstock, so instead I got the other one (which you would see pictures of later on).

After I was done choosing the lipstick, I felt fairly relieved because the attention the SA was giving to me was bordering on scary. It was as if they hardly have any customers come in that they have to jump on one immediately. Either which, I was on my way to the counter to pay when the SA dragged me over to the eyeshadow section and asked if I needed shadows and proceeded to swatching on the back of my already full hand. I politely turned her down and tried to make my way to the counter as quickly as I can, but the SA started recommended glitter liners and foundations. This time I quickly smiled and said I have enough makeup as is before she retreated behind the counter and started registering my purchase.

Wow, that was a long story. All in all I must say that the service is a little overly hospitable that it sort of reflected as some customer-grabbing tactic. It's those cases where you feel you are almost pressured to get what they are recommending just so they would stop talking or something.

Anyway, enough of my little experience, on to the lipstick that I had purchased

Product Review/Photos

So I purchased yet another nude lipstick (like I need more of these) in the color Bare.
Much like MAC, Make Up Store has different finishes to their lipsticks too and the one I had chosen was in the finish 'sheer', which I would describe as a Lustre in MAC terms. It seems a little too pigmented to be called a Glaze but you may say otherwise (and honestly there is nothing wrong with disagreeing. After all I'm not at all a pro)

Isn't the color just stunning?

So I did a lip swatch, but in order to show you it's true effect, I've taken a photo of my bare lips (my true lip color) and another photo with this on, just so you can compare. I know it's kind of scary to show lips that close up, but bear with me.

My bare lips

Lips with Bare applied

Full-faced look. Pardon the cheesy smile, the flash got a little blinding after awhile.

So as you can see it's fairly sheer but not to the point where there isn't a color pay off at all. It has most definitely muted down the pink of my lips and blended my lips to my skintone a little without giving me a concealer-dead lip look.
The lipstick is also very easy to apply and it just glides on with no tugging what so ever.
As for scent/taste, this lipstick has none of that. It doesn't smell of anything in particular (aside from the partial waxy lipstick scent) and it definitely doesn't have a taste to it.
It isn't sticky at all and it feels rather moisturizing. I wouldn't say that it feels exactly like having balm on, but it doesn't make your lips feel like they are going to just crack on you.

Price-wise, these are a tad bit more expensive then MAC as they retail for SGD $29 while a MAC lipstick retails for SGD $28.
So the difference isn't really major, but I should just let you guys know.

To sum it all up, I actually really like this particular lipstick and I would have to say that it would be perfect for an everyday lip color for me as it doesn't take too much effort to apply and I don't have to spend time smoothing it out as I have to with NYX's Round Lipstick in Circe and sometimes with MAC's Peachstock because their formulaes are too opaque (which isn't exactly a bad thing).

Would I recommend it? Well it depends as it is fairly pricey but I would say their lipsticks are worth lookin at if you can get pass the slight waxy lipstick scent. However if MAC were to have a lipstick in this exact shade/finish/pigmentation, I'd choose MAC over this in a heartbeat. (But sadly MAC doesn't have one, at least not in the permanent collection)

Alright, I believe I've taken enough of your time, so I'll let you guys go now, thanks for sticking through this long entry!