icyabstract makeup

Event: Make Up Store Summer 2012 Coral Collection Preview

icyabstract — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:30:44 SGT

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!

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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?

New (Yet Old) Super Lustrous Lip Love

icyabstract — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:32:16 SGT

Attempting to cover grounds with my lipstick adventure, I dug into my stash and fished out this old and forgotten color. I remember picking this up way back because I was utterly blown away with the coral-redness of it yet I never had the guts to wear it out.

Why did I pick it up then? Well, like a typical makeup junkie's mentality, I might have use for it one day.

And I surely am thankful to my younger self for doing so because I am loving this shade!

While it's been sitting in my stash for awhile, it's relatively clean and new because aside from a hand swatch, I've hardly touched it otherwise. No funkyness going on and such, phew.

Not rightfully an LOTD entry, again, but rather sharing this new (yet old) lip color love.

I know you don't need 1001 pictures of myself to prove one point (that this is the lip color I currently love) but I like how it sits on the fence between a coral and a red. At one glance it comes off as a vibrant red yet with a lingering look, you can see the coral tones.

Something a little more vibrant than what I'm used to and I've never worn full out orange/coral colors so this is a good way to ease into new grounds.

(I have NARS Powder Blush in Orgasm on my cheeks.)

The masterminds behind this lip look:

• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral
• Majolica Majorca Lipgloss in OR317

The Revlon lipstick is the lead character here and I have had this lipstick for so long that I thought it was not availabe in stores anymore! Just to be sure, I dropped by both Watsons and Guardian to find it still there.

Watsons is also having a promotion for the Revlon Super Lustrous range right now.

While it isn't the creamiest lipstick I have tried, it sure is pigmented. The staying power was something that amazed me. It's not of lipstain prowress but I wore this out for perhaps 5 hours with dinner included and it still had a hint of color on my lips at the end of the day.

It looks a lot more even than pictured but flash can be so unforgiving at times...

The lasting power could also be due to my habit of mainly wiping the corners of my mouth and very lightly dabbing my lips after meals, instead of a full out go at it with serviettes.

All that aside, I'm not wearing mascara in the above look, incase you noticed that something is a little 'off'. I almost always wear mascara when I am heading out without my glasses but.... more on that soon.

In the meantime, I could be getting into the swing of summer, though the season isn't for another few months. Though you would agree that the heat in Singapore justifies parading around in summery vibrancy so...

What coral-red or straight out coral lip colors do you have/love or would recommend me to check out?

Thanks for reading!

My Top 8 Coral/Orange flush (with Swatches)!

icyabstract — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:30:27 SGT

I have probably rattled about how I have been loving orange/coral blush shades over the past couple of months.

While that obsession is slowly slipping away with the summer trend, I thought I would take this chance to feature 8 blush items I have come to reach for when looking for a peachy/coral glow.

During my orange/coral phase, I first sorted my collection via how they looked in the pans but in most cases a coral blush in the pan never translates the same on my skin. I don't believe it's just me but coral has a way of pulling more pink on certain skintones while orange blushes subdues to a coral. I suppose if I pile them on enough they will show up true to the pan, but that's not really what we are looking for!

Cutting to the chase, an overview of the 8 blushes in mention.

It's always bright and sunny in Singapore so there is always an occasion to throw on the corals!

It's a lovely twist how MAC's Happy Together and Warmth of Coral seem a little neutral in the pan but when swatched does provide that tinge of coral summery goodness. Maybelline Peach Satin's pigmentation was quite expected since it's a cream/mousse finish and a pretty vibrant shade even in the 'pot'.

The Makeup Shop blush in M05 was a random buy from SASA because I had some vouchers to clear but it turned out to be a lovely blush. It has little flecks of silver glitter in it, a nice change to the usual gold inclusion for corals.

Swatching the Canmake Cheek Powders alongside each other, PW27 appears to pull more orange then PW16 but I have no idea why because it's quite the opposite on my face! I don't believe I have mixed the swatches up in any way but... that's the magic of orange/coral blushes I suppose?

The Canmake cream blush in 10 does not swatch the least bit coral on me at all but it does look the part in the pan! It's still a lovely color nonetheless.

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I know a couple of the above items are no longer available, case in point the MAC limited edition blushes. I'm not sure if the Maybelline Mousse products are still for sale abroad but I know they are pretty much discontinued here, along with L'oreal's Fresh Papaya blush.

I know it's a bit pointless to pull out stuff you cannot get but this also shows that collecting makeup is fun when you can look back on your 'treasures'!

From the above 8 items, my favorite peachy glow is still Canmake's Cheek Powder in PW16.

I had posted a full face look using that blush in this LOTD.

Scrolling through my entries I think that maybe Chanel's Bronze Corail bronzer/blush could also be featured here though it leans a tad more bronzey then coral.

However, that again is another item you can't get right now so lets scrap that... but if you are curious, swatches here.

Thanks for reading!