Nude is the new way to dress up, by Dior's standards that is and fashion-wise, it's hard to decline the invasion of Nude. Nude shades, I mean.

MAKEUP TAKES INSPIRATION FROM FASHION
TO SET A BOLD NEW TREND

Who would have thought that the term Bold and Nude would be synonymous within the makeup realm.

Perfecting the Art of Nude, Dior drew inspiration from the minimalistic styles on the runway and brought their take to the beauty counters through the form of products to replicate that soft, sheer and natural appeal.

Like silk or cashmere gliding across the runway and figure-hugging pieces that show a peak of skin at all the right places, Dior has embodied that bare caress of material across the skin through the form of makeup.

In an effort to amp up the radiance, glow and beauty of our skin without abolishing the natural trait, the Dior Laboratories took to studying the skin's components.

With a new technology and formulation enriched with ingredients from natural origins and the exclusive 'Nude Glow' pigments, Diorskin Nude continues its research into perfecting perfect skin in a form that is more natural than ever.

The key elements found within this technology from Dior would be – Nude Glow pigments, a binding agent and water.

Nude Glow Pigments –

For greater glow and truer color, these pigments have a transparency and photo-sensitivity to them. This allows them to enhance the skin's natural luminosity and allow it to glow through both a natural and artificial (think glowy pigments) form.

Binding Agent –

A binding agent holds the formula together and plays a key role in the texture of the foundation. The binding agent here is of a natural origin, containing fatty acids that are similar to the epidermis (our skin layer), allowing the formula to blend effortlessly with our skin. This fatty acid also provides hydration so the skin remains moist and hydrated, allowing it to better reflect a plump and luminuous complexion.

Water –

While seemingly bizarre to list water as a key ingredient, the water used in Nude combines the virtues of mineralized water with a new floral water. This beauty water works upon the skin, like a skincare benefit, with joint-powers of mallow and hibiscus to enhance the skin's hydration, glow, elasticity, and provide a smooth and even complexion.

The entire focus of the Diorskin Nude range is to replicate the natural form of skin with an enhanced luminiousity and glow.

On top of that, it also works with a virtue to perfect the skin, keeping it hydrated and smoothing out the complexion so while you look as if you have enhanced skin, there are ingredients working behind-the-scenes to enhance your skin.

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After a run-down of the idea, inspiration and also key elements within this new Diorskin Nude range, let's see the products that will be launched with.

Diorskin: Nude Fluid (S$70)

The star product in the Diorskin Nude range, this liquid foundation is the backstage secret to creating that flawless enhanced nude look that is envied by all. This product creates a shine-free look, natural glow, with a bare-skin effect.

Diorskin: Nude Compact (S$90)

Differing from the classic compacts that deliver a matte finish, Diorskin's Nude Compact gives the skin a natural radiant finish, dishing out coverage without masking the look of skin. Due to the ultra-fine powder particles, one can alter how natural or made-up they wish to look. The powder also has the aid of micro-pearlisers and opalescent powders for a natural glow.

Art of Color – Nude Shimmer (S$70)

For more spotlight on the skin, Dior introduces Nude Shimmer. Featuring a fine blend of micro-pearlisers within a transparent base, this highlighter captures maximum light and gives the skin a 'wet' and 'glowy' nude look.

Art of Application – Brushes (Liquid S$82 / Powder S$104)

Achieve the professional nude finish with the newly introduced Fluid and Powder brushes. Designed for your varying preference in coverage, some brushes offer a fuller application while others a lighter dusting of product (be it powder or liquid).

Fronting this Nude movement by Dior is the gorgeous Natalie Portman. I don't want to ruin this entry with a fangirl moment but since Star Wars, I have always loved how Natalie Portman carries this air of elegance regardless of the role she takes on.

(seems like Dior is picking up on all the hot babes! Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman)

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And this wraps up my introduction to the base portion of the Diorskin Nude collection. Along with the Nude theme, Dior is also putting out some Dior Vernis Nude and Rouge Nudes which you can read more about on The Makeup Blogette.

I am currently giving the liquid foundation (Nude Fluid) a whirl and will share my thoughts once I have gathered them.

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
Some information and pictures featured were extracted from a press file (with or without paraphrasing).
Opinions and thoughts otherwise mentioned are my own.

Thinking back, I don't think I have ever given any Maybelline base products a shot. I do own some of their powder compacts but those are still sitting pretty in the drawers. Oops.

There's no particular reason for it except I never really explored much of Maybelline, aside from some eyeshadows and lipsticks I had picked up eons ago. I dabbled with some of their mascaras but being picky, I never had much luck with those.

Though in this entry, I will be throwing out some brief pictures and product information for their new Clear Smooth BB Stick, along with some of my initial thoughts.

Did I love it, hate it? Well, you'll just have to read on!

Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Stick comes with an SPF factor of 21 PA+++. Though as a habit, I still reach for a separate sunscreen.

The information and clumps of text come printed with the clear plastic 'wrapping' the product so be sure to read or snap all you want before peeling it off!

Aside from SPF, this contains salicylic acid and also mineral clay, ingredients to help combat acne-prone skin. On top of that, this also comes with a whooping '8 Healthy Looking Skin Benefits'.

Though to be completely honest, these 8 points cover things like 'lesser visible pores', 'long lasting shine control' etc and seem more like product descriptions than rightful skin benefits.

The Clear Smooth BB Stick looks, feels and works very much like most stick foundations, gliding easily and smoothly over the skin. Despite the BB factor, this doesn't feel thick on at all.

To use, you simply uncap it, slide it over your skin and then blend! As a personal preference I blend it out with my fingers but you can choose to use a brush or sponge if you prefer.

I will share swatches on the skin and such in my proper review entry but for now, here's the product!

I received the Maybelline BB Stick in 2 different shades - 01 Fresh and 03 Radiance.

Inbetween them somewhere is 02 Natural, which I do not have to show. Though what confuses me is 01 Fresh and 02 Natural are displayed on the boards at our local drugstores and there seems to be no mention of 03 Radiance locally?

I will investigate and get back on that!

Regardless... Fresh is definitely the fairer of the two and appears to take on a pink tone while Radiance appears orange-y from the tube.

While bordering scary-orange at first, Radiance ended up swatching more skintone-like on me as compared to Fresh which was obviously too fair for me.

The BB Stick takes on a more light-weight approach to coverage and basing it from the back of the hand, they blend out almost invisible.

You almost can't tell where it starts or stops or rather you can't at all with a hand swatch.

However when I tried both shades out on my face (thinking, pshhh, they are so invisible I could pull both off), 01 Fresh gave me that 'fairer-face-than-neck' effect. So essentially, you should still grab something closer to what seems like your skintone though it need not be an outright match.

From an initial note,the texture of these made them amazing to work with. They glide on with the right slick without feeling greasy on, yet it doesn't dry and set immediately either, demanding you to blend fast. Upon blending, they smooth out to a powdery finish which might leave some ditching the idea of going over this with powder.

Thus far I have been using and absolutely loving this product (in the shade 03 Radiance).

With that, this marks my initial post about the Clear Smooth BB Stick with hand swatches and snippets about the product. I will be sharing a more indepth look at it, along with how I find it wears and how I prefer to use it shortly!

This product is available from July 2012 onwards at Maybelline standees / displays. More information on shades, prices and such in the review post to come!

For now, TGIF and thanks for reading!

Do you like using stick foundations?

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

Last year, Lancôme introduced the Maqui Blanc Miracle Compact, which I talked about and showcased then. During that period, while I loved the product, I was not able to fully relish and appreciate it due to my on-again off-again breakouts (stabilizing skin, grr). Aside from a LOTD feature, I didn't post or review much about it.

These days, my skin has gotten so much better and if not for my dark circles, I might actually embrace heading out foundation-less altogether. I have some acne scars and pigmentation but *pshhh*, what's life without some battle scars.

Anyway, my point of this post is that Lancôme had recently reformulated the Maqui Blanc Miracle Compact and coincidentally I had unearthed my sample from last year sometime in February (this year) and started embracing the full awesome-ness of this product.

The new formulation, or rather the 2012 version is said to have more benefits and more added perks compared to the 2011 one, which I was already starting to love. While I haven't officially jumped ships yet (tried the new one once or twice but still using the old), I will give you a run-down of the information first.

This may run off to be a lengthy or wordy post but trust me when I say I truly do love this foundation, 2011 offering or not.

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With a slight modification to the full name of this product, the Lancôme Maqui Blanc Miracle Compact Crystal Brightening Creator SPF 35 PA +++ (yes, that is the full name) incorporates Lancôme's latest technological advances in both makeup and skincare.

While I could go into the low-down and give you the full blast of information, maybe not everyone is keen on knowing the low-down in detail. So here, in point form, is what to look out for in this new compact 'o powder.

• Incorporates the Lancôme patented Aura-Inside™ technology, first introduced with Teint Miracle.
• Enriched with purple light essence to combat dull yellow undertones and sallow-ness for an overall brightened appearance.
• Enhanced skincare benefits with the inclusion of Rose and Mint extract, along with Lotus extract, a valued anti-oxidant and moisturizing agent, popular with traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Optimized resistance to sebum and shine - no oxidizing!
• Sweat resistant
• Smudge resistant (which is super cool from what I have seen)
• Visibly reduces the appearance of pores by 43%

So that's the quick rundown of the qualities to this compact. Of course, not forgetting the ultra finely milled powder that feels very soft and light on the skin.

Like-wise with Lancôme's other compacts, I love how the refill pack is 'clipped' into the pan, instead of having to fuss with peeling the glue off etc.

Incase you are curious, here is the minor full name difference between the new and the old.

The new one being further back and the older one (2011) being in the front. It was previously known as 'Natural Brightening Creator' but has been changed to 'Crystal Brightening Creator' now.

Reason being, the purple light essence creates a unique quadraple light synergy that not only eliminates yellow undertones but brightens the skin, giving it a dazzling crystal aura.

Imagine the purple essence effect on top of the already complexion enhancing Aura Within™ technology!

Of course, when talking about Lancôme's powder compact, one cannot leave out the duo-sponge that was first introduced with the Maqui compact last year. I think I have given this sponge enough coverage the last time but here it is again:

A soft porous spongey side

Smooth and fluffy side

I cannot stress how in love I am with the soft, smooth and fluffy side.

Previously only available if you purchase the foundation refills, Lancôme has seen the popularity of these little buggers and are selling the sponges individually at S$3 a piece.

While brief, I believe this covers the main gist and introduction of this product. To lighten this word-filled post and to showcase this in a way that my continuous descriptions can't, here are some video demos of the product's claims in action (videos courtesy of Lancôme).

Pore blurring demonstration

Sweat Resistant demonstration

Sebum Resistant Demonstration

Lastly, Lancôme currently has a limited edition compact design with delicate motifs inspired by Rose spring blossoms.

Like the normal compacts, this also comes to a shut with a magnetic and hinge pull, which means no clicking or 'pushing' to open the palette. The palette doesn't spill out or open filmsily in the makeup pouch either and I like this mechanism, very chic!

The Maqui Blanc Miracle Compact Crystal Brightening Creator is available at all Lancôme counters starting April 2012. The refill retails for S$65 and the Limited Edition compact at S$27.

One can also opt for a Flash Makeover (with Teint Miracle Compact or Maqui Blanc) at any Lancôme counters! If compact powders aren't your thing, you can also request for a free sample of a liquid foundation of choice. *
*While the offer lasts!

If you have any questions about this compact, feel free to leave it below and I will address it in my upcoming review of it! I will post an update / review about this product as soon as I manage - busy times ahead - but till then, thank you so much for reading!

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

The first foundation product I ever used was a powder foundation during my schooling years. After discovering the world of Liquid Foundation, BB Creams and requiring more coverage later on, I've started to list Powder Foundation as touch up material instead of something to start the day with.

Of late, I dug up this Cezanne Ultra Cover UV Powder Foundation (which I have received from awhile back but haven't tried!) that was stashed away and decided to swap over to the powder side. It also helps that I'm looking into the whole fuss-free super quick makeup routine thing when I'm not required to dress up.

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I received all 4 shades of this powder foundation and did a rough swatch of them to show you how the shades escalate in darkness/tone.

Left to Right Shade 01 - 02 - 03 - 04

The difference in shades isn't a whole lot and since they aren't full coverage I find myself being able to pull off both Shade 03 and 04, though 04 is a slightly better match if I had to pin-point one. Shade 01 is on the mildly pink-toned side while the rest are between a neutral-yellow tone.

Left ro Right: Shade 01 - 04 (04 practically blends into my skin!)

If you ask me, Shade 02 and 03 would be the most universal shades for those around a MAC NC15-20 or even 25 for Shade 03. Shade 01 is honestly a really light shade but fortunately I had a really fair (almost geisha-like, heh) friend who adopted 01 while 02 was adopted by my mom. Both those shades were definitely too light for me to pull off.

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Product-wise, here's a quick rundown of the various coverage, lasting and finish effect that this product promises to give.

Covering Effect
Formulated with Shade-off Powder and Double-block Powder.

• Shade-off Powder: Catches the ight and makes it reflect diffusely, for a natural look free of dullness
• Double-block Powder: Protects the skin against both UV-A and B.

Long-Lasting
It is formulated with sebum-clear and sebum-fixing powders that are meant to block unwanted sebum that is produced over time.

Moisture
This current improved version contains twice the amount of moisturizing ingredients such as Squalane, Chitosan, Rhodomyrtus and Hibiscus Extract. On top of that with this hydrating quality, it does not feel greasy or thick on application

Natural Finish
This powder contains minute particles that provides thorough but very natural coverage.

Other information:
• Contains SPF35 PA ++
• Fragrance free /  No Mineral Oil
• Can be used both wet and dry (wet - with a moistened sponge)

Upon application, this is how the product looks and below would be my personal findings about it.

I happened to be going through a spotty break out time when I first pulled this out. It wasn't anything crazy that I had to use liquid foundation but it gave me a good opportunity to test out the coverage of this powder.

The following shots were done without spot concealing prior, so the coverage is solely credited to the powder. Though undereye concealing is a must for my panda eyes!

Definitely no perfect skin here!

For most days I feel safe enough to turn to this instead of reaching for my safety net of liquid foundations so I'd say it's got medium coverage.

It is decent enough to conceal the usual light spots or any discoloration that requires the evening of skintone. If you were talking about bumps or slighly larger spots then a trusty concealer and some primer to even out the skin surface might be necessary.

As this foundation claims, the powder particles feel very smooth and light-weight. Upon swatching it rests as a thin layer on the skin, without feeling thick or heavy on. This prevents the foundation from becoming cakey even when I layer the foundation at times to build up coverage.

The powder smooths on easily with the sponge and on certain occasions I do use a larger face brush to buff it thinly over BB creams or liquid foundations that have light coverage.

With up-close shots, you can certainly see the imperfections like pores or bumps. While this foundation doesn't do anything to rid it, it doesn't accentuate them either. It sits as a thin layer on the skin which makes it look very natural on yet still providing some coverage.

One thing it does, that I love, is that from a distance the Shade-off Powder does a good job of diffusing light and creating a smoothed out look over the skin. The powder itself can't promise to cover all pores but from a regular distance (say someone talking to you), the skin will appear to have that smoothed out effect.

From a close up look above you can still see the bumps and all but in a normal situation, people wouldn't observe your skin that closely. Here are some panned out shots with the full look done up.

The only thing I had done up is my eyelook and added blush with a light hand. The skin's base is all the same yet from a distance it seems to diffuse the skin making it look almost flawless -- if only it were! I assure you, no photoshop was involved.

As far as wear goes,
I find with most powder foundations I'll find myself blotting in about 3-4 hours, depending.

While it can't keep the oilies away forever, it still holds up well on its own. By the end of about 6 hours of wear the foundation does break down a little but the coverage is still there and the good part is that it still holds on to the diffusing effect as well as it can.

Here's after 7-8 hours of wear on the same day as the above images.

If anything, after a couple of hours of wear and with some blotting paper help, it almost settles in like a second skin. It may seem like I'm not even wearing foundation in the above image as some spots peek through but in truth my skin isn't that even in tone. Again, if only!

From another day of about 4 hours of wear without getting a chance to blot inbetween and no blotting before the pictures either.

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In Conclusion

I'm really liking the Cezanne Ultra Cover UV Foundation, especially for days when I just want to put on something quick and light. It is dependable enough in terms of coverage and wear for it being a powder foundation. I will still continue to use and love liquid, cream and other foundation types but I can't deny that powder foundation is just that much quicker to throw on without any added steps.

I might actually go on to say that I prefer this Cezanne Foundation to the Maquillage Lasting Powder UV EX. The Maquillage undeniably has better coverage upon application but something about it makes it feel thicker on and the oil control (or lack thereof) is a minus point for that. Cezanne's powder foundation feels light-weight on and that does translate to how natural it wears.

Cezanne is available at select Guardian stores.

What sort of foundation user are you? Liquid, Powder, BB Cream?

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

Hello everyone! It's been a couple of days since my last post as I had been busy running around and all - apologies for that! These days it seems it's a lot easier for me to blog on weekdays, leaving weekends for running errands, being out the entire day and crashing on the bed once home.

Anyway, that aside back to this post.

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When I mentioned the Canmake 5 Effects Cream Foundation in an earlier post, some of you were rather interested in it. Therefore in this post I will be sharing my thoughts about it along with photos.

"With just one layer, you can complete all steps in your base make-up!
A foundation that combines beauty essence, sunscreen, make-up base, foundation and finishing powder"

- Canmake website: http://www.canmake.com/en/ebase/item_base027.html

According to Canmake, this foundation is named 5 Effects due to it's ability of providing 5 different effects upon usage. The 5 different effects would be:

1. Contains six types of beautifying and moisturizing agents.
2. Contains UV Filters to reduce exposure to UV radiation.
3. Contains two to three times the amount of moisturizing agents to keep skin hydrated.
4. Is able to cover pores and color irregularities
5. Leaves the skin silky smooth with it's powder-y finish

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Basic product information aside, this is a cream foundation that seems to settle to a powdery finish, much like Effect no. 5. The product itself feels very smooth and glides on the fingers and face easily. Blending isn't an issue either and I feel I can almost take my time with it.

The product comes with a sponge but I've tried applying it with a sponge once and I still prefer using my fingers. If you're using this for yourself it's much easier to run your finger over the product and blend it in.

The color I have (03 Natural Ochre) matches my skintone perfectly and it so happens to be the darkest shade that is available. The lighter two are 01 Beige Ochre and 02 Light Ochre.

For reference I am a MAC NC25-30, Za 22.

Upon blending it in, it feels relatively smooth on and you can choose not to set it if you like but I personally set everything that is cream.

(click to enlarge to see it better!)

I would rate the coverage of this foundation about a medium and it's great for evening out the skintone. I do also want to add that the picture above was taken when I had relative 'calm' skin. I find that while this conceals some light scars/spots, you will still have to run through with a concealer for a perfect finish, especially for spots that are even the slightest bit more 'dimensional' (for lack of better word...).

Now, if uneven skin surfaces or pores is your issue then I would actually suggest that you stay awake from this foundation. While it claims to smooth out pores, I don't particularly see that.

Since the product is quite thin in texture it doesn't do anything to smooth out pores, in fact it might even emphasize on it a little more. Though if you really want to try/use it, one way to combat this is to use a smoothing primer - my favorite for this would be L'oreal's Magic Perfecting Base.

Here's a close-up of the foundation on (without a primer).

Around my nose area you can see the pores and uneven skin texture showing through (click to enlarge if it helps!)

Now, about how this product wears, oil control and all.

The oil control for it is alright, holds up for about 3 hours in a humid environment (the crazy weather lately) before I have to blot. The foundaion isn't exactly long-wearing and stays on for a good 6 hours before it does wear off a little. The skin-tone is still kept even however any spots or scars that that foundation was concealing will start to show through.

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In conclusion
This product swatches and feels like the Maquillage stick foundation in a pan form as it is very smooth and glides on, though coverage, oil control and everything else differs. It's easy and quick to apply if you're heading somewhere fast but I would not recommend this to those looking for more coverage and skin-smoothing qualities in their foundation. For those with great skin and are looking for something light-weight to smooth their skintone out, you can look into this.

Overall Rating: Fail / Pass / Merit / Distinction / High Distinction

Disclaimer:
Products featured were provided by Canmake.
All opinions expressed are my own, I am not getting paid for this.

Continuing on the innovative technology of infusing an aura of light to the skin, Lancôme has recently added a new offering to their Miracle range - the Maqui Miracle Compact.

The newly released Lancôme Maqui Miracle Compact is a pressed powder foundation that embodies the same technology as the previously released Teint Miracle Liquid Foundation. Considered a breakthrough in the realm of cosmetics, Lancôme's Teint Miracle managed to combine science with beauty to produce a foundation that makes your skin appear brighter and lit from within.

To avoid making this post too lengthy, I have explained all about the science of how Lancôme harvests the inner aura in this post, if you have not seen it. The Maqui Miracle works in the same manner to reproduce an aura of radiance and make the skin appear brighter.

What else is new with this offering?

The Maqui Miracle Compact is formulated in such a way that it promises longevity, shine resistance and also resistance to oxidization. The Hydrophobic, Lipophobic powder has a high resistance to color change, which implies that it prevents oxidization and also minimizes the 'dulling' of foundation which occurs naturally over the day. As we are exposed to UV pollution, those tend to 'steal away' our foundation pigments, causing the color change over the period of wear.

Old foundation diagram on the left. New Maqui Miracle diagram on the right.

Lastly, this foundation has a very soft and finely milled texture which makes it feel very light on the skin yet still provide a smooth finish.

It's quite a bit to read through the technicalities but I feel if a company is to spend this much time researching and producing a product enhanced with such unique technology, it should definitely be shared. In this way people will understand what goes on behind this, instead of branding it as 'yet another foundation'.

Now, moving on to the more visual product aspect.
The Maqui Miracle powder refill pan is retailing at S$65 while the case is S$27.

Another element to this foundation would be the uniquely designed sponge applicator. This applicator is dual-sided and each side has a different texture to cater to a different purpose.

(click to enlarge and observe the difference in textures!)

As the diagram below shows, the porous side (which is the more sponge textured side) is meant to be used to pick up and apply the product to the face while the other smooth side (which is almost like touching a soft plush toy) is meant to help smooth out the product over the entire face.

Upon removing the foundation case from the box, I realized there was a 'hole' in the back of it and was perplexed about that for awhile before realizing it is to facilitate the ease of changing refill pans. No more hassle of prying the foundation pan out when all you have to do is unclick it out or click it in!

Isn't that really nifty.

The foundation shade I got is in O-03, the same shade I got my Teint Miracle Liquid Foundation in.

Local Lancôme counters will be carrying 8 foundation shades in total. This is the foundation chart with the various shades followed by a bad snapshot that I took during my session.

The photo that I snapped with my phone camera is completely too yellow-ish in general but here are all the shades lined up, just to give you a rough idea. And the PO, O and BO names mean Pink Ochre, Ochre and Beige Ochre respectively.

Pink Ochre (01, 02) has a slightly cooler and more pinkish undertone while Beige Ochre (01, 02) has a more yellow-ish undertone. Ochre (01, 02, 03, 04) has the widest shades available and has more of a neutral undertone, something more suited to everyone.

So far I have yet to try this foundation on it's own though I have coupled it with the Teint Miracle LF a few times to test it out. My initlal observations would be that this powder has a very light and almost translucent finish hence my hesitation on using it as a powder foundation on it's own.

I will post up a review of it after giving it a few more tries, along with application photos etc. In the meantime, you can check out Lancôme's Facebook page for any on-going promotions and offers they have available!

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer:
Products were provided by Lancôme
I am not affiliated to them, all opinions expressed are my own.

Hello all, just dropping a quick post to say that I have finally gotten my very first MAC foundation!

That might sound so strange considering I have hauled from MAC many times before but I never thought to purchase their foundations – until now.

I didn’t pick up anything special, just the Studio Fix Powder Foundation for touching up as my current (Revlon) pressed powder has hit pan and is reaching its last few uses.

The reason I chose to get this? Well, I don’t know, I was just curious about their foundations and thought it would be safer to try the powder first.

This shade looks pretty light (and it is kind of light to be honest) in the photo but it's a wee bit less pale in person. Put along-side the rest of my powder foundations this one really does stand out as being 'lighter' but I'll trust that makeup artist knows whats best. It blended pretty well when the MUA tested it out in-store with a jaw swatch.

Will have to try it out to see, I want to finish up on my Revlon one before starting on this.

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A slightly pointless and quick post so to end it off I’ll list some items I’m lemming from MAC's upcoming Peacocky collection. Was browsing the entire collection *ahematwork* and a good number of things caught my eye, which is sad on my bank.

The following photos are courtesy of temptalia.com

Odalisque, Dalliance, Noir Plum

Spectable of Yourself, Tweet Me

From the Kissable Lip Colors (no pictures becausethey all look the same side by side, nudes, lol):

• So Vain
• Woo Me
• Superkissable

I would probably not get everything in the end, just because I've been spending quite a bit lately (food, hauling, etc). I'm hoping to go on a holiday this year so I had better start saving if I want to splurge then! But Tweet Me is one I'm really setting my eyes on because I'll have the most use for it plus the name is just perfect.

What are you lemming from MAC’s Peacocky? -- Check out temptalia's breakdown here.

Thanks for reading!

This entry is going to be a little more information-based if anything because this foundation has some interesting science to it that needs explaining. I don't want to bombard you with too many words either so I'll try to point form things as much as I can.

The foundation with a 10 years of research and 7 patents pending is the Lancôme Teint Miracle Foundation SPF 16 PA ++.

Said foundation promises to emanate an ideal natural light and pure complexion, making your skin 'lit' from within, almost giving you an aura of radiance. Not to be confused with the term dewy skin. This foundation's key point seems more complex and intricate then just a dewy glow.

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Where does the science come into play?

Well here's a point form run down of technical bits of info just so its easier to digest.

• Pure white light as we all know is made out of 7 color pathways (think rainbow!)
• When light hits out skin, 5% is reflected, 95% is first absorbed into our skin penetrating the different layers before 40% is then re-emitted from our skin. Such as the diagram below illustrates.

• Out of these 7 pathways, 2 main colors contribute to the impression of clear and pure radiance - pink & blue light.
• Sadly, these two lights are the weakest among the spectrum and (as you can see from the diagram) they are typically first to be absorbed by the cells under our skin.
• THUS, the 40% of light reflected contains a weak amount of pink & blue light, muffling the appearance of radiance.
• What's more as we age and as our skin is exposed to pollution etc, our cells tend to 'eat up' more of the pink and blue light. Hence, the outcome of our skin appearing dull with age and various lifestyles.

What the Lancome Teint Miracle foundation does is that it contains both pink and blue bioptic pigments to help reproduce this luminescent effect.

• The pink bioptic pigment restores radiance and provides a healthy glow
• The blue bioptic pigment restores purity and freshness.

The general idea and science behind this foundation is just so intriguing. The whole idea of flawless and natural looking skin with an aura and a purer complexion is just something I am sure most people are after. Or at least I know it's something I am definitely after!

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Lancôme's Tient Miracle, although primes itself on inner light, does not forget about surface radiance either.

• This foundation contains a unique liquid light essence that works as 'micro mirrors' to boost the skin's surface radiance, but get this, without ever being shiny!
• This liquid light essence contains transparency that does not 'block' the inner light. In some cases with thicker foundations we find ourselves looking 'bland' because our inner light might even be muffled from being re-emitted.

This foundation is primarily all about giving the illusion of a natural aura, a flawless complexion so how can we forget the coverage and how 'flawless' it looks.

Unlike typical foundations, this contains:

• 10 times less opaque fillers and 40% pure water for a natural and 'transparent' finish.
• A skincare complex rich in soothing rose extract that works at hydrating your skin for up to 18 hours.
• This skincare complex also helps improve your skin luminosity.

Don't let the first bullet point above fool you though, this foundation has pretty good coverage! While swatching it, I was truly a little surprised at how well it covers. The texture of it is rather runny (like Makeup Forever HD Foundation) hence it is easy to blend out but coverage-wise it fares much better the the MUFE HD.

Quick thoughts:
I have tried it out once over the weekend and I personally do find that it seems to lend a radiance to the skin. I shall try it out over the work week and see how it fares under the scrutiny of long wearing hours, drying conditions etc before I get back with a full review.

My shade Teint Miracle shade is: O-03

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Lancôme didn't just stop with the technology of the Teint Miracle foundation, they formulated a Multi-Lights Touch Corrector Bare Skin Perfection Pen (SPF 15) that serves the purpose of Correcting, illuminating and Smoothing. The main idea of it is similar to the Teint Miracle Foundation, except in a corrector/concealer form.

This comes in 3 different shades, categorized Fair, Medium and Dark. However, I do advise you not to pick these up according to the 'skintone ranking' but rather your needs. Technically I picked up the one in Dark, since it is 03 and that would logically not work for me, yes?

Instead of that, these pens come in different tones. If I recall, 01 was more neutral, like a highlighter/concealer shade. 02 is more of a pinkish tone and 03 is more of a peach. At the end of the day, it depends on what you want it for. For me, I am using this as a undereye concealer, hence the choice of getting a peach-toned one.

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A quick paragraph to sum up this introduction.

Singapore being the first Asean country to launch the Teint Miracle Foundation will have it available in 7 asian-friendly shades (see Iris's post for swatches) and it comes with a SPF16 PA++. The Teint Miracle will be available at all Lancôme counters in October (which is now~) and it retails for S$65 for 30ml - which I find is actually a pretty decent price.

The Multi-Lights Touch Corrector Bare Skin Perfection Pen (SPF15) is retailing for S$56 for 2.5ml of product. It is available in the 3 above shades mentioned, the swatches are also available in Iris's post.

Will post a follow up review entry regarding my thoughts and how it fared on me. I wanted to get up an explanation and quick intro post first!
Thanks all for reading (:

Disclaimer:
Products featured were provided by Lancôme - I am not affiliated to them.
All opinions expressed are my own. I am not getting paid for this.

At long last here is my review for the Make Up Forever HD Foundation.

I have this in the Shade 125 and I am about a MAC NC25-30.

The reason why I took this long to actually review this foundation was because I had gone through a love/hate relationship with it. I will explain more about that in the video attached below!

This product costs 75SGD for 30ml, and truthfully that's not all that cheap. However I still went ahead and purchased it, but not without doing sufficient research beforehand. So while many people have raved about it, I managed to weed out those who mentioned it's downsides and so was a little mentally prepared when I got it. Which then made me understand why some have been slightly disappointed upon getting it after reading pure raves.

As of right now I do love it, but instead of just trusting my current love for it and my feature of it in my July Favorites, I suggest you check out the review for a detailed breakdown of why I had not quite liked it before.

Click to view video review:

Review: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

Overall Rating: Fail / Pass / Merit / Distinction / High Distinction

Coverage: 2/5
Oil Control: 3.5/5
Lasting Power: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5 - packaging is cute, but that slight difficulty in dispensing small amounts...

Would I re-purchase this? Crazy enough, I just might. I think it's a nice foundation to have in the stash, but I'm just not certain if I will really run out and get it the minute it's out. Probably when I have dispensable cash.

Today, as you might have seen from my earlier haul entry, I was in the town area. The primary reason was to drop by the Shiseido main office and pick up some lovely goodies.

I had been given the chance to try out some of Maquillage's new products - the star products being the foundations.

I had also learnt that Maquillage typically releases different foundations in different seasons. For example their Spring/Summer foundation release will differ from the Fall/Winter release because in different climates people desire different types of finishes - such as matte in spring/summer and more dewy looks in fall/winter. However, fret not, these foundation products will be in the permanent line here in Singapore.

Here's a closer look at the products and their little blurbs provided in the brochure.

Lasting Stick Foundation UV in shade 0C20

For reference, I'm using the second darkest shade available here (0C20) and I'm a MAC NC30.

When they say that it GLIDES on, they truly weren't kidding. While at the Shiseido office, Iris (from Shiseido) swatched the product on my hand and I was shocked that I didn't even feel the product transferring. it seriously just slid across the back of my hand as if I were running my finger over my hand and voila, there was product on my skin, no tugging or dragging at all!

And of course, the packaging is adorable. Judging from the photo on the website I half expected the cap design to be similar to that of the Glossy/Lasting Rouge Lipsticks - bejewelled. Though it isn't entirely the case (no pun intended!) as it was more on a emboss/deboss effect, it is still insanely gorgeous.

Lipstick (left), Foundation (right)

Next item I had received was a powder foundation.

After popping the foundation pan into the case.

Lasting Powdery UV EX in shade 0C20

Iris mentioned that this is a reformulated version of their pressed powder. This time around it's inbuilt with the oil-absorbant gel powder to ensure it stays on lasts longer on with better oil control to keep the foundation looking fresh.

Again, the packaging is lovely with the holographics and flower prints.

This pretty casing design is a limited edition Spring/Summer release. I am assuming after this season is over the foundation will still be available but in the original packaging that it comes in:

Because I was curious, I tried to translate what was written on the foundation case. It's really hard to provide a translation for it because of grammar, vocab and all but I found out that the term Maquillage actually translates to Make-up! I don't know if this is a really slow discovery but I truthfully had no idea before!

Well, I shan't be going into detail about the foundations since I had just received them today, but I am looking forward to playing around with them. There is just something about getting new foundation products to play with that makes me really excited about doing my makeup the next day.

Last but not least I was also given some mini nail polishes. These are from a collection that would be launched sometime in June or July.

I love the colors that iris had picked out for me. I'm almost tempted to paint my nails with BK937 right now but I had just painted them. Maybe in a couple of days, we'll see (:

Thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer:
Products showcased and mentioned were given to me by Maquillage.
I am not affiliated to Maquillage, all opinions expressed are my own. I am not getting paid for this.