Yes, this polish is in the same name (and matching shade) as one of the glosses from Dior's recent massive Addict Gloss Collection.

Unlike the usual creme finish of Dior polishes, the Addict Gloss-inspired Dior Vernis comes with a slightly sparklier finish. Just like how the gloss has bits of shimmer strewn into a cream base, these polishes reflect the same thing.

Think, gloss for your nails!

Délice, and the other polishes from this collection, comes with the usual Dior brush — a flat and short brush with a rounded edge.

I may have mentioned it before but Dior brushes are quite a joy to work with. I love flat and short brushes as they often make application a breezel. The rounded edge is a plus because it allows for a more seamless and 'smoother' edge when you lay the polish down.

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With all that said, it took me awhile to swatch (and feature) this polish because orange polishes aren't really for me.

That was one thing I learnt that when I wore China Glaze's Peachykeen but decided to go ahead and give orange another go with Délice.

Here is Délice 433 on it's own, 2 coats, without a base or top coat.

My verdict is... orange is still not quite for me.

I wouldn't exactly shoot this polish down because it could be beautiful on some but for me, it makes my skintone appear yellow and dull.

Color-aside, the shimmer flecks in Délice isn't as obvious and lovely as it looks in the bottle, plus they give the polish a bit of grit without much sparkle or shine. I like Dior's idea of adding understated shimmer, making the polish sparkly without being flashy but I suppose this formula needs a little more fine tuning to be perfect.

Maybe all we need is a little bit of topcoat to set this whole thing and enhance the little shimmers. Which could be why this collection was launched and publicized with the Dior Gel Top Coat, though I haven't given that a go yet.

Regardless this is simply my take on Délice and who knows, some may love it for the pop of summer fun and if texture is your thing, you could find this lovely; I like my polishes creamy and glossy.

With that said, I will give their Gel Top Coat a go soon. Once I manage to tear myself away from Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, that is!

Thanks for reading! What are some polish shades you feel you cannot wear?

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

Pardon the silence on here but life / work caught up with me, along with a viral infection from the office that left me under the weather with the voice of a 50 year old.

Right now I may not be able to speak in person (darn sore throat) but I can still type, so here goes!

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From Dior's Summer 2013 collection, the exquisitely packaged and embossed Dior Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Pink Glow is certainly a very wearable collectors item.

For the longest time ever, I have been spying on the Dior Nude bronzers (from past years) and had to drag myself away from the counter. As much as I would love to splurge on them, I had other things in mind or tried to restrain myself by rationalizing that I was out of the bronzer phase.

Thus, pardon the long intro but what I want to say is, I am so glad that I have this in my collection now and a bronzer / blush duo at that. This would certainly get some uses from me.

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Back to this.

Like past Dior Nude bronzers, Pink Glow comes with a little kabuki brush of its own complete with a velvet roll for keeping and carrying the brush in.

The quality of the kabuki included is quite good — soft and not too flimsy nor too dense.

Here is a size comparison of the Dior Kabuki alongside my trusty MAC 227.

I like to use the kabuki for the bronzing side, to add a soft contour or buff color all over though I prefer using my blush brush for the blush side of the duo.

While the velvet sleeves are without a doubt dust and powder magnets, they do add a lovely touch of class to the whole packaging.

Of course we also can't forget the compact design of the Nude Tan Paradise Duo with its plush quilt-like design on a solid metallic case that carries some weight to it. Though yes, metallic also means this is a finger-print magnet but I don't mind it here because you can easily wipe it clear again.

The compact is decent and size and fits easily into the palm of the hand.

The compact comes to a shut with a firm magnetic hold, eliminating the need for clasps and clicks, leaving the surface sleek.

Now, on to what is in the case.

The powder feels very fine and soft to the touch, swatching smoothly across the skin.

The blush and bronzer both swatch evenly with a soft satin sheen. Since they are face colors, the pigmentation imparted is soft and what you see is, of course, a heavier swatch.

While tan-skinned ladies may have stayed away from the earlier Dior Nude bronzers, the inclusion of a blush in this one will give you a reason to consider. When swirled togther, the blush takes on a lovely tan-pink tone.

It probably would not be the best representation on me but check out how lovely it looks on Eliza's skintone.

I haven't got a proper shot of this Bronzer / Blush duo on myself as of now but I will post a Look Feature once I snap that!

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Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo (Irridescent Blush & Bronzing Powder) retails for S$90 for 9.5gm and is inclusive of a mini Kabuki brush.

I don't deny that it is pricey but if you have always wanted to get your hands on the Diorskin Nude Tans, this is a good one to have and collect.

Thanks to Eliza and Mabel for the heads up, word is we will be receiving Coral Glow so start stalking your Dior counters if peachy is your thing, or if you want both.

Thanks for reading!

As if planned by some unknown force in the galactic realm, while I was squeezing out the remnants of my current Biore UV Aqua Rich SPF 50 PA+++, a new repackaged and reformulated tube (almost a new product entirely) landed on my doorstep!

Okay, maybe in reality it did not land on my doorstep but rather the letter box, and the unknown force would most likely be the kind folks at Kao Biore.

Though the fact that this happened just as my current sunscreen is being drained of its very last drop is a coincidence.

A happy coincidence, I would like to add, as the Biore UV Aqua Rich (earlier version) very quickly became a staple and favorite after I was recommended to it by makeup pals.

I loved it for how it felt — exactly like a watery essence!

It was very light-weight on, did not leave any greasy residue or tack and definitely did not oil up my face with wear.

Occasionally I like to indulge in a creamier sunscreen but for the most part, this has me very happily covered (from the sun's rays)!

Crowned as the top selling sunscreen in Japan, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this blue-tubed and reformulated Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence actually felt even lighter than the one I already own.

If that is even possible!

A quick check with the folks over at Biore had them informing me that it is a new product entirely — new in packaging and also formulation but inspired and building on the much loved texture of Aqua Rich's earlier predecessors.

The sunscreen is refreshingly light-weight on the skin and due to the infusion of citrus extracts, has an uplifting and refreshing scent to boot.

I particularly like how this feels as you spread it across the skin.

While the earlier (silver) version had a mousse-like liquid consistency and spread very nicely across this skin, this one takes it to the next level and honestly feels just like water.

The technology behind that refreshing burst comes from their use of the Aqua Micro Capsules. These capsules release moisture upon application on the skin, giving the skin a refreshing and hydrating sensation.

The best part of it is that it blends out to absolutely nothing — no stick, no white cast or tint, nothing.

Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, the UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence claims to hydrate and soften the skin with use but I fear hydration will not be a reason to purchase this.

In fact, while it was not drying on my skin, it sure did not feel like I had just injected a boost of moisture either.

Folks with oily / combination skin would most likely love this for the non-existent feel after but those with dry skin may want a creamier sunscreen or a more hydrating daycream to double up.

Another thing I noticed about this is that the alcohol content within seems quite high, taking the 2nd spot on the ingredients list.

Even without studying the list, I can smell and feel the alcohol content within the product, thus those that have drier skin and / or are sensitive to alcohol in products may want to reconsider this.

In terms of how it works, the product is said to provide long-lasting protection from UVA and UVB rays. While I cannot contest that because as long as something has SPF I am certain it helps, one way or another, I do think this product requires touching up if you will be under the sun for an extended period of time.

I would definitely recommend this to those who shy away from sun protection because they do not like how greasy / oily sunscreens typically are.

This is definitely of holy grail status right now, and while I can stand some stick or greasiness, on makeup-less days I definitely do not want to feel like I have anything on and this gives me just that along with good sun coverage!

At S$18.90 for 50ml, I would urge everyone to grab it and give it a go!

Except for those sensitive to alcohol in products or need something a little creamier and more hydrating.

This is available at selected supermarkets and pharmacies (e.g. Guardian)

Thanks for reading!

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

Hello!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend thus far. I know I am making very full use of this last drop of freedom, though more about that in another entry.

I have been doing a lot of 'repetitive' entries such as featuring goodies, hauls, lotds.

Well frankly those are entries I have been doing all along but I feel that there are some entries I miss doing such as rambly product updates, skincare routines, makeup routines and whatnot. Though bear with me as I clear all these pending hauls, goodies etc that are stuck in the pipeline!

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All that aside, here's a Goodies entry that is also a quick mention of something that is giving my room a very nice wafting scent. I am refering to APIVITA's Natural Candle in the scent Orange, Cedarwood & Clove.

Using natural ingredients such as soya and rapeseed, the candle wax is so natural and pure that once melted, it works great as a hand moisturizer or even a lip balm.

I have not tried that or even burned the candle yet because my room is a little cluttered to set aside space. Yet, without burning, the candle has very efficiently casted its scent around the room, bringing about an enjoyable whiff each time I step in.

Scented with pure essential oils, this Natural Candle contains 100% natural ingredients, free from any synthetic agent, therefore ensuring a holistic wellness and quality health benefits with use.

This jar of Orange, Cedar wood and Clove aims to soothe and also rejevunate the senses during its 50 hours of burning time, or technically more as the scent does linger when the candle is not lit.

Scent-wise, I find Orange, Cedarwood & Clove to be relaxing in a therapeutic way, yet also bringing about a certain vigor.

I believe it is the citrus edge in the Orange note that gives it some punch and personally would love this for a place such as the study where you would want to be stress-free with a clear mind yet want to feel revitalized and re-charged. Though that is just my thought (and I do have it in the bedroom just because), this candle would work anywhere you please!

However if Orange, Cedarwood & Clove isn't really your scent of choice, the APIVITA Natural Candles are also available in Jasmine and Lavender.

These retail for S$100 per 235gm or S$64 per 80gm.

They also come in a sturdy and well made hardboard box that would work well re-used as a holder be it for brushes, glosses and such so don't throw that out! Remember, recycle!

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Speaking of being Green and candles, APIVITA recently took part in Earth Hour (that happened yesterday) by holding a romantic and fragrant shopping experience by switching off for an hour and lighting the store with candles.

(image from APIVITA)

I did not manage to head to a store to see for myself but I can imagine it must have been quite a lovely (not forgetting deliciously scented) experience!

On that very last note of being Green, APIVITA had also trusted us with a pot of soil and I believe a bunch of Calendula flower seeds.

I thought it was an extremely cute inclusion for a press kit and those with green fingers would certainly fancy it. I do like the idea of growing plants but my fingers are not green and under my care even cactuses did not manage to survive hence I think this pot is much safer with my mom!

And so this wraps up what I thought would be a quick mention of something I am quite delighted by right now, the Natural Wax Candle. If the scent of it alone is this strong already, I cannot imagine what it would be like when burning it.

I will give it a shot soon.

In the meanwhile, do you love to burn candles? Thanks for reading!

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

I am slowly waddling my way through this all to familiar term, backlog. So I hope you don't mind me putting up all these items I have received from awhile ago.

Awhile ago being towards the end of last year.

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It was during my confinement period when Nicole by OPI held their bloggers event, thus I could not head down for it but they were kind enough to send over a generous bag of polishes for me to swatch to my hearts delight.

I have 10 Nicole by OPI bottles with me, all from the brand as I did not own one prior to this.

I am not unfamiliar to Nicole by OPI but with the amount of polishes on hand (and other distractions), I never gave myself the opportunity to look at their offerings until now.

The polishes they sent are a good spectrum of colors and even contained shades that I do not have in my stash – such as that bright pink, bright yellow and bright green that you see there!

So... maybe there are some 'loopholes' in my stash. And we all know what that means.... heh.

Nicole by OPI polishes, as many of you may already know, comes with a flat brush and isn't too long in length. Polish brushes of this design and length are my favorite because it applies easily and the length allows for good control.

In terms of the Nicole by OPI brushes, I found them easy to work with. There was nothing overly spectacular yet the design and size did allow for easy application.

Since I don't have time to paint my nails that often these days and do not want to go for an uncoordinated skittle nail look, I decided to make use of my nail wheel once again to show you some swatches!

All swatches done below were done with 2 coats regardless if the polishes are still sheer or were easily opaque in one coat.

Here's a bit of a rundown about each shade.

• Berry Sweet is a chrome-like shiny red. It reminds me of Danke Shiny Red which is now in my mom's possession so I welcome this color very much.
• Reach Out is a lovely jelly pink shade. While it is a jelly, it still remains vibrant in color.
• It Starts With Me is a rusted champagne shade. It is a little sheer at 2 coats but would maybe look quite nice with 3. Alternatively it could be used atop another color
• Light A Candle was easily opaque in one coat. Some brush strokes are inevitable with this blue-ish metalic shade but it isn't obvious nor would I classify it as streaky.
• You're A Star is a sheer polish, made to serve as a topcoater to add sparkles

Now on to the second batch of shades, featuring 2 colors from the Kardashian Kolor collection.

• Keeping Up With Santa appears very similar to Berry Sweet (above) but is more darkened in appearance which would make it easier and more understated to wear for some. The red jewel tone is still very lovely regardless.
• Deck the Dolls is a beautiful pearly cyan-blue shade. It does have a chrome and slight metalic effect to it resulting in some brush strokes being apparent but yet again, not streaky in my terms.
• Purple Yourself Together is beautiful, simply stunning! A medium, slightly cool-toned, purple with gold shimmers within. The shade itself is also beautifully glossy.
• Make Mine Lime was stunning in the bottle and slightly disappointingly sheer but a bright green nonetheless. There was a slight pearly tone in the bottle that is lost upon swatching.
• Yellow Its Me , like Make Mine Lime, is also on the sheer side which is sad but it is a cheery yellow nonetheless. It would be most effective over a white base.

My picks of the lot would definitely be Purple yourself Together, Deck the Dolls, Keeping Up With Santa and Reach Out. The other shades are also very lovely too but these were the ones that stood out the most to me.

While these nail wheel swatches serve as a quick representation of the colors, I will show them up-close and with better shots when I wear them on my nails (in On My Nails entries).

In fact, I think I really want to swatch Purple Yourself Together soon!

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While doing this entry up, I hopped over to Nicole by OPI's website and noticed that they had a Modern Family collection! Modern Family is probably my favorite sitcom of all times so... call me intrigued!

Turns out VampyVarnish had done swatches of all the 14 shades released with this collection (yes, all) and you can see them here.

Some shades are passable, well most are to me actually, but I like how What’s The Mitch-uation? and Candid Cameron looks! How coincidental!

Well, thanks for reading and I hope these swatches are of help!

Nicole by OPI retails at S$12.90 and is available at select Watsons outlets (Ngee Ann City for sure).

Do you own any of these shades? If not, did anything catch your eye?

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

Back in 2010, Lancôme introduced a new technology to their foundations and came out with Teint Miracle.

Teint Miracle brings to the table a natural, light and lit-within luminosity, making it ideal as a go-to foundation on a daily basis or when I need a quick pick-me-up for errands.

But what if you wanted something a little more understated, satin-like skin with heavier coverage and a longer wear time?

Well you would be pleased to know that Lancôme is back in the game of long-wearing foundations with their newest introduction, Mat Miracle 24H Liquid Foundation.

Housed in a same bottle design as Teint Miracle, Mat Miracle comes with a frosted glass and black tinted cap to well differentiate it from the earlier release.

Teint Miracle on the left, Mat Miracle on the right.

Just an interesting tidbit to note, incase anyone is curious, Mat Miracle 24H would be our asian version of the Teint Idole Ultra 24H that is released in the States. I do not know if the formulation is different but they are housed in the exact same bottle design with a different name.

This is Teint Idole Ultra 24H.

Mat Miracle serves as a reincarnation of Lancôme's discontinued Teint Idole foundation, except with an injection of modern technology and updated with times.

Made in Japan, Mat Miracle is non-comodogenic and also made with Asian skin in consideration.

Most would associate long-wear foundations with a thicker texture that sits heavier on the skin and may require some work to blend out. However you can toss those conjectures aside as the first thing I noticed about Mat Miracle when I had a blob of it my hand is how light the texture felt as opposed to what I was expecting.

It is not of an overly runny nature but it is relatively liquid with a tiny creaminess to it, allowing it to be blended and smoothed easily over the skin.

Due to the slight liquid aspect of it, you will find that it spreads well over the skin and you don't need to use much product for the entire face.

While the foundation does not dry that quickly, allowing you to work at it with your own pace, it does eventually settle to somewhat of a non-existent finish on the skin. For the long-wear factor, this foundation sits pretty light on without much tack.

If you are not a fan of setting liquids, you may actually opt for skipping the loose powder with this because of how it feels after the drydown. Though in our climate, I would still recommend sweeping on some powder to ensure that this lasts through our hot and humid days.

Needless to say, this foundation delivers pretty full coverage, easily evening out my skintone and concealing any mild blemishes.

The finish of it is not a flat matte, more of a satin and does not contain any sheen or sparkle within. It has the finish of skin yet with a toned down smooth canvas appearance, perfect for moments when you want your skin to be flawless, free of any dewiness or shine, and play up your eyes and / or lips instead.

How the foundation looks all blended out – even coverage across the skin.

If you have noticed in my other hand swatches, I do have light freckling across the back of my hands and this foundation has evenly concealed that.

I have worn Mat Miracle out a couple of times and adore how it wears on the skin, even over time in sweltering conditions (which seems to have disappeared these past few days?).

Though I am still forming my opinions about this and it is still too preliminary to review. On top of that, I have not managed to test its long wearing ability because I don't have an opportunity to wear makeup for an extended period of time.

Perhaps I would be able to fully test this out once I head back to work towards the end of March (boohoo).

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In the meanwhile I wanted to put up this introduction to alert you guys about this upcoming product, incase I don't manage to churn out my review quick enough.

Mat Miracle will be available at Lancôme counters from April onwards. 

I will update again with the retail price shortly. Thanks for reading!

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

These Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohls are the latest addition to the Mirenesse Boutique M range and boast to be a "revolutionary waterproof glide-on color".

Incase the name Mirenesse sounds foreign to you, I have given them and their Boutique M range a mention through their pigment-packed Lip Bomb Glossy Lip Lacquers.

With high performance products like these Eye Kohls and the Lip Lacquers (amongst other great products), it is easy to see why Mirenesse's Boutique M range bags awards effortlessly.

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These Eye Kohls are designed for precision application of color to both the inner and outer eye area, hence the name Inside Out.

These Eye Kohls are created with elastic stretch pigments which help them deliver a rich and intense color pay-off. Paired with a crossover color gel formula, these pencils glide over the skin and effortlessly deliver a dash of pigment. They are versatile enough that you can use them as a eye liner, shadow or even highlighter.

There are 14 pigment-rich shades introduced with this collection, ranging from pearly nudes to deep browns and colorful blues. Of the lot, I have 5 shades on hand to show you.

• Ra – a light champagne shade, great for highlighting
• Khnum – an intensely pigmented cornflower blue
• Osiris – a charcoal black with faint silvery-blue flecks
• Hathor – my favorite sort, a jeweled purple shade
• Atum – an almost black that is infused with gold reflects

These pencils contain 1.5g (0.05oz) of product and are your typical pencils that require sharpening instead of any fancy twisting up.

As troublesome as sharpening can be, I do like this for creamier pencils because I find this preserves and prevents the lead from drying out quickly over time.

These Eye Kohls have a nice glide to them and don't tug on my eyelids with application. However, they are not the silkiest or creamiest pencils I have ever tried, that award goes to the Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil. Though these Eye Kohls are soft enough that they should not be left near intense heat for fear of them smoshing or melting.

Some of the shades are infused with light-capturing crushed pearls to give them an glint of color. While they have flecks of shimmer within them, they do not feel gritty on the skin and feel like a smooth glide all the same.

While Hathor was an obvious favorite (because I have a thing for purple liners), I fell deeply in love with Atum and Khnum.

The gold reflects in Atum are so sophisticated without taking away from the depth of the color that it is just a joy to wear.

Imagine definition yet with a little sparkle that it makes people look again to observe what you are wearing. Well, maybe people would not be that creepy but that is what I would do if I noticed someone wearing something that catches the light and shines with it. Maybe I am creepy...

The pearly quality in Osiris is a little bit lacking, I almost assumed it was a flat black until I saw the pictures, but it is a decent black nonetheless. I would say the pearly silver-blue is a plus here, not necessarily a reason to purchase the liner for.

There isn't much to say about Ra. It is a beautiful light champage beige that works well for highlighting though I don't find it terribly unique.

While this liner is said to be good for use on the inner eye area (tightlining / waterlining), I would not suggest it for those with sensitive eyes mainly because the pearl pigments could cause some irritation. I do use Osiris on my waterline regardless and it works fine for me; I don't have very sensitive eyes.

The liner is also said to wear for 27 hours but I doubt I will be testing that claim out because, how often does one have to wear eyeliner for 27 hours? Not me for sure.

Though I will report back (maybe in a LOTD entry with it) about the wear.

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Unfortunately they are not available locally but Mirenesse does ship to Singapore.

If you are interested in these liners, they retail for 39UAD (~S$50) on Mirenesse.com. You can find the Inside Out 27HR Eye Kohls on this page.

The pencils are a little pricey but I think for some of the more unique and intense shades (e.g. Khnum), it is worth having a look because it is quite pretty. Do hop on over and check the other lovely shades out!

Thanks for reading and keep a look out for some LOTDs featuring these liners because I am going through a phase of being liner-obsessed right now!

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

Aside from skincare and skin-perfecting items launched with Dior's Diorsnow Spring 2013, the accompanying Color Collection launch sees a touch of pastel infusion through the Dior 5 Couleur Palette in Frost Bloom 334.

Here's a look at the palette along with some quick swatches and thoughts.

Housed in the usual velvet pouch and midly domed lid, the shades included are a refreshing change from the clear and white color palette of Diorsnow collections. Albeit still refreshing and soft for spring.

Frost Bloom 334 is a pastel-hued palette containing a mix of pearly tones and softer satin shades.

The light pearly tones dominate the palette with their purpose of casting a soft irridescent veil of color and radiance to the lid, as opposed to laying down some heavy pigmentation. The 2 satin shades on the other hand do impart more pigment and still have a soft sheen to them.

Though an opinion I immediately formed while playing around with this is that the dominance of light and pearly tones makes this something nice to have in the stash, as opposed to being an item that you can create a multitude of looks with.

Of course you can use this palette in many ways to create many looks but with the pearlescent shades swatching as a light veil and appearing quite close once worn on the eye along with the 2 stronger shades (pink and blue) not adding the kind of depth that I prefer, I personally would not reach for this alone for a 'complete' eye look.

Though to give the palette credit, it is a beautiful piece both visually and in terms of quality.

The shadows are soft to the touch and glide on smoothly without much or noticeable fallout. I only experienced slight chalkiness with one shade (number 2, as labeled below) but otherwise the rest of the shades were beautiful to work with.

The pigmentation of the pearly shades in this palette is in the style of the typical Asian makeup brands. The shades are a sweep of light radiance on the lids, pearly and beautiful without a strong base color.

As far as pearly shades go, these are in a way quite pigmented in that field. If that makes sense.

I have encountered pearly shades that swatch more translucent so I feel these have a decent base pigmentation to them.

In all, I can't say that this palette is going to be everyone's cup of tea.

If you are a fan of light eye looks with a pearly glint and lovely radiant glow then yes, this would be a beautiful addition to your stash.

For those swayed by the look of the palette but aren't certain about the lightness of the shades, you can consider the fact that these irridescent shades do work well, and really glow, over a darker base.

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I personally enjoy playing around with this palette and finding various ways to wear it – be it on its own, mixed with other shades or over deeper base colors.

Though my favorite of all would be the unimaginative way of sweeping the pearly tones all over my lid for a quick, natural and perked up look. That adds a little sparkle but yet the color isn't too condensed that I feel I need the works to 'match it'.

I wouldn't rank this palette as a must-have but if pastel pearly shades like these, are right up your alley then go for it! Grab this Limited Edition Spring pop of color while it is available.

The Dior 5 Couleurs in Frost Bloom is available from March 2013 onwards.

Thanks for reading!

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

Kicking off 2013 to a magical, feminine and colorful start, Shu Uemura introduces Blossom Dream, their Spring Summer 2013 Makeup Collection.

Inspired by the softness of florals along with the vivid tones of life springing up across meadows, fields and clear blue skies, Shu Uemura's Chief Makeup Artist Yuji Asano draws up Blossom Dream to help translate this blossoming landscape into shades, shadows and tones.

This collection sees the release of:

• 3 'Unmask' Eyeshadow Palettes (limited edition)
• 2 Drawing Pencils (limited edition)
• 5 New Glow-on Shades (new release)
• 2 Rouge Unlimited (limited edition)
• 2 Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte (limited edition)
• 3 Gloss Unlimited (limited edition)
• 2 False Lashes (limited edition)

Typically I would do a general press feature (with press visuals) followed by a closer look at products I have on hand but due to my time constains on the computer, I will have to direct you to Sophia's very informative entry for all press information! Thanks Sophia for the entry and hope you don't mind the reference!

In this entry, I will continue with a showcase and swatch of the items I had received from Shu Uemura's Blossom Dream collection.

Sadly, none of these have been put to use in a LOTD yet (somewhat expected?) but here's a mention nonetheless, along with a distant promise that hopefully I get to play with them soon!

Starting off this entry, here's a look at one of the star products of the collection, the Unmask Eyeshadow Palette.

Unmask Eyeshadow Palette - S$98

Available in 3 shades, the Unmask Palette pink, blue or green, these palettes house shadows that have a smooth and matte-like texture to them. To tie in with the softness of Spring, these matte-like textures are refined and smooth to the touch, lending a certain softness to the look.

The case design had me guessing if it was glow-in-the-dark but sadly it is not. Though it's still an interesting piece of art nonetheless.

Of the 3 shades, I received the one in Pink.

While I am not one who relishes wearing Pink, I have to say upon dissecting the colors within the palette, it is actually very wearable by my terms!

The pinks included here are not daunting and if that mid-tone shade really isn't your thing, you can easily pull a beautiful warm (and soft) neutral look with the rest of the shades involved.

Just a random thought I had to myself but, the mid-tone pink could even double as a blush if you were trying to compact your makeup selections, easily making this an eye and cheek palette to tout about. The only down-side is the small pan-size since it is an eyeshadow so you may have to tip-toe around it with your blush brush!

Here's a swatch of the Unmask Palette in Pink.

While of a matte-like texture, I don't find the shadows particularly chalky and they all pick up with good pigmentation and no kick-up.

The only shade I could have some beef with would be the very pale pink since it may look chalky if you don't blend it right but otherwise, it's quite hard to go wrong!

Moving on from pinks, I have a Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in Dark Beige.

Rouge Unlimited Lipstick - S$33

The 2 Limited Edition Rouge Unlimited tones lean towards the neutral / orange side while the Rouge Unlimited Mattes released with this collection are pinks.

The Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks are housed in the usual packaging without any addition art to them.

Dark Beige, as the name goes is... well, a dark beige-ish shade that makes it work well as a neutral and easy-to-wear lip color. It has hints of a neutral pink in it, to add some life to the overall color.

The Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks typically have a mild gloss quality to them while having a decent pigmentation pay-off. While this color wasn't as beige as I would have liked, I am not complaining and it is still a lovely one to wear.

I don't have lip swatches now but I will use it in a look sometime down the road!

Last but not least, we have a blush to complete the look!

Shu Uemura Glow On (Blush) - S$33

Here, I have the Glow On in P Soft Coral 332 which in person, actually appears more pink than coral to me.

The 5 new shades launched with this collection came in a range of Pearl and Matte finishes with Soft Coral 332 here being a Pearl.

The pearlescent glint in Soft Coral is very mild but I suppose it would add a little something when worn on the cheeks.

This shade is also a rather pale yet warm pink on my skintone but it can be layered for a stronger show of color.

While right off the bat I may have assumed that Soft Coral 332 isn't my sort of color, I have grown to like how easy it is to wear.

You can hardly go wrong with it since it has a soft pigmentation and when used lightly, gives a beautifully natural flush – almost like you are not wearing any blush at all!

A little randomness but since this is a little 'home-less' blush pan, I have since gave it refuge in a quad I had hauled sometime back.

It used to house 2 eyeshadows and a Glow On but it is now purely a Glow On palette!

A very handy one to tote around too since it contains a soft natural day blush on one side and a more intense one (P Medium Red 175) on the other side if I need to 'switch up my look'.

For the fun of, here are quick swatches:

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So that wraps up my entry and you have absolutely no idea how glad I am to finally complete this! I swear, it has been sitting in my drafts since the start of 2013!

Anyway... I'll throw a LOTD of this up as soon as I can!

The Blossom Dream Collection is already out at Shu Uemura counters! Grab it while stocks last!

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
Products (except for the quad and P Medium Red 175) were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Hello again!

My blog hasn't been in the festive swing of things but I hope all is well for everyone in 2013 thus far!

Throwing on a quick blog-ish update, I have placed most of the sticky post (Brief Baby Break) under a 'jump', which is only visible from the main blog URL. Since it is quite old news and would only be informative for those who haven't visited in a long while, I didn't want to taking up that much main-page space anymore.

Though that's not much to shout about so... moving on!

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Though a seemingly random and simple swatch feature, it actually brings me great joy to do simple things like digging up makeup pieces to photograph and swatch.

This one is a particularly happy one because I had been gifted my very first Bobbi Brown lipstick by Mag (makeupstash). Thanks so much Mag!

According to Mag's post about it, this is one of the three shades that come with the travel exclusive Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Trio set.

The set consists of this pink-coral tone, a lighter nude shade (Bare Pink) and a deeper slightly plummy red (Plum Rose). All 3 shades are lovely in color and pigmentation pay-off, as you would see in Mag's swatches.

Unfortunately I haven't got to wear this out yet so I can't comment on lasting ability, how it feels on etc. Though you can bet this will be one of the first few things I reach for when I get into the habit of (and have the luxury of time for) putting makeup on again!

In the meanwhile, behold, Bobbi Brown's Rich Lip Color in Sweet Nectar.

I must declare, my pictures are a wee bit deceiving and I am not certain why. Perhaps the color somehow doesn't pick up well for my camera? Maybe the lighting?

But in any case, the lipstick has a little more beige-pink in it as opposed to the coral-red it looks above.

Despite how intense a red it seems to be in my swatch above, it is actually more coral and subdued, or should I say more wearable. This shade gives a good amount of color to the face and attention to the lips without being too bold about it. I would say it sits well for me with day time looks which would even work for a simple night-look.

I can't wait to wear it and snap some pictures of how it looks on!

Until then, hope everyone's doing well and thanks for reading still, despite my inactivity! :)

Do share, what is your favorite Bobbi Brown lipstick shade?