My Latest Obsession: Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors

A different method of painting...

I'm no artist, but the one thing my dad taught me at the age of 2... before piano, and before reading and writing... was drawing. And he was quite an avid painter in his younger years so I grew up with an obsessive love for art and aesthetics in general.

So I've been spending more time painting on paper than on my face recently. And one of my favorite things to do is swatching paints, sheering them, and blending them. Watching the colors swirl and dance and bleed across the paper, learning to let go, not overblend, and allow the pigments show their own character is so therapeutic. Not unlike makeup.

Anyway my latest babies are 2 Japanese Kuretaki Gansai Tambi palettes, one the basic range in 36 shades (about S$48 on Lazada, which is close to $10 cheaper than at Art Friend locally), and a special non-standard edition of 12 colors ($24 from Art Friend) which I picked up in-store because I noticed none of the shades were an overlap with the main sets. These seem to be very "Spring-like" colors but I can't find any English label with a name I can discern.

 

A quick Google will return tons of information and videos showing how Gansai Tambi colors differ from standard western watercolors, and how best to use them. They have a more vivid tone in many cases, and higher opacity, but they aren't matte like Gouache. 

My favorite thing besides the vibrancy and high contrast (you can get the colors very intense very easily, and you need the tiniest amount if you want a light wash of color), is the shade range. They have all the interesting in-between greens and reds and blues that you'd usually need to blend several colors to get in standard paint sets. Ivy green, an incredible malachite aqua, prussian blue, bean red, etc. 

It's just EASIER for beginners to find distinctive tones for nature-painting and fantasy art, without fussing with a ton of blending. 

Have you played with any of these and which are your favorite palettes or colors?

Laneige Neo Cushions: Glow + Matte 8Hr Try-On and Review! (23N)

So much hype around these irresistibly-gorgeous new Airpod-like LANEIGE Neo Cushion foundations (designed by famed ex-Samsung creative director Yeongkyu Yoo) - but do they live up to it?

I'm - spoiler - happy to report that I do like both the Neo Cushion Glow and Neo Cushion Matte (S$62 for a case and 2 refills), and find them to be a significant upgrade from the original BB Cushion Whitening and BB Cushion Pore Control cushions.

Neo Cushion Glow for Dull/Dehydrated Skins (Neo Pink case) 

Neo Cushion Glow is a medium-coverage, niacinamide-containing hydrating cushion with a soft glow created by special light-reflective micropigments (not grease), SPF50+ PA+++. The formula is meant to resist oxidation, and I got feedback from a couple of viewers who said they had to buy theirs one shade deeper in the new formula because of this.

I did not find this to be great for touch-ups or layering if you've already powdered to set, as the moisture in the formula has a tendency to make the powdered layers cake up and lift off the skin, thereby removing some coverage even as you try to touch up. 

Otherwise, this lasted surprisingly well and looks fresh and beautiful on normal/dry combi skin, even in humid Singapore, wearing a mask out in the afternoon.

Maybelline Super Stay "Rogue Reds" Matte Ink Edition: Brick Mask-Proof Lipstick Swatches

Very quick post just to share swatches of the Maybelline Rogue Reds color expansion for their Super Stay Matte Ink line, in case any of you were looking for color-comparisons now that there are no swatch testers in store.

Brick is not only perfect for Fall 2020, but great year-round as well. The combination of reds and browns makes it more forgiving than bright red, and not as dull as brown. But this collection isn't just red-brown. There are some interesting burnt peach, burnt orange and sun-dried tomato tones as well, like 300, 285 and 315.

315 Extraordinary, the soft tomato red, is a particular fave of mine as it looks a little (a lot) like Armani's very pricey Lip Maestro in 405.

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink 315 an Armani Maestro 405 dupe? Not 100% but very close!

Meet Audioblocks - the worst license-free music site for content creators

To any budding content creators looking to find a subscription for license-free music to use in your projects, AVOID Audioblocks.

Speaking as someone who used an Audioblocks subscription for a couple of years, first for license-free images on Storyblocks, and then later for sound effects, and eventually music that I intended to use for my videos when I started creating content on Youtube.

First off, the subscription is pretty misleading. You get "access" to a large library of music files but you're not actually cleared to use the files without paying for a separate "indemnity license" which I only learnt about almost a year after I started Youtube. Very sneaky. I was getting non-stop copyright claim after copyright claim, and demonetization notices, months after I put videos up.

What's In My Bag! Plus a quick overview of two long-time staple bags...

A bit of a non-beauty side note... I do love me some designer bags, but I'm not the type to keep buying and collecting year after year. It's been five years since my last purchase, and I tend to research and think about each bag for months before taking the plunge. That's because I expect them to last me for decades without going out of style.

So I tend not to go for flashy fancy trend designs that go out of fashion quickly. And I kinda steer away from bags that are too common in my circles. (Cue visuals of the Chanel Boy Bag which was on every other influencer's arm the past few years.) I will opt for interesting colors but mainly in classic shapes, like the Saint Laurent Y Cabas in a luxurious pale beige, and a Balenciaga A4 Papier medium tote because I love the biker grunge elements, but find the City bag waaaaay too common.

HERA Eye Shadow Duo AD

In response to the recent market trend of moving away from clunky wasteful palettes, HERA has launched their new Eye Shadow Duo AD line (S$48 in 12 variations). The nifty little double-shade compacts come with coordinated colors and one larger pan, a smart move since most people tend to apply more of the base color and run out of it faster. The formula has also been updated to be creamier and less powdery, to reduce fall-out.

Bronze and burnt eyeshadow tones are big for F/W 2020 so one of the duos I have here is a Satin duo in shade 05. This is a rich flattering color that's easy for most skin tones to pull off. The color contrast between the two shades is not big though, so you pretty much just get a super-subtle gradient when using the deeper tone to contour or define the lashes.

HERA Eye Shadow Duo AD Satin 05

 The second duo I have is a Sparkle one, in a soft rosy tone, 09. The larger base shade is a translucent ivory sparkle in that semi-creamy formula similar to Tom Ford's, which can be applied easily using a finger. The accompanying soft rose shade is a more pigmented metallic with a fine-grained sparkle effect.

ZA Summer 2020 White Protector and Coming Journey Collections

ZA Coming Journey Lipsticks (Limited Edition)

Cosmetic giant Shiseido's drugstore line ZA is best known for its popular foundation and brow products. This year though, they've expanded the True White Protector primer line to include color correcting versions as well as a color-correcting finishing powder.

ZA True White Protector range

Priced at S$15.90 per 35g tube (about 1.2oz), the primer range is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid and vitamins C and E for smoothing antioxidant protection, so they are multi-tasking moisturizers, sunscreens and color correcting primers in one. I do have to say these were more pigmented than I expected as I'm used to tinted or "tone up" primers rubbing out to near-invisibility most of the time. 

KATE Tokyo Red Nude Rouge Swatches and Review

Click to watch the KATE Tokyo Red Nude Rouge IGTV swatch video

Here's a quick IG video showing all 8 KATE Tokyo Red Nude Rouge duos swatched to show a full gradient. Meaning you can see the full spectrum of colors achievable in each compact, depending how much of each shade you use.

You obviously aren’t supposed to wear them the way I did. You can wear them ombre or 3D style, or just mix for a single solid color. The point is to wear them as vibrant or soft as you want, depending on the look and occasion. Also, each duo comes with a little sponge applicator but I find it much quicker with a clean finger, and you also won't contaminate each color by transferring the other onto it with a stained applicator.

I Try e-Girl Makeup! Feat. NEW NARS "Orgasm X" Cheek Palette and Orgasm ...

This isn't technically a review, but you can see how NARS's new Orgasm X blush builds and blends, and how it differs from original Orgasm blush. This goes on pretty soft and sheer for how intense it looks in the pan, but it definitely layers, and using a firmer, denser brush also deposits much more color than the soft Les Merveilleuses LADUREE one I used.

(Full products listed in the Youtube description box.)

To be 100% fair, it's not a huge difference between the two once they are on, and if you own the original and love it already, you probably won't need or want Orgasm X.

iHope KANEBO 2020 Luxury Makeup Revamp (plus Swatches)

KANEBO Eye Color Duos 2020

Japanese luxury line Kanebo has revamped their entire makeup line this year, and did a complete 180 from conservative “OL” (office lady) aesthetic to something completely fresh and vibrant.

Besides including funky mixers and pop shades in their buttery N-rouge lipstick line to let you tweak and create completely unique shades yourself, they’ve also added interesting multipurpose creams called Drawing Dual Rouges and Drawing Dual Pens that promise to be usable on eyes, cheeks, lips, anywhere you like. Even the eye palette is a small custom compact into which you can slot up to 3 mini duos. We are basically free to experiment with colors and textures and it's all done with maximum portability, minimum weight and fuss.

Considering lipsticks cost about S$60 a pop and the tiny eyeshadow duos are S$35 in Singapore, it’s not easy to explore the line if you’re shopping online during the current pandemic, so here are all the color products (aside from the 3 basic monotone Drawing Pencils) swatched for your reference!

Shu Uemura Red Authority Lipstick swatches

Shu Uemura recently launched a whole red lipstick collection in Lacquer, Satin and Matte textures recently, with the spotlight on a "universal red for Asian skintones", RD 163 (available in all 3 textures).

The 25 shades in the line-up include a mix of new and existing red tones, but the shades run the gamut from soft warm corals to deep dark browns, so there really isn't too much of an excuse for anyone to not find at least 1 or 2 shades that look good on them, regardless of ethnicity and skintone.

I personally love RD163 in all 3 finishes. Shu touts this as a shade that contains the optimal mix of warm and cool tones to suit a majority of Asian skins. The shade itself is what I consider a warm-neutral red. Something that is close to true scarlet but leans ever so slightly on the warmer side.

I lip-swatched 24 of the 25 shades in my Youtube video linked below (there was one shade missing in the press samples I got so I was not able to swatch all of them) and here are the arm swatches for quick comparison.

Shu Uemura rouge unlimited Red lipsticks in Lacquer finish

Shu Uemura rouge unlimited Red lipsticks in Satin finish

Shu Uemura rouge unlimited red lipsticks in Matte finish

This makes it quite forgiving and in fact, pretty flattering on a wide range of skin tones while staying "red" without going into rose or orange territory.

If you're curious, in the full video review, I also give a breakdown of how Shu Uemura codes their lipstick shades, so that you can easily narrow down shades that suit you as long as you have an idea what sort of undertone you have (warm/yellow, neutral, or cool/pink)

ShuUemura just launched 15 shades of #MatteSupreme #liquidlipsticks today and I got all excited cos these are earth-based shades, so even the pinks and oranges have a little brown or neutral undertones in them to make them flattering on the skin. I lip swatch 5 of their star shades and share my thoughts on who I think they'd look great on: PK 02 - medium rose pink BR 01 - warm reddened brown OR 01 - burnt orange RD 03 - brick red WN 03 - black cherry These rouges are designed to go on like weightless liquid inks, and while they are not transfer-proof matte lipsticks, they are still long-wear and I do love how ultra-comfortable they feel. They will kiss of on your glass but still look pretty intact on the lips, although the center of my lips did not survive a full meal. Still, these are super easy to touch up in spots since they don't clump up or dry down with a strange texture.
They do set and go SLIGHTLY more brown than when first applied but don't worry cos they don't go 2-3 shades darker and more grey like some liquid lipstick formulas can.
My unexpected favorites was WN 03, the deep dark black cherry shade. Sneaked it on IG Story yesterday cos I fell in love with how dramatic but flattering it was.

Here is a quick run-through of their shades AND some footage from my first day of wearing!

July to September 2018 Makeup and Beauty Faves

A quick run-down of some of my most-loved products products in the past 2-3 months and why I'm obsessing over them! This goes from skincare to foundations to perfumes and even a hair product.

If you don’t see some items I’ve mentioned before or recently, it’s either because they are long-term faves or a little too new (and have not been proven to stand the test of time yet). I narrowed it down to the things that I find myself repeatedly going back to in spite of the stream of new product launches.

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Skin Inc Pure Trinity Serum-Infused Cleansing Oil

Sunday Riley CEO Rapid Flash Brightening serum

Chantecaille Gold Recovery Mask

L'Oreal Colorista Washout in Dirty Pink

Juliette Has A Gun Sunny Side Up eau de parfum

LUSH Twilight Body Spray

YSL All Hours Foundation Stick B20

NYX Can't Stop Won't Stop Foundation 07

Clinique Cheek Pop 19 Blush Pop

Marc Jacobs Highliner in Fine(Wine)

Anastasia Beverly Hills single shadows in Buon Fresco and Pink Champagne

Kat von D Everlasting Lip Liner in Bow and Arrow

Etude House Soft Touch Auto liner  01 Soft Rose

NYX Powder Puff Lippie in Squad Goals

MAC Oval 6 Brush

April Skin SPF50 Sunblock Stick

Full Face First Impressions - New Makeup Products! (Mamonde, Hourglass, HERA, and Cle de Peau)

Get ready with me using mostly beauty products I've never tried before! Did a simple warm gold and khaki cat eye with hot orange lips, featuring the brand new Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Cushion Foundation and Radiant Corrector Pen. The cushion was very brightening and has a lightish-medium coverage with a dewy glow. You'll see in the video that I kept expecting this to smear off after 3 hours. It actually lasted for 10 hours until I took it off. It did set to a slightly deeper shade an hour after application so if you are between shades get the lighter, but it doesn't go drastically orange. Granted it had the help of a good primer (Mamonde's Aqua Glow Ball Base 02, which contains real gold like those pricey Guerlain and YSL primers...) and Too Faced Peach Perfect powder. But still, it did stay surprisingly nice-looking all day. It doesn't control oil though, and areas I didn't powder felt a tiny bit tacky through the day although nothing transferred noticeably onto my fingers when touched. I did update on IG Story that after 6 hours or so, I blotted to remove some shine but the foundation didn't break down underneath. Still wouldn't suggest this for oilier skins regardless.

Long-Wearing Glass Skin using MAC Face & Body Foundation

"Glass Skin", or an extremely dewy, non-shimmery glow, is a trend made popular by South Korean celebrities and media. But the traditional methods of achieving it - face glosses, creamy foundations etc - are not always great for real life (or warmer weather).

Well there IS one forgotten product that can achieve this effect without feeling like an oil-slick or smearing off after 2 hours. MAC's classic Face and Body is an ultra glowy film-forming foundation that actually sets looking like it's wet. And because it's made for use on bodies during shoots, it's transfer resistant and sweat resistant. What better to get the glass skin effect without the cons?

The thing is many people these days no longer use or even know of Face and Body, and I have to say it's got a strange texture and seems to have zero coverage at first, but there are some tricks for getting it to work beautifully.

Rubbing it on with fingers ALWAYS works better than brushing it on or sponging it on. The rubbing seems to allow the pigmentation to show more, so you get more coverage. Plus - this formula just soaks into bristles and sponges and can be a pain to wash out when it sets. Also, it's fantastic for layering. I've layered up to 5 coats for more coverage and it still looks beautiful and skin-like although the sheen by then is over the top.

I do like MAKE UP FOR EVER and Dior's versions but those are less dewy. So if "Glass Skin" is what you're trying to achieve, this is the only one that will give you that.

My HERA Rouge Holic Collection Lip Swatches

HERA is one of the edgiest brands to come out of Seoul, and their Black Cushion is by far one of my favorite cushions for hot weather or oilier skins. They've launched 34 trendy Rouge Holic lipsticks at the Takashimaya counter in Singapore, and these are divided into 2 textures; cream and matte.

Here are 10 bestsellers, lip swatched for reference. It's a pain to swatch so many lipsticks in a row but I personally love watching lip swatch vids, so maybe someone else will find some pleasure in this LOL.

Cream shades featured

277 Lala Orange - creamy tangerine with a slight pink undertone once swatched.
112 Killing Pink - bright doll pink with a coral hue; more wearable than I was expecting.
247 Stunning Coral - stunning is right; this is more of a coral with MLBB beige/neutral tones thrown in. Extremely flattering.
297 Flame - gorgeous bright orange; total love.
327 Tempting Cherry - lovely wearable rich raspberry shade right between pink and red.

Maybelline Total Temptation Shadow + Highlight Palette and Mascara

Maybelline just released their Total Temptation Shadow + Highlight palette along with Total Temptation Mascara this weekend. Retailing at a reasonable S$26.90 for the palette and $21.90 for both waterproof and regular mascaras, I wanted to try them out on camera to see if these were as value-for-money as they seemed.

The palette contains a warm half with 4 shadows and a highlighter, and a cooler half with the same. No reason you can't mix and match, but I just wanted to see how they'd look separately.

VERDICT:

I'll just say I like the palette, and I love the mascara (non-waterproof formula).
The palette's formula is velvety and amazing - very good quality and the colors are gorgeous.

This Week's Power Lip: Armani Lip Magnet 400

Selfie via Instagram Story: Armani Lip Magnet 400

It's weird that even with 101 reds in your collection, you can still find room to obsess over another.

Cue Armani Beauty Lip Magnet 400, the classic true-red that's the signature color of the brand itself. It looks a little tomato-toned in the tube, more Louboutin than Armani, but don't worry. It goes on a vibrant rouge red.

Swatch of scarlet: Armani Lip Magnet 400

I know many people don't like these cos they were expecting a true liquid-to-matte non-transferring liquid. I like the silky smooth texture and the way it "semi" sets to a smooth finish without the wrinkly dried look. Another plus is how this doesn't make me want to claw my parched lips off my face. Do I wish it was transfer-proof? Maybe; when I'm about to chomp heartily into some food mostly, but otherwise I don't really mind.

I find I need to touch-up transfer-proof liquids after a meal ANYWAY. With these, at least touching up is a breeze as the formula melts onto itself when you spot-apply.

As someone who loves the sheerer, slower-setting liquid lip formulas like Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets and YSL Tatouage Coutures, which have a textureless, less-drying finish, this is similar but one step more comfortable, if not as lasting. 

This Week's Face! Makeup (and Fragrance) I've Been Wearing Recently

Here's a run-down of the things that I've used repeatedly in the past week or two! I'm on a drive to rotate through older makeup that I love but have neglected for awhile, and mix them in with newer things I'm testing for the purposes of review.

The It Cosmetics CC+ Oil-Free Matte SPF40 I've reviewed. I do enjoy it, but I don't consider it a long-wear or oil-control foundation technically. It's a more lasting, less dewy alternative to a BB/daily foundation with great coverage and skin benefits. And I like it very much for day wear, but if I need to look perfected or it's a special occasion, I would still reach for other foundations.

Ye Old Chocolate Bar

My Chocolate Bar is so old it doesn't have the shade names printed on. Ironically I LOVED this when it first launched. A lot more than the Naked palettes. But I featured it a couple of times and then never used it after that. That's the thing about neutral palettes; we love them but they are the easiest to set aside when newer things launch because they are so easily substituted.

So I decided to give it a workout for a week. 

A selection of lip shades I've been rotating between lately

Mattes are it for me. Liquid more than sticks, surprisingly. And it's taken me years to finally find out which formulas I like and how to wear them in a way that don't make me want to claw my lips off.

I have very dry lips and small lips besides, so thick, heavy liquid lips can be the worst thing to apply. Don't want shriveled, shrunken, "butt-hole" lips. So I stick with traditional matte lipsticks and creams that are not transfer-proof. But I learnt that very lightweight liquid formulas that can be sheered out look great and don't give me dried prune lips. Formulas that fit what I want include YSL Tatouage Couture (closest to perfect for my tastes), Huda Beauty, NARS Power Matte Pigments, Bourjois Rouge Edition liquids, Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Potions and Etude House's new Matte Chic Lip Lacquers.

I have found these to not crack after drying, and if you're light-handed, don't look excessively wrinkly.

Clockwise from top-left: Etude House Wendy Brown BR401,  Cle de Peau Beaute Lip Cashmere 104 & 105, YSL Tatouage Couture #8, Huda Beauty Icon

It Cosmetics CC+ Oil-free Matte SPF40 Review

One of the products that I was most excited about at the recent Sephora Press Day in Singapore was the Oil-free Matte version of It Cosmetics' bestselling CC+. Living in sunny Singapore, who wouldn't want a matte, oil-free, pore minimizing version of the full-coverage high-SPF skincare cream? 

Even as someone with combination-dry skin, I was excited to try a more sweat-resistant and less creamy version of my favorite BB/CC-type product the past 1-2 years. 

Ingredients Run-down

It Cosmetics CC+ Oil-Free Matte ingredients

First off, the ingredients list is impressive as usual. They have all the signature skin-pampering and calming extracts, with the addition of tea tree extract, sulfur, willow bark extract (salicylic acid), charcoal powder and niacinamide, traditionally great for troubled, oily, spot-prone skin. I've not had any significant breakouts ever since I cut down on my sugar intake a couple of months back but I do work out about 5-6 days a week and I can get clogs and black heads, so I would never turn down pore-clearing ingredients.

There aren't really many ingredients in here that would be overly-drying for drier skins despite the inclusion of sulfur, willow bark extract, and charcoal powder. There are just too many conditioning agents. Even though I have dry areas, this did not dry me out and felt comfortable through the day. 

Shade Range