Sunday "Face of the Day": Gold and Chocolate feat. some Recent Faves

INGLOT's reopened in Singapore (a temporary pop-up at Robinsons JEM from now until Aug 2016) after a short hiatus, and one of the star launches you should check out is the HD Lip Tint Mattes.

When it comes to matte liquid lipsticks, I tend to go for the reds, nudes, pinks, purples... This time round I suddenly thought I should go for the one shade that is severely under-represented in my very bloated lip color collection. Brown.

I can't wear browns usually. They make me look a bit dead. The exception is when they are very deep and dark. And this is a PERFECT shade for this sort of uber-matte velvet texture. Looks like antique brown velvet. So I'm very in love with this lip product right now.

I did also want to put on a number of other recent things that have really caught my attention.

LANEIGE's reformulated BB Cushion Pore Control

I was raving about this product on Dayre the other day, because I finally feel they've come out with a formula that can resist sweat and shine for a decent amount of time. The original Pore Control cushion was less dewy than the original Whitening formula, but it never really felt like it was made for oilier skins.

This new one sets to a fresh clean feel and doesn't transfer onto your fingers or feel tacky on the skin. It doesn't go to a flat matte, but it also doesn't look shiny, if that makes sense. Give it a couple of minutes and it goes to a demi-matte skin-like texture with light-medium coverage that can blur discolorations and faint blemishes.

I also like the new cushion with the textured, firm surface. I get a more controlled amount of product, and the foundation doesn't just all soak through the puff where it is wasted. This also makes it so much easier for me to clean my puffs regularly.

I'm also testing the new Whitening Cushion from LANIEGE, which has more advanced skincare properties, but so far - just in terms of how they look and perform through the day, the Pore Control formula is my pick. Both formulas have SPF50 PA+++.

ALBION Elegance La Poudre Haute Nuance

Now this gorgeous thing is ALBION's Elegance La Poudre Haute Nuance. If you're like me, you probably did not know ALBION had a powder. This Japanese skincare brand is famed for their robust science and research, and being suppliers to the Japanese royal family.

But they've also launched a permanent line of skin illuminating powder, a la Guerlain Meteorites.

The Elegance La Poudre Haute Nuances were previously a limited edition holiday release (SG$125 for the 8.8g pan, $188 for the 27g), but were so popular that the brand has decided to include them into the permanent line-up. Yay for us.

The best-seller and classic shade is I, which I am testing here.

The powder texture is so fine that you get a very matte, poreless look and a very illuminated effect because of the color-correctors. There is no shimmer at all. The powder is also designed to be oil and water resistant, so it keeps you looking fresh for longer.

It comes with a small soft puff, and you use it like a pressed powder, but I personally prefer to use a small soft brush instead, because illuminating powders can leave a bit of a cast around the edges of your face which powder puffs only exacerbate - and powder puffs tend to be the worst culprits because they deposit so much product around the outsides.

If you're bringing the gold compact out for touch-ups by all means use the puff; most of us touch up around the T-zone and inside areas of the face. This can brighten and counteract some of the oxidation and darkening that tends to occur when wearing foundations for more than a few hours.

Now my point makeup: INGLOT!

Because my lips were so dark and matte, I wanted luminous iridescent lids to balance out the look.

INGLOT has released about 5 new AMC Pure Pigment Shadows (SG$29) this season - and I always love these things because they are often duochrome, or even triple-chrome. Turn you face different angles, and you get 2-3 different colors on the lids. I picked out 3 faves - 22, 118, and 119.

INGLOT AMC Pure Pigment Shadows in 22 (left) and 118.

For today's look, I went with a brown chubby pencil around the lid and lashes (MAC Bitter Clove) just to add some shape and definition first, then layered on the pigments. 

I like to use these damp, with a drop of mixing liquid or Duraline for all-day wear. You can also use eye drops. Just dampen your finger, dip it into the pigment, and then smooth the mixture over your lids like a cream.

As for the lips, I've already mentioned the HD Lip Tint Matte in shade 18 (SG$32). This goes on a milk chocolate color but they almost always darken after a few minutes, so make sure you leave the swatches on your skin for a few minutes before picking a shade.

This formula actually feels pretty lightweight and not as dry as I feared. And it does set to a perfect matte in a minute without looking patchy. These don't smudge or feather, and I also don't use lip liners with them because they are quite precise. Just arm yourself with a clean cotton bud to rub out any mistakes before the product sets.

Makeup before/after!

Tips and Tricks: Wearing dark berry-brown-plum lipsticks

Swatch flower: Revlon Raisin Rage against different eye shadow alternatives

Someone messaged me to ask about how to wear dark berry/plum/purple-toned lipsticks, specifically NYX Very Berry and NYX Eggplant. NYX Eggplant is quite an odd and unique shade (pearlescent deep purple with grey tones), so I'll break this post into 3 parts.

1. Eyeshadows to wear with a dark creme berry/brown (NYX Very Berry)

2. Eyeshadows to wear with a dusky grey purple (NYX Eggplant)

3. General Application options

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Eyeshadows

Since most people will usually go for a rich prune shade like Very Berry, I did a "swatch flower" using Revlon Raisin Rage, which is very similar to Very Berry which I don't own. (I'm not going to list neutral beige-browns and black because those go with pretty much any lip color, so I'm going to just list alternatives to those.)

Starting from the top, and running clock-wise.

1. A pale duochrome ivory-gold: This looks beautiful contrasted with a dark lip. It brigtens up your eye area without overpowering or taking attention away from the lip. Options: MAC Vanilla pigment (not shadow), Lime CrimeNymph, The Body Shop Eye Shimmer #02 Gold.
2. A soft champagne beige: Slightly less low-key. This is the kind of shade that will allow you to rock that dark lip in more conservative environments. (Well, I would anyway.) You can get this color ANYWHERE, so just run down to the nearest drugstore. If you want to check out alternatives, try: I Nuovi Metallogy in Champagne, NYX Champagne, or MAC Jest
3. Rich copper sparkle: I don't like wearing bright coppers usually because I feel it makes my eyes look swollen, but this is the one product that I DO like. MAC Copper Sparkle pigment is not really an eyeshadow pigment. It comes in tiny flecks like crushed metal foil, so you need to use a base and clean off any fallouts, but once it's on, it's gorgeous.
4. Soft Silver/Ash: A touch more dramatic than a pale yellow gold, because silver contrasts more with the deep prune-brown. Good if you want a more noticeable look, but don't want to go overboard with the eyes. MAC Cyber from the Metal X Collection is a true silver, while Palladium (swatched here) will look good if silver is too stark on you and you want more warmth.
5. True Purple: If you really want more drama, I personally prefer purple in combination with a dark brown/plum-toned lip. This in no way means you can't wear other bright colors, but it might feel like a bit too much for some people. Try Urban Decay Ecstasy (shimmery rich purple-plum), MAC Vibrant Grape (deeper low-sheen purple) or for max drama, Lime Crime Empress(strong, incandescent royal-purple)

Read the rest of the post here!