5 Favorite Neutral Eye Palettes: Jan - Jun 2015

I'm a huge fan of neutrals, obviously, and I have a ton, but I figured I should narrow things down and just feature 5 of my absolute favorites - the ones that are not only in permanent collections (no limited editions!) but that I would pick over the others for various reasons.

And no - there isn't a single Naked palette in here because nobody needs another post about a Naked palette!

Wet n Wild Silent Treatment Trio - Budget/Drugstore

This one I've loved for a few years now and forgot about it until I did a clean-out and rediscovered it earlier this year. Not only is it cheap as chips, the quality and color combination are absolutely outstanding. A little powdery and crumbly maybe, but that's small price to pay.
That metallic taupe is one of the most gorgeous shadows around, and I'd say the palette is worth the price just for that shade alone, although the other 2 shades are pretty good too.

Sephora Colorful 5 Pale to rich taupe palette - Mid range

With the exception of the dark matte shade, which takes a bit of effort to build up in intensity, this palette is BEAUTIFUL quality. In fact I would say the pearlescent shades are actually equal in quality to high-end Dior or Marc Jacobs palettes.

The palette isn't much to look at packaging-wise, but the product itself is great and can take you from subtle day looks to dramatic smoky or sparkly looks as well.

Dior Eye Reviver Illuminating Neutrals palette 001 - High-end

Dior has several neutral palettes, including the very beautiful Cuir Cannage which I have a deep love for. But if you have to pick just one, I believe the Eye Reviver palette gives you more options for the price because it's got a matte base shade, and a gel liner as well.
I'm not a huge fan of having cream/gel products in the same palette with powders, but even if you ignore the liner, there are 5 beautifully creamy powder shades. Definitely a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Cognac Sable - Luxe

Tom Ford quads are - in Singapore - some of the best high-end shadows to invest in considering how much product you get for the price, high though it might be. The colors are all tastefully assembled and the textures are ultra flattering even for mature eyelids. Plus, they are very silky and have minimal fall-out.

I've loved almost every single Eye Color Quad I bought but my favorite warm palette has got to be Cognac Sable. Golden Mink is pretty but in terms of versatility, it loses to Cognac Sable, because this is a palette where you can get away with putting any single shade all over your lids, and you would be able to get 4 completely different effects, from soft to sparkly to smoky to dramatic.

With Golden Mink, the differences between the shades aren't that apparent compared to Cognac Sable.

By Terry Eye Designer Palette - Luxe

I probably don't need to say too much about this 10-shade matte palette because I have a full post with swatches of every single shade right here. You definitely don't need to spend so much on a neutral palette when there are many other options around, but if you're in the market for a splurge that is as practical as it is luxurious, this is it. 

Recent Obsessions: Cargo Beach Blush in Echo Beach, and Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Oh So Sexy Eyeshadow Quad

There are a few brands that are not available in Singapore, but that I wish were.

These include names like Cargo, Physicians' Formula, Hourglass, NIA24, Cover Girl, Kevyn Aucoin, Becca, etc. Funnily enough, several of these brands like Hourglass, Becca, NIA24 and Cover Girl USED to be available in Singapore, but were dropped because not enough of the local crowd was interested in their products at that time.

So I pretty much have to rely on online stores such as iherb.com, luxola.com and allcosmeticswholesale.com (among others) to get my fix of these brands these days. (Then again, honestly, aside from the fact that we often can't access the full range online, things are actually cheaper online even with international shipping cost added in, than they are likely to be with all the insane retail markups in Singapore.)

Just for reference, we pay $30 for a MAC shadow. That's USD22 for something that's USD15 for those of you in America. I also often like to point out that Revlon Colorstay foundation costs about $40 in Singapore. (That's USD29 for a drugstore product. Yeeeap.)

Side-track aside, I did recently purchase some Cargo Beach Blushes, and I'm totally into Echo Beach at the moment, a tawny, coral-red striped blush. It looks way too intense for my light-medium skin, but really - Cargo blushes are always very buildable and easy to control. This goes on as a soft warm blush, and then builds to a more intense reddened-tan tone. 

Cargo Echo Beach swatch

To be honest, I really don't recommend that you try to split the strips up and use the colors separately. Too much trouble to be worth it. It looks fine all swirled together.

Cargo Echo Beach blush - separate swatches

Of course, if you really want, you can try to split them, but with the exception of the red-coral shade, the colors are not SO different that it would be worth the hassle. My preference is just to swirl together, sweep on, and enjoy.

The good thing about these iridescent bronzer + blushes, is that they do give color and a sculpted effect all at one go. They catch the light at the peaks of your cheekbones, and will look more shaded and deep in the hollows, so you almost look like you applied separate products when you didn't.

On lighter skins, use a light hand. It can give that pretty sunburnt effect. On darker skins, I think it would be equally beautiful, and probably a better alternative to NARS Orgasm.

My only beef with these Beach blushes? They break quite easily. Be careful not to knock the tins around or once you find a corner chipping off, it will keep breaking even if you don't carry it around much after that. Mine got significantly chipped, and I've read a lot of reviews online complaining about how easily they shatter and crumble compared to other blushes. If you're the type that brings your blush with you in your makeup bag, this might not be for you. (I'm not certain if it's the same with Cargo's regular blushes; none of mine have chipped yet.)

I also own Sunset Beach and Tenerife Matte, which I love as well. Do you have any Cargo favorites to recommend?

Aside from Cargo's Beach Blushes, I've also been really quite into this modest looking little quad, the Oh So Sexy Eyeshadow Quad from Physician's Formula's Sexy Booster line. I'd picked this up on a whim when I was in California late last year, and I hadn't expected to like it so much. To be honest, it's a bit too metallic for all 4 shades to be pearlescent, and the 2 lighter shades sometimes look too close on the lids to be worn together. But even with all these criticisms, I've found myself reaching for it constantly. Over my Tom Fords, Chanels, NARS, and Diors.

The shadows have a powdery cocoa-vanilla frosting type of smell, and are supposed to be infused with pheromone mimicking ingredients (to turn him on) and horny goatweed (to turn you on).

Honestly, forget all that crap. And it is marketing crap. Even if horny goatweed really works (there is no definitive medical proof that it does) there can't be enough in the shadow to absorb into your skin through a teeny tiny layer of shadow, and cause any impact to your mood. 

And pheromones? Oh gawd. The entire idea is ludicrous.

Pheromones in nature are meant for animals and insects to locate their ideal mates because they give clues about someone's general health and genetic makeup. So everyone's ideal mate might be quite different. If anyone can even detect or smell the fake pheromones in your shadow (which is unlikely since human ability to detect and respond properly to pheromones has greatly deteriorated in the last hundred thousand years or so), how would you be sure what KIND of person is attracted to this fake pheromone which a thousand other girls are wearing in the city? Is your date suddenly going to turn around and be equally attracted to the girl at the next table because she is wearing the same quad? 

Long story short, buy the shadow because it's good. But forget the other B*****t and try to forgive the brand for insulting your intelligence. We should petition them to cut out all the "Exotic" ingredients and charge a lower price for these. Why are we paying for fancy ingredients that do nothing except drive up cost?

Physicians Formula Oh So Sexy Eyeshadow Quad swatches

Rant aside, these shadows are gorgeous. The texture is almost buttery. I haven't even bothered to use them wet (which you can do), because they already look good enough dry.

And that powdery vanillin smell is quite addictive, strangely enough. Not like anything I'd ever want to eat or wear as perfume. But most shadows have no smell so it's an extra bit of fun! But this is just an extra.

All a good eye quad needs to do is look great on the lids. And this one definitely does.

Favorites: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad 01 Golden Mink

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad 01 Golden Mink

I know all about obsessions with Tom Ford Eye Color Quads. After all, I own 8 of them.

As far as favorites go, I definitely have to go with the neutrals. They're a big investment up-front but they last forever cos you get 10g of product, and the shades are silky smooth, high-quality and flattering even if you have mature skin.

Out of the quads I have, the most-used one of 2014 has got to be 01 Golden Mink. Oddly enough, it's not actually my favorite neutral TF palette. I think Cocoa Mirage has a better balance of dark to light shades, and Cognac Sable has a more interesting and glamorous mix of smoky colors.

But for some odd reason, Golden Mink is still the one I reach for most often. 

Tom Ford 01 Golden Mink swatches

Maybe it's the versatility. You get 2 very wearable and flattering iridescent brown-tones; one a taupe bronze, the other a rich cocoa. These 2 shades are my regular whisk-on-and-go daily colors. 

At the same time, there are 2 sparkle shades. Now if you've never tried Tom Ford's glitter shadows, you'll be interested to know these are semi-cream textures. The ultra-fine glittery mica particles are suspended in a translucent silicone base, so they go on feeling dry, but they adhere and smooth on like cream shadows. 

My only criticism is that the 2 sparkle shades look very similar once applied on the lids and blended with the other shadows (both vaguely pale beige-gold sparkles), and they probably only needed 1 in there, not 2. Having a 3rd satin shadow there - like a champagne highlight color - would have given a wider range of look possibilities.

But still, this is a nice palette to have, and by far the one I've gotten the most compliments on whenever I've worn it out or shared looks on Instagram, etc.

My favorite way of applying it is to blend the taupe-bronze on the inner half of lids, the deeper chocolate shade on the outer half of lids. This gives a subtle smoky neutral eye which is pearlescent but not overly metallic. 

Then to finish off, I like to apply a concentrated strip of one of the sparkle shades down the center of the lid, and just around the tear-duct area of the inner corners, to create a subtle gleaming "wet" look.

Tom Ford 01 Golden Mink on lids, Anna Sui Length & Separation Mascara 001

Most times I'll jazz it up further with dark brown liner, but in most cases, this is a very easy and grown-up way to wear glitter. And I DO wear it to work in a conservative environment. 

My Fledgling NARS Eyeshadow Duo Obsession

NARS Alhambra and Habanera swatches

 I have a bit of an obsession with NARS eyeshadow duos. Well - not all, but several of them.
Especially the neutrals and metallics.

My most recent acquisitions are Alhambra (soft apricot-gold beiges) and Habanera (silver-sage and -charcoal-plum).

NARS Eye Shadow Duos in Alhambra (left) and Habanera (right)

Now, many people criticize them for often not being wearable together. E.g. 2 of my absolute faves are Cordura and Kalahari (below), or Isolde - another one of my faves - and the colors are close enough that if you wore them both on the lids, you might not see a huge difference.

Well, compared to typical duos which are designed to be worn together, I see NARS duos as "themed colors". They may or may not work together, but it's a theme. I.e. if you like the left shade in Kalahari, you'll probably also want to own a shade like the one on the right. So they give you both together, even if you wear them separately.

My recommendation is to see them all as single NARS shadows in a more economical format. This opens up your options. I'd pair any of the shades in Alhambra with the dark prune color in Habanera. And I'd wear the silver-sage green in Habanera with any other dark shade from any other palette.

Anyone have a similar weakness for these?

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Swatches and Review: Kiss Me Quick and What A Blast!

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil swatches with matching lip colors

I've started to use lip liners more regularly just to keep the borders of my lip colors crisp and defined, and realized I didn't own a single good true-red and strong orange. On a recent getaway, I popped by the MAC counter near my hotel and happened to see a beautiful orange and it turned out to be the Pro Longwear pencil in What A Blast! (Yes, exclamation mark included.) 

The color was perfect, and since I hadn't tried any of the Pro Longwear pencils before, I decided to get my basic red pencil from the Pro Longwear line as well, instead of the regular line as well. The Pro Longwear Lip Pencil equivalent of a strong deep true-red is Kiss Me Quick. 

Nib close-up of Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in Kiss Me Quick (left) and What A Blast! (right)

These are regular pencils that require sharpening (not automatic), and when I swatched them in the store, I really wasn't expecting the texture to be just as soft and pigmented as any of the regular pencils. You'd think long wearing pencils would be harder and dryer, but these aren't. They don't drag on your lips and they do not darken and clump on the lips. The color goes on true, and you can definitely wear these on their own as super-matte velvety lips (see image below for a thicker filled-in swatches).

Daylight swatches of Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in Kiss Me Quick and What A Blast!

The lipsticks I'm personally using with these are swatched along with the pencils in the top image.

Kiss Me Quick, being a basic deep red, is extremely versatile and goes with just about any strong red lipstick. The flash brings out differences in tones, but the shades are extremely good matches in real life.

For the oranges, I had intended to match it to Lime Crime's My Beautiful Rocket (What A Blast! is just slightly deeper than My Beautiful Rocket, which makes it perfect as a definer for that lipstick), but it works with a more reddened coral like Barry M Sunset as well.

The drawback for me is that the Pro Longwear pencils (1.2g) are shorter than the regular MAC Pencils (1.36g), but cost more. Then pro is that you really do need to reapply these less throughout the day.

MAC Pro Longwear pencil lined up cap-to-cap with MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in  Process Magenta.

Why should you buy these?
They stay on incredibly well. For something that is so pigmented and soft, they really last. I'd actually swatched them and then left the store without purchasing anything. (I figured I could always order NYX liners from Beautyjoint for a fraction of the price.) The next afternoon, after showering and lots of hand-washing, I discovered that the liner swatches were still there (though more faded) on the back of my hand, and rubbing hard with a tissue couldn't remove the traces. It finally took an oil based remover and lots of vigorous rubbing to get these off completely.

 I was sold. I went right back to the nearest MAC store and got them.

Most Worn Lipsticks of 2011

I can't believe I made this post and totally forgot to post it last month!!

Any makeup collector or fanatic will understand what I mean when I say that lipstick and mascara are probably the 2 things that I finish on a regular basis. Most of the time, I cycle through so many products that I can probably count the number of beauty items I have constantly used up and repurchased on one single hand.

Considering that half the time, I actually throw out mascaras when they are 3 months old or when they dry up and stop performing, and not because they are completely used up, that leaves lipstick as the sole surviving item that I use consistently.

This list is a run-down of some of my favorite and most-worn lipsticks this year. They tend to be a variation of pinks, nudes, and rosies as these are the shades I always wear. Click here for the TUMBLR post about my top 8, and let me know what yours were!

Favorite Eye Pencils

Mattes (L-to-R): Revlon Matte Kohl Eyeliner in 05 Very Violet, Make Up Store Vanilla matte pencil,  Revlon Matte Kohl  Eyeliner in 04 Pure White, The Body Shop Special Edition Kajal Eyeliner #01

1.  Revlon Matte Kohls are great because they are so strong and opaque, but creamy enough to apply without tugging too much on your skin. I like Very Violet along the upper lash line in a colorful kitten flick because it's deep and matte enough for good definition, but you still get strong color. Pure White can be used along the waterline. Note that matte whites tend to work better and stay stronger than pearly ones, which sheer out easily, and will not survive the water line.
2. Make Up Store's Vanilla matte pencil is my absolute favorite pencil. I haven't been able to find a similar matte pale yellow-beige shade from other brands. This is the best possible color for the water line when you want to brighten and widen, without the harshness of white pencil. TIP: I also use it on any dark spots or marks that need some precision concealing.
3. The Body Shop Special Edition Kajal: I liked the creaminess and the twist up tube enough to buy a backup but there are plenty of great black pencils out there, MAC Smolder being one of them. This just happens to be one I enjoy and have on hand.

Metallic liners (L-to-R): Sephora Flashy Liner in 07 Flashy Copper, Bourjois Metallise in 52 Brun Inoxydable, Bourjois Metallise in 54 Bleu Clinquant, Silkygirl Funky Eyelights in 02 Ocean Blue, MAC Eye Kohl in Rosemary & Thyme, and Bourjois Metallise in 87 Vert Eclatant

I don't use my metallic liners as much as I should, but I'm not funky enough to wear these all the time. Liners DO need touching up over the course of the day, ESPECIALLY along the lower lash line and water line, and these are where I tend to apply my metallics.

1. Bourjois Regard Effet Metallise: Great range of shades and great silky textures. These make fantastic eyeshadow bases, and come in some amazingly strong and bright shades that stay true to color when applied. (Some pencils go on duller and sheerer than they appear.)
2. Sephora Flashy Liners: I did not get many shades as I already have a big collection of Bourjois ones, but I do find these very comparable to Bourjois. Flashy Copper is obviously my favorite, but I prefer it over the lids, as it can make your eyes look swollen when worn close at the water line. (It's closer to skin shade for me.)
3. Silkygirl: This is a drugstore brand available in Southeast Asia. It's cheaper than the usual brands like Revlon and Bourjois, but the quality isn't entirely on par. They go on less opaque and less evenly than some other brands. Still, Ocean Blue is a lovely steel-blue leaning towards indigo that I love to wear along the lower lash line, with just a neutral wash of beige-brown on the lids. You just need to re-apply every few hours to keep the color strong.
4. MAC Eye Kohls used to be the only brand of colored liners I owned, but I don't find them to be as metallic and strong in color as other brands, although they are "smokier" in tone. There are still some great shades and if you are shy of color, these are a better way to acclimatize yourself first. Draw along the lash line and smudge with a finger for a hint of smoky definition without too much color.

3 Favorite Budget Makeup Shopping Sites (Jul 2011)

This is a quick and dirty run-down of some of the web-stores I tend to get my budget stash from when I'm shopping online. I assess stores based on not just the product range and price, but also the overall service, and the cost of shipping.

1. Beautyjoint

Product range: Makeup, nail color, a little skincare

Makeup brands: NYX, Milani, Jordana, L.A. Girl
PROS:

• They have some of the best prices for brands like NYX, Jordana, Milani, etc. The range of brands is not huge, but I don't shop elsewhere for these brands because you can seldom beat the price (unless there's some special sale going on elsewhere).
• International Shipping by way of USPS is cheaper than most other sellers although I can't vouch for Domestic. I've bought a lot less items on other sites often for about double the freight cost quoted by Beautyjoint.
  I'm also pleased to say they pack your items very well. I've bought so many items from them in the past few months, and I haven't had a single item that was defective or damaged during the shipping. 

CONS:

• Not that many brands. But this is a minor issue if it's a company philosophy to stock only the brands they can give good prices for.

2. Nonpareil Boutique

Product range: Makeup, bath, skincare, basic tools, hair and fragrance

Makeup brands: NYX, Milani, Wet n Wild, ELF, L.A. Color Cosmetics

PROS:

• They ship Wet n Wild internationally, at good prices. That's good enough for me!
• Packaging is done very well. I've had nary a chipped shadow from them, which is no mean feat.  
• Good shade range (I daresay you'll find just about all available shades for the brands they carry)
• Cheaper than retail.

CONS:

• Their NYX and Milani are cheaper than retail but not cheaper than Beautyjoint.
• The overall site layout and product categorization is a little messy, which is a minus.
• I would consider their International Shipping cost to be moderate. When you are buying sub-$5 items, a $15-20 shipping charge can kill any savings.
• I did get one defective Coloricon palette (Petal Pusher) from them, which had a duplicate crease shade. So I ended up with 7 shades instead of 8. But it could have just been Wet n Wild's fault, and I did not want to bother with exchange as it wouldn't have been worth the shipping cost.

3. Coastal Scents:

Products: Makeup, D.I.Y. makeup and bath ingredients and containers, makeup tools, lashes
Brands: private label (Do note a lot of their products are manufactured in China so if you have any objection to that, you might want to take note. Then again, so is NYX and a whole lot of brands today.)

PROS:

• The hot pots are a pro in and of themselves. Most of them are very good quality. If you can get them during occasional 30% sales, they are extremely worth the money. 
• Shipping is fast and International rates are good.
• Huge range of color products.
• Really cheap brushes.
• Great to be able to buy raw ingredients. I have bought silicones, oils, allantoin and zinc oxide from them, aside from makeup and brushes. 
• Site allows for customer reviews, so you can make a more informed decision.

CONS:

• I've had a hot pot arrive shattered previously
• Their palettes are a little more expensive than ebay sources, but do note that you could get faster shipping if you are in US/EU, and more secure payment as well.
• Quality of products can vary because they are not made and QC-ed by the same manufacturer. Coastal Scents is a reseller and their products are sourced from a range of manufacturers. So their foundations, concealers, blushes, brushes and lashes are not going to all be a similar quality. This is not a criticism actually. Just manage your expectations, do your research, and be an informed buyer, and you'll be all the happier for it.

Happy shopping!