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!

ETUDE House Colour Factory: Find A Perfect Lip Shade

Etude House recently launched their Colour Factory service at the spacious Wisma Atria boutique and I will honestly say it's something I'm VERY excited about because color-matching is something that confuses a lot of women.

If you love makeup and want to explore colors but are frequently confused what shades to pick cos some just look "off" on your skin while others seem to give you a radiant glow, you might want to go for a professional color matching service at least once. I first tried this when I was in Seoul a couple of years back, and it totally changed the way I look at colors on myself.

As Asians living in the tropics, most of us have been brought up to think we have a "Warm" skintone and should wear orange, warm-red, gold, olive, and other shades complementary to this type of skin tone. Well, apparently surface melanin from sun exposure can create an optical illusion of sorts, and many girls who have a Neutral (or in my case Cool) undertone can be mystified when bronzes, coppers and other "warm" shades look horrible on us.

Guess no longer.

Tom Ford Lip Contour Duos: Swatches, First Impressions and Top 3

Tom Ford's just launched his new Lip Contour Duos globally, and these are priced at $76 in Singapore, the same as the regular lipsticks.

These slim, sleek tubes come in the signature TF brown with gold details, and one end has a cap protecting the twist-up liner, while the other end has a detachable lipstick tube holding a creamy shade of the same color.

In a sense these are more of convenient lip-to-go duos comprising of matching liners and creamy lipsticks, rather than contouring products, which to me refer to products with shade and light, to alter the contour of features. These lipsticks and liners are pretty much the same shade; in fact the liners are a hair lighter than their companion lipsticks, so don't expect to create ombre lips or 3D lips with these.

That's not a problem to me. I personally don't like the look of a dark lip line, and when it comes to ombre lips I usually play with tone (rosier in the center, more neutral around the outsides) rather than dark and light.

The formula of the lipsticks is extremely smooth and creamy; super comfortable to wear, as you would expect from a lipstick that is this price. Coverage is pretty good; these are not sheer lipsticks. As for the liners, they are a creamy-matte texture and can work on their own as matte lipsticks, but be aware that they all contain a subtle sparkle and have flecks of gold in them, which I don't mind but find a bit curious.

They do an adequate job of preventing bleeding and smearing into lip lines.

If I have to pick just three shades, it would be 

• 04 Show It Off - brown rose
• 06 Devil Inside - orange-red
• 07 Secret Escort - Maraschino cherry red

I do also really like 03 and 05, but as far as neutrals go the deeper rosier browns are more my style (and just more flattering in general), especially if you like the brown-rose 90s lip. And for the brights, I think 06 and 07 are really vibrant and especially pretty.

08, the deep plum would be the only shade I find somewhat patchy compared to the rest. It's a deeper color, and the formula is not quite able to build up to opacity without a full layer of lip liner beneath. Which is fine since there is a matching liner. But I would rather a $76 lipstick not require me to apply a full layer of liner as a base if I don't feel like it.

MAC is Beauty Collection Swatches

The sugary girly MAC is Beauty collection launches 24 April in Singapore, and has a ton of gorgeous color products including 16 Fluidline gel liners, and 12 lipsticks. Perfect for those of us who like a simple swathe of liner and a pop of color on the lips.

Firstly, I apologize for the less-than-perfect liner swatches. There wasn't any brush available where I previewed the products, so I had to make do with cotton buds. These will just give you an idea of the shades and finishes (matte, sparkly or metallic). If you use a proper liner brush, these will go on much more intensely.

Deliciously Rich is a nice sparkly brown. It's not as opaque as the other brown shades as the formula has a tendency to sheer out when you apply it, so you might need to go over a second time after the first layer sets.

I personally love Looking Good and Copperthorn for statement eye looks. You might or might not remember I did a red/wine winged eyeliner look using Make Up Geek's red gel liner previously. It's a LOT more wearable than you think. Copperthorn on the other hand, is like Copper Sparkle pigment on crack.

Blue Peep is a permanent color, and Shade is going to be added to the permanent line as well. Yay because I love this deep green matte liner. It might not look like much, but it's so flattering, and not too loud.

Macroviolet is another fave of mine which is being re-released with this collection, so if you have not tried it, do. It's a deep purple/plum with a slight bronze hue to it. Wear with a matte pinky-brown eye look and see how gorgeous it is. 

Waveline is a classic deep navy/cobalt which is not so dark that it looks black, and not so bright that it looks over-the-top. You get definition as well as color. 

Siahi, I would suggest you check out as well if you love blue-green shades like Tilt, Steamy, etc. The swatch doesn't do it justice.

For the 4 shadows, Yogurt (not swatched here) is a permanent matte pale ivory beige-pink. Of the 3 limited edition shades, I would put my money on Bouffant (frosted peach-pink) and Preening Pale (satin pistachio ice-cream green). Wow Factor looks pretty but if you don't pick up a lot of product and really pack it on, it's the kind of almost-matte shade that will grab on the skin and go on a bit darker and duller than it looks in the pan.

The Cremesheen Glasses I'm not extremely impressed by. But then I've never been a huge fan of Cremesheen Glasses anyway. I think of the 4, Star Quality is the only one that would make much of a difference. The rest just add a bit of shine and the subtlest bit of hue to light or nude lipsticks. If you already own a pale creme-textured gloss, there's no need to get more because they all mostly look the same on the lips.

The lipsticks in this range I LOVE though. There are 12 shades, and I love several.

Reel Sexy, Make Me Gorgeous, Catty and Call the Hairdresser are all super-pretty and lean on the warm side of pink.

The nudes are all sheer and wearable. Which is the way I prefer it. No concealer lips for me. I especially like Real Redhead, which just evens out the lips and doesn't look too rosy or too beige.

The cooler pinks/violets are fun, but I recommend Silly and Diva-ish more than the others. Real Doll is pretty, but a bit sheer, so you will just get a slick of soft cool-pink gleam on the lips. Notice Me is one of those very cool lavender shades that some people can pull off, and most of us can't.

Diva-ish, the deep fuchsia tone, is the most universally wearable, but Silly is so fun. This is not like Candy Yum Yum although the texture is very similar. It's a little lighter and warmer toned. If you want a slightly more "pastel" effect on your lips than you get with Candy Yum Yum, pick this up quick because I just know it will disappear once it's available.

Beauty Powders are always optional. These multi-use powders come in pressed powder compacts and can be used for dusting all over, applied on high points of the face as highlighters, or worn as blush, depending on the shade and your skintone.

Alpha Girl, the warmer coral-peach shade, is matte and will work as a gorgeous blush on pale girls. On medium skin tones, you will need to build it up a bit. On tan to dark skins, it won't show up. 

Pearl Blossom on the other hand is a nice cool-toned pink pearl shade which you can check out if you like the color of NARS Copacabana Multiple, but wish it were less shiny.

MAC Toledo Collection: Swatches Part 1 and First Impressions!

MAC's collaboration with Isabel and Ruben Toledo is probably one of the most fun and eye-catching makeup releases of the entire 2015 Spring season. You can imagine I spent HOURS just taking product shots and swatches. I'll also be doing some looks as soon as I can, so stay posted!

First off, the collection features the following. (Please note there are a couple of items which are pending at present time, and I'll update the blog with visuals of the full collection as soon as they arrive.)

• 3 "Eye Shadow x 6" palettes
• 3 Blush Ombres *1 shade pending
• 3 Nail Lacquers
• 6 Lipsticks (Matte) *1 shade pending
• 6 Lipglasses
• 4 mascaras *1 shade pending
• 1 Makeup Pouch *visuals pending
• 1 Makeup Brush
• 3 Eye Pencils *visuals pending

The white packaging features Ruben Toledo's eclectic graphic designs, and are collectible in their own right. But all the packaging in the world can't make a good collection if the products don't actually perform. And I'm happy to say there are lots of gems in this collection.

Before I get into the swatches, I'll say first that my absolute favorite products in the entire collection are the lipsticks. They're ALL matte, ALL intense, ALL beautiful colors.

MAC Toledo lipsticks: (from left) Sin,Opera, Tenor Voice, Barbecue, Oxblood

If the sheer, glossy Lustre lipsticks in the Red, Red, Red collection aren't quite up your alley, you'll be VERY happy with the ones in the Toledo collection.

• Oxblood - nude with an apricot/peach undertone (like a paler sister of Kinda Sexy)
• Barbecue - tangerine red (a little more orange than Lady Danger)
• Tenor Voice - true red (similar to Ruby Woo but a touch warmer)
• Victoriana - cherry-pink red; I'll update with a swatch as soon as I receive the product
• Opera - deep blue-red (a less brown version of Russian Red)
• Sin - dark blackened plum (Diva with more noir)

Of these shades, only Sin tended towards the dry side and dragged on the skin when applied, similar to the Retro Matte texture you find in Ruby Woo. The rest were very creamy and smooth to apply.

Strangely enough, I would have thought they'd name Sin Oxblood, since that's more of an oxblood color, but - oh well!

MAC Toledo Lipglasses: (from left) Sin, Opera, Victoriana, Barbecue, and Oxblood

The Lipglasses are equally pretty, and very pigmented. The shades are all coordinated with the lipsticks, so if you want extra drama you can simply layer the matching shades over one another.

[Update] I actually missed out Tenor Voice when swatching these.
And you'll see why here.

Tenor Voice is the Lipglass that I missed out. And the 3 reds in the collection are so close in Lipglass format that I didn't even really realize I missed out one.

• Tenor Voice - true red
• Victoriana - red with a hint of cherry-pink
• Opera - red with a hint of blue undertone

I daresay you can get away with picking just 1 out of the 3 reds. These are very close to each other.

Now the Blush Ombres... ahh.

These aren't anything new, and Estee Lauder has ombre blushes in their permanent collection, but these are still pretty regardless. If you've missed previous releases, make sure to grab these with the Toledo collection because the motifed case is much cuter than the original round packaging with the see-through plastic lid.

Toledo Blush Ombres: Azalea Blossom and Kindergarten Red

There's a 3rd shade, Ripe Peach (peach ombre to tan) which hasn't reached me yet.

Ombre blush shades always look like they might be quite scary but if you've ever tried them before you'll know they are very soft and wearable colors. At the same time, I'm not sure if these would work on those with very dark skin, because they MIGHT go on slightly too pastel.

Still, both shades are gorgeous (I swatched them with an ombre effect so you can see how it would look on the skin) and I can't pick a favorite.

MAC Modern Twist Lash mascaras: Cligrafy, Tarot, and Vynil (yes it's spelt like this on purpose - at least I hope so)

I have to say I haven't had time to try the Modern Twist Lash formula yet, so I won't do a performance review here, but there are 4 shades available with the collection. Black, purple, a deep peacocky blue-green which is quite subtle, and a lime (which I don't have with me).

From the brush alone, I'm not entirely sure how obvious Caligrafy would be on the lashes - especially if you have dark hair. It's quite a subtle ultramarine.

The 3 palettes are the most eye-catching, but I do have to say the performance is not consistent. For every palette, the last shade on the right (dark matte) was consistently patchy and hard to apply. Most of the rest are quite smooth though.

Also, do remember that many of the shades are in the permanent collection, so unless you're a collector, make sure you swatch in the store and are sure you don't already own the shades you like most. 

MAC Toledo Bellgreens palette swatches 

All the shades in the Bellgreens palette were very smooth, except for Sushi Green, which was very patchy, gritty and hard to apply evenly.

MAC Toledo Moodyblu palette swatches 

If you like strong payoff and silky pigmentation, then the Moodyblu palette is probably one that would score the lowest points out of the 3, even though the colors ARE pretty.

Idol Eyes is a Lustre shadow in the permanent collection and not the easiest shade to work with because the flakes of sparkle fall all over and don't like to stick to the lids without a good base. You should not touch it with your fingers too much or it can seal over. Indigogo is very gritty and again, without a good base, the gold glitter in the matte blue will fall off. Exotic Purples was just very uneven and not easy to work with.

MAC Toledo Violetwink palette swatches 

Violetwink is probably my favorite in terms of the colors. It has 3 pinks and neutrals on the left, and 3 violet tones on the right, so you can wear it for a variety of occasions. But again, Overnight and Frizzyplum on the right are quite difficult to work with compared to the rest. (And I fancy myself quite an expert swatcher to begin with...)

Still the 4 shades on the left more than make up for it. Sweet Allure, French Clay, and Tendersmoke I don't remember having seen before and definitely are not in the permanent collection. And they're gorgeous. Stars 'n' Rockets is a popular favorite for pink/purple shadow lovers, so if you don't already own it, its inclusion in this palette allows you to create slightly brighter looks.

I'll get down to doing a few makeup looks with some of these colors soon - and also add on visuals of the items which are pending, but these are just my first impressions of the collection. Overall, I really like it and I'd definitely suggest everyone check out the lipsticks and glosses.

In Singapore, the collection launches 27 Feb in Sephora ION, and 3 Mar island-wide.

Tom Ford Spring 2015 Lip Color Shine Releases

Tom Ford Lip Color Shines in (from left) Sultry, Frivolous, Unabashed and Lust

Now I haven't actually tried any Lip Color Shines from the Tom Ford range before this, because I generally avoid sheer shiny lipsticks.

It's just a quirk of mine because I find more "shine" lipsticks don't last, go on or wear off patchy, are not pigmented, and I just hate the thought of paying for more emollients when I can get the same effect layering a pigmented lipstick over a balm.

But when I had the chance to try the 4 new additions to Tom Ford's range, I just couldn't resist it. Especially since they're all such incredibly wearable MLBB (my lips but better) colors.

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine swatches: Sultry, Frivolous, Unabashed and Lust

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how pigmented and rich they were. They're almost opaque. The only difference being the level of shine in these. Then again, do bear in mind that my lips aren't very pigmented or rosy, so lip colors do tend to stay quite true on my lips.

One of my favorites in this series is Sultry, a creamy apricot-y beige.

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine Sultry

Another shade I think should be quite popular is Frivolous, which is a nude-pink with warm undertones. 

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine in Frivolous

 One other favorite of mine is the pinkest of the bunch, Unabashed. It's not quite a bright pink, but it's also not a "natural" color compared to the rest.

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine in Unabashed

The final shade is a warm rosy-tan beige called Lust. Now this is a much deeper shade than my lip color, but if you have tan skin it would probably sit really beautifully and work as a daily MLBB shade.

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine in Lust

I took my time to review these because I hadn't really been able to wear anything on my lips for a week or two due to allergies, but now that I'm back to wearing lipsticks, I've been rotating these non-stop. 

I almost hate to say that because shiny lipsticks tend to run out much faster, and obviously these are as expensive as they come.

But they feel so plush and balmy and rich.

Tom Ford Lip Color Shines retail at SGD72 in February 2015.

Marc Jacobs reaches Singapore!

Pictured:
202 The Tease palette (purples and neutrals)
204 The Starlet palette (full-on metallics)
Lip Gel in 118 Roll The Dice - rosy fuchsia pink Lip Gel in 122 All The Way - soft glossy coral
Shameless Bold Blush in 212 Outspoken - soft pastel cool-pink (it looks lavender in the pan)
Re(marc)able Concealer no 3 - this concealer texture is REALLY remarkable….

[Requested] Shu Uemura Sweet Red Collection Swatches

There was a request to do lip swatches for the Fall 2013 Sweet Red collection by Shu Uemura, especially for those of you who can’t swatch it in-store. All shades above are done without liner or primer so you can see the textures!

Shu Uemura Sweet Reds limited edition lipsticks

What you need to know is this collection of 6 jelly-like shades departs from typical opaque fiery reds. Though they feel smooth and slick like balm-lipsticks, they go on evenly without that annoying streakiness and patchiness. There’s also a lot more sheen.

Aside from Lacquer Red which is a true red, 3 of these go on coral-toned and 2 a slightly rosy-tone. They can be worn sheer or built up in 2-3 coats, which is how you’ll get the best “jelly” sheen.

Shu Uemura Sweet Red lipstick swatches (from left) Dolly Red Lucid, Sweet Devil Rouge, Baby Flame, Mon Shu Red Pure, Lacquer Red, and Spiky Rose

1. Dolly Red Lucid (creme) - the softest and most translucent shade in the collection, this is a soft pink-toned coral.
2. Sweet Devil Rouge (creme) - a true semi-sheer warm-toned coral.
3. Baby Flame (shimmer) - jelly-like coral with a rosy-pink shimmer. Probably the most unique shade of the bunch.
4. Mon Shu Red Pure (shimmer) - a cooler-toned, rosier version of Baby Flame, with paler shimmer.
5. Lacquer Red (Creme) - the truest red of the bunch, this layers up to a more intense finish than the rest of the shades. If you like red but find opaque ones too scary, try this glossy one.
6. Spiky Rose (Creme) - the “blue”-toned red of the bunch, this is a beautiful rosy shade that can be worn like a stain, or layered to an almost-red.

Tips for wearing these:

• Sweet Red lipsticks are sheer and glossy, so they are great if you have dry or thin lips, and it’s not necessary to wear a balm under them, as that would just make them slide around.
• The glossiness means these won’t last as well as typical lipsticks which have more pigment. To make sure they stay on longer, and don’t bleed into fine lines, coat your lips with nude lip liner first.
• I’d also say they are quite skin-tone flattering because there are a lot of soft undertones in these reds and a conditioning texture so if typical reds tend to look too severe and aging on you or you want a more youthful sheen to the lips, check these out.
• Sweet Reds are out in the US already and should also already be available everywhere Shu is sold by October!

Shu Uemura Sweet Red lipstick in "Lacquer Red", the true red of the bunch.

To see all 6 lip swatches, click here!

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Swatches!

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick picks: (from front) Flat Out Fabulous, Steady Going, Runway Hit, and Relentlessly Red

To see lip swatches and a full review, visit this link!

MAC Flat Out Fabulous

My Favorite Nude Lip: Lime Crime Coquette Swatches and Review

Nude lipstick swatches: Barry M Pale Nude, Lime Crime Coquette, and Revlon Soft Nude.

Finding the perfect nude lipstick is like finding the perfect red. It's hard because it's different for everybody. I don't know why it took so long for me to try Lime Crime'sCoquette, considering I bought so many of their other lip colors.

I guess I just figured I should only get the unconventional shades because a nude is so easily accessible from most brands. Right? Wrong. I just wore it to work and got 3 compliments on the shade before lunch.

Lime Crime Coquette Lip Swatch

Color:

It's not a concealer-nude on my NC25 skin, but it will be if you are deeper-toned than NW25 or NC30.

I love it on my skin because it's got some warmth/pink in the formula (see the swatches against Barry M and Revlon above) and not too pale, too grey, or too brown. Because I have so little red in my skin, wearing something too brown or pale makes me look like a walking corpse. This, for me, has a hint of blush in it and is perfect for that kitten-ish Brigitte Bardot look with dark lids and lots of liner and mascara.

Opacity/Texture:

When I swiped this on, I was first impressed by how I did not need any lip primer to even out my lip tone ahead of time. Coquette went on in an even layer and didn't sink into lines like some sheer or waxy pale lipsticks can. It goes on creamy (like a MAC Amplified Creme) and sets into a satin finish an hour later, which is perfect for me.

Wear:

This is not meant to be a long-wearing lipstick but it's lasted pretty darned well so far. After about 3-4 hours of wear (with plenty of talking and some drinking), it will become less opaque and settle into lip lines a little, but that's only noticeable if you hold a mirror a few inches from your lips and stare), but that's much less than other nude lipsticks have. I only need to press my lips together every once in awhile to even it out, and then touch up after I eat.

It also does not make my sensitive lips flake or feel too dry.

Scent:

Unoffensive, comforting Vanillin flavor, like MAC.

Coquette retails for US$15.99 on Limecrimemakeup.com.