Annick Goutal Rose Pompon eau de toilette review

Annick Goutal has a number of rose-centered fragrances in their line, each one different but somehow designed to be "contemporary" to its time. This year's Rose Pompon is the fourth, and arguably the most flirty, sparkly one.

Rose Absolue in 1984 was an absolute rose bomb of a scent. If you fancy yourself quite the classic rose lover, you might like this blend of Rose de Mai, Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, Rose Damascene, Egyptian rose, and Moroccan rose. This is possibly the most luxurious and opulent rose scent from AG. But you better love your roses.

Ce Soir ou Jamais was launched in 1999, and is the most exotic and enigmatic of the four; Turkish rose with a touch of hibiscus, warm amber, and a musky ambrette. This is the "warmest" of the four rose fragrances in the line, and leans a bit closer to the Oriental category of perfumes.

When Annick's daughter Camille took over after her mother's passing, she launched Rose Splendide in 2010. If Rose Absolue is a bouquet, this is like a single stem of rose; simple, pure and romantic, with a trace of freshness from a silvery, almost minty pear note and fading to a soft sensual skin-like musk. (A bit like towel-dried skin after you showered with rose-scented soap.)

Rose Pompon launched this year in 2016, is a different animal. It is extremely contemporary, in the sense that it is what I call a "pink lady" scent. Like other mainstream bestsellers of today, it starts fruity, fresh and sparkly, has peony to add transparency and lightness to the central floral accord, and a shower-fresh base of woods and white musk. And just as with Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, Burberry Brit Sheer, Versace Bright Crystal, Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede, or the crisper Chanel Chance, it not only has a similar odor profile but is also dressed in girly pink. I bet if you like those, you will like the fluted ombre pink bottle, and the juice of Rose Pompon equally.

Top notes: pink pepper, blackcurrant, raspberry
Heart notes: rose centifolia, Bulgarian rose, Taïf rose, peony
Base notes: cedar, patchouli, white musk.

Probably the best thing about it is the tart juiciness that lasts throughout. It might be the blackcurrant and something about the pink pepper that gives an almost citrus facet to it. And it's linear in a good way; the scent doesn't dissolve into a watery indistinct floral after the first hour. The zesty fruitiness lingers and continues to add a bit of needed dimension and playfulness to the fragrance.

Very unique it is probably not. But pretty, bubbly, accessible and likable it definitely is. And I kinda suspect that was what the brand was aiming for anyway. If you love the mass market premium florals like Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet or Bright Crystal, but want to step it up just a tiny bit this year, Rose Pompon might be one to sniff out and add to your collection.

The main con I can say about it is the projection is not stellar on me. I do have dry skin that does not hang on to fresh scents, and this maybe throws about 1 hour on me before it becomes a light skin scent. I was actually surprised to still smell it lingering on my skin 4 hours later because it was so soft I assumed it was long gone by then. So the lasting power turned out quite decent for an eau de toilette - but it won't be noticeable unless you brush past someone.

Still, it's nice for Spring and warm weather - or those who are ready to try their first rose but don't want something overly heady, strong or sweet.

I personally favor the dreamy, elegant Rose Splendide over this for myself, but then again it might just be that I already own and smelt too many "pink ladies" in the past few years. I do expect Rose Pompon, the new kid on the block, to out-sell Rose Splendide - probably all the Goutal roses - for a while. The life of the party always gets noticed first. (Especially when she wears the prettiest dress as well!)

Rose Pompon comes in an eau de toilette concentration, and is available in 50ml (SGD$179) and 100ml ($235) sizes at Escentials boutiques and counters.

By Terry Eye Designer Palette 1 - Smoky Nude Review, Swatches, Demo

If you ask me what are some of the best luxe neutral palettes to invest in this season, one of them would definitely be By Terry's Eye Designer Palette No 1 in Smoky Nude.

I mean - just look at it!

It's expensive; let's get that out of the way. In Singapore this is $145. But let's not forget that you get 10 full-size shadows (1.4g each); more than 9 MAC shadows. And these colors are idiot-proof. I can find very little that is wrong with this palette other than the fact that I don't like the applicator inside, and I don't particularly love the rubbery purple case, which in my opinion actually doesn't look as posh and luxe as the brand is. 

That's a minor problem, but when you're paying this much, I think you deserve to get the best and most beautiful packaging.

Still, the product more than redeems itself. 

I don't really need to say much besides showing you the swatches. 

1. It is very pigmented. You hardly need to rub to get fantastic payoff.
2. Some chalky shadows can come up pigmented on your fingers, but do not adhere or transfer well onto the lids. That's not the case with this. The color transfers and builds beautifully onto the lids.
3. The colors are mostly matte or satin, but all the textures are consistently smooth to the point of feeling almost buttery. They are incredibly easy to blend, so even if you don't have mad makeup skills, you would probably still be able to get a great look with this.
4. There is a great mix of dark and light shades, spread between warm, cool, and rosy neutral tones.

By Terry Eye Designer Palette 1 - Smoky Nude; top row

By Terry Eye Designer Palette 1 - Smoky Nude; bottom row

And now I'm going to show you a demo, using 4 of the shades for a quick look. Not a dark look, but with enough definition and drama still.

Shade Highlight: OCC Yaoi Lip Tar

I'm a complete OCC Lip Tar addict. I have probably around 40 tubes in total, and have been collecting them since a few years ago. 

Which is strange if you consider the fact that these are some of the most basic beauty products in the world. They are literally oil and pigments/dyes with some preservatives. That's it. But somehow they're just perfect in their simplicity. 

That said, I do happen to prefer most of their creme (or what they now call "Matte") colors because some of the metallic ones can have a slightly odd consistency. The sparkle pigments are a bit coarse, which makes for a more visible sparkle, but also a texture that is more gritty on the lips, and also tends to sink into lines and emphasize flakes more.

The darker metallic shades are much nicer in general than the pale ones because the darkness makes them automatically appear more even. 

But I do love me some Yaoi.

OCC Yaoi worn over fuchsia lip liner

If you didn't know, Yaoi in Japanese refers to "Boys' love" roughly. I.e. a specific genre of manga and fiction in Japan popular among some women, which depicts romantic attraction between boys/men. Don't ask me. I don't get it. But I do get this lip color.

It's a frosty neon, blue-toned candy-pink. In fact, I'd probably describe it as a metallic/semi-sheer version of Candy Yum Yum from MAC.

It's such an over-the-top, potentially-tacky, frosty Barbie color that it's actually cool. 

You can mix a teeny tiny bit with clear gloss for a sheer frosty pink, or just lay it on strong for that shiny lip effect. What I will recommend if you want to wear this at full intensity, is to 

1. apply it over a hot pink lip pencil or a matte lipstick. Lip Tars are oil and pigments. They contain no wax, so they WILL bleed. There is no getting around it. Also, the metals have a bit more of  a tendency to be sheerer and not as opaque and even as the creme textures, so a base layer of color will ensure everything looks even.
2. start small. Apply just a tiny bit first, and add more if you need more. This is more true for the matte colors than the metallic ones, but it's still good to use less because when you over-apply, everything slides around.

Frosty opaque lipsticks have been out of fashion since the 80s, so wearing this looks instantly retro. My favorite OCC pinks are probably still Pretty Boy and Anime, but I have to say - this one is still fun fun fun.

Do you own any metallic Lip Tars? And what colors are they?

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.

Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss Review

Make Up For Ever is replacing their existing lipgloss range with the new range of Plexi-Glosses from 2 April 2015, which will be available in 35 shades at the Pro Loft, and smaller color selections at all Sephoras in Singapore.

The new line promises high shine, extreme color, and great staying power, and I received 5 shades for review, so I'm swatching them all below, and giving you my thoughts on whether it delivers on the 3 promises above.

The new gloss comes in standard plastic tubes but has a rather interesting doe-foot applicator. This has been dubbed the Superflex applicator, and has an extended "flap" on one side which allows you to apply a bit more product in one swipe, and is slightly more flexible so the applicator won't also swipe the gloss right off your lips.

Does it work?

At certain angles yes. You can definitely get a lot more product on your lips than typical applicators. But if you get the angle wrong, the applicator will still swipe away some gloss just like regular applicators. So it's a hit and miss, although it's still a nice gesture because it does cut the amount of time you need to spend dipping back into the tube for more product.

The colors. Now they DEFINITELY deliver on the promise of vibrant, intense color.

Not all of them are opaque. It depends which shade you choose. But as you can see above, with the exception of the translucent sparkly beige (which is meant to be transparent), the rest are incredibly color-true and you can wear this on the lips without a base shade or liner.

You can click on the image below to expand to a larger size for a closer look at each shade, but I'm pretty darned impresswed with the color payoff. I typically do not like shimmery sparkly glosses, but I have to say the ones I tried were really nice.

I do have to point out that the very intense violet does stand out from the skin, which also makes it a bit more obvious where it settles into grooves on the lips, or may not be completely even. Not every shade works well on its own, and if you are ordering or purchasing any of the deeper colors in a non-sparkly texture, you should probably wear them over a layer of liner or lipstick.

And the shine? Well these sort of speak for themselves. They look like lacquer. Shine is definitely where this range excels without a doubt.

Make Up For Ever Plexi-Gloss lip swatches

The staying power is also great for glosses. Definitely on par with the typical cream lipsticks at least. But that does bring me to the one possible con about this product depending on your preferences when it comes to glosses.

It's sticky and quite thick. (If you've ever tried MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses, these have a similar texture.) Which it needs to be, to stay on for hours and not bleed everywhere. But if you like those ultra-light, non-sticky glosses this will not appeal to you.

(Personally, I think it's unrealistic to expect a long-wearing, non-bleeding gloss to be non-sticky.)

You have to remember that if you have chapped, flaking lips, this will not feel comfortable. These thick gel-textured glosses are not moisturizing or balm-like, so it can actually make flaking lips a bit worse. Just be mindful and use the appropriate products at the appropriate times, and you'll be fine.

Final verdict?

If you like high-intensity glosses in a variety of finishes, and you want to make a statement with lacquered, dramatic lips, this is a GREAT range. The color selection is fabulous, and you can pick from soft neutrals to bright corals and violets to dark plums and what looks like a black shade. I'm definitely curious to check out more colors from the range.

I would especially recommend the richer pinks, corals, reds and plums, because these are where the color intensity and shine will really come through. For the paler, sheerer shades, they wouldn't necessarily look all that different from regular glosses you can get from other brands.

At SGD36 a tube, these are not cheap, so I would definitely stick with the more unique and high-impact colors if you are watching your budget.

However, if you have extremely dry lips or prefer lightweight, barely-there, balm-like "watery" textures like YSL Gloss Voluptes and Dior Rouge Diors, these would not be for you.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette and Sweetheart Blushes in Peach Beach and Something About Berry!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow palette and Sweetheart blush in Peach Beach

Swatches swatches swatches!
Received a gift card from a very lovely lady and picked out a few gorgeous things at Sephora the other day.
Too Faced has just brought out its new makeup products, and these 3 are what I consider the Must Check Outs.

Chocolate Bar palette (SGD$69)
This neutral palette is formulated with real cocoa powder, so it does actually live up to its name in more than just appearance. The colors are pretty intense but a beautiful blend of soft pink/lavender tones, and warmer browns.

I have to say the mattes are slightly chalky, so they work better as definer shades along the lashes or in the socket, rather than as a main color over the majority of the lid. The metallics, in true Too Faced fashion, are absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow palette Row 1

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow palette Row 2

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow palette Row 3

If you find the NARSissist palette too smoky and dark, and the Naked 3 a little too metallic and pink/pale, this is somewhere right between those 2, with an extra pop of lavender for some fun.

Sweetheart Blushes in Peach Beach and Something About Berry (SGD$39)

I loved the first Sweetheart Blush trio Too Faced brought out last year and still regret I didn’t get one. It was a gorgeous blend of sweet blossomy-pinks.

Too Faced Sweetheart Blushes (2014) 

This year though, there are 2 new shades fill the gap! And besides getting 5.5g of product, you can use each of the 3 strips on their own for a slightly different color, or swirl them all for a 4th shade.

Peach Beach is a bronzy-pinky-peach which is a GORGEOUS alternative to NARS Orgasm (not as sparkly or red) and Deep Throat (more intense than Deep Throat). It’s lovely as a shimmery peach blush on pale to medium skins, and also works as a warm highlighter on tan to dark skins.

Too Faced Sweetheart Blushes (2014) swatches

Something About Berry is a hot raspberry pink shimmer. Lovely on tan to darker skins because it’s translucent but has enough rich intensity to give a beautiful flush. On medium to light skins it can be a bit too much, so use a light hand. It’s a look though, if you like dramatic pink cheeks.