NARS Christopher Kane Collection

Here's a quick overview of and first impressions of some products from the NARS x Christopher Kane collection, which launches in Singapore in June. 

First off, the packaging is gorgeous, with the NARS logo in metallic fuchsia.

And the collection is filled with sparkly colors that sort of remind me of Northern Lights. Glowy duochrome violets and greens, beiges and corals. All these colors might look really intense in the packaging, but are designed to just give you a veil of translucnet color and texture. 

Here are the items that I received for review and the swatches for your reference.

I do have to point out that I like the Parallel Universe duo a lot more than the mono shadow, Outer Limits, which was a bit of a disappointment for me.

In the pan, it looks like it would be almost a creamy, intense sparkle shade, but it really has a dry, coarse texture that will just dust right off your skin. You can use it on top of other shadows as an over-coat but I find the best overcoats have silicone binders in them to make them adhere on top of other dry shadows. This one is just dry, so it does not want to stay on top of other powders. My recommendation is to apply it damp, like below, as that gives you more of a sheen and you can better control where the shimmer goes. Otherwise, it all just ends up on your cheeks after an hour.

Another item that was somewhat disappointing was the Multiple in Violet Atom. This is a lavender shade that looks SO beautiful in the tube, and I love the formulation of the newer Multiples (more silky, less sticky and greasy than the older versions). But it's so subtle that it almost can't be seen once it's blended into the skin.

Below, it looks visible, but that's straight from the tube, before blending out. Once you rub out the edges, it kinda melds into your skin. Which is good if you like an ultra-subtle look. But then it's so subtle that you won't be able to see ANY of that lavender-green duochrome color. You just get a very, very soft glow. It's still pretty of course. But I kinda feel that for the price, it should not look that subtle.

But overall, you can see from my swatches that everything is very ethereal and soft. These products work best layered lightly over other products and bases.

In my look below, I applied a tiny layer of grey cream shadow to the outer corners of the eyes and used Parallel Universe on top of it, with the beige-green over the grey, and the lavender on the inner half of the lids. On the cheeks and down my nose, I have the Multiple in Violet Atom (it's barely visible), as well as Adoration from the Dual Intensity blush range, which I - adore.
On the lips I have Nebulous lipgloss.

I did have to apply a grey cream base to portions of my lid and then apply the shadows on top of it for the shading and definition I want. Like a lot of the NARS duos, there is no "definer/highlight" shade. Which isn't a problem for me because I tend to treat all the shades in my duos and palettes as individual shadows that I can mix and match with other stuff, not necessarily with the other colors in the same palette. But I know some of you hate that and want palettes and duos to be a "complete" look.

What do you think of the products? Love em or leave em?

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.

Lolita Lempicka Le Premier Parfum

My journey with Lolita Lempicka's eponymous house fragrance, Lolita Lempicka (now called Lolita Lempicka Le Premier Parfum) is a long and winding one.

My first memory of it was the ad campaign which showed a magical fairy-like woman in a sheer lavender gown, legs and arms sparkling in the twilight as she languishes in an enchanted forest.

That was the age of Cool Water Woman and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. To my untrained nose at the time, the mish-mash of dark syrupy-sweet herbal licorice (something I never developed a taste for and which still appalls me today) and medicinal cherry liquour that is Lolita Lempicka was off-putting.

Around 2003 I really started getting into fragrances for the first time, and was seduced by the sweetly toxic Dior Hypnotic Poison, which was my induction into the world of gourmands. After I discovered Angel, Lolita Lempicka (ironically created by Annick Menardo, the same parfumeur who created Hypnotic Poison) would repeatedly come up on the beauty boards as its more modern, avant garde successor. It was only a matter of time before I sought it out in a perfume store.

My forgotten bottle of Lolita Lempicka; over 10 years old. The juice is still pristine!

I bought it, wore it several times and gave it a good go, but finally decided I hated it; couldn't stand the cherry syrup note and the black licorice, so I tucked it away in a dark cupboard. It smells beautiful when you catch a whiff of it from a distance; the powdery violet and iris, mixed with the tonka, patchouli and praline smells like a gorgeous confection with icing sugar dusted over it. But on hot days or if I smelt it close up, it was too sweet and rich in a heavy and medicinal way to me.

Then early last year, when I was packing up to move to a new apartment, I finally rediscovered my old bottle hidden away. And it looks and smells as good as it did.

Oddly enough, I like it now.
And I liked it enough that I placed an order for the l'Eau de Minuit edition, which I actually prefer since it doesn't contain the cherry note, is softer on the licorice and sugary praline, and more fuzzy and grown-up with lots of myrrh and benzoin to accompany the dark vanilla.

Funny how tastes change. I still only wear it on occasion. Licorice is not a note that sits easy with me because I didn't grow up eating it here in Asia, and frankly it's a taste that I have not acquired. It's just a very odd and medicinal/herbal spicy-bitter smell to me. In scents where it's very faint, like Serge Luten's Jeux de Peau, I love it.

But where it's quite dominant, like in Lolita Lempicka, I spritz very sparingly, sniff from a distance, and reserve it only for cooler temperatures.

• Top notes - ivy leaf, pineapple, lemon, rosewood, sour cherry and anise
• Heart notes - lily of the valley, rose, jasmine, licorice, violet and iris
• Base notes - sweet almond, vanilla, heliotrope, tonka bean, musk, praline and vetiver