Kevyn Aucoin Bloodroses Lip Product Swatches and Review

I've told this story several times on other social platforms, but the very first lip color I ever obsessed over as a child (I was 11) and saved up to buy was a deep dark oxblood or black cherry color.

That obsession has survived over 20 years, which is probably testament to the fact it is timeless and has never gone "out of fashion". Maybe it's the fact that this is a color which balances intense drama with a strange ability to flatter pretty much any skin tone.

I only recently discovered Kevyn Aucoin had a series of lip colors (and a cheek product actually) in the shade romantically named "Bloodroses". This is a deep dark cherry red which echoes the color of his makeup packaging.

The lip products are available in:

The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil - black cherry pencil
The Matte Lip Color - matte black cherry lipstick
The Expert Lip Color - creme dark cherry lipstick (more red-toned than the pencil and matte lipstick)
The Lip Gloss - sheer glossy tint (more brown-toned than the other products)

As you can see, the lip products are not all exactly the same color. So you should choose based on your preference.

The product I like least is probably The Lip Gloss. Simply because it's so sheer that it makes little difference. If you want to wear it on its own for a crushed brown-berry stain, you can get a similar tint just with Clinique's much cheaper Black Honey lipstick. It has a thin and light texture, so it actually feels really nice on the lips BUT I do not recommend buying this to layer with the lipsticks or liner. This sort of light, "flowy" gloss layered over lipsticks or liner will melt the product beneath and make everything look slide around. It will look uneven on the lips and sink into lines. Which is fine with more medium-toned colors, but NOT something like Bloodroses.

The other 3 products on the other hand, I love. The textures are ultra-smooth.

The Expert Lip Color goes on intensely in one swipe, and the color is gorgeous. It's probably the truest to the name "bloodroses". It's rose (cool-toned burgundy) balanced with blood (warm-toned brown red). I've seen people apply it on Youtube and it looked a bit sheer, but I was soooo happy when it went on quite color-true and quite intense for me. (Or maybe it's just that I always apply a very generous amount. I didn't see any bleeding but if you're wearing any dark creamy lipstick, it's always a good idea to wear a liner around the edges at least.

If you want a subtle "ombre" effect, you can also apply the Expert Lip Color, then run the Lip Pencil around the edges after. It's slightly darker than then lipstick so it gives a 3D look. I personally prefer applying liner all over the lips as base first and layering the lipstick over for opaque shine.

Bloodroses: The Matte Lipstick with The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil in the matching shade just around the edges

I'm most obsessed with The Matte Lip Color. This doesn't quite have a true "blood" tone. It's a cool-toned Bing cherry color with a berry undertone to it, which can help balance out yellow-toned skins and stop everything from looking too sallow. It's also much more dramatic looking and deep than the Expert Lip Color. The liner and matte lipstick are the two products that truly match each other in tone.

The texture of Kevyn Aucoin Mattes is very creamy and non-drying. But just like some of the newer MAC Mattes which are smooth and light in texture, they won't be as opaque and intense as old-school MAC mattes like Russian Red and Prince Noir, or Viva Glam I. You can't keep building and building the color. That said, it's pretty intense all on its own.

But you can always take it up a notch if you need perfect opaque coverage for a shoot, and layer the matte lipstick over a coat of the matching liner and then lightly kiss a sheet of tissue to take down the shine. That's going to give you that dramatic velvety rose-petal effect.

Kevyn Aucoin makeup is not available in Singapore, so I purchase my products from Net-a-porter.com and Fragrancex.com. FragranceX has free international shipping with purchases over $69 (enter coupon code FREE69) so it's usually where I check first, but they don't usually have stock for all shades. 

Net-a-porter.com (correction - I'm sorry I don't know why I listed Harrods!) is my second choice as they have a better selection, but you have to factor in international shipping cost.

Prices can vary depending on site, shipping rates and exchange rates, but these are definitely in the luxe range and currently cost around SGD$45-50 per tube. 

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.

VDL Base Makeup Collection - Series 1: Achieve a longwearing, luminous base

Great makeup starts with a great base. And here in Asia, where most people do not wear a lot of dramatic color makeup on a day-to-day basis, the skin itself is often the focus of the look, whether you like it or not. Your base can make or break your makeup look.

Gone are the days of flat, matte, powdery, mask-like foundation bases that look like plaster paint up-close. Even when you need to wear quite a lot of coverage, the emphasis is on creating that "expensive-looking" HD complexion that looks polished, touchable and natural.

Which can be a huge challenge in tropical, humid environments like ours when we need to deal with sweat, oil, and dry air-conditioned environments.

I always believe that for your base to go on smoothly, look light, and stay beautiful longer, you need to start thinking of your skincare as part of your makeup routine. Everything from your moisturizers, to your primers, to your base itself, needs to work well together for the best results.

And this is the philosophy behind VDL's Base Makeup Collection - Series 1.

VDL Base Makeup Collection

The brand's developed a SKIN P+R=O Regenerative range of antioxidant skincare products which protect (P) your skin and help it to recover (R) from damage so you can get optimum (O) results from your skincare, but also complement their bestselling Lumilayer Primer and the newly-reformulated Perfecting Last Foundation SPF 30, PA++.

The basics for the routine are:

1. SKIN P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence and SKIN P+R=O Almighty Cream to hydrate, protect, repair, AND seal the skin.
2. Lumilayer Primer to brighten the skin, add a glow, and create that illusion of youthful transparency while priming the skin.
3. Perfecting Last Foundation SPF 30 PA++ which gives flawless, long-lasting coverage without oxidation or a heavy, mask-like feel.

Step 1: VDL SKIN P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence (SGD$88) and Almighty Cream (SGD$82)

I was most curious about the 2 new skincare products because I've never tried them before.

I must say I was skeptical at first because the descriptions on the box only list proprietary complexes such as Medimin A, Oxytalan SF, and LG-AQ, which don't really tell the consumer anything useful, so I went down to the ingredients list to take a look, and was quite pleasantly surprised.

Skin P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence

Skin P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence contains a jaw-dropping list of star ingredients, such as skin-repairing Centella Asiatica from Madagascar, collagen-boosting Cloudberry Fruit Oil, photo-damage preventing soy ferment, conditioning Panthenol, antibacterial Artemisia Annua and Lavender extracts, antioxidant Sandalwood, purifying Moringa Seed extract, anti-inflammatory and whitening agent Niacinamide, and more.

The Almighty Cream is no less interesting. This fresh-feeling salve leaves the skin cool when spread out, and contains the same plant extracts as the ampoule essence, but also has something else I want to talk about. 

Quite high on the list is Acrylic Acid, a copolymer which is quite a powerful film-forming agent. You can sometimes find it in makeup setting sprays. This allows the product to set and act like a shield on the skin, which essentially reduces the chances of makeup melt-down.

Step 2: VDL Lumilayer Primer (SGD$36)

After spending all my teen years blotting and powdering my face and trying to get rid of all traces of oil, I'm now spending lots of money trying to add the glow back. I think there is nothing prettier than that polished gleam on someone's cheekbone when they turn their head.

I find most liquid primers either too subtle to apply under foundation, or too metallic and unnatural to wear all over the face, but VDL's Lumilayer Primer is one that I consider a staple because it really creates that sense of "translucency". VDL layered special red and blue light-reflecting pigments to help color correct, brighten, and create dimension on the face contours.

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette Haul and Swatches: Atmosphere,Obscura, and Exposure

When I saw the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes on Net-a-porter.com, I knew I had to try them. These 5 color eyeshadow palettes look like solidified silt on a riverbed. (Or ribbons of thick fudge in multi-flavored ice-cream.)

These shadows come in a range of gorgeous neutral tones, and the formula is INCREDIBLY pigmented. Almost to the point where they are a bit tricky to use without making a mess. They don't feel like traditional pressed pigments, and they aren't baked. You barely need to touch them to get lots of pigmentation.

But the problem is also that they can go on patchy or give you tons of fall-out simply because so much of it comes up once touched. If you are using brushes to apply these, be careful to use a very light touch or you will use up the palette in no time. And these don't come cheap at USD$58 (around SGD$66) per compact.

I picked 3 of the 5 available palettes:

• Atmosphere - matte Neapolitan ice cream colors of vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, dark chocolate and one satin-textured chocolate fudge color
• Obscura - warm rich brown tones with 1 satin creme brulee shade, 2 metallic bronzes and 2 satin/matte dark cocoa shades
• Exposure - rosy-plum and wine browns in shimmer and satin textures

I've got the 3 palettes swatched for you here.

As you can see, the colors are beautiful. So are the textures. But you DO need to know how to work with them or you can make a mess. The best thing you can do is to treat these like loose pigments. The shimmery shades can be applied damp (although I suggest picking up the colors on your brush before misting the brush - not applying moisture to the palette directly), and can give you a molten look. But whether you decide to use them dry or wet, I would highly suggest putting on a primer or base first so the pigments have something to grab and cling on to. Otherwise, they can dust and blend right off your skin.

And try to pack on the colors using a firmer, flatter brush just so you don't whip up pigments all over the place. It is quite a waste when you dip a fluffy brush in and see the colors fly everywhere.

Do I recommend these?

If you're a real collector, an Hourglass fan, or you love the look of these palettes, and you don't mind the price or working with loose pigments, then go for it. 

If not, these are very expensive for what they are, and I will say the formula isn't as "sophisticated" as I expected them to be. They are pigmented if you touch them, but they are finicky and trickier to apply than other high-end shadows. Basically they aren't as easy for makeup newbies to use as - say - a Marc Jacobs, Chanel or Dior palette would be. I personally feel if you're paying so much, you should expect products to be MORE foolproof than usual.

I don't regret getting these but I won't repurchase. And if you're on a budget, I wouldn't suggest you get these, even though they're real pretty to look at in the pan. You can get far more bang for your buck with any of the Urban Decay palettes.

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation demo and review

Bobbi Brown's new Intensive Skin Serum comes in a black glass dropper bottle that might remind you of a volatile oil foundation.

But it's not.

Unlike those silicone-y, fast-drying, lightweight liquids, this is a thick luxurious feeling skincare cream foundation more similar to those that come in jars than in dropper bottles. 

Created based on Bobbi Brown's Intensive Skin Serum, this foundation amalgamates skincare and coverage, and contains Cordyceps Mushroom extract, Bamboo Grass, and Lychee extracts for antioxidant, soothing, hydrating, and anti-aging skin benefits. What it aims to do is to provide a plumping and smoothing effect to the skin.

I think the first thing you will notice most about this formula is how hydrating it is compared to typical foundations. The dropper bottle dispenses a single pea-sized amount in a squeeze, which should be sufficient for spreading over most of your face if you want lighter coverage. 

This foundation is buildable, but you need to let the first layer set a bit first. Otherwise the creaminess might end up dissolving and sheering out the first layer. Spread out with fingers or a brush, it acts almost like a tinted moisturizer with higher coverage. The sheen and hydrating texture only adds to that effect.

To build up more coverage, take a bit more product on your hands after letting the first layer set a bit, then dab a bit more where you need coverage and pat - don't rub - the product until it evens out and blends in.

This foundation gives the effect of clean, moisturized skin. It looks so real that I almost look like I have no makeup on in the "After" image. But you can see the little mole on my inner cheek is almost not visible. The little veins around my lower cheeks are also hidden. 

But you WILL need to set this foundation with powder because even if you have dry skin, it can still crease a bit around laugh lines and under the eyes. As mentioned earlier, this feels quite like a traditional cream foundation for normal to dry skins and doesn't set completely, even though it's not oily. The dewy sheen can also emphasize pores around the inner cheek area, so it's always a good idea to powder around those areas.

Otherwise, if you have oily skin or live in a humid climate, it can start to feel a tiny bit rich on the skin. 

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation after powdered

Though Bobbi Brown states this foundation is suited for all skin types, I still believe every foundation works better on some skins than others. And this is not one that I think oilier skins would enjoy. It might not be oily or comedogenic in formula, but it can still feel a bit heavier compared to other options on the market.

My recommendation is that if you have normal to dry or more mature skin that needs the plumping and smoothing effect, and you like fluffy cream foundations like Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation or Clinique's Dermawhite, this would be a nice option to consider.

Base makeup notes:

• Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation 3.5
• Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Concealers in 3 and 4
• Clear Last Face Powder (medicated)
• The Balm Bahama Mama powder for subtle sculpting
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish powder in Lightscapade on cheekbones

This is pretty much what I do daily for my base routine even though I switch the products in and out. And sometimes I'll keep it simple and just keep the focus on my lips.

Super-nude makeup look with just an intense lacquered red lip

• Givenchy Ombre Couture 1 Blanc Satin on lids - nothing but tiny diamond sparkles
• Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara - don't like this mascara in the original formula; I'm just using it up!
• L'oreal Color Riche Lipstick in RW512 Bloody Mary - a deep dark cherry-toned red
• Shu Uemura Laque Supreme in RD 02 - cherry-toned cool scarlet gloss stain

Clinique Pop Lip Color + Primer

Clinique's launching their new Pop Lip Color + Primer range on 9 April in Singapore.

And that's what is so interesting about the range. They're formulated with flexi polymers and micro-refined pigments to help colors go on smoother and stay vibrant for longer.

Longwearing lipsticks often start to feel dry and get patchy after a few hours, so to prevent that, Clinique has formulated these lipsticks with sodium hyaluronate, ceramides, shea butter, and murumuru butter, to hydrate the lips. Which is a good thing because I often get chapped, flaking lips, and always avoid full coverage lipsticks even though I love them. At least now there's a chance that I can wear them even when my lips are a bit under the weather.

First off, I'll say the color payoff is beautiful and the shades are gorgeous. There are 13 shades available in Singapore at SGD$33 each, and they are grouped into 4 categories - nudes, tawnies, pinks, and violets. But I say ignore that because the color grouping is a bit confusing. Poppy Pop (bright tangerine coral) and Cherry Pop (blue red) are both listed under the "tawnies", and an ultra dark burgundy brown called Cola Pop is listed under "nudes". 

But there is a nice distribution of shades from nudes to brights to deeper tones, so there is a color for everyone.

My 4 favorite shades from the Pop Lip Color + Primer range: Cherry Pop, Punch Pop, Plum Pop and Nude Pop

After playing around with all the shades at a recent press event, I picked the above 4 - both for their smooth even payoff, and also the fact that they are quite universally skin-flattering. I had gravitated towards the 2 deep, dark shades (Berry Pop and Cola Pop) but they didn't go on as evenly compared to brighter, richer, shades in this range (hot pink, red, berry).

As for whether these last all day, I'll say no cream-textured lipstick lasts all day.
These DO last a good long while for cream lipsticks, and some of the stronger shades leave a stain, but if you're drinking, eating, talking, they will wear away slowly, just like any other lipstick. You will still need to wear a base layer of good lip pencil in order for these to last all day, which is the same for any other range.

The good thing is I didn't notice these feathering or bleeding much, and they do feel quite conditioning on the lips. But eventually the conditioning oils will still get absorbed or vaporize, and the shine and hydration will fade away. I can't say yet if the conditioning formula with ceramides and plant butters can help smooth over ragged lips, because I haven't encountered that problem lately, but hopefully the humectants and emollients in the formula can help minimize the chance of that happening.

But all in all, this is a very nice range with a great formula and nice colorsso it's well worth a look if you're in the market for vibrant, creamy colors.