Red Velvet vs Red Velvet Cupcake

Red Velvet Cake is one of those things that is a little odd when you think about it. 

It's chocolate-flavored but not really chocolate. It's colored a vivid red with food coloring (eww). And it doesn't taste quite like chocolate cake, vanilla cake OR cheesecake. Unlikely as it is - it's one of those things that has just developed its own unique charm, and I'm one of the ones that enjoys eating it, AND smelling it. Any time of the year.

As always, cold and hot throw is extremely different. If you're one of those people who've picked up a jar in the store, sniffed it and gone "Gross!" and wondered at how heavy and cloying it would smell in your home, you might be pleasantly surprised when you actually melt one. A lot of the bakery scents from Yankee and Bath and Body Works are actually softer than many of the fruit and floral scents. And these two smell pretty authentic when the scent is released from hot wax.

Yankee's Red Velvet is described as:

A most decadent creation of creamy frosting atop moist cake and a touch of brown sugar. So very sweet!

I don't know if there's cream cheese in there as a note, but it is the more buttery and savory of the two, and heavier on the frosting.

The throw is pretty good for a single wick mottled wax large tumbler, although it's not an extremely strong scent to begin with. I've not had any problems with my jar tunneling and the scent smells true and hasn't gone smoky or odd after about 3-4 burns. If you smell it beside a Frosted Cupcake candle, you will be able to tell the difference, but on its own, the chocolate note isn't really that noticeable.

Large 1-wick mottled wax jar burns 110-150 hours, and this has performed consistently well into the 4th burn, without noticeable sooting or tunneling.

Bath and Body Work's Red Velvet Cupcake is described as:

This Southern classic is perfect for the holidays - rich vanilla frosting and authentic red velvet cake.

If you like lots of buttery rich cream-cheese frosting, you may not like this one quite as much. The BBW Red Velvet Cupcake has a much more prominent cake note, and I personally enjoy the smell of this more than the Yankee version simply because there's a more prominent edge of cocoa that gives some depth to the overall scent. There is zero cream cheese I feel. It's more of a regular vanilla frosting note here, which is more subtle.

That said, the throw is very soft for a 3-wick. If I have anything else melting in the house at the same time, I will not be able to smell this at all. It does burn pretty well, and I get a full wax pool within about 30mins mostly. But most of my BBW 3-wick flames get very low and small after the first couple of melts. Not to the point of drowning.

BBW 3-wicks are fast burners with 25-45 burn time only. They are SUPPOSED to give stronger scent and better throw than the 1-wick Yankees in return for a much shorter burn time, but in cases like this where the scent actually is very weak, I'm not actually sure it's worth the money, even though I do like the scent more. That's the dilemma for me.

Of course, if you're one of those that burns your candles for just an hour or so, and want to blow it out instead of leaving it going for hours, Yankee's mottled wax large jars are just not the best option for you because it frequently takes up to 3 hours for a full wax pool to form, which means you need to let it burn for a longer time before you can blow it out. Otherwise you run the risk of causing your candle to tunnel.

Maison Martin Margiela's REPLICA Fragrances

Most run-of-the-mill mainstream fragrances are like Summer blockbuster flicks. Designed to be worn by as many people as possible in as many occasions as possible. They are versatile and pleasing to most noses, but also instantly recognizable and - sadly, often quite common. "She's wearing Light Blue." or "Oh, that's the third person in the office wearing Coco Mademoiselle."

A lot of niche houses on the other hand, try to give you the nasal equivalent of an art film. Sometimes quiet and melancholy, some occasionally pretty, some violently disturbing, but mostly politically incorrect and aimed at a very small section of the population that is often willing to pay a hefty price for an olfactory adventure, and to smell unique.

I understand they use slightly more expensive ingredients in many cases, but they also save millions and millions by skipping the mainstream ad campaigns and retail outlets, so I don't really see a reason to charge us so much for a bottle of Amouage - but Maison Margiela (which I'll call MM for now) - has created a line which I like to classify as "niche-lite", because it aims to combine the benefits of both mainstream and niche fragrances; the slightly more accessible price of a designer fragrance, with a little of the uniqueness and evocative nature of a niche line.

Everything about this series says "relaxed minimalism with a twist". It's all beautifully chic. From the plain labeled cardboard boxes with a single faded image to serve as a "window" into the scent, to the practical, almost clinical-looking cap-free bottles, and the surprising accent of a label made of fabric.

Martin Margiela REPLICA in Lazy Sunday Morning

The 10ml roller ball tubes cost just SGD$23 and the large bottles - which I forget the exact price of now - are definitely below $200 in Singapore. Lazy Sunday Morning has just been sent to me, and I haven't worn it enough on my skin to give a proper review but I can tell you it's very charming, and it lasts and projects pretty well considering it's a fresh floral in a roll-on. A perfect introduction to the line if you aren't ready to veer too far off the beaten path. Strangely, this reminds me a bit of old-school floral colognes that women in earlier times used to splash on - in a good way. It contains white musk, iris, woods, pear, and rose. This was created by Louise Turner, who made Chloe's Love and J-Lo Glow, so you know she does fresh florals extremely well.

It doesn't remind me so much of Sunday morning in bed (well my bed doesn't smell like flowers) as it does Sunday morning at the dressing table surrounded by luxurious skincare and makeup.

I discovered MM a year ago at the TANGS fragrance section - and picked up Beach Walk, which is one of MM's first 3 scents. Created by Jacques Cavallier - responsible for classics such as Issey Miyake l'Eau d'Issey, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique housed in that famous bodice bottle, Stella by Stella McCartney, and Dior Midnight Poison, just to name a few - and his frequent collaborator Marie Salamagne - who did Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic, Jo Malone Silk Blossom and Tuberose Angelica, as well as the mainstream hit of 2014, YSL Black Opium, this particular scent has a lot of creative clout at its back.

It's surprisingly wearable and "easy" to like though.

Meant to evoke warm, clean, sun-kissed skin that has a tang of salt from the ocean, this contains bergamot, lemon, pink pepper, ylang ylang, coconut milk, musk, and heliotrope. It's almost tropical, and settles into a nice, slightly-salty oceanic white floral. If you enjoy those beach holiday candle scents from Yankee and BBW, you might just love this one. If you were expecting some super-unique niche smell that will singe your nose hairs and make people' eyes roll up in the elevators, look somewhere else.

Jazz Club, on the other hand, was the other fragrance I wanted - but had been sold out the first time I was at the counter. I eventually managed to grab one - the last bottle at the time - during a later TANGS members' sale. 

I'm still slightly surprised it's popular here in Asia. I haven't met a single person who actually wears this. Where are all the cool men (and women) in Singapore smelling like Jazz Club?! Do people buy this and pull it out in secret to sniff at home when nobody is around? (It's like bright limited edition lipstick colors from MAC. They always sell out in Singapore, but you never see anyone wearing them when you're out.) Odd but true.

Anyway, Jazz Club was created by Alienor Massenet, who is not that familiar to me. She's better known for working on niche lines like Memo, and has quite a few unisex and male fragrances under her belt. Jazz club has just 3 main accords. Tobacco, Leather, Rum. It's deep, smoky, sexy, but surprisingly slightly translucent as well; not dense and thick or sugary. The tobacco and leather makes it masculine at the first sniff, but it warms up once the slightly syrupy rum comes in. If you like scents like Tom Ford Velvet Orchid, you would probably at least like this a little. It's listed as a Male fragrance, but I daresay it can just as easily be the femme fatale, as it can be James Bond.

All in all, I would say this line isn't all-out niche. It won't give you the level of excitement or concentrated strength of a Serge Lutens line. It's probably closer to Diptyque territory, or a less-posh Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Think of it as cK to the more expensive Calvin Klein, or Armani Exchange to Armani. It's designed to bring a little upscale creativity and "guts" into the mid-range market. And I respect them for that.

Performance is just ok. These won't last for 8 hours and - interesting as they are - none of them blow my socks off. (I can say the same for most other fragrance lines by the way.) But I still think it's a great one to start with if you are getting ready to move beyond designer scents and mainstream cosmetic brands like Fresh, etc.

Sunday FOTD: Tom Ford Eye Color Duo in Raw Jade

Sunday makeup! Was on my way to town to check out some things at Sephora (and grab a few more candles from Bath & Body Works while they still have the holiday stock on 50%) so threw on a quick face using a few products I'd neglected for awhile.

If you've not seen the duos, they're supposed to be limited edition, but I've seen them still at the Tom Ford counters locally. I think a lot of people here pass them over but I'm here to tell you - don't. They are gorgeous. If you like the silkier, more diaphanous, less powdery textures of 03 Nude Dip quad, these duos have that same texture.



I have a full review and swatches of all 3 duos at http://blogger.makeup-box.com/2015/02/tom-ford-spring-2015-eye-color-duo-eye.html.

And just to show you green doesn't need to be outlandish, I've applied the dark shade all over the lid and also along the lower lash line, then the pale green duochrome down the center of my lids and in the inner corners. Then I finished with black pencil in the water line and mascara.

I have to say Green shadows are gorgeous on Asian skintones; if you want a subtler, more chic look that suits most occasions, skip the crazy bright emerald greens and matte textures and go for the deep, rich evergreen colors in shimmery textures. It's actually often more flattering and brightening for the skin than typical neutrals. And flush of translucent neon pink stain on cheeks and lips will tie everything together and soften the overall look.

I used Stila's Convertible Color in Fuchsia from my Field of Flowers palette on cheeks, and then dabbed it over a layer of nude liner on the lips, concentrating the color in the center for a slightly stained effect.

Make Up For Ever Fall 2015 9 Artist Shadow Palette - 1

Look at this ridiculous gorgeousness!

The Fall 2015 makeup releases have barely started coming out and I already can say without a doubt that one of my top recommendations this season will be the Make Up For Ever 9 Artist Shadow Palettes.

There are 2 which will be available in Singapore at SGD$69 each (exact release date in July is yet to be confirmed at this point); a neutral palette which is permanent (No 1), and a pop color palette which is limited edition (No 2). I'm a neutral fanatic - and I have a few of the shades in the No 2 palette, so of course this was the one I picked to review. 

First of all, this is just ABSOLUTELY great value. Come on - you don't often find 9 x 1.8g shadows in Singapore (the typical MAC and UD shadows are about 1.5g each) - at this quality - for that price. If you have not tried any of the Make Up For Ever Artist shadows, you really need to. They are all buttery smooth and densely pigmented, and they're pretty much my benchmark for high-impact colors because they are much creamier and luxurious-feeling than typical highly-pigmented brands like Urban Decay and Inglot. 

But it can be a huge investment because MUFE Artist shadows don't come cheap. And to own  a good range of shades would usually cost you quite a bit more than $69. (You can usually only get 2 full-size Artist shadows for that price.)

The palette itself comes in the standard black and white box along with a booklet.

Unlike most cardboard packages, this one is hefty and heavy. You don't get the feeling when you pry open the lid that the paper is going to come apart or unglue itself at the joints after awhile. And the magnet is sturdy enough that you can probably travel with this and it wouldn't open up in your bag.

Ultimately, if you're looking for great products and you'd rather not be paying a ton of money for fancy packaging, this is it.

The shadows themselves come grouped in 3 trios. Each column is one "look", and the booklet shows you exactly which shades go together. 

There are also step by step guides for each of the 3 looks; Chic, Natural, and Smoky. So if you're new to all this and need ideas, they've got you covered.

But I'll say these are useful references. You can by all means mix and match any of the shades. They are neutral, and it's almost impossible to go wrong no matter which ones you group together. If you want a soft look, match 2-3 shades in the top 2 rows. If you want a dark, sexy, smoky look, wear colors in the bottom row.

Ultimately, no matter how many of these extra fancy stuff they include, it comes down to the quality of the shadows for me. And these rock.

The Chic trio is the only one that contains 2 matte shades. And they are super smooth. I don't get much fallout, amazingly enough. These aren't as powdery as a lot of other mattes around.

The Natural Look is more of a highly pearlescent neutral trio. If you want gleaming, dewy-looking lids in the most luscious metallic bronze and taupe tones, you will love this center column.

The Smoky column is more of a warm/gold trio to me. You get 3 metallics with a golden undertone; perfect for a beachy Gisele-esque effect.

And I swatched all these dry, without primer. That's how intense and rich they are. I can't say enough about what great value this palette is. If you were to pick up all 9 shades separately at full size, it would cost you easily close to $300 without a Pro discount. And that's too much of an investment for non makeup artists anyway. (Each full size Artist palette has 2.5g of product so you have to REALLY love a shade and use it to death to want to invest in the full-size vs getting an entire palette of 9 x 1.8g shades for a little over the price of 2 singles.)

I've yet to check out the 9 Artist Palette - 2 up-close, but I do have 2 or 3 of the shades (the neon pink, purple and one of the pale beiges) in a custom palette of my own, so I know the quality is just as outstanding. If you love the idea of having a mix of ultra-bright tones and having a few neutrals thrown in for good measure, then No 2 might be a better and more versatile investment for you.

FOTD wearing the Make Up For Ever 9 Artust Palette - 1 using the "Natural" trio.

The only criticism I MIGHT have if I really had to nit-pick, would be the fact that there are only 2 matte shades in the neutral palette (and what looks like none in the pop one). If they could include just 1 more matte in a pale color for blending, this would probably appeal to a lot more people. 

Still, this is just nit-picking. We can easily buy mattes and many of us probably already own some. The Artist matte shadows are great, but their stars are really the metallic and iridescent shades so I'm really not complaining about getting more of them in the palette.

Waxy Treats! Scented Melts for The Week

Woohoo, about to start on my Yankee Candle layered Summer Trio (Summer Scoop, Merry Marshmallow, and Salted Caramel layered),

I just wish these came in the full-sized 22 oz tumblers rather than these 10 oz jars which cost a rather ridiculous SGD$33.90. It also irks me that you can get 4 large jars for US$50 in the US and by the time they make it here, they cost over $40 per jar. And don't even get me started on Bath & Body Works, because the mark-up is even worse.

I still love them and will buy from time to time when there are sales. In fact I've just finished my large jar of Ginger Dusk, and a small jam jar of BBW's Red Velvet Cupcake (which was a waste of money because had almost no throw, sadly).

 

But besides having a few candles on hand because I like the ambience, I sometimes would rather just purchase melts from online wax vendors. (I don't like to ship candles in because you pay a lot of international shipping for the extra weight of the glass tumblers.)

I love bakery scents in general though, and the bakery scent selection in Singapore is woefully puny most of the time because the East Asian market in general does not take well to "heavy", sweet scents. We're more partial to floral, fruity and cologne-y fresh scents.

So if you walk into Yankee, you might find a few things like Waffle Cone, Vanilla Frosted Cupcake, and Red Velvet Cake. Even when the seasonal collections come in, you will often find that they leave out the bakery and foody Fall candles which are bestsellers in the West.

So my personal stash is FILLED with bakery treats that I either ship in from - or purchase on trips to - the US.

One of my cheap n cheerful favorites is Better Homes & Gardens wax cubes from Walmart. I came home with a whole tray of these last year. And Candied Caramel Apple is one I was melting earlier today. This one's a Fall 2014 limited edition release, and it's just gorgeous. 

If you're afraid of heavy, sticky, baked fruit smells, don't worry. The fresh apple is actually pretty strong, and the caramel is in the background. After a few hours, when the fresh notes start to weaken, you start getting more of a apple-pie filling smell as the caramel tones come out more and the tart freshness of the apple fades a bit.

These wax cubes are so cheap (around US$2 per pack) and so strong that I only need a single cube under my 25W heated lamp to scent up half my apartment. It's warm in Singapore, and my apartment isn't huge, so I really never throw in too much wax or it can get quite overpowering.

 That's ESPECIALLY true for wax from vendors like Front Porch, who have incredibly strong tarts.

I made the mistake of popping in half a Honey Rolls grubby tart from Front Porch the other night (about 0.5oz weight or less) and it was almost cloying in the humid heat. I had to remove it from under the lamp and throw it out after a couple of hours.

I have to say this is a good scent though. It's a very tart sweet honey; quite realistic. (I can't stand food notes that smell fake.) But the honey is VERY sweet, so it got to be a bit too much after awhile. I had ordered hoping the "rolls" part of the scent would be more present, but it was just overpowered by the sweet tangy honey once heated.

Another online vendor I enjoy is Closet Full of Wax. I was digging around in my stash and realized I had an old unmelted bag of Mango Cream Filled Twinkies. I'd ordered because I've never eaten (much less smelt) Twinkies, although I can more or less imagine how yellow cake and sweet cream filling would smell. So I was curious to see if this would smell good.

As usual, I have to chop up my chunks into smaller pieces to melt in controlled dozes, but this one has quite a soft throw compared to most of my vendor tarts. I have to go quite close (about 2 feet away) to smell it.

It's not a bad smell, but somehow it reminds me more of buttery yellow cake with baked peaches on top, than mango.

I much preferred the mixed fragrance chunk tart in Almond Marzipan - Glazed Cinnamon Donut - Vanilla Bean Noel - Pink Sugar. (Quite a mouthful.) The strongest scent in this is Vanilla Bean Noel, although there's a buttery toasty nuttiness that makes it smell like cookies.

I think I only have the one chunk of this because I wasn't sure if I would like Marzipan. Almond is quite an acquired taste, and I prefer nutty almond notes to the medicinal marzipan/extract scents. So without having smelt this, I didn't dare order more.

Well, good news for me. This is quite a nutty marzipan. Or maybe that's just the combination of all those vanilla-heavy notes with it. I dropped only about 1/6 of the 3-4oz size chunk in, and that was more than enough because this thing throws like mad. My living room smelt like a bakery.

Yum.

Satiny-Neutral Daily Look Tutorial: Tom Ford Nude Dip

I was requested to do a tutorial using the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in 03 Nude Dip. 

This palette is different from all the other regular ones in terms of formula. The textures of the 4 shades are a lot more silky and pearlescent, whereas the original palettes were composed of more powdery satin and sparkle shades.

These 4 shades are highly metallic and at first look - similar to Japanese eyeshadow formulas. However, those are very sheer. The Nude Dip formula is translucent but also much more pigmented and buildable. 

You get a golden-ivory, a tawny shell-pink, a taupe, and a chocolate brown shade.

Below is a simple tutorial using all 4 shades, although I do often use just 2-3 shades for daily looks.

This is a very subtle palette and the colors all blend seamlessly together. But I would say you shouldn't expect dramatic variations in looks because the shades are all pretty soft and neutral. You will get lovely dimension and a beautiful gleam to the lids though.

If you're a fan of shimmery shades, this is a PERFECT wedding palette.

As with most of Tom Ford's formulas there is minimal fallout (there will almost always be some with most shadows but his has some of the least), and the colors and textures are flattering even for mature lids. This palette is more pearlescent though, so if you have a lot of lines on your lids, it might not be the most flattering palette for you to pick out of his range.

I still highly recommend it though. I have a few other faves in the Eye Color Quad range, but this is definitely up there with Cognac Sable and Lavender Lust among my absolutely must-haves.

This used to be a limited edition palette but good thing they've decided to make it permanent.