2016 Beauty Favourites | Part 1: Make-Up

Hey everyone! Super sorry (again) for the MIA. I've been travelling a lot, had a lot of errands to run for over a week and Chinese New Year just came by, and oh, Happy Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year to all my Chinese readers!

Anyway, I've finally squeezed in some time to blog about my 2016 Beauty Favourites. Let's start with makeup.

Makeup

1. Etude House Face Blur SPF 33PA++ // Primer

This is a really top-notch primer that smoothens the skin, moisturises the skin, gives a smooth application for makeup, gives a bit of a sheen and glow to the skin and also, make the makeup lasts a long time for at least 10 hours. It comes with a pump which is a plus, and also is affordable and has an added SPF to protect the skin from the sun.

2. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation // Foundation

This foundation is one of the most popular high-end foundations on 2015 and it is raved by many beauty gurus. It has high and amazing coverage, very easy to blend and has a natural finish. It's also very long-lasting. It comes with a pump, which is another plus. It's not very drying but it does move around a little.

3. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation // Foundation

This foundation is really out of this world, for me. I actually like this better than the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation (but I still love it nonetheless). It has high and amazing coverage, very easy to blend and spread around the face, very creamy and has a natural finish. It definitely lasts much longer than the Too Faced Foundation and the best part is, it doesn't crease as much and doesn't move around the face. It's not too drying or blotchy.

4. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer // Concealer

One of the best concealers I've ever used. It's really creamy so it's moisturising for the under-eyes, it covers the dark circles very well (because this concealer in shade Fair has a peach to salmon undertone), it blends like heaven and lasts a really good amount of time, which is impressive considering that this is very affordable.

5. The Face Shop Liquid Veil Concealer // Concealer

This concealer is excellent. It's super creamy and so easy to blend. It also comes with a doe-foot applicator, which is my favourite type of concealer. It has a good amount of coverage that covers pimples, blemishes, under-eyes and pimple scars quite well. It's also very affordable but unfortunately, it only comes in three shades.

6. Jeffree Star Skin Frost Highlighter in King Tut // Highlighter

Absolutely love this highlighter. It's such a beautiful gold highlighter that has amazing pigmentation, super easy to blend and it's huge. I personally thing I will never hit pan on this because it's almost as big as my face. This highlighter can literally blind anyone once they lay their eyes on you. It also lasts a really long time.

7. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Collection // Eyeshadow Palette

One of my favourite eyeshadow palettes of all time. I've never seen a YouTuber hate or disliked this product, because it's just that good. The colours are so gorgeous and pigmented, so easy to blend, has a variety of beautiful colours that can go from neutral to bright to night-out looks. The best part is, it is made from 100% cocoa powder and smells like chocolate.

8. BH Cosmetics Shaaanxo 18 Eyeshadow + Lipstick Palette // Eyeshadow and Lipstick Palette

I personally love the eyeshadows more than the lipsticks. I'm sure you all would probably know (or not) that I love me some liquid lipsticks and not so much on the creamier lipsticks. The eyeshadows are so excellent. They are so creamy, smooth, pigmented and absolutely stunning, it's crazy how I bought this palette for only $15 ($10USD). The pans are really big compared to many other eyeshadows in palettes, they're just so easy to blend and long-lasting. The lipsticks however were not as great as the eyeshadows, but it works well too. It's quite pigmented, creamy, moisturising, but you'll need a lip brush to apply the lipsticks.

9. Holika Holika Jewel Light Waterproof Pencil Liner in #16 Black Plum // Eyeliner

I absolutely love the colour of this pencil liner. It's a matte purple plum shade which is so gorgeous and stunning on the waterline or the eyelid. It glides on smoothly, super pigmented, very affordable and very waterproof. I've done a waterproof on these baby and it's very waterproof, it really doesn't smudge off that easily. 

10. Etude House Play 101 Pencil in #38 // Eyeliner

This is also a really excellent eyeliner pencil. It's way more smoother compared to the Holika Holika Jewel-Light Waterproof Pencil Liner and glides on easily. It is also a retractable pencil so you don't really have to sharpen the edges or the tip of the eyeliner (it also comes with a mini and portable sharpener which is located at the back of the pencil). It's also a very pretty colour and comes with so many different shades you can never imagine (okay, maybe you can but... you know what I mean :D).

11. L'Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara // Mascara

Amazing. It's one of the best mascaras I've ever tried in my life. It lengthens, curls and volumises (but it's also natural-looking). Not only that, it doesn't smudge, or clump and the best part of it, it's waterproof. Unfortunately, despite it's crazy amount of pros, it's pretty difficult to remove the mascara as it's super waterproof.

12. Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin // Liquid Lipstick

Be prepared for many lipsticks being featured in this blogpost because... well, I bought over 10 lipsticks and been gifted about 5. Anyway, this lipstick is amazing. So amazing. The colour is a very pretty dark nude to brown shade. It doesn't have a yellow or pink undertone or anything, which I like. I just love a dark nude. Formula-wise, very impressed. It's very consistent, creamy, not drying or flaky and doesn't suck the life out of my lips. It's velvet-y and soft. The shape of the doe-foot applicator makes it easier to apply and fills in quickly because the doe-foot applicator is bigger than other doe-foot applicators from other liquid lipsticks from other brands. Best part about this is that even if you eat oily and greasy foods, the lipstick still stays on.

13. Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit in Candy K and Exposed

2016 was the year for Kylie Jenner as some lip kits were sold out every few minutes once they were released on the website. I have to be honest, this lip liner and liquid lipstick were really good. Candy K is a really pretty dusty mauve-y neutral pink while Exposed is a nude-orange, perfect for everyday-wear. The formula isn't the best, but they're decent. Smooth, creamy, pigmented and not too drying. I like the lip liner more than the liquid lipstick because it's not as drying. They're also very long-lasting and don't transfer. The lip liner is super pigmented and smooth and it glides on so nicely around the lips. The liquid lipstick is alright, but a little bit drying and might turn cracky, but it's not too bad. The colours are really pretty and gorgeous, and that's why I love this lipstick.

14. ColourPop Ultra Satin Lips in Calypso, November and Screenshot

2016 was definitely the year for ColourPop as well and their ultra satins are bomb. They're so pigmented, creamy, smooth and easy to apply. They were not matte, but they dry a little bit of a matte, but they still have that little sheen on the lips. They're not drying at all (unlike their ultra mattes). Calypso is a beautiful mid-tone terracotta pink. November is a gorgeous warm peachy coral pink. Screenshot is a stunning deepened peach. The colours are extremely gorgeous and ColourPop has a wide range of different colours with different tones in many different finishes like mattes, satins, metallics and glosses.

15. ColourPop Matte X Lippie in Cami and Chateau

The formula for the matte x lippies are absolutely amazing. They're smooth, soft, pigmented, glides on easily and definitely not drying at all. I know I describe all my lipsticks like that, but trust me when I say this, they're so hard not to pass. They're lightweight, doesn't transfer, easily removed by makeup removers and lasts for quite a while. It does fade off if you eat oily and greasy foods. It's so affordable and it's in a crayon form. Cami is a mauve-y neutral pink while Chateau is a deep blackened red wine colour.

16. 3 Concept Eyes Dangerous Matte Lip Color in #808 Spotted

I never realised how amazing this formula is. It's creamy, velvety, smooth and pigmented. It really stays on for the whole day and doesn't transfer at all. It's in this gorgeous blue-toned red which really makes my teeth look whiter and brighter instantly whenever I flash a smile.

17. 13rushes Flat Top Foundation Brush, Jumbo Shader Brush, Tapered Concealer Brush and Oval Brush

13rushes is a Singaporean brand that provides high quality brushes. Their bristles and hairs are so soft and smooth, it's really satisfying when you play around with it. They all dry really quickly. The flat top foundation brush is soft yet firm and blends so well. It doesn't leave streaky lines and has a beautiful and natural finish. The jumbo shader brush is perfect for blending eyeshadows altogether and great for contouring the nose. It's soft and fluffy, but picks up product very well. The tapered concealer brush is perfect for blending concealer under the eyes and on pimple spots, scars, blemishes and marks. It's soft and firm, and blends beautifully, without leaving streaky lines. The tapered powder brush is mainly used as a highlighting brush, for me. It's soft and fluffy, and picks up products very well and blends beautifully.

[REVIEW] Too Cool For School ArtClass by Rodin Elumineur

Hi everyone! So today, I'm going to be reviewing on one of Too Cool For School's best-selling highlighters, the ArtClass by Rodin Elumineur!

They released the Contour version, called Createur de Contour, which I absolutely love and is one of my holy grails. They finally released a highlighter a year and half ago (I assume) and a blush (but I didn't purchase it because I'm not a blush girl).

I was extremely excited when I heard Too Cool For School was going to release a highlighter but it took me some time to purchase it because I prefer buying it from South Korea than online shops because they're much cheaper there.

It comes with three beautiful shades

Anyway, let's get on with the review!

I like this highlighter actually. It has a very beautiful sheen that is not too overpowering or blinding. The shades are very gorgeous, cool and warm tones in frosty champagne to rosy pink gold shades. You can either use each shade on by one or mix all of them together to make one because champagne colour. It is very suitable for a pale-skinned person like me because it's very light.

Even though it is not very overpowering, it's not subtle either. It has a beautiful and healthy glow with one swipe. I packed it on a few times and it turned out very blinding so you can definitely build it up. The formula and consistency is also quite good. It's creamy and smooth when you swatch it but on the pan, it comes out as flakey and powdery.

It is more on the powdery side, whereas the Createur de Contour is more on the creamy to powdery side. On the pan, it looks flaky, but once you apply, it transforms into this beautiful sheen.

It is not cakey or blotchy or anything like that. It's also great for all skin types and different skin tones. It's also very easy to blend so you don't really need effort to blend it out or spread it across the cheeks.

How it looks like if you blend all three shades together.

Swatches of the three shades individually. (From lightest to deepest shade).

However, it does not last that long. I used it for 6 hours, and it faded off completely. You can't really see a sheen or a glow on my cheeks anymore after 6 hours. I suggest bringing this highlighter with you if you plan to be out the whole day or for a really long period of time. It does have a slight shine on the cheeks after hours, but it's not noticeable anymore and the lighting will not really catch the highlight, especially on cameras.

On a side note, the packaging is really simple yet pretty.

Price: 16,000KRW
Store Location: Too Cool For School branches, RoseRoseShop
Size/Amount of Product: 11g
Would I repurchase it? Yes, I would, because the shade is really stunning and it's very suitable for my skin tone.

Pros:
-gorgeous colour
-great for all skin types/tones
-not too overpowering
-not too subtle
-buildable
-easy to blend
-creamy and soft
-affordable

Cons:
-not easily accessible/limited stores sell this
-not long-lasting

Overall Comment:
Really stunning shade. I love to mix three of this colours together to make one even more gorgeous shade. It's creamy, soft, smooth, easy to blend, quite affordable and suitable for all skin types or skin tones. I recommend this for those who are trying out decent to good highlighters that aren't too overpowering or subtle.

Rating:

[REVIEW] NYX Wonder Stick in WS04 Universal

Hey guys! I'm back with another blogpost! Woooooo~

I've been looking an affordable and decent contour and highlighting stick that doesn't need to be absolutely amazing or life-changing so I've gathered a list of good and affordable contouring and highlight sticks and narrowed down to this and Etude House's Play 101 Stick Contour Duo.

The reason why I picked NYX over Etude House was because the price was much more cheaper and more reasonable compared to Etude House's.

This is the contour side of the stick.

This is the highlighting side of the stick.

I really liked this product. I wasn't expecting much from this because not a lot have raved about this online. I was surprised when this worked out better than expected.

The colour matches my skin tone very well and suits my fair skin tone. It is very smooth and creamy. It glided on my cheeks easily and the colour pay-off was really nice and natural. It was very easy to blend with a brush or a sponge so I was very pleased with the result.

the swatch of the contour

the swatch of the highlighter

The contour is more on the warm side so it looked very natural. It does have a yellow to orange undertone, but it's not too obvious and doesn't look weird on my face. The highlight looks more on the neutral to cool side. It's actually quite difficult to see the colour appear on my hand or my cheeks but it does give a natural and healthy glow on my cheeks.

contour only

This is how it looks like on my face after blending in with my makeup sponges from Daiso Japan. They're actually really good disposable makeup sponges if you're looking for one or you don't have the budget to buy a beauty blender.

highlight only

This is how it looks with both the contour and highlight on my face. Blending them was like a dream because it was so easy to blend despite it being in a stick form type of contour and highlight stick.

The contour and highlight did not come out as blotchy as I have expected, which is a plus, because no one wants to look flakey when they're out. It also didn't look oily or dewy so I'm assuming this product is suitable for dry and oily skin.

This product is also very affordable so that's another pro. However, if you're looking for a super intense contour or highlight, this stick is not for you. Why? Because the contour is just right for people with fair or pale skin. I picked the shade that looks natural on my skin tone. Especially the highlight, it is very subtle. It doesn't give you an intense glow or anything like that.

I like how easy it was for me to apply the product and blend everything in with a sponge or a blending brush. It's definitely great for travelling as it's lightweight and the packaging isn't bulky or heavy.

However, there aren't much product in the stick so it won't last very long, I suppose.

I have to admit that the contour is much better than the highlight because the shade of the contour is just right. The highlighter though, is hard to see on my cheeks, even under the sunlight or just light to be very honest. It's not very visible or obvious.

Price: RM52

Store Location: Sephora Malaysia (Southeast-Asia), Ulta.com, NYXCosmetics, Boots.com, Target.com

Size/Amount of Product: 0.28oz

Would I repurchase? No, I would very much prefer using a powder contour and highlight, but this was a very interesting product and it's an excellent contour and highlight stick, for me.

Pros:

-good colour pay-off

-natural finish

-easy to blend

-easy to apply

-affordable

-great for travelling

-lightweight

-not too drying or oily

-variety of shades and colours

-suitable for all skin types

Cons:

-easily accessible

-highlighter too subtle, colour doesn't show up

Overall Comment:

I really enjoyed using this product. It is an excellent contour and highlighting stick that has nice colour pay off, blends really easily, looks very natural and doesn't blotch or grease up during the day. It's also very affordable and can be found in many beauty stores worldwide. However, I prefer using a powder contour and highlight because the pigmentation is stronger and much deeper.

Rating:

[REVIEW] Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost Highlighter in King Tut

Hey everyone! I'm finally back after 2 whole months and I'm absolutely exhausted from all the exams that I just had.

Anyway, this was gifted to me by my bestie. Jeffree Star just launched his highlighters around mid-May of 2016 and man, they were hyped up! I have to agree with the majority that his highlighters look so bomb and caters a lot of colours: gold, peach, silver, green, and the latest ones like bronze, lavender, blue, dark blue, etc.

DISCLAIMER: I know I'll get a lot of hate from this because Jeffree Star has tons of scandals but honestly, I'm just a fan of his brand, but not a fan of him.

So let's go on with the review!

First of all, the palette is really big, the size is literally half of my face, no kidding. Technically, you're really getting your money's worth if the size of the pan is huge. Also, I love the hot pink packaging, it's different compared to other brands and it definitely stands out.

This is one of the best highlighters I've ever used, to be really honest. I know in most of my reviews, I always say: "I love it", "I'm obsessed", "This is the best product ever", but I genuinely love it.

The colour/shade is so gorgeous. It's absolutely blinding to most people, even to me, because it's so shiny and 'out-there'. It's a gorgeous deep gold shade, very shimmery (but not glittery). It's super pigmented and the colour pay-off is amazing.

Formula: Very creamy and definitely easy to blend. No fall-outs, doesn't feel or look cakey. Not powdery either. Very smooth and glides on like a dream.

Longevity: I guess it's quite long-lasting, but I guess it will fade away after a few couple of hours. I wore this for only about 4 hours only.

Does it transfer? Yes, of course. It's a highlighter.

I like how this highlighter can also act as an eyeshadow. Again, I mentioned that it's super pigmented and would look amazing on the eyelids.

I literally glowed in the dark. When I took a picture of myself in the dark (with dim lights, of course), I could only see my highlighter on my face, the rest of my face was gone (I know it sounds creepy, but it's the truth). Unfortunately, I deleted the photo because it creeped me out, so I apologise.

I've gotten quite a few compliments whenever I wear this highlighter. This colour is perfect for all skin types and for all skin tones.

I usually apply this with my fingers and then blend them with my fingers if I want my highlighter to stand out and 'blind' people. I usually use my Morphe M509 highlighting brush to apply this if I want my highlighter to look natural.

Here are the cons: It breaks easily. One drop on the ground and the whole highlighter is gonna collide and break like an earthquake. My bestie ordered King Tut as well, and it broke the first time when she received it in the mail. She ordered it again for the second time and... yes, it broke AGAIN. It's very fragile so I don't recommend anyone to bring this when you're travelling or when you're on the move.

Also, the product itself is heavy, so it's another disadvantage if you want to bring this with you when you're travelling. It's not very slim, it's definitely not small and it's heavy.

Price: $29USD

Store Location: JeffreeStarCosmetics.com, BeautyLish, Morphe, BeautyBay, NuestroSecreto, 

PrincessPolly, BeautyBliss

Size/Amount of Product: 15g/0.53oz

Would I repurchase this? Well, no. As much as I love this, I would not repurchase this again, because shipping is absolutely a hustle, it breaks easily and there are a lot of other amazing highlighters in the market that are definitely cheaper than $29USD.

Pros:

-pigmented

-quite long-lasting

-smooth

-great formula

-creamy

-a lot of product

-easy to blend

Cons:

-fragile/breaks easily

-pricey

-heavy

-bulky

Overall Comment:

It's a great product and I'm sure I'll use this very frequently because it's a great product. Colour is amazing, great formula, has a lot of product and quite long-lasting.

Rating: