Review: Inglot Freedom System Palette - Eye shadows & Lips

The more I try Inglot products, the more I fall in love with the brand.. The quality of their products is superb.. And for the price point, it's just amazing!

 

Inglot's Freedom System Palette is great.. You get an option of getting a simple plain palette or one with a mirror and a brush which is I went for.. The palette is so slick and awesome for travelling..

 

Here are the Eye shadows and Lipsticks I picked..

 

Dolce & Gabbana Bronzer, Blush & Lipstick

When I first came across Dolce & Gabbana cosmetics I was intrigued and attracted to the packaging and the counter set up and all that.. But after I swatched a few of their products.. I fell in love.. The quality was beyond what I expected.. Their products are such high quality I couldn't just walk away from them without treating myself to a few things...

 

So here are my D&G loves...

 

 

Blushing Lippies

Because I have too many lipsticks, a large number of them sit in my drawer untouched for months! So one day as I was going through my lipstick collection, I found some amazing shades.. For my cheeks..

I've been really enjoying wearing lipstick as a blush..

And here's why:

- It's Long-wearing

- Pigment is amazing

- Multi-purpose

Application:

I like using my MAC 188 Duo-Fibre Brush to apply them.. I just brush it on the lipstick a few time to pick up the colour then blend it on my cheeks.. I found that using my fingers makes it a little blotchy and not blended as well..

Image taken from Google



Here are swatches of some of the lipsticks I've been using as blush and how they look when blended out.. Oh I do prefer working with matte lipsticks for my cheeks:

MAC Candy Yum Yum (Limited Edition)

Now this is a scary colour that I'm not brave enough to wear often.. I'd wear this to pool parties and that's about it.. But this shade makes an amazing blush because of its cool tones.. Gives a beautiful girly glow!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick - 01 Stay Rose

I like to dab this colour on my lips for that rosy/berry stain.. And that kinda shade is amazing for blush!

Inglot Lipstick in 231

I really like this coral shade.. Looks especially amazing on my lips when I'm tanned.. But for my cheeks, I can wear it whenever! It's not completely matte like the others, but it has a beautiful luminous finish..

 

Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense - Mat 4

This is completely matte! I love the shade.. Very natural.. It's a dusty rose.. Very waterproof too! 

Illamasqua Welt

A beautiful pinkie magenta that gives the nicest "I've-been-out-in-the-cold" cheeks

I won't go through my whole lipstick collection, but you get the idea.. I've been really enjoying this technique.. Especially now in the summer.. And for those who want to use up their rarely touched lipsticks, this is the way to go ;)

Have you tried wearing your lipstick as a blush?

Review: Korres Liquid Lipstick #22 Rasberry

Korres Liquid Lipstick.. Just the name itself is intriguing.. This is my first lipgloss from Korres and I need me some mooore of this!

Product

- Very cooling light water-based formula

- Feels like you're literally applying water to your lips

- Antioxidant

- Applies sheerly but colour is buildable

- Contains: Raspberry & Pomegranate extracts

- Claims to smooth lines and glide on with the creamy texture of a lip gloss and has the long-lasting, vibrant finish of a lipstick

Who Will Like This

- Anyone who likes to control the amount of colour in their lip glosses

- Anyone who is looking for a lip gloss that feeds your lips

Who Won't Like This

- Those who prefer more opaque lip glosses

- Those who don't like lip glosses to begin with

My Final Thoughts: Korres Liquid Lipsticks are coming close to my Chanel Glossimiers which are my favourite lip glosses.. I love the cooling effect it has when I apply it and I absolutely love the light yet pigmented formula.. But I don't find it long-lasting as it claims to be..

Would I Re-Purchase? For sure

What are your favourite Lip Glosses?

Have you tired Korres Glosses?

Clarins Gives You More Than Just a Lip Balm

When Clarins came out with the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, I thought "Yah ok whatever.. Another hyped product".. And I ignored it for the longest time.. Until my lips started getting super dry and flaky which ain't pretty at all.. I thought I don't want just a lip balm.. I want something that could really hydrate my lips while adding a hint of colour.. 

And so I went to Clarins and thought I'd try their Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in shade 01 Rose Shimmer.. And was really amazed at the consistency of it, the hydration and the smell! And decided to just go ahead and get it coz it was too lovely on my lips for me to just walk by it..

Product

- Sheer nude pink colour

- Super hydrating

- Non-sticky

- Glossy finish

- Extremely subtle shimmer that does not show at all on the lips

- Smells and tastes like cotton candy

- Contains: Extracts of Shea Butter, Wild Mango, Derivatives of Vitamins A & E all which repair, soften and protect against free radicals

Who Will Like This

- Anyone who is looking for long lasting lip hydration

- Anyone who wants to add that little bit of colour to their lips while treating them

- Anyone who loves a sweet sugary scent

Who Won't Like This

- Anyone who doesn't like "nude" lips
- Anyone who prefers a lip balm that contains SPF

My Final Thoughts: This feels lovely on the lips.. And it keeps my lips hydrated all day without looking boring because of the hint of colour it adds.. I love love the way it smells.. Reminds me of my childhood.. I'm not a huge fan of nude lips, so I do wear a lipstick underneath it just for added colour..

Would I Re-Purchase? Yes!

Have you tried Clarins Lip Perfector?

Discovery: YSL Rouge Volupte #11 & Revlon #440 Cherries in the Snow

Another great discovery!

I love Revlon's Cherries in the Snow.. It's such a gorgeous pink shade.. And I found that the YSL Rouge Volupte in #11 which I got ages ago is almost an exact dupe for it!!

Was so excited because if you read my previous Discovery Post, you'll know that I'm not a huge fan of the YSL formula..

Product

YSL:
- Very creamy
- Semi-Glossy finish
- Too slippery when applied
- Great colour pay-off
- Does not last long on the lips

Revlon:
- Smooth application but not as creamy as the YSL
- Semi-Glossy finish but less glossy than the YSL as it is less creamy
- Great colour pay-off
- Fairly good staying power

My Final Thoughts: It's pretty amazing how similar these two shades are.. And I definitely much prefer the Revlon one as the formula of it is just so much better for me.. I'm so glad I found that shade with Revlon because I really enjoyed it but never wore it too much because of the slippery creamy formula of the YSL..

Peace

xoxo

Illamasqua: Scandal & Welt Lipstick

As many of you may know by now, I adore Illamasqua.. I just think that they have some really great quality products to offer which I did write a post about here..

I talk about Illamasqua's blushes a lot.. But I never really mentioned their lipsticks..

So here's the two lipsticks I own..

In my opinion, Illamasqua lipsticks beat the MAC Matte Lipsticks in terms of staying power and dryness.. And I say Matte because all Illamasqua lipsticks are Matte.. The shades Illamasqua has to offer are just divine..

Scandal is just such an amaaazing shade! A great one for the summer

Welt is also lovely.. Not one I reach for a lot as it's a little bit too deep/dark colour for me.. But when I do wear it, I just dab a little bit on my lips and it gives a lovely magenta stain

Here's how it looks on the lips (a huge THANK YOU for my beautiful model & best friend xoxo)



Note: The face & the background have been edited but the lips remianed untouched so you could see the true colours of the lipstick



 Product

- Matte

- Amazing staying power

- Can be drying if lip balm is not applied beforehand

- Very pigmented

- Great colour selection

Who Will Like This?

- Anyone who loves Matte lipsticks

- Anyone who (like me) tends to eat up their lipstick

Who Won't Like This?

- People with very dry lips won't enjoy this

- If you want something glossy, don't come near these lipsticks

My Final Thoughts: These beat any high-end lipsticks I've tried in terms of pigmentation and staying power.. Can't wait for Illamasqua to come out with more shades!

Have you tried Illamasqua lipsticks? What's your favourite brand for lipstick?





Not Loved Enough: MAC Speak Louder Lipstick

I find that there are so many MAC lipsticks that are just SO overrated.. A lipstick that I think deserves a little more attention however is...

MAC Speak Louder Lipstick



Please excuse the shape of the lippie.. It fell outta my hands & got a lil messed up



This is a beautiful cremesheen finish that is not too light and not too bold.. It can be worn during the day at work or even at night.. I feel that this shade would compliment all skin tones..

And for my fair-skinned ladies out there who are not brave enough to wear a bold lip.. This pink shade is a really good start..

Swatch:



Really love this lipstick and I think it's worth checking out..

Have you come across Speak Louder before?

Review: Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Blam

At some point in the last month or two, some beauty brands such as Chanel, Dior & now YSL are coming up with moisturizing glossy lipsticks.. But the one that caught my attention the most, mainly because of it it's fun packaging, is the...

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

Product

- Very moisturizing

- Good pigmentation.. Not completely sheer but not overly pigmented

- Nice shade selection

- Stays on pretty well for a lip balm

- You don't need to sharpen it.. You just twist the bottom to get the product to come up

My Final thoughts: I REALLY like this lip balm.. It feels really nice on and the pigmentation and staying power is much better than Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and the Dior Addict Lipsticks.. It's so easy to just throw on when I don't know which lipstick to go for and it totally completes my look..Really great product..

Have you tried the Clinique Chubby Sticks?

Discovery: YSL Rouge Volupte #27 & MAC Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick

It's always so exciting when you find a dupe for a less affordable product..

I've had YSL Rouge Volupte #27 for a while now.. And it's such a gorgeous colour.. Perfect for summer.. And on my recent trip to MAC, I stumbled across their Sheen Supreme Lipstick and Full Speed caught my eye..



When I went home and swatched the two together.. This was the result..



L-R: YSL, MAC



These two lipsticks were almost identical in terms of shade expcept for the YSL one being slightly lighter.. I was truly amazed at the similarity..

Minor differences I found in both lipsticks:

YSL

- Formula is different from the MAC one.. It's creamier and it does move around a lot more than the MAC

- When it fades away it does leave a nice stain

MAC

- Longer staying power

- Formula is creamy but more of a thicker cream

I found that both have the same glossy finish

Final Thoughts: I prefer the MAC one only because I'm not a HUGE fan of the YSL Rouge Volupte formulas.. Also, the MAC one is more long-lasting than the YSL.. And on the lips you honeslty cannot tell the difference.. So the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Full Speed wins!



Review: Pixi Correction Concealer + Lip&Line

I've been on the hunt for a corrector that doesn't settle into my fine lines the way the Bobbi Brown one does on me (review).. I went to Skin Food as I know they have salmon concealer (I already have the salmon powder which is ok not great).. But the Skin Food one was just way to light for me and it didn't hide my dark circles at all..

So I decided to take a trip to Pixi and see what they have to offer.. And boooy did I fall in love...

Pixi Correction Concealer - Brightening Peach

This product brightens up my undereye area like no other.. I normally really don't like my undereye area to look lighter than my face.. But this brightened it without that overly unnatural look.. I'm seriously not exaggerating when I say this little thing turned me from dull to fresh and radiant looking..

Product:

- Comes in 1 colour.. A Peachy/Pink colour

- Sort of like a hardened cream that melts when you rub it (Unlike the Bobbi Brown one which it very creamy)

- Applies nicely and blends in beautifully (you can either apply it with your fingers or with a brush both work nicely)

- Stays put all day

- Can be a little drying if too much was applied

- Contains vitamins such as A, C & E as well as Rose Hip Extract which is known for its cell regenerating and skin elasticity boosting properties

My Final Thoughts: This product is really worth it.. I love what it does for my whole complexion.. And it's important that you use a moisturizing eye cream underneath first to decrease any chances of it drying out your eye area.. I use this on top my of Mac Studio Finsih Concealer (review) as I think it works better that way.. And I prefer using my hands to apply this.. I find that it blends in better.. And the most important thing for me is that it DOES NOT crease! So yay pixi!

Pixi Lip&Line - No.2 Fresh Pink



This is a lip liner and a lipstick in one which is so convenient as I usually have a hard time finding a lip liner to go with my lipstick..



Product

- Beautiful light nudey pink

- Not as moisturizing as it looks in the swatch

- With the liner, it has a matte finish to it and is long-lasting.. If only the lipstick is worn, it's semi-matte and not very long-lasting

- It does glide on nicely on the lips

- Contains anti-aging ingredients, Vitamins C & E and it's preservative free, mineral oil free, paraben free, not tested on animals

My Final Thoughts: I'm not loving this product but I'm not hating it either.. It's nice to have but I wouldn't purchase more of these.. I love how convenient it is though..

So what have you tried any Pixi products before?

Illamasqua Review - Foundation, Blushes, Lipsticks, Lipglosses etc.

To me Illamasqua is one of the few makeup brands whose displays and creativity really attracts me.

And on top of that, their products are really worth every penny as they produce products that deliver what they promise..

Now what I'm saying of course is based on the products I have tired only... Which are:

Rich Liquid Foundation

- So pigmented

- Thick formula that doesn't feel too heavy on the skin
- I like applying this with my Sigma F80 brush as it buffs it in so nicely.. However, using your fingers also works because it can be a bit tricky blend and if not blended well, it can sit on your pores making them obvious
- You only need a tiny bit for the whole face

- Great coverage but I do find that I have to use extra prodcuts on my stubborn acne scars

- Can be used a concealer

- Clings on to dry patches, so it must be applied to a well moisturized face or can be mixed with your moisturizer
- Not exactly a flat matte finish.. Can be more luminous depending on the moisturizer underneath

- Stays on all day

- I do find that it looks better during the day rather than when you first apply it
- Colour range is not so bad.. I found my shade in RF233 but it's a tad bit peach toned for me.. I have read that many people tend to mix up the shades to get their right shade with Illamasqua

Overall Thoughts - A nice foundation for those who have acne scars and for those who are a looking for a long lasting foundation.. But it does time a little bit of time to work because of it's thick formula..

Powder Blushers

- They're all matte which are my favourite

- So pigmented

- Stay on all day

- Stunning shades to suit all skin tones

Overall Thoughts - My favourite products from Illamasqua for sure..

Precision Ink in Abyss

- Glossy finish

- Felt-tip applicator

- Very small that it looks like you're not getting much product but you do

- Long lasting (Does not budge during the day)

- Very black

Overall Thoughts - If you're not into a glossy finish eyeliner, this is not for you. But I personally love it and I think it gives me such a nice polished look. And the applicator is really easy to work with..

Lipsticks

- Matte

- Amazing shades 

- Very long lasting

- A bit drying so you will need to put on a lip balm beforehand

- Very pigmented colours

Overall Thoughts - I looove their lipsticks.. Did I mention they are very long lasting?

Intense Lipglosses

- So pigmented

- Sticky but not overly sticky

- Stay on all day

- Controllable gloss (Meaning if you don't want it to be that glossy you can spread it out and still get a great colour payoff without it being too shiny)

Overall Thoughts - Uncomparable to MAC glosses which can be too glittery, watery, smelly and don't stay on all day. These are so nice and when the wear off, they almost melt away without patchiness..

Nail Varnishes

- Unique shades

- Easy to apply

- Not sheer

- Chipping for me occurs on the 3rd or 4th day like any other nail polish

Overall Thoughts - I like these polishes but I wouldn't go on a limp to purchase them as there are other brands that are just as good but with a lower price tag..

Blusher Brush 1

- So So So Soft

- Do not shed AT ALL

- Blends products so easily

- Great for powder and cream products

- Easy to clean

- Synthetic bristles

- Looks very sleek

Overall Thoughts - These brushes are very high quality brushes and the fact that they do not shed at all has me hooked on them..

What are you favourite Illamasqua products?

Discovery: A Korres Lip Balm Version of MAC Viva Glam Cyndi

I love my MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick.. And it's the only product that I actually bought a back up off.. So that says a lot about how much I love this lipstick.. I love the colour and the texture is so lovely and moisturizing..

So during my very quick trip to Korres.. I stumbled across their Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF15 which were new to the store.. There were around 6 in total.. Most had minimal to no tint.. Except for this lovely one I bought...



This is in Rose

When I applied this to my lips, it was love at first application..

Pros:

Really nice texture

Moisturizing

Great shade

Easy to apply

Not overly glossy like Korres's Lip Butters (which I still adore and are more moisturizing)

Cons:

Not very long lasting

Now the difference between the Korres Lip Balm Stick and the MAC Viva Glam Cyndi is that the Korres one is sheerer but you still get that gorgeous hint of Rose that you get with the Cyndi Lipstick..

Here are the swatches...

They may look completely off in the swatch, but on the lips, they are sooo similar except for the slightly more corally shade in the Viva Glam Cyndi..

I'm so happy I came across this lip balm.. I wear it all the time now and it goes with any blush I wear, whether it's peachy or pink..

I say if you missed out the Viva Glam Cyndi, definitely check this one out if your Korres store carries it..

Have you tried the Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF15?

Review: Nuxe Reve de Miel - Baume Levres/Lip Balm

Ok so I have tried sooo many lip balms out there and none really WOWed me.. For some odd reason, I sometimes wake up in the morning and find the sides of my lips very dry and cracked! It's horrible.. So I went on the hunt for a lip balm that would fix that problem.. I searched high and low.. Even purchased By Terry's infamous Baume De Rose Lip Care but found that although it was good and luxurious, it just wasn't that great and I still woke up with cracked lips.

So because I've been really into natural products recently, I thought I'd check out Nuxe as they use many natural ingredients in their products..

And I came across my Holy Grail of all Lip Balms...

Nuxe Reve de Miel - Baume Levres



Image taken from:
http://skincare.apothica.com/NUXE-Reve-de-Miel---Honey-Lip-Balm.html


Product:

The formula is not your typical lip balm formula where it is creamy and soft etc. The formula of this lip balm is actually hard and thick.. But melts oh so nicely and effortlessly when you rub it.. The more you rub with your fingers or rub your lips together the smoother it gets on your lips.. So don't freak out if you feel that it's heavy.. U need a small amount and just rub rub rub and you'll see that it melts melts melts..

When applied to your lips, it moisturizes instantly but it stays matte! Yes unusual I know! But that's one of the things I love most about this.. Coz it makes a GREAT lipstick base (especially if you like wearing matte lipsticks) and you do not have to take it off like you would any glossy lip balm..

The best thing about this product for me is that I wake up in the morning after applying it at night, and my my lips are not cracked!!! So it does what it claims in terms of repairing your damaged lips!

Oh and the product goes on sheer.. So you don't have to worry about your lips looking yellow or anything like that..

Here's what Nuxe says about this product:

Fragrance-Free

No preservatives 

No artificial scents

Non-Sticky

Tastes of Honey and Grapefruit

Active Ingredients are: Acacia Honey & Shea Butter to nourish and intensely repair and Grapefruit Essence which provides a nice sensation of well-being

Final Thoughts:

This is a great lip balm for those who are looking for a moisturizing and repairing yet matte lip balm.. It's a great lip balm for those who like using products with as many natural ingredients as possible.. It is a great lip balm for those who don't like their hair getting stuck on their lips..

This definitely is one of my greatest finds!

What are some of your favourite lip balms or not so favourite ones?