Haul-Review / Makeup Tool: Drugstore - Beauty Blender & Smashbox

Drugstore was offering a 2-day 20% discount off my purchase and I went ahead with the Beauty Blender that I've been lemming for since I first laid eyes on it.

The set I bought comes with 2 egg-shaped sponges and 1 bottle of cleanser. The online price is USD39.95 before discount. The Smashbox eyeshadow (USD28.00) was just an impulse buy to sort of defray the shipping cost.

Shipping to borderlinx is free and shipping from Boderlinx to SG came up to approximately SGD20.00.


Item Name: Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge
Size: NA
Price: USD39.95
Available At: Drugstore.com
Picture Source: klutzbeauty.blogspot.com

Product Description from Manufacturer:

Now you can look like a movie star without the pricey services of a major make up artist. Introducing Beautyblender, the ultimate make up sponge applicator. Invented by top Hollywood make up artist Rea Ann Silva, Beautyblender has been created to leave you with a professional finish and a flawless complexion. Silva knows that the key to a perfect face is simple: a perfect blend. So forget your fingers or sharp-edged triangular sponges, these application methods waste make up and can leave visible streaks.

Beautyblender’s patent-pending elliptical shape makes application foolproof by allowing you to access hard-to-reach areas with stunning ease. Its suede texture is sensual to the touch and its unique curves fit the contours of your face, leaving your make up dazzling and undetectable. Beautyblender is latex free, non-allergenic and odor free.

Why I bought it:
I read about this product when I was doing research on makeup sponges some time back. Many celebrities and famous bloggers raved about this little miracle worker. And being someone who is always after a flawless skin finish, I finally decided to take the plunge and try out this product.

Packaging:
Elliptical shaped makeup sponge in bright shocking pink. Product is housed in a clear box. It comes with a plastic canister stand, this is to allow the sponge to dry when not in use.

Texture:
Similar texture to that of a normal sponge except that there are no sharp edges.

Price:
For a makeup sponge, it is EXPENSIVE! Which was why I took so long to finally decide on this purchase. The instruction says it can last for 3 months , given daily usage. I hope it does.

Road Test:
On the first day, I decided to try it dry with foundation dabbed straight from the back of my hand and onto my face. It didn't really wow me at all. In fact, it absorbed too much foundation, resulting in wastage and the finish was patchy and thick, probably from too much foundation.

On the second day, I decided to try it wet as per the recommendations from the website. The product swells to double it's size when wet.

This time round, instead of dabbing foundation from the back of my palm, I decided to spread the foundation on my face first, like what I would usually do. I then even out the foundation by stippling.

This time round, there was less wastage and the finish had a air-brushed feel to it. However, I spent a good amount of time to ensure that the stippling did not create any uneven patches. The finish was nice but it took too much of my time. Plus, I ended up with an uneven finish due to my less than stellar proficiency with stippling.

The third day, I decided to try it dry again. But this time round, I used it the same way as my normal sponge. The result, a smooth finish without the usual streaks. Top it with loose powder and the result is a velvety smooth and polished finish!!! I'm totally in love with it!!!!!

I also find that this sponge works better with foundations that has a thicker consistency. However, be cautioned of patchiness though.

Verdict:

This is one of those products that works very well, given that you found that one method that works for you.

This product is good but given the price and function, I find that it's a little over-priced. There are other alternatives out there that may do the same job at a fraction of the price. Example would be Sephora's Precision Sponge and Sonia Kashuk's Blending Sponge. In addition, it's currently not available in Singapore and have to be ordered in from USA.

Haul / Review: MAC Disney Venomous Villians Collection - Maleficient Duo Eyeshadows

I'm back!! Whoa. Is that dust?? *Coughing*....

Anyway, it's been a hectic journey and I hope that it would end soon come next week...

The next few post would be on my hauls.. I've been busy with work but I didn't quite lax when it comes to shopping. Especially when I have dear friends who keeps me updated about the latest happenings in the beauty world, and then texting me whether I want the items...We're always in this love-hate relationship kind of thing.. They'll tempt me with something and in turn, I tempt them with another...

And so, this entry is on the MAC Venomouse Villians stuff that my BFF, J.Low helped me snag.. I heard there was a crowd at Tangs Orchard on launch day and things were literall flying off the shelves.

Luckily, I didn't have to fight with the crowd and the best part, I got them at a very good price.

I think the whole blogger sphere have already blogged about it except for me. *Sheepish grin*.. But this is for my record, so do bear with me. I promise the next entry would be a better one...

The Eyeshadow Duos from Maleficient collection




The Duos in their pristine packaging. Even the box looks so wickedly cute!



The Duos in their gorgeous pans.





Aaawww, She Who Dares..

 I fell in love with the blue almost immediately. It was the blue that sparked my lemming for the duos. And yes, blue is one of the colors that actually works for me. No matter what others say.





My Dark Magic...

My Dark Magic is a dark-pink and purple combo that also works on me. Probably because of the blue undertones. The color reminds me of the hocus-pocus potions that you see on cartoon concocted by witches. Strangely enough, when I first saw this name, the image of a Shaman pracing around with feathers on his head just came to me.. Haha.. *Shakes her mind to clear that image*

I've been unable to bring myself to deface the pristine shadows to do the swatches, preferring to admire them a little longer, before I attack with a makeup brush.

However, Ling has done a very comprehensive swatch on these 2 lovelies. From her swatches, I can see that it is very pigmented. So please go lightly on them. Start with a light hand and then build up.

To make it more wearable for work, remove excess glitters by blowing on your brush before application.

Next up are the nail lacquers, courtesy of J.Low as I decided not to purchase them.

I've never been a nail polish person. Reason being, I can never quite get the application right. I'll always end up making a mess.

And being an impatient person, I'm too hyper-active to sit down and wait for the polishes to try thoroughly.



From Left: Green & Mean, Formidable, Bad Fairy



Close up of the lacquers after 2 layers.

1 layer was not quite enough to make the color come through. In addition, application was kind of unbalanced. Probably due to the shimmers. 

Mean and Green was kind of special but it didn't quite stir my heart. Formidable reminded me of OPI Chutney with Shimmers. I think I like Fair Fairy the best. It has a dash of cuteness and yet a subtle hint of wickedness beneath the facade. 

The line up (from left): Bad Fairy, Formidable, Green and Mean

And that's all for now.. Until then, keep loving... =)

Happy!!!!

I just got an SMS confirmation from my friend that she has managed to help me get the MAC Maleficient Mineral Eyeshadows! Hoot!

I've never been a fan of MAC's limited edition items. I refuses to be subjected to marketing gimmicks of these kind. It makes some women go into frenzies and what is supposed to help them look beautiful in turn make them into monsters.

However, I was totally won over by the mineral eyeshadows when J.Low informed me about this MAC collection.

And so, out of kindness from J.Low and her cousin, I managed to snag the two items from the Maleficient series without much trouble or hassle. I'm truly blessed to have good friends who loves me!!!!! Love moi friends!!!!!

Haul: Duty-Free and Fancl

These items were bought way back in early August but they were stashed in a corner of my room and I had almost forgotten about them until I ran out of my Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, and I have to open a new bottle of makeup remover.

I've decided to switch to Shu Uemura after reading the raves and recommendations from skincare gurus such as 牛爾... I ended up buying additional items on top of the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil.

For the uninitiated, please note that compared to Duty Free, a lot of items are actually cheaper when bought during the Metro 20% sales. Not to forget the additional Metro dollars that can be converted to shopper cheques.

However, due to kindness of my friends, I get very good prices from Duty Free. Of course, I don't usually like to trouble them unless I need to get really expensive stuff, or things that are not available at regular retail counters, such as traveler exclusives.

Being the fickle me, I decided to get 2 types in smaller bottles to try out, and to see whether they live up to the hype and raves.

The purplish version for Whitening purposes:

The green version with supposedly anti-aging properties.

The next item is what got me so excited, it's the Dior Carnage Collection. It's a palette of 8 eye shadows and is a Krisflyer traveler's exclusive. So it's only available on SQ flights and Duty Free. For swatches and more pictures, please visit Ling's blog. She was the one who sparked my lemming for this.

The palette in it's pristine plastic packaging

 

Next up is my Fancl haul that I got along with my sister's birthday present.

The Summer 2010 Eyeshadow Palette.

I got 2 of the above. 1 for my sister, the other is meant as Christmas present for a good friend.

Fancl HTC Collagen in Powder form

This is meant for myself. I believe this is a new product. I've tried the drink and pills but not the powder form. Will try out and review after this.

Haul: Random buys in June

Been away.. Was kind of depressed over the week as I lost my brand new laptop! Well, technically, I didn't lose it but rather, a cab driver took off with it in the boot. I was so shocked by what happened that I didn't get the license plate. It was a brand new laptop just out from the shop.

I was more angry with myself than with the cab driver. First, I shouldn't have put it in the car boot. There was enough space in the back seat for it. And I should have asked for the receipt. But the cab driver was so nice that I was caught off-guard. I shouldn't have been so trusting, remember, low crime doesn't mean NO crime.

Anyway, I lodge reports with the police, LTA and the cab company. Although chances of getting it back is slim, but I still want to put it in record that there is an errant cab driver on the prowl.

This entry is for the random buys that I did for the month of June. June is not only my birthday month but also the month of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS).

Not a lot of stuff as I'm trying to curb my spending. Oh well, living in Singapore meant that there are sales going almost all year round. There's always next time.

First up is MAC 217 brush. It's a my second MAC brush. This is a much raved eye makeup brush and I was totally won over. It's so soft and blends my eyeshadows very well. The best part is that I paid for it with my Isetan vouchers that I redeemed with my Isetan points. So, this brush came almost as free!

Next is the Lunasol 2010 Summer Collection, Nature Summer Blue EX01 Eyeshadow Quad (S$77.00). I've been lemming this quad ever since Rouge Deluxe and Fuzkittie featured it. So I decided to get it when it launched in Singapore on 18th June 2010.

Friends of mine know that I'm a blue eyeshadow lover. A lot of people are scared of blue eyeshadows but they are one of the colors that actually works for me. And Japanese seems do well in this arena.

I'm totally in love with the deep blue!!

Ok, what else???..... Oh yes, I purchased a Fancl sunscreen. Due to my sun-phobic nature, I'm very into sunscreens. I currently own.. hmmm.. about 6 bottles of sunscreens. All of different brands.

My ma thinks I'm totally insane. She's an advocate of sunscreens since I was young but I think I've outshone her. Wonder how many sunscreens my daughter will own next time. Anyway, picked this up because I had quite a good experience with it previously. The only thing I don't like about Fancl products is that they expire way much faster than I can use it up. 75days after I've opened the bottle, I'll have to toss it.

I also stocked up on some essentials during the GSS period.

MAC makeup sponges and brush cleaner. Truth to be told, I'm not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to makeup sponges. So far, MAC makeup sponges have worked well for me and so, I've been hooked on it ever since.

The MAC brush cleaner was a purchase I decided after reading somewhere that normal shampoo do not do a good job when it comes to disinfecting. And so, I bought this so that I can give my brushes a good clean. I'm a germ & dust-phobic when it comes to the things that I put on my face. To the point that I rather buy the wrong foundation shade home, then to have the BA test it on my face. I once saw this lady who took the tester lipstick and applied straight on her lips. Yew, I was totally turned off and horrified by what I saw.

Next up is the Clinique's Liquid Facil Soap (Mild) - S$35.00. Another staple of mine that I've grown to love. This product does a good job of cleaning without stripping moisture off my face.

Lastly, is the Laneige Perfect Renew Skin Refiner (S$53.00). Another staple of mine. I had a bad reaction when I first used it but now, it's one of my holy grail. I'm already in my Nth bottle!!

Haul: Drugstore Purchases

The next few entries would be belated posts as I've been out of action for sometime. This haul was done in mid-june, in the midst of preparing for my giveaway.

I get double points from Watsons due to my birthday month and so, I decided to stock up on some items, while getting stuff for my giveaway.



First up is the canmake eyeshadow quad (S$19.50)... For some reasons, after my first Canmake Cream Blush, I was starting to grow fond of this brand. Not to mention that it was on 20% discount.

This palette has 4 shades in total. One highlighter shade, two lavender hues and a dark color for accent. I love Japanese eyeshadow palettes, they make eyeshadow application so idiot proof that even a klutz like me can easily do it.

The photo does not give full justice to the colors. The shimmers are really pretty.

Next up are the Cleansing Express Makeup Remover Lotions Samples (S$3.95 each). The product has been on shelves for sometime but I wasn't really keen on investing the full size. The description of the product gave me the impression that it is fuss-free and can even be used on the eye area. And so, I decided to get the samples to try out before investing on the full size. There are several types to choose from and I chose the Moist and Anti-aging ones.

Next is Pure Beauty's Bon Voyage Essential Serum (S$3.95). As to why I bought it? I was enticed by the quirky packaging, which reminds me of Cargo Foundations. And yes, that was what pushed me to buy the product. Plus, as it was meant for traveling, it did not contain a lot of product. This meant a much lower price and I get to try a new product without investing a lot of money into it.

Lastly are my essentials. Neutrogena Sunblock for my body and Asience Shampoo and Conditioner set. Cant remember the prices but I know they are cheaper as they were also on discount. And yes, I'm a sun-phobic. Just like how some westerners cannot comprehend why majority of asians loves being fair, I can't understand why they like to worship the sun (usually without protection) so much.

UVA and UVB rays causes SKIN CANCER!!! I once saw a lady whose arms reflected the ravages of long-term sun exposure. It totally freaked me out and I promised myself to never leave home without sun-block.

Of course, sometimes when I'm running late or become lazy, I would skip the body sun protection. Nevertheless, it's good Vitamin D to catch some morning sun. But as soon as it's lunch-time, I would whip out sun block before I battle the afternoon sun and lunch-time crowds.

Haul: Shiseido Sale

Got to know about the Shiseido Sale through Ling. I know I shouldn't be spending anymore but I just couldn't resist the urge when the prices were going so low....

So on top of the eyeshadow palette that I've been lemming for so long, I also got some other stuff along the way...



First up is the Shiseido Maquillage Clean Contrast Eyes 2 in BL743 (S$20.00). This is part of the 2008 Spring collection and it's the eyeshadow palette that I've been lemming for the longest time since my sister got it.. So, I was hoping that this item was on sale. As fate has it, J.Low was able to find it straight away when I told her!! What else can I explain this except for affinity?

The whole package in mint condition:

The palette out of the packaging..

The pretty inside...

And the instruction at the back of the packaging..

Next, is the 2 single eye shadows (S$7.00 ea) that I bought on my own...

Cream Eye Shadow in PK214 and Powder Eye Shadow in BL146

After that is Shiseido Luminizing Color Powder in L3 Golden Beige (S$20.00). I got this as I was looking for a contouring powder. And this was my answer to it.

The brush layer. The brush was kind of crappy...

And the bottom layer where the actual content is.. 3 shades of beige..

Lastly, a Benefiance sampler set (S$30.00). I have always wanted to try out this range but never got around to do it. So since there is a sampler set, I just grabbed it straight away.

The sale is definitely worth the effort. The sale items are relatively new and some are expiring only in 2013. So I'm very happy with my purchases.

I had originally wanted to get some Cle De Peau products but I really couldn't bear the stuffiness and plus, I was controlling my spending.. So I made a beeline for the cashier since I'm more than satisfied with my spoils..

There was also a counter for Majolica Majorca and ZA. They are drugstore lines under Shiseido and I saw huge price slashes for these 2 lines, which of course attracted a huge number of ladies..

GWP: L'Officiel Singapore Mar 2010 issue - Ed Pinaud Eyeshadow

Alright, this is a very belated post. Ling informed me of this promotion when we were out on a gathering somewhere in Feb 2010. L'Officiel Singapore was offering Ed Pinaud full sized eyeshadow quads (RRP: S$59.00) as the GWP for every purchase of their Mar 2010 issue. Although it retails for S$5.90 at newstands and Kinokuniya, we can pre-order these magazines at S$6.90. Plus point, we get to choose our preferred colors and they'll send to us via Singpost.

There was a selection of 6 palettes to choose from: Violet Concerto, Chocolate Plum, Hazelnut Chocolate, Mocca Latte, Smoky Emerald and Blue Black. Christy of Beaute-Runway did a blog entry on the pre-order promo and pictures of the individual quads.



So being the kiasu Singaporean, this was a bargain I can't resist. I ordered 2 copies with my choice of Violet Concerto and Smoky Emerald. With secondary choice of Hazelnut Chocolate and Chocolate Plum.

The magazines arrived promptly but I think they ran out of Smoky Emerald and gave me Hazel Chocolate instead.

The packaging of the quads was very elegant and comes with a black velvet slip. The gold brass packaging reminds me of the older Lancome cosmetics products, definitely a fingerprints magnet. The box opens to 4 gorgeous eyeshadows. There is even a plastic flip cover to protect the eyeshadows. Nice... I haven't test the eyeshadows yet. So, no comments on the quality though.

Violet Concerto: Shades of pink and violet

Hazelnut Chocolate: Shades of Taupe and brown based colors.

Of course, I'll need to mention the good people at CRMedia who brought us this. L'officiel is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine. The content is categorized properly into the various types. Informative content and colorful spreads attracts the new independent professional working women.