BASE
As mentioned in my previous post, my skin has changed from dry to combination in the past year or two, and it was my mission to find products that make my makeup stay put all day!
E.L.F. Cosmetics Makeup Mist & Set
I originally wanted to try the setting spray from Urban Decay, but as they don't ship to Japan, I tried out this affordable alternative from E.L.F. And it was surprisingly good! It helps my makeup stay put all day, and the best thing is that my eyebrows would stay as they were in the morning until 11pm. As I am extending quite a bit of the end of my eyebrows with my eyebrow pencil, I tend to end up with shorter brows without the ends at the end of the day especially in summer. But one or two spritz of this spray sets them completely and they never go away.
CANMAKE Lasting Multi Eyebase Waterproof
A very good eyeshadow primer which is only 500yen. This tiny tube lasts for more than 6 months which is also a good thing. I don't see a need to invest in an expensive primer!
Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector
Such an amazing primer!! It really does blur the pores on my cheeks, and makes my foundation goes on smoothly on top. My first tube was kind of defective and separated inside of the bottle, it ended up squirting weird liquid every time I tried to use it. My second tube has been great and NO liquid comes out at all. They said it tends to separate a little bit, but when you squeeze the tube and only water comes out, that is definitely defective. You should contact the customer service if you come across that kind of issue. Anyway, it smells amazing, it felt like burning my skin at the beginning but that was because it has 'a lot of nutrients are concentrated into this formula' as the shop assistant explained. After my skin has been repaired completely, it doesn't irritate my skin at all.
Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation
The shade #20 Light Beige is too orangy to my skin unfortunately, so I am mixing it with my LUNASOL Cream foundation which is a tad too light for my skin. I like to apply this foundation with Dior Star Fluid Sponge which looks like a black egg, as it goes on semi-matte when applied with this particular sponge, and it coves the pores really well. It's medium coverage and semi-matte, yet it still reflects the light and makes your skin look healthy. It's suitable for oily to combination skin as well, for those who do not want a dewy finish yet want to avoid a completely matte skin.
EYES and CHEEKS
For eyes, I enjoyed coloured eyeliners last year, though I was a 'black liquid eyeliner kind of girl' for more than a decade! For cheeks, I found amazing products that I am completely in love with.
L'Oréal Paris La Palette
I cannot live without this palette. The quality of each eyeshadow is amazing, and the shades are perfect for people who love taupe like I do. I haven't worn any other eyeshadow since I got it from lovely Danniella from Famous in Japan.
MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection Extra Dimension Eyeshadow
Definitely the best packaging of the year! I love this shade 'Soul Serenade' which is a very deep taupe which is perfect for a simple smoky look.
Visee Color Impact Gel Liner
In Japan, coloured eyeliners were on trend towards the mid-end of the year. I LOVE these pencil eyeliners from Visee, as they glide on so smoothly, easy to blend, and never budge after being set completely. I love the burgundy shade and the taupe shade called Winter Orchid, which was limited (you still can purchase it on my website HERE).
No7 Stay Perfect Shade And Define
I LOVE this kind of cream eyeshadow in a stick form. I love this shade Cool Mink, such a beautiful and subtle taupe that is perfect for a daily use. It helps eyeshadow on top to stay put as well, and you can of course wear it on its own. I want other shades such as coffee bean, too!
Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Dark Brown
I don't think I've worn a black liquid eyeliner to work for months now. This is such a gorgeous brown liquid eyeliner, which is easy to apply and the colour is perfect. It's not too warm, and pretty pigmented. The brush is thin and does not dry out. I would repurchase it over and over again!
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush
My shade Blissful is such a pretty peachy pink which is perfect to wear on daily basis. What I like about it the most is because it's not too pigmented. Drugstore blushes tend to be TOO pigmented that you need to be really, really careful to apply otherwise you will end up with super red cheeks like apples. But this is is subtle, elegant and very beautiful on the cheeks. Also the staying power is amazing for a powder blush.
Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek in Cherry Mix
I didn't expect to love this blush this much, but I DO!! The marble patterned blush gives a beautiful and natural flash on the cheeks within seconds.The puff is so fluffy (with a cute ribbon on top), and the effect the marble blush gives is just amazing. You need to have this blush in your life. I'm 100% not saying that just because I sell it on my website (HERE), I sell it because I love it this much. I'm not trying to make profits here, I wanted as many people as possible to enjoy the product, and help them in a country where Majo / Majo isn't available to purchase. You can read an in-depth review HERE.
LIPS
...and a sneaky eye product ;)
Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara Waterproof
Well, I forgot to include in into the eye makeup category but I love this mascara without a doubt! Japanese mascaras tend to stick your lashes together to make them 'thicker' which makes you look like you only have 5 lashes, but this one doesn't do that at all. It separates and lengthens without clumps.
L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire
I am in love with this shade Nude Ballet.I purchased Rose Melody but it's too pinky to my liking. It's more like a lip gloss, but the pigmentation is beyond an ordinary lip gloss formula. It smells fruity (not the typical L'Oreal scent) which I like. I love how glossy and plumped it makes my lips look.
OPERA Sheer Lip Color
A lip gloss in a lipstick form? How handy! It literally looks like I'm wearing a lip gloss, but much less sticky and greasy. My shade Salmon Pink is such a pretty peachy pink which I wore a lot during summer. It's so tiny that fits into my smallest purse.
Carmex Ultra Moisturising Lip Balm
I literally cannot live without Carmex!!! These are the only lip balms that work during winter. I love the lime one the best, and am keen on trying out the vanilla one someday.
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy
The shade Innocent is such a wearable shade, and it stays for hours and hours on the lips. If you don't have time to reapply a lipstick, this is the one you should apply in the morning. You just need to apply a lip gloss or lip balm on top throughout the day for an instant update.
It's become the longest post ever!!! Thanks for reading x
I have written my 'Best in Beauty' post on my Japanese blog at the beginning of Jan, but I missed a chance to write on this blog...until now. I know I'm a bit late, but hopefully you enjoy it :)
SKINCARE
My skin has changed slightly about 2-3 years ago. It used to be super dry, but it started becoming a bit oily during summer. This year, I turned 30 and my skin has become combination skin all year round. I struggled to find suitable products for my combination skin, as I was used to having dry skin. But these products are the ones saved my skin a lot throughout the year!
CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Night Creme
I'm about to use up the 2nd jar of this beautiful night cream, and I am not looking forward to that because I don't think I can purchase it myself. This cream is supposed to help eliminate dullness, brightens up the dark spots and make your whole complexion looks brighter. And I noticed that my dark spots around my eyes look brighter actually. Brightening skincare products never worked on me so I was not expecting anything to be honest, but I'm happy too see the visible result! But what I love about this cream isn't that effect, it's how it feels on the skin and how it smells. It's not too heavy yet moisturising enough, and it smells divine that helps me relax before going to bed.
Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II
It minimises the appearance of my pores. Enough said.
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye
It applies like lotion but moisturises the skin around the eyes well. I tried the sample sachet which lasted for more than a week I remember, and felt it reduced the intensity of my dark circles, and picked one up at the duty free shop in Okinawa. It's not greasy or heavy around the eyes at all, and definitely reduces the fine lines in the next morning as well as brightens up the dark circles. And this tube will last me forever!
Terracuore Damask Rose Dew Oil
Oh my god, has a facial oil ever been this fragrant? I don't think so. It is like a fragrance that you apply on your face. It moisturises, brightens, plumps up your skin, while redusing the visibility of the pores. It feels like a serum rather than an oil when applied an appropriate amount, and sinks into the skin instantly. I use it before moisturiser when my skin feels stiff, or apply it on top of the moisturiser when my skin needs intense hydration. Also you can use it along with a steamed towel for a 'at home spa treatment'.
Perfume, Hair care and Body care
Jo Malone Perfume
I discovered Peony & Blush Suede in summer, and asked my husband to get one from the duty free shop at Heathrow Airport when he was back in London, as the price in Japan is ridiculously high even when you consider the terrible exchange rate between GPB and JPY. I don't typically pick a floral scent, but this one smells feminine yet not grandma-like. I used up half the bottle within 2-3 months, which was because it didn't stay on my skin at all and I had to spray it a few times throughout the day. Then I purchased Pomegranate Noir on Rakuten Auction for 1,000yen just because I didn't want to use up Peony & Blush Suede. I am combining it with Red Rose (in sample size) as it smells too musty to me on its own. I also like Blackberry & Bay, French Lime Blossom and Earle Grey & Cucumber.
Rituals Honey Touch Body Cream
Definitely the best smelling body cream, ever. This is my first ever body cream that I've used up in my life. It leaves my skin soft and smooth, without being greasy at all, and the scent transfers to my clothes and remain smelling divine for hours. It was too heavy during the summer as it's super humid in Japan, it was the only thing I was looking forward to about autumn / winter. It smells like a gorgeous bathroom at a very high-end hotel. I know it sounds horrible, but you may understand if you've tried it!
L'Oreal Elseve Extraordinary Oil
The best hair oil ever. It doesn't weigh down my hair at all yet nourishes the ends instantly. It smells of 'oriental flowers' which is a bit musky, kind of dusty in a way yet feminine and sexy....which I absolutely love.
Alterna Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse
It gives a great volume in my hair!! The mousse texture makes it easy to distribute to my hair. I use it mainly on my roots when I wear my hair down to give enough volume, or apply it all over including the ends when I wear my hair up, which gives a good 'grip' to my hair without making it greasy.
Do you want to know what my favourite makeup products of 2014? It will be up on Sunday!
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is a cult product in the UK as well as in Japan. It's one of the best selling serums in Japan, and it's chosen to be the best beauty product in beauty magazines almost every year. SK-II Essential Power Essence, also, is a very popular serum in Japan. As you know SK-II is a luxury skincare brand that represents Japanese beauty brands. As SK-II is even more expensive than Estee Lauder, I had never tried anything from the brand until when I was given the serum to review on my Japanese blog a few months ago. I almost finished my bottle, so I thought it's a time for me to do a comparison review on two cult serums!
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
I totally understand why people have been raving about this serum. And also, why people spend quite a lot of money on this serum. Because it's definitely worth it. Apparently this super serum reduces wrinkles and lines while hydrating the skin. As you can guess from the name, it's a night serum that you apply before bed, and it helps your skin to recover from the damages it received during the day while asleep.
The scent did not impress me when I first used it, it's very subtle yet herbal and medicinal. I expected a floral scent because their products tend to smell good so I was a bit surprised at first. The texture is very loose, it goes on like a lotion when applied on the skin. It sinks in quickly, and leaves a slight stick film on the surface. It doesn't feel uncomfortable at all especially when a night cream is applied on top.
It's the next morning you notice your skin is in a better condition. It's plumped, hydrated yet not greasy or oily, and most importantly (at least to me) the pores have been shrunken. I was shocked to see how minimised my pores were when I tried it for the first time. It's definitely effective and I will continue using it until it stops working on my skin.
SK-II Essential Power Essence
Now let's talk about SK-II, A friend of mine has been using SK-II for years and she raves about the brand. People assume that it's cheaper in Japan as it's a Japanese brand, and I have no idea how much they are in other countries, but believe me their products are super expensive here in Japan as well. This serum is 16,500yen, which is about $137.5 ($=120yen). I was excited to try this out because I would never be able to afford it yet I was very curious to find out what is so amazing about it.
This serum contains Pitera, just as other products from the brand, which is full of vitamins, amino acids and minerals that work together to allow the skin’s natural surface rejuvenation process to function at its prime. Pitera is said to have a strange smell, but I didn't pick up the smell at all as this serum smells very nice and floral. To me it smells like a floral earl grey tea.
When I looked at the ingredient list, I was shocked to find out how many different types of silicons it contains. And as expected, it feels very siliconey that it almost feels like a primer rather than a serum. It's said to plump up your skin and minimises the pores, but it didn't sink into the skin at all and I didn't feel that it was working. It would just sit on my skin and stay there until I wash my face in the morning. It contains polymer that plumps your skin temporally, and it did work I think because the shape of my pores slightly changed from oval to round, which is a sign that it's plumped. But that's the only thing I noticed about my skin since I started using it. It didn't break me out but didn't do a fantastic job either. For 16,500yen serum, I was pretty disappointed.
Overall, I much prefer Advanced Night Repair because it did actually work. I ended up giving my SK-II serum to my mum and she is loving it. She says it plumps up her skin and it feels much smoother. She is 52 (yes she was quite young when I was born) and I guess that must be the appropriate age for the brand. I might try SK-II when I'm older, but if you are in your 20's or 30's, you might want to wait a bit more to spend a lot of money on their products. Just my opinion though!
As I often receive requests for a skincare routine post, I am sharing my autumn skincare routine today with you today.
To cleanse my skin in the morning, I use Peaches and Clean from Soap and Glory. I only use it in the morning to cleanse my skin, as it doesn't remove my makeup at all (though they claim it does). It smells like fresh peaches which is refreshing in the morning, and does not strip the natural oils of the skin. Then I apply Organic Rose Skin Conditioner to balance out skin's pH balance. Though it's a very affordable product around 1,000yen mark, it's such a lovely lotion that moisturises my skin without making it greasy.
I have been enjoying Superdefence SPF20 from Clinique since I got it in spring. It does leave a slightly oily feeling on the skin, so I blot with tissue before applying a makeup primer on top. It protects my skin from the sun damage and dryness, I love how it gets two jobs done within seconds! I use Superdefence SPF20 Eye Cream from Clinique to finish off my morning skincare routine. The formula separates for some reason and I need to shake the tube before use to mix the liquid and cream. It's kind of annoying that sometimes just liquid comes out and it makes a mess, but I still love this product because it hydrates the eye areas that tend to get dry, and creates a perfect base for concealers that I pile on later.
In the evening, I change up skincare products depending on my skin condition. To remove makeup / cleanse, I love using Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm from Clinique. It's very similar to the Chamomile Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop (and the Chamomile one smells divine whilst Clinique one is fragrance-free) but much more powerful in my opinion. You literally need a tiny bit to remove makeup, which makes this big jar last for ages. I use Badger Organic Beauty Balm Damascus Rose when I don't mind using a muslin cloth which I usually avoid. It smells divine and makes me feel relax.
After cleanse, I apply Even Better Essence Lotion from Clinique with the palm of my hands. It's moisturising yet not too heavy, I can literally feel that it makes my skin supple. It has an odd smell (very subtle though) which I am not a big fan of, but I still enjoy using it as it works really well.
SK II Stempower Essence is a serum that I've been using for about 3 months now. It smells like tea to me! It's got a very silicone-y texture and makes my skin surface silky smooth. It claims to reduce the appearance of pores on the cheeks but to be honest, that hasn't happened. For a 16,500yen serum, I have to say that it's not worth it. I will try to use it up as it feels nice on the skin, but I don't think it's doing anything. Advanced Night Repair from Estee Lauder is much better!
I choose a moisturiser depending on how dry my skin feels. When it feels very dry, which is rare, I use Dew Superior Concentrate Cream. It's a heavy moisturiser that felt too much in the warmer season. It melts on the skin and creates a barrier on the skin surface which protects it from dryness. It has collagen and hyaluronic acid to replenish the skin. It feels a little oily but my skin looks fresh and plumped in the morning!
I'm on my second jar of CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Night Creme and I absolutely love it. I'm not sure about the brightening affect, but it's such a lovely moisturiser to use all year round! Not too heavy, not too light, glides on like whipped cream, smells divine...the only downside is the price and the heavy jar.
When my skin needs an extra tender care, I add a couple of drops of Terracuore Damask Rose Dew Oil . If you love a rose scent, you will love this oil. I talked about this amazing facial oil HERE so I'm not going to ramble about it again but this has been my skin saviour!
Lastly I apply an eye cream. You can use a serum instead but I recommend you to use an eye cream which is especially made for the skin around your eyes, if you are older than 25. I have tried many eye creams in my life as I have really bad dark circles and when the skin around there is dry, it looks super cakey and wrinkly when concealers are applied. I got a sample sachet of Midnight Recovery Eye from Kiehl's a few months ago and the shop assistant told me that it combats dark circles. But then I saw some YouTubers raving about Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I went back to the shop and asked what the difference was. She told me that the avocado one is for younger skin, especially for ones who don't have any specific concerns. It replenishes the skin around the eyes, which makes it look like the wrinkles are gone. She recommended Midnight Recovery Eye for my skin because of my concerns. And it works wonders. It definitely reduces the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles even when I'm lacking sleep. It smells lovely, feels very light yet moisturising, there's nothing to complain about this amazing eye cream.
It got much longer than I expected... Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed it!
It was a short but pretty hot summer we had in Japan this year. I am so sad that it's autumn now and it definitely is getting colder day by day. I hate winter, I just hate everything about winter, and I'm getting so depressed as writing this thinking about winter...BUT I am excited about autumn / winter makeup. I'm all about coral cheeks and coral lips in summer, but I tend to gravitate towards darker lips in colder seasons like everyone else.
The problem is, I don't look good with dark or bright lips although I'm dying to wear rosy or berry toned lips. And I came up with this idea to mix the lipsticks I own already to create new shades rather than to look for the perfect autumnal shade.
Rimmel London Kate Matte Lipstick / 107 × Moisture Renew Lipstick / Nude Delight
I didn't know that when I bought it but 107 seems to be a very popular shade. On my lips it looks too bright and pinky, so I tone it down with Nude Delight, which is one of my favourite shades of the entire lippie collection.
This is how it looks when both of them are on the lips. They are both matte formula, which creates this beautiful velvet kind of texture which is perfect for autumn.
REVLON Lip Butter / Berrï½™ Smoothie
×Maybelline Baby Lips / Peach Kiss
It's been ages since I stopped wearing Lip Butter although I was pretty obsessed with it when it came out. There is no particular reason why I stopped wearing it, but now I remember how pretty it looked on my lips! Having said that, it's still too bright on its own. So I applied Peach Kiss from Maybelline on top, and voi-la!
It has the right amount of pinkness but not too bright. Baby Lips give a little bit of shine and I kind of like that.
Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy Shine / Surreal Sun
× LUNASOL Full Glamour Liquid Lips/ 03
This combo is what I've been loving since summer. Surreal Sun is a very bright orange that I cannot wear on its own. I dab Surreal Sun on my lips and blend with my finger, then add LUNASOL lip gloss on top. This shade 03 is no longer available apparently, but it's such a useful shade added on top of any kind of shades. I love how it feels on the lips.
I LOVE this shade!! I don't know what to do when I run out of this lip gloss, as it looks totally different when the lip gloss isn't added on top. This lip shade makes the whole look more sophisticated, and goes really well with autumnal eye makeup.
Bourjois Effet 3D MAX Lipgloss / #68 × CANMAKE Stay on Balm Rouge / 04
This lip gloss from Bourjois is awesome. It smells awful like rose petals burnt with vinyl or something like that...which is pretty gross. But how gorgeous it looks is unbelievable. It has this rosy undertone to it, which makes my lips look beautiful. It has glitter particles which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like it. I paired it with CANMAKE Stay on Balm Rouge in 04, which is a very natural beige.
Browny beige with a hint of rose is such a perfect shade for the colder season. And the glitters make it suitable for the holiday season as well!
It's so much fun paring lipsticks and lipglosses because sometimes it creates a completely different shade. And I can save money by not purchasing a bunch of new lipsticks!
I took photos in May when I received some requests for my skincare routine post, and finally I'm writing about it today! It took me 3 months to do it, and I even used up some of the products I was enjoying at that time. But seriously, all the products I'm talking about today are amazing.
- MORNING -
I take a shower every morning, and use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser to cleanse my face. It's kind of a boring cleanser but obviously gentle on the skin. It never irritates my skin and leaves my skin fresh and clean without the tight feeling that I hate. I also love Origins Checks and Balances, which smells of mint mixed with some other essential oils. It's perfect for combination skin as it hydrates the dry areas and gets rid of excess oils at the same time. It leaves my skin more refreshing than Cetaphil does, which makes it more suitable for summer in my opinion. I love love love this cleanser, maybe the best one I've ever tried.
After washing my face, I use Nature Conc Clear Lotion with a cotton pad to gently exfoliate and hydrate my skin. I love using it in the morning because it doesn't leave any greasy feels on the skin. Such a refreshing toner that makes my skin look clearer. Then I use Estee Lauder CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Moisture Creme to moisturise my skin. It's a perfect moisturiser for daytime as this siliconny texture creates a smooth skin surface and my makeup would sit very nicely on top of it. I also love using Clinique Superdefense Daily Defense Moisturizer SPF 20 especially on my day off when I don't wear makeup as it protects my skin from the sun.
Then I apply Superdefense SPF 20 Age Defense Eye Cream from Clinique. I love the idea of this eye cream having SPF effect, as my eye areas tend to get dark spots more than any other parts of my face. I apply the sunscreen from Origins as well, it's a little greasy to be honest but it leaves the right amount of oil once blotted. It's a shame it's only sold in Asia!
- Night-time -
RAFRA Balm Orange is definitely one of the best cleanser when it comes to removing makeup and leaving the skin super smooth at the same time. It literally smells like orange juice, and the consistency is much thicker than normal balm cleansers which warms up on the skin and gently exfoliates and removes makeup and dirt on the skin. It makes your skin feel like a baby's for sure, I promise.
Then I use Clinique Even Better Essence Lotion or Dr. Ci : Labo Herbal Serum to hydrate my skin. Even Better Essence Lotion is such a nice lotion that hydrates the skin without being too heavy. It feels very light on the skin but makes my skin moisturised and kind of plumped. Herbal Serum isn't a serum, but it's got oxygen, 15 different kinds of plant extracts, vitamins, collagen, hyaluronic acid and ceramide. It sinks into the skin very quickly and makes my skin feel fresher and smoother.
To moisturise, I use Estee Lauder CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Night Creme. I almost use up one jar, and I've got another one waiting for me to open. I'm not sure if it really does brightens up my skin tone, as I just found some new dark spots around my eyes today (damn myself didn't wear sunscreen until I was like 25) haven't noticed any difference on my complexion, but I love how moisturising it feels on my skin. I also love the scent, it could be a little overpowering for some people but I love it so so so much.
I also use argan oil sometimes to combat dry patches, and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (I got a 50ml one the other day, woohoo!) for a special care. Also, RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum is something you need to try out if you haven't tried it yet. It really does make your lashes longer and thicker in a week. I had bald patches in my eyelashes but it made my lashes fuller instantly! I was really impressed, and now I cannot live without it....I don't know what to do when it's gone empty as it's quite pricey and I don't think I can purchase it myself!
So these are the products I use on my face day and night. I have some more products I'm loving right now, I will make sure to write about them soon!
Estee Lauder Pure Color Instant Intense EyeShadow Trio
Today I'm going to share my summer obsession with you all. I got this eyeshadow palette a few weeks ago, as a gift kind of, and I have been obsessed with it since then. This is my first Estee Lauder Eyeshadow ever, and I didn't know that the quality is this good to be honest. My shade is called Arctic Zinc, which is much more beautiful in person than it looks on the computer screen.
The lightest shade is the least pigmented, it's got quite chunky glitter particles in shimmery greenish blue eyeshadow. The middle shade is my favourite, it's a beautiful grayish blue with a hint of lilac, and this metallic finish looks absolutely gorgeous. The darkest shade is also beautiful on the lid, though it looks pretty boring when swatched. It also has glitter particles but the eyeshadow itself is not metallicky or shimmery.
The lightest shade goes on a little patchy but when I apply an eyeshadow base beforehand and gently pat the eyeshadow with a brush, it kind of sticks nicely without falling off. Then I apply the middle shade from the middle towards the end of the eye, and add the darkest shade on the outer corner. It looks muted in the photos but in person it's such a glittery gorgeous look which is perfect for summer. It brightens up my complexion and I love how the combo looks sophisticated.
I also love the packaging, pretty small and gorgeous like all other Estee Lauder products are. I love how the eyeshadows kind of melt into my eyelids and create the illusion. I have been really obsessed with this eyeshadow trio that I will continue wearing it until the summer ends. Of course I will wear it in winter as well, but I'm sure it suits in summer more.
I'm now more interested in their makeup range, do you have any favourite item?
Estée Lauder LIP COLOR LUXURIES
I don't normally like a lip palette that is bulky and takes up space in my purse, but when the palette has 6 beautiful shades of Pure Lipstick from Estée Lauder, who can resist? It has Pure Color Crystal Lipstick 37 Hint of Peach, 01 Crystal Baby, 26 Mandarin Pop, along with Pure Color Lipstick 53 Wildly Pink, 63 Marvelous Mauve and 64 Abstract Violet.
The first 3 shades from the left are very sheer whereas the 3 on the right are very opaque.
37 Hint of Peach is a very sheer colour with glitter particles that makes your lips look slightly pale. You can use it to tone down the natural colour of your lips, or on top of a bold lip stick to make it more wearable while adding some sparkles.
01 Crystal Baby is a pretty nude shade that gives a hint of colour to your lips. Not too opaque yet makes your complexion fresh. I love this shade as it's such a wearable colour.
When I saw 26 Mandarin Pop on the palette, I thought it would be too bright for me. But it's surprisingly sheer and wearable! I would wear this shade this spring and summer a lot for sure, I love how subtle it looks while brightening up my complexion.
53 Wildly Pink is a pretty pink with a hint of purple. On the palette it looked more like a coral pink, but it turned out a bit purply on my lips.
63 Marvelous Mauve is a little bit out of my comfort zone to be honest, as I look super '80s when I wear a shade like this. But because the formula is amazing and it just glides on smoothly and kind of like melt on my lips, which makes it look very natural in a way. I like to pair this shade with a neutral smoky eye look, when I don't want to wear nude nor bold colour on my lips.
Lastly, 64 Abstract Violet is the hardest one to apply as it goes on very patchy for some reason. It's pretty bright and bold that I have to practice how to wear a colour like this...
Pure Color Lipstick has really strong staying power that impressed me a lot. I did a swatch on the back of my hand, and it was a pain in the butt to remove even with Bioderma. Once it's on my lips, it stays for so long. Even when I wipe my lips, I still can see the colour stained. However, I liked the 3 shades from Pure Color Crystal Lipstick range better to be honest, just because they suit me better.
They all smell so lovely just like the other lipsticks from the brand. It's supposed to vanilla fig I remember, but it literally smells like cotton candy in my opinion. This palette is also available exclusively at travel retail stores!
Estée Lauder 3 Pure Colour Envy Shine Lipsticks
One of the best parts of taking a trip to overseas is to stop by a travel retail shop at the airport to stock up some beauty bits that you've been eying on. Agree? Then you need to add these beautiful lipsticks to your wishlist. These are available at normal Estée Lauder counters, but you only can get this set of three shades at travel retail shops. The shades are 10 Innocent, 08 Pink Dragon and 02 Surreal Sun.
10 Innocent is a very pretty peachy beige, I would say. But please don't count on me for a colour description because I'm really bad at it. This shade is so pretty that would suit anyone I guess, and the formula is amazingly creamy that it glides on and kind of melts into the lips.
How pretty is this? I've been wearing it none stop since I received it as this is literally a perfect-everyday-neutral-shade. Another good thing about this lipstick is that it stays on the lips for hours. It comes off when I drink or eat, but it doesn't completely fade. It's got such a good staying power.
02 Surreal Sun is a bright orange which has got a hint of pink. It's a perfect shade for this summer in my opinion, as everyone's talking about the trend.
It doesn't look too bright in this photo but in person it's quite pigmented. I wouldn't wear it on its own just because I don't look good with bright lips, but I would definitely wear it along with a beigy lipgloss / lipstick on top. Also I like dabbing a little bit of the lipstick on my lips with my finger, to give a subtle colour.
08 Pink Dragon is a pretty pink with a hint of purple. It's a very girly shade that every girl should own.
It looks quite bright on the lips too, so I sometimes pair it with Maybelline baby lips in Peach Kiss to tone it down, and it works well. I wish I could nail this shade alone, I curse the structure of my face that any bright lipsticks don't look good on because it's such a lovely shade.
Overall the formula is amazing, they don't emphasise dryness of my lips at all which means I can wear them anytime without worrying about my lip condition. I also love the magnetic package too, that it's satisfying to hear the "click" sound whenever I close the lid. And of course, the packaging looks gorgeous with their signature colours; navy and gold.
Have you tried their lipsticks before? Let me know what your favourite shades are!
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