Monthly Archives: May 2012
China Glaze – ‘Crackle Glitters’ new for 2012 (swatches & review)
Ok…before you start groaning and complaining, hear me out; I may not be the biggest champion of the whole crackle effects trend, but I can’t deny just how cool it is to watch it happen before one’s eyes. Another bonus is that whatever shade you layer underneath doesn’t have to be applied with surgical precision, which makes this a super-fast mani to achieve. Lastly, and needing only 1 coat of your crackle glitter of choice, uniformity is not required, so the more variety on each nail, the better – plus it’s relatively goof-proof. But what makes China Glaze’s new ‘Crackle Glitters’ so special for me, is actually the formula itself … read on to see what I mean. All swatches are with Poshé Fast Drying Base Coat and Super Fast Drying Top Coat, and layered over a-england’s ‘Camelot’ (previously reviewed here).
‘Luminous Lavender’ – ultra fine violet/lavender glitter suspended in a clear base. Out of the 4, this was the only shade that I layered over only 1 coat of ‘Camelot’ and I liked the slightly provocative look it gave, sort of like lacy lingerie!
in sunlight
closeup
indoors
with flash
‘Jade-d’ – ultra fine citron/lime glitter suspended in a clear base. When layered over 2 coats of ‘Camelot’, this shade seemed to take on an eerie glow, seeming to shine up through the ebony base coat — so cool!
in sunlight
closeup
indoors
with flash
‘Glam-More’ – ultra fine magenta/royal purple glitter suspended in a clear base. As soon as I layered this shade over 2 coats of ‘Camelot’, all I could think of was “disco queen” … loved the 80’s redux look of this combo!
in sunlight
closeup
indoors
with flash
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‘Gleam Me Up’ – ultra fine cerulean blue/aqua glitter suspended in a clear base. Layered over 2 coats of ‘Camelot’, it delivered the star-studded cosmos right onto my fingertips. One word: LOVE.
in sunlight
closeup
indoors
with flash
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Final thoughts: I must confess that I’m totally nuts about these new China Glaze ‘Crackle Glitters’. Yes, you heard correctly – love them. For anyone who’s either A) fed up with effects polishes or B) held off trying these for fear of gaudy-looking digits, then let me state that these don’t function the way traditional crackle polishes do. For one thing, the effect appears more diffused – almost giving off a lacy pattern, especially visible when layered over a dark base, and while they do form the usual cracks, they seem rather more dispersed with absolutely no shrinking away from the nail tips as other effects lacquers are prone to doing. The glitter also adds a different element, giving off enough brilliant sparkle but not overdone – hands down the most sophisticated way to wear crackle. Fun, edgy, modern and urban: that’s what China Glaze’s new ‘Crackle Glitters’ are … go ahead and give them a shot; I think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was!
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*Disclaimer: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
NARS Summer 2012: Ramatuelle Trio Eyeshadow (featured look, swatches & review)
Sometimes I gravitate towards a product because of the colours. Sometimes it’s because of its limited edition status which stirs up that “not wanting to miss out” feeling (yes, I can be shallow that way – sorry!), and at other times, it could simply be because of a name. In the case of NARS’ summer 2012 ‘Ramatuelle Trio Eyeshadow’, it happens to be because of all 3 reasons! It certainly doesn’t hurt that this is a triad of hues that remind me of island sunsets …
*Note: this is the last item of my ‘Wedding Anniversary Bounty’ series – see the bottom of the post for links to the previous entries
the colours of Ramatuelle’s scenery – the inspiration behind this NARS trio
Ramatuelle – perched by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea
I have to say how much I love that François Nars, with his love of travel to so many exotic places, managed to pay such beautiful homage to his south of France roots, with this deceptively simple compact of colours; what seems at first glance to be just a trio of summery delicate-looking eyeshadows, takes on so much more relevance when you understand the inspiration behind the idea, in this case, the city of Ramatuelle, located by the Mediterranean Sea in the south of France.
‘Ramatuelle Trio Eyeshadow’ is a lovely set of three complimentary eye shades, with a gentle ethereal air about them, that can be worn as is, or applied with a dampened brush for a deeper intensity. The silvery grey and the pale peach hues have a shimmering quality to them, which does not translate as frost when applied, by any means – instead, they give off a gorgeous glow-y effect. The deepened apricot hue has more of a matte finish, but I still detected the barest hint of a sheen, giving this colour a nice depth. All 3 shades applied effortlessly and smoothly, with no fallout whatsoever, lasting easily 7 hours without primer before fading or creasing slightly, and at least 10 hours with primer – crease & fade-proof; as a matter of fact, I happened to fall asleep (watching tv) after having created a look with this trio without removing my makeup (gross, I know), and in the morning, I was shocked to see the colours looking basically … fresh! The following swatches are over tinted moisturizer primed skin (NARS’ Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in ‘St. Moritz’).
the dove grey shade (left)
the softly shimmering peach shade (center)
the warm coral-apricot shade (right)
in sunlight
indoors
with flash
To create this look:
- NARS Pore Refining Primer all over the face
- NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base on lids
- NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in ‘St. Moritz’ (face)
- NARS Laguna bronzer
- Bobbi Brown ‘Black Ink’ gel liner on upper lashline
- Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Excess Mascara
- NARS ‘Ramatuelle’ Trio Eyeshadow:
- silvery hue all over lid to the crease, applied dampened on inner corner and along inner third of lower lashline
- pale peach hue to highlight browbone
- apricot hue on outer third on eyelid, blended into crease, along outer 2 thirds of lower lashline
Final thoughts: The finely milled powders that NARS Cosmetics has become known for, are definitely present in this eyeshadow trio. I really like how this collection of relatively neutral colours, is amped up a few notches with a shimmery finish on two of the shades, while the third hue (in a toned-down version of the colour of the year – Tangerine Tango) is an unexpectedly fresh new touch. Absolutely perfect to enhance lightly tanned skin, this ‘Ramatuelle’ trio so completely represents “summer” to me, although I can definitely see these beautiful tones incorporated into many looks over the upcoming seasons as well. Available now as part of the NARS Summer 2012 collection, this is limited – don’t say you weren’t warned!
Previous ‘Wedding Anniversary Bounty’ posts:
Vichy ‘NormaDerm Micellar Solution’ (trial & review)
It’s true that I have been a fan of beauty products & cosmetics since probably before I was born (I’m fairly certain that it all began then!), but I haven’t always been as vigilant with my skin care as I should have. As I got older and began noticing changes happening to my “canvas” ie: my face, I began my frantic search to try and reverse some of these telltale signs and realized that I have to start from the beginning: clean skin. Even knowing that I have to ensure my skin is thoroughly cleansed each and every day, I still have my lazy days/nights and it’s at those times where a product like Vichy’s ‘NormaDerm Micellar Solution’ comes in handy. That, and the fact that I’ve been hearing the terms “micellar waters/solution” for quite some time now, and my curiosity needed to be satisfied.
‘NormaDerm Micellar Solution’ from renown French skincare laboratories, is a watery, soap-free cleanser, that is designed to be used as a makeup remover for both face and eyes, and which does not need to be rinsed off. According to the company:
The Micellar Solution is a cleanser that is specifically adapted to sensitive skin with imperfections. It is ultra-efficient and acts quickly. Thanks to its micellar technology combined with Zinc PCA, an antibacterial agent, it removes makeup, sebum and impurities without rubbing or rinsing the skin, while gently purifying it. Easy to use and extremely practical.
Its efficiency as a cleanser and a makeup remover for eyes, even sensitive ones, has been clinically proven. Its tolerability has been proven under dermatological and ophthalmological control.
Efficacy proven under dermatological and ophthalmological control.
Results
The ideal cleanser to remove makeup while soothing the skin:
1- Cleanses all impurities.
2- Balances skin’s pH.
3- Purifies the skin without the need to rinse
I found this excerpt from BeautyGeeks to be quite helpful for us non-sciency types:
In simple-ish terms, a micelle is a type of molecule cluster. One end of each molecule loves water (hydrophilic); the other hates it (hydrophobic). In a water solution, they group to form a spherical shape with a water-loving exterior and a water-hating interior. When gently applied to a surface — the skin, let’s say — the micelle spheres split open against that surface. When the application pressure lifts, the molecule cluster closes up again, and in the process grabs whatever isn’t water from that surface.
Essentially, micelles are kind of like mute Pac-Man types that wokka-wokka-wokka-wokka up all the makeup and dirt off your face in a jiffy. Regular makeup remover doesn’t gobble. It dissolves the bond between cosmetic pigments and your skin so you can wipe it off. Doesn’t sound all that different, but if you think about it, when you’re wiping stuff off something, a fair amount of smearing goes on, and maybe you need toner, or sudsing cleanser and rinsing, before it all comes off. Basically, you have to work a bit harder, which takes more time and can be a challenge for sensitive skin. Gobble-up molecules require less pressure and less work, the way a vacuum suction cleans a floor faster than sweeping with a broom.
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My skin type: Combination, normal with an oily t-zone, some fine lines around the eyes
My experience: After having read numerous online reviews on these types of cleansers, I felt forewarned not to expect any miracles … and I didn’t experience any either! To properly test how effectively ‘NormaDerm’ worked, I used it at the end of the day to remove my fully made-up face, excluding any eye makeup. The reason I left out my eyes, is because I have had a few scary experiences with other removers, and didn’t feel it was worth taking a chance here — especially since I’m more than happy with my regular eye makeup remover. That being said, had I not been wearing mascara, I would have given it a try – something to keep in mind for the future.
As you can see in fig. 1 below, I needed both sides of 3 cotton squares (I’m using Shisheido’s ‘Facial Cotton’ pads) to fully remove all evident traces of makeup. This solution really does dispense like water and you need to be careful not to pump the spout too vigorously, or you’ll splash it all over. I found it useful to tilt the bottle forward with the pump nozzle touching the cotton; 2 quick pumps thoroughly saturated the pad. After finishing, my skin felt clean, although I did experience a slight dry/tight feeling; as I was going to be following up with moisturizer, I wasn’t that concerned, but it’s something to note. The next morning, I used one more cotton square and was not that pleased to see that I was able to pick up even more traces of makeup (see fig. 2).
simple directions on the back – written in several languages
clear & short ingredients list
Once more according to the company:
– Alcohol-free
– Colorant-free
– Hypoallergenic
– Paraben-free
– Tested on sensitive skin
– Soap-free
– With soothing and fortifying Vichy thermal spa water
pump dispenser – great for one-handed use
fig. 1 – the 3 cotton squares needed to remove al makeup
fig. 2 – the residue picked up the following morning
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Final thoughts: Will Vichy’s ‘NormaDerm Micellar Solution’ replace my regular cleansing regimen? No … but it will definitely enhance it. I have to say that I love the watery feel of this product; I’m not always crazy about smearing my fingers with more emollient type cleansers, even if they do work well. If you’ll be wearing the barest minimum of makeup and no mascara, then this cleanser should be more than sufficient for a full removal, but I think I prefer using it more in a toner/after cleansing capacity to completely eliminate any last lingering traces. I also found it quite refreshing in the morning, before I applied my regular skincare – made me feel like I was thoroughly prepping my face. Apart from knowing the excellent reputation that Vichy Laboratoires enjoys, I was able to pick up this product for CAD $10.00 off (I believe the regular retail price at Shopper’s Drugmart/Pharmaprix is CAD $24.50), and for its large economic size of 400 ml, that just sweetened the deal!
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Do let me know what other types of micellar cleansers/waters you’ve tried and what you thought … I’d love to know!
Something New: ‘Star Trinkets’ Handmade Nail Polish Accessories & Jewelry
Sometime after I began my blog back in late 2010, I came across the term “nail polish jewelry”, which had me completely baffled; was this jewelry for your bottles of nail polish, your nails, or what? It wasn’t until I did a little search that I learned that this term meant jewelry which incorporated nail polish into a part of the design. How innovative and unique!
When Susan of ‘The Subtle Shimmer’, a fellow blogger, contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I would be willing to review an item from her newly created nail polish jewelry line, ‘Star Trinkets’, I was absolutely thrilled; here would be my chance to see exactly what this craft was all about AND I would be given the opportunity to help someone who has been one of my steadfastly loyal followers for quite some time now … not to mention the fact that she’s an absolutely lovely girl as well! Thank you, Susan!
After a few emails were exchanged to find out my preferences in item (a bracelet), nail polish brand/colour (this was a no-brainer: having collaborated with the amazing Adina of a-england, I naturally chose ‘Saint-George’ – previously reviewed here), and wrist size (for said bracelet!), Susan got to work in creating a custom piece for me and I could not wait to see the results … the lovely personalized thank you card she sent with the bracelet, was such a warm touch!
the incredible ‘Saint-George’ from a-england’s ‘The Legend’ Collection – an inspiration lacquer, both in name & in colour
I just had to include this closeup detail of the stunning cabochons
Background: In July 2011, Susan began her nail polish blog ‘The Subtle Shimmer’. Then near the end of the year, she discovered nail polish jewelry which just called to the creative part of her, so taking a hiatus from her teaching job, she decided to give this craft a try, and thus ‘Star Trinkets’ was born; the name refers to her fascination with stars as well as the small decorative objects she creates, while the initials of the name also cleverly mimic her name (Susan Toh).
The following excerpts are in Susan’s own words:
“I do notice more people making nail polish rings and earstuds for sale recently. As such, I decided to do something a little different by making bracelets and dangling earrings as well. These have more of a design element than using only ready-made settings. I do have the latter settings as well because they are beautiful too.
Currently, I have a rather wide range of settings. Other than the earrings, bracelets, rings, and earstuds mentioned, I also have pendants and chains, bobby pins, keychains, cufflinks, and a bag/purse hanger.
I use a water-resistant coating to protect the nail polish. There are some sellers who only use a top coat, but it’s my personal belief that is insufficient protection. I then use a waterproof glue to attach the glass cabochon (bead / marble) to the setting. I let the pieces set and cure for at least two days before I send them to customers.
I do customised pieces. Customers can browse the available settings and nail lacquers on my blog.
They can order via email and I will send them a Paypal invoice once they’ve confirmed their orders. I do need customers to make payment before I start work on their orders. All listed prices are final prices, and customers do not need to worry if there’ll be additional Paypal fees.
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I’ve also just started an Etsy store, where I’ll be selling ready-made pieces. It is also possible to request for customised pieces via my Etsy store, as well as purchase and pay through Etsy.
I ship internationally via airmail. I ship from Singapore and I do charge shipping separately, as stated earlier
International shipping is charged at US$2 for the first item, and US$0.50 for each subsequent item. On my Etsy store, I do charge a little more for shipping heavier items, and a little less for smaller items. Most items are still charged at US$2 / US0.50 for shipping out of Singapore. Shipping within Singapore is free”.
a closer look at the clasp with its delicate design
detail of the t-bar portion of the clasp
the mani-friendly clasp closure
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Final thoughts: All I can say is that I absolutely love this bracelet, and for so many reasons; the antiqued look of the chain, the subtle scrollwork designs, the 2 glowing cabochons, a totally mani-friendly clasp AND its retail value is US $17.00 ! Unbelievable, right? This stunning piece even got the seal of approval from my almost 18-year old – and that’s no easy task to accomplish, let me tell you! Please feel free to go and visit Susan and check out her entire repertoire of beautiful “trinkets” – and tell her I said “hi”!
Susan Toh
www.etsy.com/shop/StarTtrinkets
startrinkets@gmail.com
*Disclaimer: Product sample provided by company/PR for my unbiased consideration
NARS Summer 2012: ‘Gold Digger’ Larger Than Life Lip Gloss (swatches & review)
With a name like ‘Gold Digger’, I wasn’t sure if I should be sporting a knowing smirk, or act insulted – the smirk won! Instead of the usual connotations to this term, I’m going to take it another way, as “one who digs (enjoys) gold”. Maybe it’s just me, but that feels more appropriate somehow! Aside from that, this über-extravagant looking lip gloss released with the NARS summer 2012 collection is a definite eye catcher; luxury in a tube of lip gloss!
The iconic vamp, Mae West – a silver screen gold digger, with a heart of gold!
‘Gold Digger’ Larger than Life Lip Gloss, is a clear-based gloss, filled with glimmering cold/bronze/copper smooth and ultra-fine glitter, with some specks of pink and green thrown in to round things out. The formula was surprisingly long-lasting, for a gloss, easily going past the 2 hour mark on me, and any initial stickiness was tempered with wear, leaving behind a well-nourished feeling. Worn on its own, ‘Gold Digger’ imparts a slightly translucent peachy tint without any opacity, as well as adding a nice shimmery effect to the lips, which is clearly seen in all lighting. The brush is rather tiny in comparison to the long wand, and while it does afford precision application, you need more swipes of gloss to cover your lips than you would with a larger applicator. That being said, I thought the brush was a little dinky at first, but once I got used to it, I actually found it to quite convenient.
look at how tiny the brush is in comparison to the tube!
the itty bitty brush (closeup)
in sunlight
indoors
with flash
I’m also completely loving the way ‘Gold Digger’ so totally compliments ‘Buenos Aires’ (previously reviewed here) when it’s layered on top; the golden shimmer adds a gorgeous dimension of depth to the more neutral base underneath, while amping up the volume by several degrees. This is a look that I have been wearing constantly — my new favourite!
in sunlight
indoors
with flash
Final thoughts: I have stated often enough how much I enjoy using glosses for their ease of use and portability, but they can also be a nuisance (hello – hair plastered to lips in windy weather, anyone?), but there’s no denying how convenient they are, not to mention how a gloss can completely transform whatever lipstick you may already be wearing. And let’s face it; nothing can draw attention to your pucker, quite like luscious, glossy lips (except for red lipstick of course … but that’s for another post!) but what I absolutely love about ‘Gold Digger’, is that the glitz factor seems to be tastefully done here and the clear base also leaves this shade open to numerous layering possibilities. Infused with anti-oxidants and natural lip plumping ingredients (which I don’t think I actually noticed on me, but then again, my lips are rather full), something tells me that I’ll be picking up back-ups of this beauty as well!
