Archives for June 2007

Review: Makeup: Kanebo Revue liquid foundation

Paris B 1 Comment

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I was introduced to this liquid foundation during a makeover at Kanebo. Revue is one of Kanebo’s department store brands like T’estimo and over here, can be found at the same counter i.e. the Kanebo counter. Revue specialises in base products i.e. for your face – primers, foundations, powders etc.

This packaging is actually the older packaging for the Revue Natural Stay Liquid Foundation. The new packaging is a pink bottle that looks quite adorable.

The texture is that of a watery liquid. You must shake it before applying so the colour is mixed up evenly. I like the liquid texture as it does not feel thick when you apply it on, like normal foundations.

The texture however, is on the sheer side, so those who need more coverage might prefer something else. If you are like me (I don’t have perfect skin) and don’t like the feeling of a thick heavy foundation, you’ll like this one. It sinks into your skin nicely and you don’t even feel like you are wearing foundation at all. I usually dust some loose powder over it, just to set it, and I’m good to go. The nice thing about it being on the sheer side is that even if you make a mistake and don’t apply it smoothly, it won’t show up. The downside of course is that it doesn’t cover blemishes very well. But that’s what concealer is for, right?

The bottle is a little 30ml bottle which is very little, but you only use very little anyway since its so liquid. It spreads very easily which again is nice. I use my fingers to apply, but you can use a sponge.

It costs about RM129 which is expensive considering.

Pros: Sheer, light texture

Cons: Sheer, expensive

[rating:4/5]

Using fingers for eye makeup instead of brushes?

Paris B 2 Comments

Do you need to use brushes for applying your eye makeup?

If you ask most people the answer would be “Yes, you do”. If you ask me, I’d say that makeup brushes for eyes are actually pretty much optional. Why I say so is because I prefer using my fingers to apply my eyeshadow.

The only brush I use for my eyes is for applying my gel eyeliner. My fingers aren’t thin enough for that heh…

I used to use brushes. However, I felt that using my fingers gave me better control on where I wanted my colour to go, and I found that my eye makeup looked better too. Maybe it is the warmth from the fingers and the oils that help blend the shadow to make it look better. Also, I found that it was faster for me to just use my fingers and there is no danger of any brushes going missing or getting spoilt in the process of travelling.

I usually use my third finger for applying the light base colour, the ring finger for applying the medium colour and my baby finger to apply the darker colour or crease colour. It was easier for me to just clean off the colours from my fingers, rather than using a different brush for each different colour and task.

I have read about people having problems using their fingers due to the size of their fingers compared to their eye area. I guess it makes sense because I do have rather small fingers and I don’t have a very large eye area. Sometimes, when I’m not very careful, the crease colour does go on darker or on a larger area than I intend.

The other problem using your fingers is that some eyeshadows aren’t so suitable for this use. The oils from your skin may cause the surface of the eyeshadow to harden. It does not spoil the eyeshadow, you just have to scrape off the top with a piece of tissue paper or an old toothbrush and its as good as new. There are many brands though, that suit this purpose from my experience and a majority of them are the Japanese brands. There are many makeup artists too that use their fingers in addition to brushes. Just observe the next time you go for a makeover or have your makeup done.

And the third draw back is that sometimes, you may find more colour on your fingers than on your eye. Its something that happens because the colours get stuck on your skin and less of it transfers onto your eye area. This is good if the colour is an intense colour, but not so good if its a light shade. I particularly like using my fingers for shimmer colours as the shimmer will not transfer so much and I don’t end up looking like a glitter disco ball, but have a light shimmer effect, with the majority of the shimmer on my fingers instead of on my eyes!

So, the next time you lose your eyeshadow brush or forget to bring it with you when you travel, don’t fret. You always have your fingers with you wherever you go!

Review: Makeup: Shu Uemura Hard Formula eyebrow pencil

Paris B 8 Comments

My sister was using this eyebrow pencil before I did, and she used to tell me how quick and easy it was for her to get natural looking brows. So, I picked up one to try.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula eyebrow pencil

The Shu Uemura Hard Formula eyebrow pencil is an eyebrow pencil, just like others. However, what makes it rather unique is that if you were to draw it on your hand there isn’t much colour payoff. Most people have discounted it because of this, as they felt that it wouldn’t do anything for their brows.

However, try drawing directly on your brows and you’ll notice that there is colour payoff after all. The colour grabs onto the hairs of your brows and adds colour and volume. As it doesn’t show up much on the skin, it looks more natural than if it were just drawn directly on the skin. Also because its not drawn on the skin, I find that stays on a long time, even until the end of the day, without budging much.

The colours available are also quite good. The browns are very natural and don’t look garish. Unless you have very dark hair, you might not want to go for a black pencil, as it would look too stark.

This pencil can be sharpened just like a normal pencil, with a sharpener. However, I take mine to the Shu Uemura counter to get the sales assistants to sharpen it for me. Its a service they provide for free. What they do is use a pen-knife and sharpen it to a broad flat shape. I find it makes it easier to draw and I’m less likely to make mistakes that result in stiff unnatural looking brows. You could probably do it at home yourself, but I dare not. I’ll try to take a picture to show what I mean soon.

It retails for about RM50 or so at all Shu Uemura counters. Pretty steep pricing for an eyebrow pencil but it will last you a long long time.

Pros: Long lasting, Easy to use

Cons: Rather pricey

[rating:4/5]

 

Review: Makeup: Shiseido Integrate lipgloss

Paris B 2 Comments

My friend loved this lipgloss by Shiseido Integrate so much that she sent me this as a gift. Integrate is another brand under the Shiseido umbrella and its presently only available in Japan. Some stores in Hong Kong or Taiwan may stock some of the items or colours, but in the main, this is a Japan only brand. Pity really, as this looks like an interesting brand.

The Integrate Glamourous Rouge lipgloss comes in the shape of a pen with a clear body where you can see the colour of your gloss. However, the amount is very little. That bit of colour you see is about all you’ll get.

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Initially, I thought that it was similar to the Stila Lip Glazes, where there’s a brush as an applicator. However, when I opened up the cap, I was surprised to see that there was no brush at the end, but a silicone spatula. Very odd.

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You twist the bottom of the pen and the colour will ooze out the middle bit of the applicator. You then dab the colour on your lip and spread it out using the spatula. As its made of silicone, its pretty flexible. However, I found myself scraping off the colour rather than spreading it. That was until I pretended it was a butter knife and applied it that way. Then, I got it to spread nicely.

When you are done, just twist the bottom in the opposite direction and the excess colour will be sucked back into the tube so you don’t get a mess. Clever!

The colour looks scary in the pen, but when applied, its a cool sheer pink without much shimmer. Its not sticky and in fact, feels very comfortable on. Its not super shiny either. Just a nice sheer gloss with a tint of colour. The colour stays on quite long too, for a gloss. However, what puts me off a little, is the scent. When you apply the gloss, there is a sweet scent that lingers for a bit. I found it a tad cloying.

I’m not sure of the price, it being a gift, but I think Integrate ranks slightly below Maquillage, so I don’t expect it came cheap. In fact, they use Angelina Jolie as their spokes model. She can’t come cheap!

I’m not sure if or when this line will be released overseas. If you’d like to try it, there are some limited items from this brand in Adambeauty. I haven’t tried buying from them, so you are on your own there!

Pros: Long lasting for a gloss, sheer glossy colour, innovative design

Cons: Sweet scent, not much product

[rating:3.5/5]

 

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