Archives for March 2008

NARS Taos blush – bright and beautiful

Paris B 6 Comments

I was reading the description of Nars Exhibit A blush on Beautyholics Anonymous and I was instantly reminded of Nars Taos which I own. Nars Taos blush is a bright brick red blush that looks really bright and red in the pan but when applied lightly, gives a beautiful flush to the skin.

I always have to be very careful when using Taos because one little mistake could lead to a day of clown cheeks. The brush I use is also instrumental in the application of this bright colored blush.

I now use a duo fibre brush to apply, also known as a “skunk brush” due to the white and black bristles. Brushes like these are useful for handling very pigmented colours because they don’t pick up a lot of color due to the alternating lengths of the bristles. My brush is from Flirt but there are many out there with one of the most popular being from MAC – MAC 187 brush. I haven’t checked it out myself but from pictures it looks fuller and I read that people love it for applying pigmented blushes and for foundations.Continue Reading

MAC Dress Camp collection – Asia Exclusive

Paris B 4 Comments

I’ve been out of touch with MAC Cosmetics collections but I saw a picture of an upcoming Asia Exclusive called “MAC Dress Camp“.

mac dress camp

This collection is created by Toshikazu Iwaya, a Japanese stylist for his fashion label – Dress Camp. His signature design is the zebra print and bold and gold colours so those themes are repeated in his collaboration with MAC Cosmetics.

What there is in the MAC Dress Camp collection is:-

  • Face Palette (RM158) – Blush (Dress Camp Pink), 3 Eyeshadows (Sunny Girl, Trend, Golden Girl)
  • Lipstick (RM63) – Too Fab
  • Lipglasses (RM60) – She-Gold and Fashion

All items are Limited Edition and the collection is slated to launch on 28 March – 3 April 2008 in Isetan at Lot 10. There is a complimentary one to one makeup workshop for anyone who purchases the face palette subject to appointment so if you are a fan of Dress Camp or MAC Cosmetics, better get down there early while stocks last. Whilst this may be an Asia Exclusive collection it will be released at selected MAC stores in the USA.

Personally, I find the packaging a little too overboard although its unique. The gold shades look too gold and the pink too pink but sometimes, its hard to tell until you put it on.

Stay beautiful,

Benefit Thrrrob face powder review

Paris B 13 Comments

I read about Benefit Cosmetics launching Thrrrob face powder some time in January. I finally got to see this face powder in person yesterday at the Benefit Cosmetics counter in Parkson at KLCC.

My verdict is that I did not like Thrrrob at all. I still don’t get the name – why not Benefit Throb?

This is being sold as a face powder not a blush. Honestly, I cannot see anyone wanting to use this powder all over the face because it is sparkly. There is lots of glitter in it and the texture is gritty. So not like Dandelion which is relatively finely milled.

The color of Thrrob in real life is much lighter than what you see in the pictures online. It is a very pale cool pink with glitter and shows up even less than Dandelion. If you found that Dandelion was too light for you, skip Thrrob. Dandelion shows up quite nicely on me as a light pink blush. I can imagine that Thrrob will show up as light pink with sparkles.

I tried swiping the colour with my fingers but it barely showed up on the back of my hand. The sales assistant told me that it was meant to be applied over foundation. To me, that defeats the whole purpose because not everyone likes to apply foundation. I sometimes like to just have loose powder on and a blush and no blush should ever have to be made to be applied over foundation! She also told me that she was wearing it at that moment and I saw that it was a light pink on her medium tone skin. I cannot imagine anyone wearing Thrrrob over their whole face – it would be too pink.

I’m not overly fussed over the cardboard packaging because I own Dandelion and Georgia but somehow, the packaging of Thrrob bugged me. Maybe because its dark, scuffed edges show up more. Either way, I felt it looked cheap.

My advise for anyone lusting after Benefit’s Thrrrob face powder is to check it out in real life. You might like it or you might be like me and hate it. But if you never see it you’ll never know! Thrrrob retails at RM129 in Malaysia and US$28 online.

[rating:2.5/5]

Review: Skincare: Kanebo Blanchir Whitening Smoothing Conditioner

Paris B 5 Comments

I was told about the Kanebo Blanchir Whitening Smoothing Conditioner ( Medicated ) when I visited my regular Kanebo salon for my facial. Its not a new product but its new to me and is recommended for oily skin.

The Blanchir Smoothing Conditioner is actually a treatment. It absorbs oil and mattifies the skin and helps to smooth and skin and reduce pore sizes. Its recommended for night use only and is supposed to help the skin control oil production too. It is only to be applied where needed – usually on the forehead and nose or the T-zone.

Does it mattify? Yes it does. It also makes your skin feel super smooth where you apply it. However, I don’t quite know about the pore reduction and I stopped using it after a while.

However, I’ve since discovered a new use for this cream – pimple cream! Seriously, its one of the best pimple creams I’ve ever come across! One tiny dab of this cream on an inflamed pimple and the next day, its either gone or reduced and the redness is gone. I think its to do with how it dries up the skin around it. You don’t end up with flaky skin like what you get with regular pimple creams like clearasil or oxy – just normal smooth skin with no pimples. Awesome!

Used as a pimple cream, it would take forever to finish so price wise its pretty good. However, it’d be too expensive to buy it just to cure pimples.

Pros: Wonderful for curing pimples, mattifies and smoothens skin

Cons: Expensive

[rating:3/5]

Stay beautiful,

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws