Daily staples I can't live without (Spring 2012)

It has been quite a while I have posted about my monthly/seasonal favorites - forgive me for the absence. But this time I'm back with even more promising products, which have earned a daily staple status in my beauty routine. I tried my best to short list them down to the products I use to create a 'minimum' face - that is, the minimal number of items I have been using lately for my to-go look. As I'm always in a rush, eyeshadows are a bonus instead of essential. 

Chacott Loose Powder Review// Chacott 舞台專用定妝碎粉

This review is probably long overdue. I have been testing this loose settling powder for over 3 months and it has slowly climbed onto my HG (Holy Grail) list. Reason? It sets makeup perfectly and keep your face fresh throughout the day.

早該寫這篇了, 用了Chacott 定妝碎粉超過3個月, 它已經在我的Holy Grail名單榜上有名. 很滿意著它的performance, 皆因定妝效果出色.

I remembered seeing this powder in magazines for ages but it was difficult to hunt this down at the stores. Chacott's makeup is produced for a ballet school so the entire line is for stage performers/theatrical use.

之前在無數的雜誌看到這瓶定妝碎粉已經很想試, 但不知在那裡有得賣. Chacott系列為舞台表演人士專用, 在日本很受女士們歡迎.

The jar holds 30g of powder and I chose #763, which is translucent/color-less. It's easiest to work with when you aren't sure which shade you should choose. There's also a High Definition one but I ended up with this one at the end.

瓶子裡有30克沫, 我選了#763, 透明色. 假如不確定配甚麼色的話, 選這個便好了. 透明色的還有高清系列!
The texture is silky and smooth. Since it doesn't list the ingredients I can't assure you whether it contains silica. My intuition tells me it has. Above: close-up of how fine it is.

質地幼滑, 由於無標明成份, 所以不清楚有無'矽', 直覺告訴我有. 上圖近鏡看看粉沫有多幼細.

Verdict: This powder sets and rests, comes in a 30g jar so I can't ask for more, really. The effect of this powder is most obvious after a day of wear (say 7-8 hours) and by that time my face would be shiny but it didn't happen. It controls oil extremely well. I am extremely satisfied with this gem. Please note that I can't be sure whether this loose powder breaks me out or not, I seemed to have breakouts here and there once in a while and its difficult to pin down which product that causes this. I switch and rotate beauty products like there's no tomorrow, lol. The only setback is that it's hard to find.

總評: 定妝+控油效果一流, 7-8小時都無溶妝的情況出現. 30g的容量確可以用足1 年 -.-; 難怪在日本那麼受歡迎了. 請留意我不能100%否定這瓶碎粉有否導致喑瘡/粒的出現, 我的習慣是會把不同的產品同時試用/使用. 還有, 這瓶碎粉都頗難找啊!

Project 30-days results + giveaway WINNER!

About a month ago, I started this project 30-days (post here). Now it's time for the results!

I realized the pics are taken at different times and it's hard to adjust the lighting and the angle, size LOL......sorry about that!

First we have....

a small but noticeable tip in the Canmake Cream Highlighter. I used it for highlighting the brow bone and nose bridge.

Next we have my everyday powder foundation: Benefit Hello Flawless in Honey. Wow the pan's diameter enlarged XD!
Length of Urban Decay Bourbon eyeliner has gone a bit shorter when compared to the unsharpened/untouched Zero:
Ettusais loose powder. I can't really judge how far this has been consumed within one month...the results aren't significant eh? I applied with a powder puff, maybe that's why? (since a puff takes up less product than a brush through the sift?)

One of my HG blush: Cargo Blu-Ray HD blush/highlighter in pink shimmer (i believe...). Blush surface has been disturbed even more in the middle, in real life a tiny tiny dip is beginning to form...it didn't show up much on pictures though :/ The latter pic is more similar to the original thing in terms of color.
Marc Jacobs EDP:
Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand cream. Whee it's getting less product inside. I use this only at night before sleep.
Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver balm - completely finished yay! (previous review here)
Jill Stuart Day Care Essence - a month ago there are about 10 uses left, same as the Dior lip glow I chose these two to include in the project because 1) they're the easiest to finish up; 2) can't wait for them to be gone/binned. XD I have used this Day Care Essence as a primer (with SPF) for about half a year, although not regularly. This should be long gone by 4-5 months of uses.
My thoughts on project 30-days:

It's easy to stick with the same foundation, primer, eyeliner, hand cream, highlighter, perfume; yet it's not the case with blushes, lip products and loose powder. If you have a huge stash, it's even more difficult! I found that I can stick to a blush for at most 3 days (unless you have determination and self-discipline of a saint, haha) but after that my hands tend to *drift* towards the others (oh well but I didn't!). It's freaking hard to stick to the same blush :/ especially when you have too many to choose from XD With lip products it's the same case, it's hard to stick to one item when you don't like it in the first place!

I would continue sticking to the same powder foundation, concealer and hand cream, but that's all LOL.

p.s. I just remembered I forgot to take a pic of the Canmake concealer! The tube itself is opaque so it's hard to judge how much it has in the beginning/after 30 days. I'm going to stick to that concealer until it's completely used up/dried up. I am even thinking of dismantling it like people do to their UDPP, but not sure how to cut through the tube -.-.

On another note, the giveaway winner is.....*throws confetti*

fleur!

Congrats hun! Please email me your info and details within 48 hours :)

Thanks to you all who participated!! ^_^

Blogger Meetup with Georgina from Coffretgorge!

Can I start this post by saying: You totally spoiled me Georgina!!!

Yesterday Georgina from Coffretgorge and I met up, and we went to "shorten her shopping list". LOL. She was very thoughtful to know my birthday is coming up in a month's time and brought me so many goodies! We also arranged a swap hence the bunch of things you see here. I left out a few items at home and by the time I got home last night I remembered I forgot to bring along the mask she wanted! Stupid me -_-

She got me the Goatmilk body lotion I was looking for on my wishlist (OMG I didn't know people read that page!!), a beauty essence/serum from Etude house, Korres Lip Butter (been wanting to try Korres for agesssss!), Kanebo loose powder in a separate jar ;), Lunasol eyeshadow palette, a lip and cheek tint, Coffret D'or glitter liner, a seashell-shaped compact mirror, and an orange(!!!) blush from The Face shop!

THANKYOU SO MUCH George!

We went to Cle de Peau to try their famous concealer stick, and we had the SA to try on our eyes. The coverage was GREAT even though she applied a thin layer, I think I'm sold on that concealer *_* I didn't get it but Georgina did, and the SA gave each of us a sample of their cream foundation!
Thanks to George for helping me to pick this shade, I got the Shu Uemura blush in M Pink 33C as well *argh, more blushes?!?!*

On the left: Shu Uemura M Pink 33C. On the right: my HG lilac blush from Benefit "I Lotused You Looking". You probably can figure out why I bought the Shu blush now, hehe I was looking for a dupe of the Benefit one (will do a separate post on that later).

After putting the two side by side, although the Shu isn't as lilac as Benefit, but it swatched nicely in the store haha!!

Are you getting anything from the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales :D?

happy thanksgiving xx

Review: Sleek One Finishing Powder

Enter my giveaway here :)

Today I'm introducing a less-talked-about product from Sleek: ONE Finishing powder. I bought mine when I was in the UK (and the price wasn't cheap lol).

Let's see what it says on their website before I go on...

An ultra-translucent powder which sets and enhances the effects of foundation by providing a glowing, translucent finish.

The ONE Finishing Powder is ideal for all skin shades and provides an immediate cooling sensation as it is comprised of 60% water. The formulation also includes natural anti-oxidants and botanicals that nourish the skin and prevent inflammation.

Can be used to set foundations or on its own to provide a flawless, radiant glowing look. 9g

Er...spot the first difference? My jar says 8g, not 9g, but anyway...

Heavily swatched on arm:
Another pic swatching on arm and blended out:
The powder is in seashell pink color and it looks like they've got pearls crushed and mix them with powder, and it does look nice in the jar, almost like fine pigment dusts! However after application, the pearl-y effect isn't that obvious, but I suppose I see a teeny-weeny bit of glow there. One more weird thing, the first few times I try to use this, there's a cooling sensation (like what it claims on the product), but lately I've been trying this out and there's no. cooling. effect.

There is only one color and suits all skin types, the finish is really translucent without giving you a white cast. However it doesn't do a good job in oil-controlling though. Those who have oily-combination skin might want to avoid this since this is, at the end of the day, not matte but has a tiny bit of unnoticeable shimmer. But it's really not noticeable unless you use a magnifying glass to see XD.

Verdict: won't repurchase. This product is not up to the usual hype for products from Sleek. My jar used up pretty fast like after 5-6 times of use, I suppose that's because I use a face powder brush instead of a puff or a sponge. This gives me an idea how I can finish up my other loose powders quickly XD *grins*

And lastly, I got these small jars and pots from Muji for storing my cleanser, toner and moisturizer. These jars will stay at my cousin's house :) I just want the usual skincare regimen to be handy when I am having sleepovers. These are great for those who like travelling-light too!

P.S. Did any of you try to order from the sale on Sleek Makeup's website? How did it go?

P.P.S. My hunt for the WnW palettes has finished, thankyou all for your help :D!!

Products I'm digging into this month + giveaway note

While I was reading this post on MWS, I figured it'd be interesting to see how makeup products will turn after intensive use within a month XD This is because I never finish anything, with the exception of mascaras being tossed because they passed their date of 4-5 months. The closest I've come to finishing a product is with sunscreen-primers (I only use primers with SPF and also use as sunscreen alone). You're supposed to wear sunscreen everyday so this doesn't really count I guess? The second closest occasion is hitting pan on 2 foundation compacts, and one concealer - that's the *only* items I've hit pan on. I have way too much blushes, eyeshadows and the like so none of them gets regular love. *shame*

And I picked the following items:

- CARGO Blu-Ray High Definition Blush/Highlighter in Pink (HG!)

- Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer UV #02 (HG!) (previous review here)

- Canmake Cream Highlighter

- Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Bourbon (HG!)

- Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

- Marc Jacobs Eau de Parfum

- YSL False Lash Effect Sample in Black

- Dior Lip Glow (previous review here)

- Jill Stuart Day Care Essence (transferred into a small jar due to small amount remaining)

- Ettusais Medicated Acne-control loose powder

- Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation in Honey (HG!)

Phew, picking which items for this month is not an easy task! I recently 'shopped' my stash and took out Benefit Hello Flawless and it was my HG powder foundation up to now, and since I've hit a medium-sized pan on it, I want to see a larger pan XD. Choosing eyeliner is the easiest - black liners look too harsh on me, browns are perfect for everyday use if I can't switch. Canmake concealer is my HG and I've been using it for almost a year (easier to finish up?) so that's definitely on the list. Canmake cream highlighter is included because application is fast, and it contains so little product so easier to hit pan on LOL! Jill Stuart primer - needless to say, only 6-7 uses left, the tube was already dismantled by me, HAH! Ettusais loose powder because it's been used for more than a year (O_o just realized up to this point) and seems never be able to finish it. YSL mascara sample because it flakes and smudges in my undereye area - throwing it away is kind of wasteful...(let's see how long I can tolerate this mascara). Dior Lip Glow is chosen since only 1cm of the product is left in the tube and I disliked this product so much and wanted to use it up. Marc Jacobs EDP is a signature perfume of mine and the scent is perfect for fall and winter. Since winter is approaching and I often reach for hand creams, so it's included. Eyeshadows are left out because I don't wear eyeshadows often.

The hardest part was choosing which blush to use...finally CARGO Blu-Ray blush was chosen because I love the formula - it applies dreamily like melting butter (short for words...). And the blush changes color according to your skin or lighting I think...so much fun to see it show up in different hues of pink everytime! :D

Before heading to bed - please meet this fellow:

They're the new glasses I got. These are the first pair of thick-framed glasses I have. And why am I digging it this month? 'Cause November is the season for assignments, revisions and exams!

Have you had similar experiences of choosing particular makeup products and tell yourself to use it intensively? How did it go? How do you choose which products to include?

p.s. In case you haven't, check out my giveaway here :)

Jill Stuart New Base MakeUp Products

Jill Stuart will be releasing new base makeup items, including loose powder (comes in 3 colors), pressed powders (comes in 3 colors) and a face powder brush that is made of natural goat hair. None of the above is Limited Edition items, so no panic ^_^ But to me it seems like they have changed the packaging of the loose powder (I have one with me) only, but the contents and the color selection is not that much of a difference. They used to offer 4 colors in loose powder and now there are 3. The jar looks a bit similar as well! Does any of the above looks tempting to you? :D

Review: Benefit MATTErial Girl loose powder

Ta-da! I caved in and bought this during Christmas time last year (that's not so long ago, okay? XD it's last month.) This time I did not purchase from Benefit counters, I kept hearing from people they have problems with their SAs being too pushy. Anyways, I had been to their counters numerous times and I have to say that I prefer buying Benefit from Sephora.

This product kept appearing on and off the benefit website (US), according to my observation over the past few months, which is why some of you may not have seen/heard about this product before, because originally it was designed to be Asia-exclusive, just like the 'woman seeking toner' they released earlier on. Hopefully they will re-introduce this cute little jar on their website!

Look at the box and the jar, they're adorable! and I am a sucker for ribbons, so I knew I had to pick this up sooner or later XD.

Product description (from the box and website):

Mattify your complexion and set your makeup with this silky, matte-finish loose powder. Dust over face, focusing on nose, forehead and any shiny areas and POOF! You're a matterial girl! Comes complete with a washable puff. Sheer powder glides on to complement all skin tones.

Here's how the powder looks like:

As you may have noticed, although the description said 'complements all skin tones', after swatching, you may notice there is a slight white cast over my hand. BUT! I tell you, this is nothing to worry about, after testing this for a few times. When it was applied over my makeup, it does not make me look like a ghost or geisha of any sort. LOL. It sinked in and looked natural.

What about its oil-control claim?

After a few hours (like 4 or 5), my face did not appear oily. But longer hours (8-9), my makeup still sits, but have a small sign of melting. I do not have oily skin to begin with, but this does a so-so job of settling makeup over a long period of time. If you are looking for loose powder that settles your makeup for the whole day, this may not be for you.

Ease of application?

The powder puff that comes with the jar, is NOT even close to the softy puff I got from Jill Stuart's loose powder (really, that one is HEAVENS.) This puff does not even have a smooth surface to touch, in fact it feels like touching the kind of velvet/Juicy Couture hoodie clothing. Ew. How can you expect a smooth and even application without wiping out your makeup? Bad bad bad. I recommend using a large powder brush.

The texture of the powder, when swatched, did not come close to my experience with other loose powder (light-weight, smooth, velvet). While this is not as bad as you imagine, I now know how airy and feathery the jar of Jill Stuart loose powder I had (and I did not write good reviews about that earlier). This is something very difficult to describe, but I don't consider the texture of Matterial Girl matters much.

Product packaging is?

Aside from the crappy puff, I like the jar. It has a screw-lid, a sifter in the jar. Usual packaging for a loose powder, not bad.

Color?

Although it is said to be sheer, the powder appear milky-white in the jar and swatched. But considering it does not give a white cast over my face, I do not have much to say about the color, except that Benefit can make that appear more transparent.

Scent?

The powder is scent-free.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Being a die-hard fan of packaging, I caved in and bought this. Yet, I remain very honest about whether their products work for me or not. If they don't, I would put it aside in my drawer and let it sit there, lol. I won't regret about hauling things with pretty packaging though.

Asia-Exclusive Benefit loose mattifying powder: Matterial Girl

Although Benefit has released Matterial Girl loose powder for a while, this is still going to be on my wishlist, because I haven't got it in my hands, I tried it at the counters. I thought this will be nothing more than a loose powder, to be used after makeup, the SA put me in shock when she said that I could mix this with That Gal primer, or Firmology, and make it into a balm (I don't know how to call it, powder mix primer?) and this will be wonderful for days you don't want to have makeup on your face, and she even mentioned you don't have to use cleansing oil afterwards. I have never tried mixing primer with loose powder, but I am not very keen to try that either. lol. I just want to see how 'matte' it can get.

This product is released in Asia for the moment, I find it hard to locate any reviews on this!

Review: Benefit One Hot Minute loose face powder

I caved in to the beautiful-looking bronze tin and I need a loose powder that does not whiten my face (unlike Jill Stuart's), so I got this from the stores. The powder is finely milled, although it might make you feel like you have glitters on your face (when exposed to light inside the st0res), but as soon I stepped out of the store, there is nothing glittery on my face I can notice. So the effect is very natural.

One thing I would complain is the fan brush, yes the bristles are in thin density, I always fear once they shred a bit, the whole brush will not function anymore, lol. Anyways, this brush is nice cause it makes sure there's right amount of powder (not a lot) going onto you face.

Hmmm...since packaging is not transparent, it's a bit difficult to determine how much is left in the tin.

Overall, I"m on the fence with this one, cause it doesn't control face oil like I want it to be, the brush bristles are pretty weak and fragile, I might suggest you to try their Matterial Girl loose face powder.