NARS Blushes – New Favourites

There should probably be a disclaimer here to begin, that I should not be held responsible for this post because I know nothing of make-up other than I like it. With that said, I have developed a real appreciation for the wonders of a good blush.  Seeing as my face is, at the best of times, a pasty lifeless sheet, I have been in search of a few different colours to perk up my dull complexion.  My only other blush at present is MAC in Peaches, but to be honest it is anything but peachy, instead being quite pink on my skin, which is why I went in search for something new and fancy!  The two fantastic recent finds are NARS Blush in Gina and Orgasm.

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Price: ( $$ ) $45, available from Mecca Cosmetica. (Pricey, but I think this is going to last me years).

NARS Blushes. Left: Gina. Right: Orgasm.

Application:  Gina needs barely a touch of my brush to pick up enough colour for one cheek.  Gina glides on really well and doesn’t need much effort to build the colour. Orgasm on the other hand, requires me to mash my brush into the pan in attempt to loosen just a little of the powder.  It doesn’t show on my skin very well at all.  Not sure if just unlucky… but I have to say I am a bit confused as to why everyone raves about this -_-

Thoughts:  Both these blushes are great – but for entirely different reasons.  Gina is this gorgeous, deeply peachy, tangerine matte, while Orgasm is more pink with flecks of gold shimmer.  I have always shied away from shimmer blushes – or shimmer anything – as I have firmly believed that shimmer should be reserved for my eyelids alone.  I am slowly coming around to the idea of slight shimmer on the cheeks, but for me, I just use Orgasm as a highlighter at the top of my cheekbones to get the desired effect.  Gina is the perfect tangerine for my skin, and the soft, powdery formula is a breeze to work with so it is foolproof even for a fool like me!

NARS Blushes. Left: Gina. Right: Orgasm.

Conclusion: It is only quite recent that I learnt that make-up is in fact a lot of fun and not at all scary. What a thing to learn at 24! What I have now learnt about blush, is that if it is good quality, the colour and texture are far superior AND the product will last longer.  Gina fades during the afternoon, so it isn’t something I could wear all day into the night, but it still lasted well considering my combination skin.  Orgasm isn’t a shade I would purchase myself, but I would definitely purchase other NARS blushes. Hooray for blushes!!

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NARS is a great brand, but is owned by Shiseido. NARS themselves claim to not test on animals, but unfortunately Shiseido do. Just a little note to keep anyone who is interested informed.

Bon Appetite!

Smashbox “Photo Finish Foundation Primer Colour Correcting: Adjust” Review

This product was purchased at the same time as the Drying Lotion in my last post, obviously because my skin is rubbish and warrants use of all of the products! But seriously, this little beauty is pretty handy. I had been skeptical for some time as to the effectiveness of primers in general, but I do generally have lots of red spots (either acne or scars) so I figured I had nothing to lose.

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Price: $21.95 ( $$$ ) for the 12ml, $54.95 for 30ml full size product

Score: ♥♥♥

Product Plus: Contains vitamins A and E, antioxidants and is an oil-free formula. It doesn’t have any parabens, which is kinda nice.

Application: For use before foundation to reduce redness and to prime skin for a smoother and more effective application of foundation.

Coverage: I would recommend it for light-moderate coverage of redness.

Thoughts:  At first I found the texture to feel almost oily, but it is actually more of a silky feeling. It disappears quite fast into the skin, which makes me feel like I need to layer more on.  I only apply it to spots and my nose area, but you could use it over the full face to get more even coverage.  I found during the first wear, that it only lasts well for an initial few hours, which is disappointing because I do have many red spots that then are more obvious.  This is using a liquid foundation over the top with a powder to finish.  The second trial I actually let it settle into my skin for a couple of minutes first, before applying foundation, and that seemed to help a little.

Conclusion:  It does seem to help with the smooth application of a liquid foundation, I am not sure of others though.  I would repurchase this in the future, but it might not be for a while because I might only use it for special events.

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On a happy side note… I have to say I am very impressed with Smashbox, both by the products and by the brand. They are listed by PETA as an ethical make-up brand, and although they may not be considered a ‘natural’ brand, they don’t have parabens in quite a few of their products that I’ve noticed, which is a plus too.

Bon Appetite!

Singapore Goodies

Recently I visited Vietnam, and at the end of the trip I tagged on an overnight stay in Singapore to break up the flights home.  This also provided a fantastic opportunity for some shopping, even more so because it was over 35 degrees with what I am fairly sure was 10000% humidity and bucket loads of rain.

Well it was tropical, I’ll give it that.

I wasn’t there for all that long – only overnight – so did a bit of shopping at Bugis Mall and the Raffles City Mall.  Raffles is a bit more upmarket, includes mostly fashion, as well as a department store and a few designated boutiques dedicated to beauty products. Prices varied widely, and some items were better than Australian prices but most were not.  I searched everywhere for my favourite Lancôme foundation, but the ranges in Singapore mostly included those designed for Asian skin.  In the basement food court, I can vouch for there being delicious goodies all over the place, and quite good coffee too.

Bugis Mall has a bit of a younger, edgier feel, with more unique fashion labels and boutiques for many beauty brands.  One of these included Etude House: just about the cutest Korean brand ever with gorgeous cosmetics and skincare products.  I bought a few sheet masks from here, so I look forward to trialling them and reporting back soon!  I definitely recommend Bugis for shopping because of the range of brands and variation in prices.  I picked up a few unique clothing items here also, so definitely worth a look!

Here’s a pic of the goodies I got at Changi International Airport too:

The YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat in BD20 (I would normally get B20 but I have a tan from the trip) was only $46 Singapore dollars.  In Australia it’s $75!  I should have bought three.  The image doesn’t have the box because it was squashed in my bag.  Unfortunately that was the only product with such great savings, as skincare products tended to only be a few dollars different.  Still, I saved maybe $20 between the other three items by getting them at this airport.  The other products include Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream, Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask, and Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder (which I have never been able to find in Australian stores, but is rumoured to be an amazing vitamin C powder).  I am really looking forward to reviewing all these once I have trialled each properly.

Any stories about amazing steals overseas or through duty free?