Be a Summer Babe!: Stila Stunning in Sayulita Collectible Beach Palette No.1

The Stila Stunning in Sayulita Collectible Palette (buy HERE) is finally delivered to my doorstep today! I love it in every way!!! xx

Pro No. 1 - The packaging

It's super handy and compact. The palette consists of 4 eye shadows (Starfish - beige-rose, Getaway - purplish-rose, Sandbar - gentle brown, and Palm Trees - leafy green), a blush in Playa (coral), a bronzer in Banderas Bay (beige-bronze), a built-in mirror, and instructions for sculpting the stunning beach look. The size is just slightly larger than my iPhone 4 on the four sides, which makes it easy for me to pop it into my makeup bag. The bundle practically contains all I need on a happy summer day!

Pro No. 2 - The colors

I think it has included a very smart choice of color combination which, like I just said, is good for creating both a barely-there healthy look and an intense sun-kissed look. I particularly like the bronzer in Banderas Bay. It looks very subtle on my face and it only leaves some fine sheeny glitters at the first stroke of my brush. With 2 to 3 strokes, I think it gives a glowy natural flush that's honestly better than my beloved Chanel Joues Contraste in Pink Cloud (66) (HERE). Color-wise, it's close to NARS Deep Throat (HERE), but more beige and closer to natural skin tone. For a quick pick-me-up, I generously brush Banderas Bay to and fro my temple-cheekbone area and dab a bit of Playa with my ring finger on the apples for a more 3D contouring. The shimmers in Banderas Bay captures just the right amount of light to highlight my contours.

From left: NARS in Deep Throat, Stila in Banderas Bay, Playa, and Bourjois in Rose Coup de Foudre (16)

For my eyes, I personally prefer gentle shades like Starfish from my lid to crease and Getaway from lashline and crease. They blend beautifully and match so well with the cheek colors! I couldn't help but look in the mirror again and again, mesmerized by my new sun-kissed look...oh dear, am I becoming narcissistic?!

From left: Eye shadows in Starfish, Getaway, Palm Trees, and Sandbar

Pro No. 3 - The texture

As usual, the powder is very finely-milled and pigmented. My brush picked up an amazing lot of Playa when I tested it on the back of my hand. That's also why I eventually decided to just dab it with my finger. The silky texture glides on effortlessly. Bravo!    

Makeup Review: Bourjois Blush with Swatches

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Makeup Review: NARS Blush in New Order

New Order

Deep Throat

I wasn't really convinced by the loads of negative reviews on NARS latest blush in New Order until I finally tried it out at the counter the other day. It caught my attention when I was aimlessly flipping through this beauty magazine for a break. I thought the color is gorgeous and angelic even when I saw it at NARS counter. I thought this pretty lilac-colored blush with glitters looks practically like a purple version of Angelica (HERE). I was wrong! We all know that purple can moderate and brighten dull-looking skin, especially for Asian with yellow undertones. But this purplish blush simply disappeared on my cheeks, leaving nothing more than a bit of glitters. I shall say Angelica is like ten times more pigmented than New Order! Honestly, I don't think it did any degree of brightening or correction to my complexion...alright, the glitters perhaps...At the end of the trial session, I purchased a Deep Throat instead...=p

Be a baby doll!

I used to be a big fan of Shu Uemura's blush, but Nars Angelika blush's become one of my recent favs. Although it's very intensely pigmented, it glides perfectly on your cheeks. It's super spreadable, and the silvery glitter in the blush luminizes your skin to give a healthy dolly rosiness. As Bobbi Brown said, pink looks nice on all skin tones. Angelika is not the bold, shocking kind of pink, but tender and sweet, like the natural blush of an innocent baby. I prefer using it after foundation/tinted moisturizer and before powder (I use Mac Blot Powder), which makes it more natural-looking without trading off the sweetness. The best news is, the color lasts for the entire day! It's absolutely a once-and-for-all blush!

Rosy cheeks with powder blush

I always believe that the whole point of wearing makeup is to cover up your blemishes and make you look natural and radiant, like you've had eight hours of good quality sleep instead of four...or none...it pumps up your sexiness!

A good blusher and/or illuminator is essential here. For rosy cheeks, using powder blush could be a good option, especially in a humid summer. It usually lasts longer than a cream blush, but very often, it's not as natural-looking as gel/cream blush. It may even make your face look dry sometimes. Anyway, I used to like the pastel colors of Shu Uemura's powder blush, but I've switched to Chanel's since last summer. This new color released last summer, Pink Cloud (No. 66), can be worn alone or under a more intense pink blush (e.g. Rose Tourbillon, No. 67) right at your apples to add a natural rosy tinge to your cheeks. You can start sweeping the blusher from the apples across your cheeks in a triangular manner, and generously, for better results. Personally, wearing it alone is enough to brighten my face. The texture is soft and silky. But if you are using Rose Tourbillon on top of Pink Cloud, make sure you just GENTLY dab it on your apples as the pigment is super fine and light!

I was recently told that NARS Angelika glides more smoothly on cheeks. Going to get it this week. Can't wait!