The Deserved Winner: Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme Review & Swatch

Being a big fan of NARS Illuminators, I couldn't understand why beauty insiders rave about the award-winning Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme in Rose Gold (BUY HERE) till I have used it myself. It's so multipurpose, foolproof and handy that I can't take my hands off it! I have been carrying it around wherever I go lately! The slim packaging, with the same slimness as my iPhone 4, can easily slip into my pretty stuffed makeup bag. The rather huge mirror which took up the entire interior of the lid allows me to bid farewell to the old days of squinting in cute little mirrors for mid-day retouches.

Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme is a light-diffusing cream that gives a subtle pearly radiance to your skin. The formula is impressively more sheer and lightweight (it's actually weightless!) than I would ever expect of a cream, which makes it foolproof and perfect for layering. You can easily apply it anywhere you want without making a mess because it's just so sheer, non-sticky and spreadable!!! You can use it to highlight your contours and decolletage, brighten your complexion, use it as a natural-looking eye shadow or layer it as a bronzer. Plus, the only tool you need is your finger tip! Best of all, it works great even on powdered face! So it can be used as a good pick-me-up at any time of the day. This Dewy Glow Creme is utterly user-friendly! Gone are the days when you accidentally popped a large glob of fluid or gel highlighter onto your face and ended up looking as if you'd put aluminium foil on your cheeks. Trust me, it's very difficult to go wrong for anybody, including amateurs. And that's why it's produced by Jemma Kidd Make Up School, isn't it?!

For those of you who have yellow skin undertone like me, this sheeny pearly rosy-champagne shade is very close to the natural complexion, but prettier! As the name suggests, the finish is dewy, but not too dewy. You know, some dewy finishes will make you look oily, but this one is just nice in every way. Well honestly, I think shade will actually look fabulous on all skin tones. The golden sheen is so smooth and gentle...not the catchy flashy type...Oh before I forget, the formula contains jojoba oil which truly nourishes your skin for a more natural glow. 

I adore it!!! 

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 Must-Haves for Your Summer Haul!

We're into a season of beach and sunshine, of vibrance and radiance! Byebye to the meticulous, sophisticated look. We're back to nature!

Here's the checklist for your Summer Haul!!! 

1. Luminous Gold

NARS Illuminator in Super Orgasm

The gel formula makes it easier to spread, more natural-looking and more lasting than NARS Multiple. The golden shimmer contours while adding a healthy, sexy touch to your skin. 

Bobbi Brown Face Highlighter Pen in Bronze

The new summer launch is packaged in a twist-up pen, making it easy for you to pop it into your makeup bag or anywhere in your bag. What really makes it great for summer is its lightweight liquid formula that provides just the right amount of golden bronzy sheen to highlight your facial contours and decolletage. 

Tip: Remember to fade out all the edges by dabbing with your ring finger. Leaving sharp edges will make you look stiff and artificial, if not horrible...

2. Barely-there

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream (SPF 27)

As mentioned in an earlier review (HERE), it's a super lightweight and nourishing alternative to foundation. I actually prefer this to most tinted moisturizers. Although its more luxurious siblings from Dior, Lancome, and Biotherm are indeed tempting, the quality of this Korean branded BB Cream is well-assured considered where BB Cream was 'born' (Korea). Unless you're going for something as formal as the Royal Wedding where you may need a medium to full coverage, why bother to overload your skin with layers of makeup under the sweltering heat?

Tips: Remember it's a many-in-one formula, so you practically don't need any primer underneath. Your makeup will last longer with fewer layers piled on your skin. For blemished areas, just apply in thin layers as needed.

3. Nude Rouge

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

This hybrid of Chanel Aqualumiere effortlessly glides on to give your pouts a dewy and shiny, yet not too dewy and shine, finish. Coco Shine in Boy is a rosy beige shade that suits practically all lip undertones. It adds life to your dull, matt lips (alright, perhaps not yours, but mine) without breaking the subtlety of nude makeup. 

*Tips: Always prep your lips (say with Chanel Hydramax + Active Lip Care or Mac Prep + Prime Lip HERE) before wearing your rouge to plump your pouts, increase the lipstick's staying power, and prevent feathering. For even longer wear, you may lightly brush on a bit of powder between your lip treatment and lipstick.  

4. Balance

Mac Blot Powder

Although it's not a new product, it's a must-have all year round! Celebrity makeup artists Lisa Eldridge (HERE) and Christophe Danchaud (HERE) both recommend to powder and matify only the T-zone, leaving the natural shine glows from your cheeks and contour. I prefer using Mac Blot Powder to any other loose powder or compact for setting makeup (HERE and HERE). It works like a super blotting paper that not only controls oil, but hold your makeup without caking. It's also perfect for midday retouches!

Tip: It's best to do the first application with a powder brush (e.g. Mac 134 HERE) to evenly and not excessively powder your skin. 

Mac Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer & Highlighter

As mentioned last time, I went for Mac Primed for Perfection makeup consultation. It's fabulous! The Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer is actually a sheer moisturizing eye cream, so sheer that you'll most likely underestimate its hydrating power! The light cream texture disappeared on my eye area in no time, and boom, it kept the layers of concealer looking fresh the whole day! I've been using Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream which really irons out the creases under eye, but this Vibrancy Eye Primer seems to be a lighter and more comfy formula for the humid spring/summer.

Next is the Highlighter. The new line offers three shades: Bright Forecast (mid-tone peachy coral), Light Boost (soft yellow cream), and Radiant Rose (light shell pink). It comes in a slender twist-up pen applicator, supposed to be handy, but it doesn't really excites me since I prefer putting the required amount on the back of my hand before application. Find it more hygienic.

Anywayz, Bright Forecast and Radiant Rose can be worn under concealer to correct the greenish bluish darkness under eye, whereas Light Boost functions more as a highlighter over concealer. The texture is thin and velvety, you know, the summer kinda texture. The only drawback is, it's NOT moisturizing and it's a definite NO to wear it without any moisturizing base for dry skin (around the eyes) like mine! The makeup artist recommended me to stick to using my own eye cream (my Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream since there's still plenty) and Mac Select Moisturecover in NW25 as a corrector, then highlight the outline of my eye bags with Light Boost. YES! I did look more radiant than using Moisturecover NW25 + NC25! What's more, it felt lighter. It was a long day for me and I only reached home at 11pm. The concealing job still stayed put! Will consider getting Vibrancy Eye Primer after finishing my Bobbi Brown. =)

Catches of the Month!

Check out on Lane Crawford's latest beauty offers!

http://www.beautynews-lanecrawford.com/offer.php

My pick is Mac's free Primed for Perfection makeup consultation where you can try out their new Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye and Prep + Prime Highlighter. The Vibrancy Eye is 'a moisturizing, quick-fix and long-term solution for puffy, tired-looking creases and darkness under eyes'. Isn't that my major beauty killer?! With the recommendation of this Mac makeup artist, I've been using Mac Select Moisturecover in NW25 as a corrector under my eye concealer. It works pretty well, but I believe there has to be a product that can play a better magic! You may think that I should try Bobbi Brown's latest corrector. I already did, but nah, it's too dry for my under eyes (even with a fresh layer of eye cream underneath). Anywayz, I've been looking forward to a moisturizing eye corrector. Hope this Mac one is not gonna let me down! It's also very exciting to finally see Mac launching a highlighter! I'm definitely going to make a booking! You should expect a review of the two new members of the Prep + Prime family soon!!!