Favourite One Eye Shadow Looks

I love the process of putting together an eye shadow look.  To me, it is almost like completing a paint by numbers picture.  However, more likely than not, on my most days, I tend to just quickly throw on one eye shadow and some eyeliner.  I used to keep hearing about MAC’s Woodwinked as the perfect example of an eye shadow that can create a multidimensional look.  I haven’t tried it still, but the shadows I list below are my go-tos when it comes to creating a quick look patted on with my fingers or applied with a brush and then quickly blended.  As you can probably tell from my selections, bronzes and browns tend to be my favourite colour for this type of application.

shu uemura Pressed Eye Shadow in ME Light Beige 825

shu uemura eye shadows tend to be a hit or miss for me.  Some of the matte colours can be kind of chalky and not as pigmented, but this particular metallic shade is a winner for me.  The texture is very soft and buttery, very similar to the Urban Decay shadows.  This shade is a metallic bronze shade, which almost borders on being rose gold.  Even though it is metallic, it is very subtle.  Paired with a brown eyeliner, it makes the perfect combo for an everyday look.

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color in BR306

This was my first every blogpost and I still love this cream eye shadow.  This is one of the darker colours in this blogpost, but this warm-toned brown colour makes it super wearable.  This comes in a gel texture, more similar to the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoos.  I would say the application glides on even more smoothly on the lid then the Maybelline one.  With primer (I always wear primer), these stay on pretty much all day and they blend out beautifully.

MISSHA Dual Blending Cushion Shadow (I have linked the original version) in Lines Friends Edition

Yes, cushion makeup also comes in shadow form.  Although, I don’t feel that this is really a cushion in the original sense because the cushion isn’t picking up a liquid.  It comes with a sponge applicator which dips into a powder eyeshadow in the lid.  It comes with two shades, but I am in love with the metallic bronzy shade.  I am just in love with how fast the application is.  You untwist the cap and just dab it onto your eye and that’s it!  The only thing is the shadow creases a little on me.  I guess, nothing can be totally perfect.

H & M Color Essence Eye Cream in Sirocco

I have talked about this cream eye shadow in other blogposts, but it is still my favourite.  The colour is a cool brown with a more low-key metallic sheen.  The texture is kind of between a mousse and gel and great for dabbing on the eyelid with your fingers.  It blends out great, and with primer, lasts all day on me.  For the price and quality, this is a total winner!

Last but not least, I am just going mention two favourites that I probably share with a lot of other beauty lovers.  A constant standby in my makeup collection is the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in 25 Bad to the Bronze.  All around, considering the price and quality, this is probably the best cream eyeshadow I have tried.  It has good pigmentation, blends out well, and lasts all day on me even without primer (which is a feat in itself).  Another longtime favourite is Sidecar from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette.  A little bit too glittery, but this taupe-bronze colour is a great option for the one eye shadow look as well.

Do you have any suggestions of other eyeshadows I could add to this collection?  I would love to know.

I Am Just Not into These Beauty Products

These are just a few products that are definitely not in my reject pile because I pick them up to use once in a while.  However, I just don’t use them on an everyday basis and haven’t gotten rid of them because their price tag.  These products all have traits that I enjoy about them, but I just have products that I enjoy more.

Of course, just because they don’t work for me, doesn’t mean that they won’t for you.  For me, the these two products did not work mostly because of my oily and watery eyes.  If you don’t have this problem, they might work out great for you.

I am sure for many beauty lovers there are some products that you want to love and it is totally heartbreaking when they don’t work out.  I kind of like to think of it like Aiden from Sex in the City (don’t know if any of the younger bloggers about this show).  He was the perfect guy, but just not for Carrie.  This is how I feel about the By Terry Ombre Blackstars.  There is so much “right” going for this product, but it is just not what I’m into.

By Terry Ombre Blackstar “Color Fix” Cream Eye Shadow in 13 Brown Perfection

I had so much hope that this product would be great because quite of a few of the British beauty Youtubers talk about how great it is.  Let’s start with the things that are to love about this product. The packaging is beautiful and sturdy and the twist-up pen is convenient.  It comes in this beautiful gold tubular packaging and has a lovely click when you close it.  The shade of the product is also reflected in the stripe on the bottom of the pen.

The two main selling points for this product is that it creates a radiant shine on your lids and is also waterproof.  On these selling points, I concur with and I think the shades are just shimmeringly beautiful.  This is a good product, but, the one big but for me, is that they are not crease-proof.  No matter what primer I use, it will always crease on me within a few hours.  After a full day of work, half of the product is gone from my eyelids.  Plus, I hate to say this, I find the dabbing on the eyelid with a eyeshadow crayon and then blending with a brush or finger kind of fussy.  I find dabbing with a finger from a pot and then blending faster.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Uptown Girl

Note: I didn’t take a picture of the inside of the palette because mine is pretty dusty, but click the link above to see the colours in the palette.

4th shimmering gold overlay shade not swatched

I know that Charlotte Tilbury is much loved and I am sad to report that I don’t use this palette a whole lot.  I thought this palette would be great for everyday with it’s taupe and grey shades.  However, it was a lot more shimmery than expected.

The colours all swatch beautifully on the hand and are soft and blendable.  I hate to say this, but on the eyes I find that they are not as pigmented.  The shades do work harmoniously together as created by Charlotte Tilsbury.  However, over the course of the day though, the colours start to fade and all that is left is a shimmering grey all over wash of colour.  Lastly, I find they do have a bit of fall-out and do crease without a primer on me, and even with a primer will crease by the end of a work day.

Are their any products in your collection that you wished your were more into but just can’t throw away yet?

Recent Korean Beauty Haul

My love for Korean beauty continues to flourish!  I am especially in love with their skincare because many of their products give such instant results.  As per my last empties post, I simultaneously ran out of several items in my skincare routine so I needed to stock up again.  I am still love ordering from the Glow Recipe, which stocks a curated selection of natural Korean skincare products.  Plus, I also purchased a few makeup items from Missha which I will talk about at the end.

Whamisa Organics Flowers Water Cream

This is a repurchase.  I had been using some heavier moisturizers and felt it was time to switch to something lighter in the summer.  This is a great moisturizer for the summer because it absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel tacky at all.   The scent is quite subtle as well.   Plus, it just has a great list organic ingredients that have been fermented, which seems to be a popular and effective technique used in a lot of Korean skincare.

LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule

I already use essence, lotion, moisturizer, and an eye cream.  Did I really need to up the anti and do the complete the entire multi-step Korean skincare routine?  Probably not, but I couldn’t help myself.  This ampoule promised to bring back the glow in your skin and at my age, it sounded like a good idea.  Plus, it was always in the top 5 of Glow Recipe’s bestsellers, so I had to give it a try. Packed with 50% propolis and 20% multivitamins, it absorbs quickly and is non-sticky.  Can’t wait to also try it mixed in with a foundation for the additional glow factor.

Missha Dewy Glossy Eyes in Honey Roast

 

I am always on the lookout for a champagny or light gold metallic eyeshadow, like Stila’s Kitten, because they are great for a quick all-over shade for an everyday look.  Another great option is Shu Uemura’s Pressed Eye Shadow in ME Light Beige 825.  So I was getting some CosRX skincare for my sister’s birthday present, and spotted these Missha eye shadows online with a light gold shade. First impressions is that it is definitely not as pigmented as I hoped and has more of a puddy texture.  I think it will serve more as a glittery overlay and is really more glittery than glossy, so I am a little disappointed.

Missha The Style Defining Blusher in PK03

I have grown to love blush so much.  I used to be totally an eyeliner girl, but recently I have begun to really appreciate the power of blush.  It can easily make you look more awake and your face more dimensional.  When this blush arrived in the mail, I was amazed at how pretty the packaging was.  For a roadside brand in Korea, the packaging was made of a sturdy plastic with crystal-like etchings on the bottom.  The blush is a dusty pink, which is right up my street.  Plus, it smells great as well.

 

Review: Momotani Tinker Wink in Gold

Personally, I wasn’t sure about this product, but the packaging looked so cute, I just had to try it.  This is an entirely new concept to me because I don’t own any products like this at all.  The Momotani Tinker Wink in Gold is from a Japanese brand and is an eyeshadow pen designed to be used on the fleshy part you might have under your eyes.  It was popularized in Korea where they found emphasizing that area, which they call the “aeygo sal” area, made them look cuter.

Packaging

The packaging is super cute.  It comes in a beige plastic tube with gold accents printed on it.  You twist the product to open it and reveal a pointed sponge applicator.  As you twist the product open and close, the sponge applicator will continually pick up the compressed powder product which is in the cap.

Application

As you twist open the product, it will pick up some of the powder in the lid on the sponge applicator. When applied on the aeygo area, it comes out as a light gold powder. This is definitely a subtle look. The powder gives off a diffused subtle sheen.  If you want to build up more colour, you can dab more from the lid, and apply a second layer.  You really don’t have to worry about making a mistake here because even if you apply to too much you can easily dab it off.

I have tried it on the aegyo area and also as an inner corner highlight.  It looks super cute in the aegyo area, but I think it probably takes someone super adorable to totally pull it off well.  Plus, my aegyo area is not that fleshy.  However, as an inner corner highlight, it might be a bit too subtle.

Longevity

On me, the intensity of the colour lasted for a few hours before it faded into a subtle shimmer, which is kind of nice.

VERDICT: A lovely product if you want to try the “aegyo” look or just enjoy having a soft shimmer under your eyes.

Side Note:  I have to republish several times before my tags will show up.  Anyone else have this problem.

The 3 Little Brown Cream Eyeshadows

Once upon a time, there were three little brown cream eyeshadows.  The first one lived in plastic packaging from H & M, the second one lived in beautifully designed packaging from Shiseido, and the last little cream eyeshadow lived in luxurious frosted glass packaging from Charlotte Tilsbury. Which one survived being given a bad review by the big, bad beauty reviewer?

I thought it would be fun to compare three brown eyeshadows that I have been using interchangeably the last few months.  They are at three different price brackets and even though they are similar in colour, they each have their distinct characteristics.

PRICE

H & M Color Essence Eye Cream in Sirocco – $6.99 USD (house built of straw)

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color in BR306 – $25.00 USD (house built of sticks)  

Charlotte Tilsbury Eyes to Mesmorize in Mona Lisa – $32.00 USD (house built of bricks)

COLOUR & FINISH

Charlotte Tilsbury (left), Shiseido (middle), H & M (right)

H & M – bronzy-brown, least shimmery of the three, has more of a metallic finish

Shisheido – warm-toned brown, micro-shimmer running through it, medium shimmer

Charlotte Tilsbury – warm-toned brown, high shine, definitely the glossiest one

TEXTURE 

H & M – the website describes it as a moussy texture, I feel it is more gel-like, than moussy

Shiseido – gel-like texture

Charlotte Tilsbury – very, very moussy

APPLICATION

You can use a brush or fingers to apply all three.  I usually just use my fingers to apply them roughly to the lid and blend out of the edges with the brush.  I find it is easier to grasp the amount of product you need with H &M and Shiseido shadows because it is a gel texture.  You just dab and grab as much as you need.  With the Charlotte Tilsbury one which is moussy texture, sometimes you a dab a little and you might already get too much or vice versa.

PIGMENTATION

Out of the three, the Charlotte Tilsbury one is the definitely the most pigmented.  With the H & M one, I usually apply two layers.  The Shiseido one kind of sits in the middle.

COLOUR SELECTION

H & M – comes in 6 shades, all the shades are pretty  neutral

Shiseido – 22 shades, multitude of colours

Charlotte Tilsbury – 6 shades, mostly  neutral with a green and blue shade

LONGEVITY

Out of the three, Shiseido and H & M are more similar in terms of longevity.  They both will last a good 6-8 hours with minimal creasing.  Maybe due to the moussy texture of the Charlotte Tilsbury one, it creases a bit more, and by 8 hours, the oil starts peeping through on the eyelid and the colour has started fading.  Although, on the Charlotte Tilsbury’s website, it never states it is a super long-wearing formula.

VERDICT:  I enjoy all three of them  but my all-around favourite is probably the Shiseido one.  I do use the H & M one quit a bit daily because application is easy and it lasts quite long on the lids.  If you want great colour saturation, choose the Charlotte Tilsbury one.  For me, it just didn’t last that long and the application was a bit fussy.

I have also done a full review of the Shiseido one here.

Top 5: Current Japanese Cosmetics

My favourite makeup comes from Japan.  Ever since my first Coffret D’Or eyeshadow palette from the only Asian makeup store in my city 10 years ago, I have been hooked.  Now, there is more than one Asian makeup store, but I still end up buying at least one thing to try every time I go in.   So why do I love Japanese cosmetics?  Well, first of all, the packaging is just so cute, but most importantly, the quality is always very good regardless if it is high-end or drugstore.  The following are 5 of my current favourites.

Visee Glossy Rich Eyes GR-8

This is definitely one of the best drugstore eyeshadow palettes.  The colour payoff is excellent, there is very little fallout, and the packaging is cute.  The finish of the eyeshadow on the eyelids, like many Japanese shadows is somewhat glittery, but also gives a beautiful semi metallic finish.  This green based palette looks kind of scary, but the colour combinations always work and the yellow is very sheer.  It is a great palette to pull you out of a neutral tone slump.

Coffret D’or Color Blush PK (similar here)

This was a surprise hit for me because it was part of a limited edition set.  However, I am practically addicted to it.  It is a dual coloured blush with the lighter shade being kind of a highlight.  The  two pink colours mixed together give this beautiful luminosity when applied.  Plus, it lasts and lasts and lasts all day on your skin.

Integrate Heart Melty Eyes BR712

Basically, this is a quick look in one.  Using your fingers, apply the bronze cream eyeshadow first, and follow up with the brown powdered eyeshadow on your eyelids and the look is done.  The cream eyeshadow applies easily and blends out well and the powder eyeshadow is pigmented and has great longevity.  A great everyday eyeshadow combo.

Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek OR302

No one can argue that the macaron packaging is adorable.  Moreover, it is a lovely apricot coloured blush similar to Benefit’s Coralista.  That is perhaps when I love it!  The blush is good quality, and a staple in my everyday makeup lately.

msh Love Liner Perfect Volume Treatment Mascara

Bought this mascara on the suggestion of the sales person without reading any reviews and ended up loving it.  Obviously the cult favourite mascaras from Majolica Majorca and Herione Make hold the curl better and have better volume, but this mascara is very good.  Plus, it just removes with water, which is much more ideal for everyday wear.  Last but not least, it does not clump or smudge all day.

If you have tried Japanese makeup, what are your favourites?

Review: Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color BR306

There is nothing better than a great cream eyeshadow.  First of all, it is quick to apply and you usually don’t need any tools other than your fingers.  Moreover, often one colour is enough create a beautiful and multidimensional eye look and that is why I am always hunting for the “perfect” cream eye shadow.  I currently have eight!

Like many people, Maybelline’s 24 hr Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze is a favourite cream eyeshadow of mine.  I still love it, but it does dry out pretty quickly.  Plus, the colour comes off more metallic, and I wanted to see what other finishes were out there.

Asian drugstores are like cosmetic candy stores.  There is so much to try and the quality is usually pretty good.  In Taiwan, I purchased a cream and powder eyeshadow duo from Integrate called Heart Melty Eyes and I loved it.  The brand is owned by Shiseido so I thought, why not try a cream eyeshadow from the original source.  So I decided to pick up Shiseido’s Shimmering Cream Eye Color in BR 306.

I decided to go with a safe neutral colour in BR 306.  It is a brown with a more reddish undertone with a slight shimmer running through it.  Unlike some of the newer cream eyeshadows by Tom Ford and Charlotte Tilsbury which have a much more moussy texture, this cream eyeshadow has a more similar texture to the Maybelline 24 hr Tattoo.  It is smooth and has that cream-gel texture.  I tend to like this texture more because you can dab with varying pressure to pick up as much as you need whereas I find that with moussy textures you pick up too much quite easily.

The colour payoff is very good.  It only takes one swipe and can be layered pretty easily.   Furthermore, it also blends out well.   The Shiseido website states that it should last a good 16 hours.  However, I have extremely oily hooded eyelids and even with primer (i.e., Nar Smudge Proof  Eyeshadow Base), it still fades and creases a little bit on my eyelids.

VERDICT: A quality cream eyeshadow with good colour payoff and longitivtiy.   I would want to try some of the other colours.