Bare Minerals: Prime Time Primer Shadow

"Prime Time"! Get it? Yes? Yes. Haha, don't kill me, I just had to!

Officially my first purchase from Sephora - and it won't be the last! I wish I had heeded my friend's advice and gotten gunmetal too. Actually, I'm desiring the entire range now. This has effectively converted me to the eye primer craze!

The tube is tiny at 3ml/ 0.1 fl.oz., but a little 1-2mm dot goes a long, long way!

 Great ways to wear it? Bare Minerals Prime Time in Sundance is a beautiful, rich shimmering tangerine shade. Absolutely gorgeous on warmer skintones! The tangerine brightens up the complexion, doesn't look overdone and is perfect for a daytime look. You can layer darker shadows on top to transit to night time as well.



 I love wearing this under my KATE Real Create Eyes in BR-2 (as above). The result is a beautiful, dimensional look that almost looks mildly duochrome - peach/gold, anyone? Unfortunately the camera doesn't capture the intense tangerine and the beautiful shift in colour. But we can picture it mentally, right?

Doesn't it make you want to sun-dance?  

Okay I'll stop, I can feel you cringing behind the screen.

Here, you can see it offers a solid base for your shadows. However, it doesn't really enhance their vibrancy unless the shadow is similar to the primer (e.g. Peachy/pink shadows).
Top without primer, bottom with primer.
From left to right: Revlon Photoready Primer + Shadow in Pop Art (535), Kate Real Create Eyes in BR-2 (pale pink and peach), Loreal Colour Infallible 004 & 002, Silkygirl Blockbuster Colour Palette.

 Pros...

• Lasts all day - no kidding!
• Doesn't irritate my eyes at all. Perfect
• Highly pigmented, gorgeous colour
• Non-sticky

Cons...
Mine was a little on the dry side when I opened it (brand new). May I suggest a seal to prevent that?
Otherwise, can't think of any other cons! (Well, maybe the price to quantity ratio for heavy users)

Verdict...
Trust me when I say you'll love it! 

Now I'm really interested in Bare Minerals. It just might be the perfect fit for my sensitive skin/eyes/everything!

Majolica Majorca: Honey Pump Gloss Neo (BE133)

 

This came in a set with the Jeweling Pencil at Watsons. Grab them before they're gone!

I'm not (read: never) sponsored. Just so you know. I'm as unbiased as humanly possible, haha!

The unused gloss. See that air space below? It goes away once you use it. This is BE133 (Secretly). It's a delicious milky peach with fine gold shimmers. Contains honey and royal jelly to nourish your lips.

For the benefit of those who might be interested in what it says. 6.5g, made in Japan.

 Made the little paper rose for this. For presentation's sake. Ok no, it was the perfect excuse to satiate my rose obsession.

Consistency is really thick. Interestingly, it doesn't really cause hair to stick. So thumbs up for that. Colour is sheer so don't expect much pigmentation. I normally hate sugary/artificial candy scents, but this is light and sweet so it's alright! Glossiness is moderate. Moisturising? Yes!

However, for some reason it makes my lips sting!? :( I am really sensitive though. Are there lip plumpers or something fancy in these? (Please let me know)

Verdict...
I really wanted to like this. But even my passionate feelings for MM can't change the fact that this really irritates my lips >: Sorry babe. You might like this if you're a diehard MM fan and don't have sensitive lippies. Otherwise...

On a brighter note, though, just picked up a couple more Majolica Majorca items, including the Jeweling Pencil and Auto-liners. They'll be replacements for my awesome Maybelline Gel Liner - when it dries out. Stay tuned for all those reviews! ❤

Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat

Just general thoughts on something I've been using for over a year or two now. The bottle isn't depleted since I only paint my nails on occasion.

From the website, the Sally Hansen Double duty Base & Top Coat is said to be...

"All-in-one patented strengthening base and top coat works double time...for double protection. As a base coat, Double Duty moisturizes and hydrates nails with Panthenol. As a top coat, Double Duty protects with Nylon."

It does what it promises to do. Prevents staining, reduces chipping. It's by no means a diamond coat though!

I can't exactly vouch for strengthening, since it's not something easily measurable. My nails are sometimes prone to chipping and peeling though, and this helps to somewhat control that, I suppose?

Details behind:
This bottle contains 0.45 FL OZ 13.3 ml
Lasts 24 months after opening






Pros...

• Does what any decent top/base coat should do - Prevents staining, reduces chipping
• 2-in-1
• Self-levels
• Applies smoothly
• Somewhat strengthens
• Flat back prevents rolling off your desk

Cons...

• None in my experience

Verdict...
It works. Nothing crazy.

Majolica Majorca: Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara

Majolica Majorca's packaging has always been right up my alley - victorian-inspired and regal. I've been absolutely in love with the victorian aesthetic since... forever! ♥

I've lost count of how many times I've drooled over the MM section at Watsons. Needless to say, I snagged this immediately when it was on sale (A comparatively rare event for MM items).

Adore this detail. Wonder if I could clean out the container and keep it after I'm done with this?

The double-sided wand. The fine-toothed end works well for separating lashes.

Makeup done, but silly little camera didn't pick up the eyeshadow for some reason. Lashes curled.

After mascara. I've kept it only on the top lashes. Hey, I'm minimalist!

 The finished look!

Pros...

• Lasts all day. No smudging, no transfer.
• Lengthens well!
• Held my curl fairly well
• Dries and sets quickly

Cons...

• Doesn't volumise well
• Minor fibre fall-out 
• Hard to remove (Use a good eye make-up remover!)

Verdict...  
I like it! It does the job well and is a warrior when it comes to staying power.
Go easy on it. Too many coats causes odd, stick straight spidery lashes.

Those looking for more dramatic, va-va-voom lashes may find this mascara to be lacking, however.

What do you think about this mascara?

Orly Fx: Rose Pixel

Having heard so much about Orly, I just had to grab one. I'm glad I did!

Rose Pixel is an icy pink shade with a silver shine. From a distance, it can read as silver against warmer skin tones.

Intensely sparkly with varied glitter particles that add dimension. The formula applies very smoothly, evenly and densely - love! Two coats is enough to achieve opacity.

The rubberised cap is a nice, thoughtful feature. I think the cap colour, however, somewhat detracts from the aesthetics of the polish and bottle (Maybe neutrals like black or white would show off the bottle's contents better, haha;;;).

Overall, a beautiful polish that applies well. Can't wait to try out more from Orly!

Let's Learn to Selfie!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Have a great reunion dinner everyone.

Thought I would celebrate the new lunar calendar year by... learning to selfie.
Ever tried snuggling up really close to your phone camera and making disturbingly cutesy faces? No? How about trying something new for New Years'? It's actually pretty fun, as I've discovered today.
Pretend you're the absolutely-most-fabulous-monstrosity (that was a mouthful) on the planet and click away!

Ha-ha-ha.

Attaining a new level of vanity.

Hey, you're only young once!

Docile: D203

Hello world! Bringing you the first review/swatch!

Now, most of us have probably never heard of this brand. I picked it up (very inexpensively) from SASA's. Being such an obscure brand I thought - hey, why not? Let's review this!

It's a pretty true, true red from Docile. I think it's rather flattering!

It goes on smoothly but slightly streaky. The streaks aren't too obvious, thankfully. This is 2-3 coats.

The bottle makes a nice accessory on your vanity, though the cap is a fingerprint magnet.

One odd issue: It stained my Sally Hansen 2-in-1 topcoat brush :( I use basecoat, so my nails are safe. While applying topcoat, some red polish came off and stuck to it.

Overall, a nice, inexpensive polish. Might want to watch out for the staining though.

Have you tried any Docile polishes? What do you think about them?

Hello, World!

Hello, world!

How is everyone in the blogosphere - and beyond - doing?

A little self-introduction.

I began blogging back in 2007, up till 2009. I used to share random thoughts and mainly blogged with a group of friends. Down the road, I stopped. I don't recall if school took over my life, or I stopped feeling inclined to run a public diary

Then, I discovered the world of beauty blogs!

I've always had a profound interest in cosmetics and all things fashion-related. They're beautiful, fun and - what we always hear - a great form of self-expression! I just love scrolling through pages of eye-candy. Enjoying the positive energy and excitement surrounding new acquisitions. What's not to love?

So here I am, starting one. 

I'll be casually reviewing items as I get to play with them. I don't have a fancy DSLR camera or lighting set-ups, so please bear with me! ♥

I'm new to this, and would really love to hear from you, fellow readers who happen to drop by :) I'm open to constructive criticism too.

Onward to 2014!