night-out eyes

The holidays are slowly winding down and I thought I'd share my go-to night-out eye look. More often than not this is what I would go for; a few variations here and there, but the mascara, taupe-y purples, that MAC Paint Pot, and shimmer (of some sort) remained consistent. 

1. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Frozen Violet

I already did a bit of a review about this when I first got it here, and what I said pretty much remains the same; it's a bit too dark to be part of my daytime look but serves as a perfect base for dark evening looks. I still love this taupey-purple colour, and it's been my go-to look in winter.

2. Bare Minerals Eyecolour in Nude Beach

This has been part of my make-up bag for quite a while now, and was mentioned briefly here. Considering how much I use this shade, it's still got a surprising amount of product left in the pot, but then again, a little goes a long way. It's a very shimmery glitterbug shade that has a pink twinge but still silvery enough to blend with almost any eyeshadow. It also glides on beautifully and gives any look that extra bit of sparkly oomph.

3. Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Brousse

This is one of my most well-loved Nars Eyeshadow Duos -- the taupe shade acts as a lovely eyeliner for daytime looks, and both tend to be slapped on haphazardly for give my evening looks a bit more depth. Both shades are fairly pigmented but easily buildable and I find myself reaching for this duo quite often when preparing myself for an evening out.

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

I've been a big fan of these eyeliners for a while now, I started off with Bourbon and branched out into a fair few shades. You can never go wrong with a plain black eyeliner and this is one of my favourites for the waterline and smudging along the lash line to give my look a bit more depth.

5. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Creamliner for Brown Eyes

When I feel like adding even more drama to the look, I sometimes try to add a cat-eye with an angled brush. More often than not it fails and I end up smudging it out to create a more smoky look, but once in a while it'll work out. This is a 'gel creamliner' and I don't really know what that means but I've had it for a while and it hasn't dried out yet so yay I guess. 

6. Shiseido Eyelash Curler

I've tried the Shu Uemura eyelash curlers before but never bothered investing in one since this seems to do the job perfectly well. The squishy bit needs to be replaced soon, I think this is going to be the second time I've replaced mine but the curlers seem to be a good shape and work quite well on my eyes.

7. Maybelline Volum'Express the HyperCurl

If you've been reading my blog you'll know that this is a much loved mascara of mine (it's been mentioned here, here, and I carry it around in my purse as can be seen here). I'm not going to say any more about this other than this is some good stuff.

summer to autumn: eyes

1. MAC Paint Pot in Indianwood

I've already confessed my love for this product here, but it really is the best. Nine times out of ten this is my eye shadow base of choice and it has never, ever, ever disappointed me.

2. Urban Decay NAKED Palette

When I first got this palette, I really didn't use it much as I would lean towards my army of NARS eye shadows most of the time, but over the last month or so, I've found myself reaching for this almost every day. My favourite shade of the moment has been Half-Baked, a shimmery gold, swept over the entire lid (on top of Indianwood). When I'm going for a more matte look , I'll dab Buck into the outer corner and edges, but when I feel like being extra shimmery, I'll use Smog instead. Transitioning into night adventures, I'll add an extra bit of Darkhorse along my upper and lower lash lines to intensify everything a bit. This palette is awesome: 12 buttery soft, extremely pigmented, every day neutral shades that take you from day to night.

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze

This is probably one of my favourite products of the moment: a fantastic bronze-y brown cream formula in the shape of a stick. It lasts excellently on my oily eyelids and the fact that it is a cream stick makes it easy to apply and smudge along the lash line as sort of an eyeliner replacement. I will be adding various shades to my collection in the near future.

4. Maybelline Volum'Express the Hypercurl

Like Indianwood, this product has been part of my make up routine for years; I have already professed my undying love for it here and here, and in the last month, it's made it back into my daily routine.

5. BrowMousse by Tweezerman

Nothing particularly amazing, this has been my brow groomer for the last few years (yes I still haven't gotten through this tube and it's been a very long time). It seems to work well enough at keeping my messy eyebrows in place for most of the day but it does sometimes leave a white cast on my dark hair.

summer to autumn: base

The weather in NYC has been sort of bipolar -- it's gotten cold and warm again a few times over the last month, but it's finally starting to really feel like autumn so I thought I share some of my transition-friendly choices.

1. Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser in Sand

I've previously done a more in-depth review about why I like it so much in this post and briefly mentioned it here, so I won't go into too much detail again, but this is currently my favourite choice of base as it gives my face a bit of a glow, and helps lock in moisture as the drier weather is starts to settle in. Sometimes when I want a heavier coverage, I'll whip out the Real Techniques Buffing Brush but 99% of the time I'll slap this on with my fingers.

2. Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer in 02

One of my favourite concealers ever, mentioned here and here, so I won't go into a lot of detail. It really just is my go-to favourite -- it feels light on the skin, has a decent lasting power and covers what needs to be covered. 

3. Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer in 3 Glow

Pretty much every single makeup brand has one of these clicky-illuminating-concealer pen things and as Collection recently branched out to Hong Kong, I thought I'd pick another one of these up. I think this shade is a little bit too dark for me but as I've still got a bit of a summer tan, it seems to work quite well under my eyes. Nothing revolutionary, it's just another useful item to help conceal my dark eyebags.

4. Collection Shimmer Shades in 1 Way to Glow

I really do have to share how much I love this little quad. It has 4 shimmery shades that I absolutely adore; the champagney-white is perfect for highlighting, the rosy and peachy colours are great for perking my cheeks up a little, and the bronzier shade is awesome for adding that extra glowy tan to the high points of your face. All in all, it pretty much has all my ideal face shades, the powder is buttery soft and the colour payoff is excellent.

5. MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Sun Dipped

This bronzer was part of a limited sailor-themed collection which launched last year I think? Anyway, the packaging is beautiful, it has a navy and white striped pattern on the lid and delightfully glossy instead of the typical satin black you get with MAC. I find this shade to give me the perfect bronzy look without making me look like an orange and as I've hit pan, I am rationing out my uses carefully.

loves of the summer so far: eyes & lips

1. MAC Paint Pot in Indianwood

One of the first makeup items I ever bought in my life, this has been in and out of my routine for years but remained one of my favourites. It is the perfect bronze-y shade, especially during the summer with a bit of a tan, and is somehow capable of withstanding the 75%+ humidity that exists in Hong Kong as well as the oil that seems to inevitably spread over my eyelids. Perfect for sprucing up your face on a day by the pool and any on any other average day as a base under both matte and shimmery powder eyeshadows.

2. NARS Eyeshadow in Cyprus

I love NARS packaging. I don't care if the matte black gets dirty over time. I will forever love the simplistically beautiful clamshell compacts, and it was the fact that the single eyeshadows are a dinky adorable mini-size that compelled me to buy this shade. I've found over the years that this is the perfect every-day eyeshadow for giving your face that bit of 'oomph' to wake you up and look ever so put together, when in reality, all you did was squash a fluffy brush into the product and haphazardly smear it across your eyelids whilst half-awake. It is pleasantly shimmery when layered under equally shimmery cream shadows, (for example the aforementioned MAC Paint Pot), yet not too over the top to remain neutral enough for those days when you want to look like you've not quite got anything on. 

3. Maybelline Full'n Soft

This mascara is runner-up to my favourite ever - Maybelline Volum'Express the HyperCurl. It is a close-contender and slowly becoming my preferred of the two as it leaves my eyelashes with the perfect amount of volume and length whilst managing to hold the curl for the entire day.

4. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 300 Rose Blush

A whimsical purchase from New York which I liked at first but fell out of love with as I was preoccupied with my reds and plums during the cold and dreary winter. This has made it into my bag almost every day in place of my much-loved Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry as I find it to be the perfect pinch of pink for my face during the summer months. It has a small amount of shimmer, doesn't lean too far pink, (in fact it probably leans closer to red), and has the loveliest smooth finish on the lips. I was also much surprised to find out that it has SPF 18 the other day when I was giving the label a glance to check the name of the colour and I'm also surprised to say that I've gone through about half the tube already since whipping it out earlier this month. Love.

loves of the summer so far: base

1. Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer in 02

This is probably the best concealer of my life. I have been through countless tubes of this and thank god it is a fairly cheap product as I manage to get through it all quite quickly. It's the perfect consistency, blends evenly, can be layered for more coverage and is magically somehow the perfect shade for me from when I'm super pale to tan. I had a heart attack when I thought it was discontinued because it wasn't available in the US or UK, but then I found out it was only on the Asian market and all was right in the universe again. I love this to the moon and back and, god forbid, the day it becomes discontinued, I will buy my local drugstore's full stock then cry myself to sleep.

2. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 02

I bought this quite a while ago when I decided I had to move away from the Maybelline Mineral Concealer and also when I was slightly more tanned. For quite a while I used it but decided that it was too dry and thick for my liking, then I got pale and it was completely the wrong shade for my ghastly face. Since I've gained a bit of colour again, I've been using this as an undereye conealer and found that the peachy-warm tones of it are perfect in masking the blue-y, green-y eyebags that seem to perpetually hang below my eyes. It's not as long lasting as I'd like it to be, but then again, my many undereye creases don't help when using any type of concealer in said region. It can get a bit powdery and cake-y looking when constantly reapplied but I've learned to mix this up with a bit of my Maybelline concealer to stop my eyes from looking like they have been dipped in flour.

3. Inglot Bronzing Powder in 75

One of the softest powder products of my collection, this gives a pleasant bit of colour to the face on those "why do I look like I've lived in a cave for the last month" days. I've been applying this with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush for god knows what reason, but it seems to deposit just the right amount of colour and shimmer on the areas of my face the sun would naturally hit, leaving me with a lovely dew-y "I've just sat out in the sun for the afternoon" glow. I like to think that it doesn't look overly orange or that it's a muddy bronzer and it looks like I've stuck my face in pot of dirt, but then again there are some days I might be wrong and I'm actually walking around looking like a giant Cheeto-face. Who knows.

4. Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder in Universal

A long term favourite of mine, I have gone through quite a few tubs of this stuff and in-between have tried multiple other pressed powders (e.g. the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder). Nothing quite gives the same smooth and silky finish to my skin the way this does, though I have to say I haven't had the guts to try any other loose powders because I just love this far too much and would carry this to my grave if I could. It is neither overly mattifying nor too dewy looking and manages to keep my oil at bay for most of the day.

5. Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Shine Control Pressed Setting Powder in Matte Translucent

I have almost finished up my MAC Pressed Blot Powder, (there is literally  the thinnest ring of product around the edge of the pan I have yet to use), but this has made it into my daily makeup bag in place of the aforementioned. Since my skin has become significantly less oily over the last year and almost a bit dry and dehydrated, I was starting to find that the MAC powder was sucking even more moisture out of my skin, leaving unappealing dry patches of flaky skin in certain areas. This looks oddly blue in the pan which can be ever so slightly off-putting. But when dusted over my face in the middle of the day after reapplying concealer where necessary, it manages to mattify my skin just the perfect amount without leaving my face feeling like it has turned into the Sahara Desert. 

current face

1. Nars Cream Eyeshadow in Cosmic Girl

- a lovely shimmery highlight on the cheekbone.

2. Bare Minerals Eyeshadow in Nude Beach

- by far my favourite Bare Minerals shadow; delightfully shimmery and sparkly yet somewhat neutral.

3. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Emerveillé

- the most glorious texture for a creamy mousse-y eyeshadow that is perfect for all day every day.

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

- it gives the most natural finish like your skin but better when mixed with a pinch of moisturizer.

5. Maybelline Mineral Pure Conealer

- just your average concealer that isn't outrageously heavy and cakey.

6. Stila Convertible Colour in Poppy

- the perfect colour that gives your face a healthy flush or a "I've just been outside in the cold" tinge.

7. Maybelline Volum'Express the HyperCurl

- my favourite mascara ever, probably my seventh or eighth tube; I have unopened ones lying around in case, God forbid, Maybelline decides to discontinue it.

*All images taken with an iPhone 5.

great lash

Spoke briefly about this here but I've recently decided it's a little bit overrated. Unless you're really going for the no-make-up make-up (which I happen to be doing today and hence why I pulled it out for this as I honestly never reach for it otherwise), it really doesn't do much for your lashes. It makes your lashes ever so slightly defined but the brush is hard and hurts my eyelashes, if that's even possible. If you're looking for a drugstore mascara that makes your lashes look natural but better, this is on the bottom of the scale, better options would be Maybelline's Full'n'soft or the Hypercurl Volum' Express.  

*Photo taken with an iPhone 5.

current make up preferences

So I'm kind of a humongous makeup junkie a.k.a. I have more make up than I could ever use and still continue to buy more -- but it's not about having just enough it's about having variety. These are just some of my current favourites - neither things I especially use every day nor particularly new purchases.

1. Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Sand

- because I've lost my tan and Fawn is far too dark for me. I gave the the Tinted Moisturizer a break but NYC's ridiculously dry weather is making my face look like a desert and this saves it a little.

2. Nars Multiple Duo in Copacabana & St Barts
- the perfect creamy highlighter / bronzer / contour / whatev combination. (available online only on narscosmetics.com)

3. Stila Convertible Colour in Poppy

- leaves the loveliest and prettiest flush without making me look like a giant tomato.

4. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk

- one of my friends has gotten me loving reddish colours on the eyes which also happen to perfectly fit autumn.

5. Nars single eyeshadow in Nepal

- one of my all time favourite neutral shimmery colours. (Also somehow crumbled a bit from being well-travelled). 

6. L'Oreal Colour Infallible in Iced Latte
- delightfully shimmery and seriously soft.

7. Custom Mac Quad: All That Glitters, Sable, Espresso, Carbon

- probably my most practical palette.

8. NYX Lip Pencil in Hot Red
- drying but is buildable and acts as a lovely base for everything.

9. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Raspberry Bite

- it looks almost burgundy in the tube but comes out as a lovely blue-based red, is perfectly creamy and leaves such a perfect stain.
10. Physicians Formula Eyeliner
- has amazing staying power.
11. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Brownish Black
- a recent purchase I thought I would try as it's something I constantly hear people raving about.

*All photographs taken with my iPhone because I am procrastinating and did this out of pure boredom and to avoid studying.