I was expecting to go through a lot more than I did this month – I had these large, full-size bottles of skincare that are on their last legs and I thought finally, I’ll be done with them in June! But no, they just keep going and never runs out! They’re like magic or auto-refilling or something! That said, I did use up a good amount of makeup! Skincare products are usually easier to run through, so I’m always doubly happy when I do use up a makeup product!
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Tag Archives: too faced
Empties #19: March 2015 – Part 2
After a very small Part 1 empties blog post earlier, here’s a much bigger Part 2! Most of these are smaller items or mini/travel sizes of skincare, plus a good number of sachets. I also managed to use up a number of makeup items and that makes me really happy – I always finish up skincare but it’s much harder to use up makeup as I love switching them up!
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Final Swatch #7: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
Today I said goodbye to another bronzer – there was a time when I watched too many American beauty youtube videos and decided that I needed my face to be tanned and contoured, so I bought lots of bronzers and attempted to contour my non-existent cheeks everyday. But now I’ve defected over the the Korean beauty style, which appreciates my natural paleness – in fact the fairer the better, so I no longer reach out for bronzers.
I love the scent of this Too Faced Chocolate Soleil matte bronzer – it smells just like chocolate and I can’t help but smell it every time I open this. But it was a very orange on me, so despite it being matte, it was not a great contour shade. The pigmentation is great, which was actually a problem for me as it turned me into an Oompa Loompa if I was not careful with how much I put on. After having it for nearly 2 years and barely using it, I thought it was time to let it go. So farewell now, bronzer.
EOTD #4: Neutral Browns for Work
Hi everyone! A quick EOTD – was waiting for transport to work this morning when I thought I might as well use the time to take a quick snap of my eye makeup! It’s quick and easy, plus I only used 1 eyeshadow palette. The palette is no longer available but the shades should be easy to dupe.
Products Used:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance; all over lid, crease and browbone
- Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in 35 Rives; white shade to highlight brow bone, beige shade all over lids, brown shade in outer half of lids and slightly smudged along lower lashline, dark brown shade along lash lines and on outer third of lids
- Kiko Twinkle Eye Pencil in 03 Flexous Burgundy; lined along upper lash lines and smudged out
It’s a typical neutral look that does not require too many steps, or too many items. I went easy on the rest of the face as well – just foundation, powder and blush – mostly because I woke up late and didn’t have time to bother, but I did manage to do my entire face and eye makeup in under 10 minutes. I hope you like it!
EOTD #3: Romantic Smokey Eye
Another quick EOTD. The lighting was again not quite right so the picture is more washed out than it really is and the light pink/purple transition shade could not really be seen. I love how it looks in real life though; I think it’s quite romantic and sultry and would be great for a date night.
Products Used:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance; all over lid, crease and browbone
- Too Faced The Return of Sexy Palette; Naiive to highlight browbone, Divorcee all over lids, Icon in the crease as transition shade, Beautymark to run along the lashes and deepen outer third of lids
- Essence Liquid Eyeliner, to line along upper lash line
- Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara
It’s quite a simple look I think, and doesn’t require too many products. Hope you’ve enjoyed this look! 🙂
EOTD #2: Neutral Eye with a Green/Blue Pop of Color
A quick EOTD for the day. I woke up late and my hands automatically reached out the usual neutral shades, and before I knew it I was half way through a neutral eye. But I decided to jazz things up a bit, so I added a little green and blue – I think it makes a nice contrast without too much extra effort. That said, I should have spent that extra 2 minutes blending out my eyeshadow as I can see some harsh lines, but I really couldn’t be bothered since noone can tell when my eyes are open…
Products used:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance; all over lid, crease and browbone
- Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in 35 Rives; the beige shade all over lids, white shade to highlight browbone, the darkest brown shade to run along the lashes
- Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 654 Aurora; the brown shade on outer third of lids
- Burberry Pale Barley, in the crease as transition shade
- Rimmel Scandaleyes 014 Bright Blue, to line outerhalf of undereye
- Make Up Store Metallic Crazy Lazy, to line innerhalf of undereye
- Essence Liquid Eyeliner, to line along upper lash line
The colours are appearing a bit more dull than in real life; it was a cloudy and rainy day when I took the picture. Hopefully after the monsoon season and the sun comes back I can get some good pictures with better lighting!
Review: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Another review on an eyelid primer – I wrote about the Elf Eyelid Primer recently, and how it was a cheap alternative that helps eyeshadows last longer. Today I’ll be touching on something that costs quite a lot more – the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. For 0.35oz, this costs about USD 20. So let’s see if this is worth the price!
Claims on website:
This is your full-coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oil slicked, and hard-to-blend eye shadow accidents. Our silicone based eye shadow primer transforms any eyeshadow into a perfectly blendable, color-drenched, intensified version of itself, then locks it down perfectly until you take it off. This soothing formula evens out the skintone on your lids and smooths lines while securing a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup.
According to the website, this eyelid primer is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals and phthalates. I’m not a chemistry graduate, so I have no idea what difference that made but I assume it means it’s better for you.
The Shadow Insurance comes in a slim tube packaging; I like it as it allows me to easily control the amount I squeeze out and I can cut it open to reach any remaining product as I use it up so any wastage is minimized. The product itself is beige in color but goes on sheer, with very minimal color translating on the eyelids. The texture is smooth, spreads easily, does not feel sticky nor too slippery; it’s also very lightweight.
Even though this is expensive, just a tiny amount covers the whole lid; I just squeeze a bit out and blend it all over my lids with my finger. I find that the Shadow Insurance did very well in terms of keeping my eye makeup from creasing or fading all day. Because of its ability to make eyeshadows ‘stick’, I do try to let it dry down a bit before placing stronger or darker colours, or it will be harder to blend it out.
As compared to the Elf Eyelid Primer, the Shadow Insurance fared better, in my opinion, in making eyeshadows look more vibrant and blending eyeshadows over it was a bit smoother. If I’m reaching for something that is less pigmented, I would definitely use this as it helps amplifies the color payoff. That said, I still find that the other primer by Too Faced, the Glitter Glue, a much better companion for glitters and shimmering pigments.
In short, an absolutely great eyelid primer and I do think that it’s worth the price.
Rating: 4/5
What’s your favourite eyelid primer?
Empties #5: January 2014
I have a ridiculous amount of empties this month – way more than I ever expected to be able to finish! Obviously, I did not use up the entire amount in just one month! With Chinese New Year here, I wanted to spring clean so I made extra effort to use up all the already-opened and half-empty bottles. So let’s not waste time and dive right in for some quick thoughts!
1. La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Spray
2. La Roche Posay Hydrating After-Sun Melt-In Gel
A couple of items that are not empty but I had to throw out as they have expired. I do love La Roche Posay’s sun protection series, but I just don’t go under the sun enough to complete them and I only use these on my body. I will repurchase them again for my next summer or beach holiday!
3. La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Melt in Cream
This I did manage to complete. I’m actually a vampire morbidly terrified of sunlight, so I slather this on my face every day religiously. This has not broken me out and dries very quickly without messing up my makeup.
4. Plante System Rosakalm Cleansing Micellar Water
Reviewed here. Not a fan; won’t repurchase.
5. Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash
Although this was meant for normal to oily skin, I did quite enjoy it. The texture is like a gel; my skin felt nice and clean without being too dry.
6. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for Face & Body
7. Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel Avocado Twist
A few bath items. I only use the Cetaphil on my body as I didn’t think it did anything for my face; won’t repurchase. I did like the Gillette Shave Gel, but I’ve not actually seen a shave gel that doesnt work anyway.
8. My Beauty Diary Rose & White Peony Brightening Mist
This does smell nice and I appreciate the good spray nozzle, and does feel refreshing. It doesn’t have any real impact on my skin though.
9. Make Up Store Brush Cleansing Soap
I love this brush cleansing soap; it cleans very well – even week old foundation washes out easily to reveal the original brush hair color – without drying out the brush hair. I also like how easy it is to use; just sweep the brush back and forth on the soap itself, then rinse off. Will repurchase!
10. Beauty Blender Sponge
I don’t really understand all the raves for this. I was sucked into the hype and bought two! Since it was so expensive I continued to use them anyway, but once they’re all spoilt, I won’t be buying any more.
11. L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Eau de Parfum
I quite like the scent; it’s very feminine and floral, but also very light.
12. Biore Cleansing Oil-in-Cotton Wipes
13. Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Whitening Water
14. SkinFood Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore Toner
Some useful skincare items for the gym. The Biore wipes is a regular item that I bring to wipe off all makeup before I exercise. I also like bringing little samples of skincare to the gym; after sweating it out, it always feel good to do some basic skincare steps. I’m not too concerned about what I bring though, as I usually clean my face again when I get home.
15. Poretol Pore’s Care Cleanser Pack
This was supposed to be a pore clearing wash off mask; I really didn’t like it. It was messy, and did nothing for my skin. The texture is rather gritty, which I guess acts as a scrub as you slather it on. I liked the light fresh tingle when it first go on the skin. Will not repurchase.
16. Avene Skin Recovery Cream Calming Formula
Reviewed here. Really enjoyed it and will be repurchasing!
17. VMV Hypoallergenics Hydra Balance Smart Moisturizer
Hated this. This was supposed to be a “smart moisturizer” that keeps dry areas moisturized, without adding shine or clog pores. My skin is very dry, and I’ve rarely seen a moisturizer that can make me shiny; this is a really weird moisturizer that while its texture felt light, it made me feel unbearably oily the entire time I had it on. Will never purchase.
18. SKII Facial Treatment Clear Lotion
19. SKII Facial Treatment Essence
I used to love SKII items, but I find that with prolonged usage, the effects become less apparent. Maybe my skin are used to the ingredients? I haven’t used these for a couple of years, and after using these sample sizes my skin seems clearer, so I might pick up a few full sizes to see if they will work again on my skin.
20. Good Skin Labs Smooth 365 Intensive Peptide Serum
I quite liked this; it goes on slightly tacky feeling, but the tackiness just goes away after letting it dry for a couple of minutes leaving a very velvety smooth texture. The sample is too small for me to tell if it made a difference to my skin, but I did liked it while I used it so I might check out a full bottle.
21. Lancome Genifique Yeux Eye Illuminating Youth Activator
An item that I thought was pretty gimmicky with its rotating applicator that you use to roll under the eyes to apply the serum. I didn’t think that it did much for me. Will not repurchase.
22. Lancome L’absolu Rouge in 365
A really great find; got this as part of a Christmas Purchase-with-Purchase set. It was my go-to red lip for a while; goes on smoothly, very comfortable and is on the sheer side so I can use it everyday.
23. Too Faced Primed & Poreless Bronze Tint SPF 20
Another item that has expired. I barely used it as I’m too lazy to bother with primers, and I don’t really want to bronze my entire face.
24. Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 15 Bling Bling
I think Essence has a really nice affordable line of eye pencils. While they’re not the most long lasting, they do go on smoothly with good color payoff and a little eyeshadow on top will extend its wear.
25. Bourjois Volumizer Mascara
Another gimmicky item; this mascara has 2 “dials” – step 1 is supposed to give defined lashes, while step 2 is meant to give dramatic lashes. I ended up only using step 2 as I didnt think step 1 did anything for my lashes. I liked the effect of step 2 though, my lashes were nice and big!
26. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 PA+ in 3 Beige
One of my favourite foundations! It’s just amazing; it gives about medium coverage, and feels so light on. I really like how natural it looks on and I can layer it for better coverage without it looking like it’s caked on. I will definitely be repurchasing this.
The scariest thing about clearing out that much makeup and skincare products is when you realised that even after throwing out 26 items, it still did not make a dent to my collection! And I need to work on using up more actual makeup too! If you’ve managed to read through all I have to say about my trash, I hope it didn’t bore you out! 🙂
Empties #3: November 2013
Another month has gone by so quickly. After I stopped buying so many new products to try out every month, I find that I have been accumulating empties at a much faster rate. You know you’re an addict when you feel a sense of happiness as another bottle bites the dust!
1. Bifesta Brightup Cleansing Lotion
Reviewed here. Will definitely repurchase!
2. Tsubaki Damage Care Shampoo with Natural Tsubaki Oil
A great shampoo; I find it makes my skin very nice and smooth, without making my hair greasy despite the “oil” in its name. Will repurchase.
3. Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting
A good sized sample that I received from one of the beauty boxes but after using it for a couple of weeks, I didn’t find that my complexion was any better. It’s quite light in texture and absorbs quite quickly. Won’t repurchase.
4. The Body Shop Nutriganics Smoothing Day Cream
Received this free with a magazine. It’s quite light in texture, which is expected as it’s a day cream, but I find that it breaks down my face makeup way too fast in the usually hot Singapore climate, even for my very dry skin, and there is no SPF. However, it’s also not moisturizing enough for me to use as a night cream. Won’t repurchase.
5. Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector
Reviewed here. A really lovely tinted moisturiser.
6. Revlon ColorStay Lipliner in Rose
I’ve had this for a while and finally finished it. I like it; it’s a nice rosy hue, kind of like my lips but better. It’s very pigmented, glides on easily and affordable. It’s quite soft though, so it tends to break easily.
7. Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder
One of my favourite face powders; it smells amazing, like some sweet fruit similar to its other Healthy Mix foundations. It’s quite light, and does not look powdery or cake-y on the skin. This is actually the second one that I have run through, and will definitely be repurchasing.
9 & 10. 2 x Eucerin DermoPurifyer Active Concentrate
Bought this, 1 for the bf and 1 for myself, at about S$30 each, after a blogger raved about it. I totally regret it – I later realised that the blogger raves about everything sent to her1 This was an utterly useless product; didn’t do anything for my dry skin or my bf’s acne-prone oily skin.
8. Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes
9 & 10. 2 x Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Whitening Water
Some useful gym skincare items. Used up another packet of Garnier cleansing wipes, which I really enjoy for its convenience and removes makeup easily. I also bring along little samples tubes of the Sulwhasoo Whitening Water which I use as a hydrating toner; I love the smell and it seems to bring back some moisture to my skin post a hot bath after gym.
11. Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O
Not really a fan; I feel like the texture is a bit too heavy – like I have to rub extra hard to spread it over my face. It makes my eyes blur up for a few seconds – it does clear up but I don’t like that feeling. It does remove my makeup very easily, even waterproof ones. I won’t be repurchasing this one but I’m looking forward to trying out the Ultime8 version.
12. Nuxe Gentle Toning Lotion
I really liked this toner – it smells amazing; the rose scent is quite obvious but not overpowering. It feels rather refreshing but does not dry out my skin. Don’t see any skincare benefits but feels great. Will repurchase!
13. Essence Colour & Go Quick Drying Nail Polish in 47 Red-dy to go
14. Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeliner
I’ve had the Revlon eyeliner for so long that I didn’t even realize that I still had it; I must have loved it because it’s quite used up, but decided to trash it since its so old. The Essence Nail Polish also dried out so I had to throw it.
15. PureDKNY Perfume Vial
I’m not usually a perfume wearer but I really enjoyed this! It’s quite a light scent, and does not choke me like most perfumes do. I’m not good at talking about scents but I like how ‘clean’ and fresh it smells.
16. Too Faced Perfect Eyeliner
Blogged about here. I loved this and will repurchase.
And that’s it for another month of empties! It’s quite surprising to me that I have averaged more than 10 empties per month over the last 3 months. I hope you have enjoyed looking through my empties as much as I love reading other people’s empties post!
Beauty Wish List: Nov 2013
I’m really determined to stay on course with my beauty budget and have not really bought anything significant, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot google new beauty products everyday, drool and pray that someone – the bf, or a relative – might decide to get them for me. I’m also thinking that I might be able to include at least one very well-selected Xmas gift for myself without going beyond the budget.
I’m really torn between the Chanel Ombres Matelassees de Chanel Eyeshadow Palette in Charming and Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Flower; I have a feeling that the Chanel palette will charm its way into my collection, because the Dior palette looks 90% identical to last year’s offerings, which I already own. I’m sorry; I couldn’t resist the bad pun.
The Too Faced Jingle All The Way Pop-out Makeup Palette wins hands down for overall cuteness; I don’t think I will actually buy it, but it would really look cool in the bag. I’m tempted to get the Tarte Pure Delights 8-Piece Lipsurgence Lip Set, because I’ve heard about how moisturising and comfortable they feel while having amazing pigmentation, but the minty scent is holding me back for now.
Last but not least, Hakuhodo Large Pointed Yachiyo Brush is something that I have been lemming for a really long time but can never justify the purchase; I’m praying the bf sees this post and think I deserve it.
How about you? Anything on your beauty wishlist for now? Is there any that we share in common?
the fabulous nerd 