May Favorite~ ❤

It's just a blink of eyes, we're now heading to the next half of 2014. Time does flies very fast isn't it? Like I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be getting my momentum back on this blog real soon. So let's start with the simplest way - my monthly favorite products.

I've actually shared this picture both on my Instagram and Facebook. So if you have not follow, please do ya! :) Username: @slowbrogal

Spot anything that you familiar with?

The Collector: I'm a Blush Fiend

The last time I shared about my makeup-craze which is My Addiction was last year. Wow! That was quite a while because my collection has been growing ever since. This has been one of the 'most-requested-post' from everyone. It took me a while to brave myself to share you my blush collection. (*wink*) 

As you can see, I am indeed a Blush Collector. Yes, a Blush Fiend indeed. 

Blush has always been my favorite makeup product. Why? I highly think that their packaging and colors attracts me the most. I'm a sucker of pretty packaging. Aren't you? I actually had a few blushers that I left out from this pic. Sorry dude! You'll just stay in my makeup bag ok? Haha!

Over the left side of the picture above, you'll see blushers with amazingly pretty and cute packaging. This includes brands from Jill Stuart, Etude House, Physician Formula and Majolica Majorca. 

Tips: How to depot your NARS

You heard it. It's all about NARS today. Everyone of us love NARS but I highly suggest that they gonna do something about their rubbery packaging. Because it practically melts and become really sticky and dirty due to our humid/hot climax in my country (practically in South East Asia). I got so mad and angry everytime I picked up the sticky packaging that I actually put it aside and not using them for a while.

My initial plan was to clean the packaging and yes, it turns out well. (I'll blog about how to clean it soon). Unfortunely, my butter fingers decided to kill my NARS and broke it of into two pieces. Oh yes, if you followed me in Instagram you'll see my horrified picture. I left no choice to fix it and depot them.

I'm glad that I've gotten my Z-palette last month from Shopping District. Now, it shall be my new home for my NARS. This depotting method will involved with heat due to the pot size and thick packaging. It's better to use heat for a bigger pan to avoid crack. I find this works very well for me which I would like to share with you. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

One particular natural blush that make it to my January Favorite Product is this Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed. I bought this blush last year (yes, I have it with me very long :p ) after reading the raves through blogs early last year.

 

They say:

A long-wearing, supremely soft blush infused with Amazonian clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun. This 12-hour blush universally benefits all skin types for a fade-free, flawless finish in shades ranging from soft to vivid and matte to shimmer to suit a wide variety of skin tones. Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place while also hydrating the skin naturally to restore moisture, reducing the appearance of dry, flaky skin. They are available in 12 different shades

Packaging:

I really like the overall packaging of the blush.  It comes in a size if a compact case intact with a small round mirror in. So it makes it easier to carry around except I think they should include a brush as well. But not an issue for me as I usually carry a small brush with me.

The actual cases are the same color as the blush inside, so you don't have to waste any time digging through compacts to find them. 

Dupe Alert: NARS Blush & Bronzer Duo vs. ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder.

Its a leap year!! And its only happens once every 4 years. That's the reason why I should post this highly requested dupe alert from my readers. =p

Speaking of dupe alert, there's so much comparison of my favorite brand NARS out there. NARS is one of the top notch cosmetic brand that actually drugged most of the girls out there. (Say yesss.... =) ) If you couldn't get your pocket to afford NARS, will ELF be a better choice for you?

So today, we'll have an argument with my lovely NARS Blush & Bronzer Duo and the dupe alternative ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder.

NARS Blush & Bronzer Duo, a makeup masterpiece and my all-time-favorite product. Who would come with an ideal of having a blusher and bronzer together?? Initially this US$40 masterpiece is too far from cheap. So the ideal of blusher and bronzer came in from a drugstore product - ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder to rescue our pocket.

Review: ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

This is one of my very first bronzer palette I purchased years ago and I couldn't believe it still nicely placed in my wardrobe till now. My bestie love this so much and I eventually gave it to her ever since my makeup table expanded. So far my purchases on ELF Studio line has been fairly good for me. Out of 10 products I have only one of them which I am not favorable with. 

When this palette released years ago, it got into hyped and raves online for a dupe of NARS but much more cheaper!! Without much consideration and I need my first bronzer and yes this is MINE!! Initially, during then there wasn't much bronzers for ELF Studio line. 

They say:

"Create a healthy and natural glow all year long. The Blush highlights the cheeks to add a flush of color, while the Bronzer accents and contours cheekbones for beautiful definition."

My Addiction

Before I started my beauty blog, I am a skincare freak. Which mean buying skincare and testing them out was my addiction. After several years, I am still a skincare freak but the frequency of me testing out new skincare items has been decreased. My addiction has gone further miles to makeup now.

I believe you girls who love makeup has something that you favorable most such as blusher, eyeliner or etc. So today I gonna show you my addiction or shall I say my beauty craze stash? =P

PENCIL EYELINERS 

Pencil eyeliner is the first eyeliner I own just because it is easier to use. Back to basic, among all kind of liners, I still love pencil eyeliners the most. Why? Because it's travel friendly (as I just place it inside my handbag wherever I go), easier to work with - to draw my waterline. . So I just couldn't stop buying them!

I can ensure that I have more pencil eyeliners but I am not sure where did I placed them when I took this pic. =p

NEUTRAL/ BROWN EYESHADOW PALETTES

If you've been reading my blog, you must have knew that I LOVE neutral/brown eyeshadow very much. I do find that this warm color flatters me much than others. Thus, nothing could goes wrong with neutral color. Any occasion from job interview, meeting clients, dinner date, party at club it works well. :D You don't have to doubt that if I've seen a pretty nice brown color palette, I'll buy. Oh! I do have some brown singles as well.

Review: NYC Blushable Creme Stick Blush in South St. Seashell

I always wanted to review my first cream blusher ever from New York Color (N.Y.C)!! N.Y.C Blushable Creme Stick has always been around the drugstore and highly raved by most bloggers. I bought this creme blush early of this year (or i think last year?). My color was in South St. Seashell since it was preferred by most darker skintone like mine - NC30.

They say:

Get the you'll want to show with NYC New York Color Blushable Creme Stick. It gives a natural flush to your cheeks in one quick step. Soft and creamy colors can be blended to the desired intensity and coverage. This lightweight formula provides sheer, all-over color as well as subtle, shimmering accents, contours and dynamic highlights to your cheeks. Quick, on-the-go and extremely easy to apply – all for a sweet $3.99!

Packaging:

This cream blush is packaged like a lip balm where you turn and twits the bottom so the product would raise the stick up. very huge I shall say. It comes with a total of 8 grams of product!! I reckon this might takes me forever to finish. O_o Although it may come with a huge product but it is quite travel friendly. =)

Swatches: MAC Semi-Precious Pearl Mineralize Skinfinish

Every year during Summer - the month of July, MAC Cosmetics would have beautiful colors invented for their famous Mineralize products such as eyeshadow, blushers and skinfinish. I'm ain't MAC-addict but I am definitely addicted to their Mineralize SkinFinish (MSF). Ever since I purchased my first MSF years ago- I'm hooked!!

No idea what Mineralize Skinfinish does? It is a luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.

Therefore when MAC released four MSF in their latest Semi-Precious collection, I ran down to their store as soon as I can to check it out. I tested all four on my skin and decided that Pearl look best on me!!

Swatches and Review: Sleek MakeUp Blushers

Everyone is raving about the new Sleek MakeUp from UK. How can I not getting my hands on them. Somehow during their 50% sales, I only managed to get my hands on these babies blusher. Sleek MakeUp had instantly become a popular drugstore brand for their highly pigmented and good quality.

So I got my Sleek MakeUp blush in the famous Rose Gold, Sunrise and the latest Scandalous. The packaging is very 'sleek' quite similliar to the brand name and does resemble with NARS blusher too. It took me awhile to open it up for the first time, but after awhile it was loosen up.

You can't imagine how excited I was when I got my parcel. :D Even by looking at them, it's pretty pigmented and shimmery.

Review & Swatches: Stila Convertible Color in Peony

I love Convertible Color!! Well, I think everyone of us do love them isn't it? This is my very first Convertible Color from Stila. I got this as a birthday gift from one of my sweet friend, Starryxuan. (Hugs hugs) Although it was a tiny compact size, but this is one of the blusher that turn me on!!

I'm not a very cream cheek person. I got my first cream blush from NYC and I get obsessed with it.
Convertible Color is supposed to be dual cream cheeks and lips color but I personally only use it on my cheeks as I find it feels quite weird on my lips and some of the colors just don’t work well and talk about hygiene.

Review: MAC Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach

When MAC had launched their Spring Forecast Collection, I was eager to get a look of it. Before it official launch in Malaysia, the collection become a hype in United States and other places. Some items are even sold out the day it launched.

Take a look at their famous MAC Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach. It is sold out everywhere including their website. I couldn't resists myself instead grabbing two of these.

The outlook of it is like the classic MAC. But this blusher is so huge!! The normal MAC blusher is about 6g but this Blush Ombre is 9g!!

  Look at the gradient of the blush. Pretty? ♥ ♥
 
The gradient in the blusher brings out different colors. You can get 4 different color from this blusher and the color is so vibrant and pigmented.

From left to right: top, middle, bottom, all color blend together from the blusher.
Color swatched on my NC25-NC30 hand.

After looking at swatches, now I understand why this is sold out everywhere, Isn't it pretty? This blusher is also suitable for every skin color even my bestie who's NC35 like it so much.

Do share with me if you got any from these collection. Oh by the way, the new MAC Give Me Liberty of London Collection is out too.

My expiry hauls

I've not been updating my blog for a very long time. Sorry peeps, I'm not neglecting my blog but I had faced difficulty into combining the smillies icon into this blogger. It's sucks.

I've hauls a lot since my absence.

Here's my NYX haul. The seller has missed out my NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow and send me a round lipstick which I did not ordered. =( I got my first NYX Concealer Jar and NYX 10 Color Shadow Runway Collection. Now I'm tempted to get the NYX Smoky eyes palette.

My Beautymaker haul (Another 2 not in the pic). I'm in love with Kevin Beautymaker product ever since I've tried the makeup remover. My latest haul this month:
The new Coffret D'or Spring Collection!! After debating whether to get MAC eye palette, I finally laid my hands on these babies after a mere-chat with Chris. After getting my Jewelcious eyes palette myself, the bf got me the same palette to surprise me. I'm happy though but I don't need two of these. I'm thinking of selling it off. Would appreciate if someone could help me out. ^^ Besides of what you see, I got myself into MAC Spring Forecast Collection. The in-famous Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach has sold out in-store and online. I had no idea why did I get two of these. Impulse I guess? But it was the prettiest blush I ever had! Amazing blush I shall say as you can get like 4 different colors in 1 blush? Overall, I'm very happy with my hauls.

Hauls before finals.

MAC have finally come out with their holiday collection: MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief. I'm not going to explain more about it as there are bloggers like Jenn who has a better review.

I got myself to the nearest MAC and try on. (Bad me, I should have studying for my finals). I never really a MAC fan but I do love their blusher and MSF. :)

This collection come with 2 mineralize blushes one in Conjure up - a dirty plum which look really dirty when SA try on my cheek and Superdupernatural - a mid-tone coral (the one I bought) which look really nice on me!! :D

These blusher are all LE, and most probably dupe-able. I tried to compare the color of MAC Superdupernatural and Everyday Mineral All Smile as these two are coral colors.As you can see the color of both are different. Both suppose to be peachy tone but EDM looks more rosey while MAC's more warm. Incredibly with flash both color look almost the same (not sure is it my camera's fault). For your information, EDM and MAC both has different texture. Therefore my comparison are solely based on color comparison only.

I'm happy with my hauls though is quite an impulse for me. Do let me know how do you find the collection. I'll have to continue my studies now as next week will be my final examination. Wish me luck! (Pardon for being slow in updating my blog).

PS: The place I've been to last week for my course trip. By this, you should know where exactly is my location now. =)