No-frills Makeup

I've been frequently alternating between my Proof 10 and E.l.f eye primer these past few weeks so I can give a thorough review on them both. honestly, I equally like them both - both with its own pros and cons of course! then again, maybe I'm just biased becos before these two primers, I've never ever used a proper eye primer - apart from cream concealers and a wet brush as pseudo-eye primers.

E.l.f eye primer

2 hours after application (I was rushing out so I didn't manage to take photos right after its fresh application.)

9 hours later when I got home

the colours still look pretty much intact huh?

Proof 10

I don't have the 'before' pictures, but this is how they look like after a few hours. I think I've shown these EOTDs before, just that I didn't mentioned that I was using Proof 10?

after 8 hours

after 6 hours (both EOTDs are on different days)

Verdict: E.l.f Primer

Pros:

1) the consistency of the primer is even, therefore it smoothens out easily. much like concealer, but slightly watery. easy to blend = no extra tugging of the delicate area around eyes.

2) vibrancy of eyeshadow remains till the end of the day

3) minimal creasing

4) very affordable! I got it for just $4.50 at Cherubslips' online shop here.

Cons:

1) does not help eyeshadow colours to POP! of course it is still better than not applying any primers at all. vibrancy increases, but minimal.

2) eyeshadow does not completely stick to the primer, meaning if I touch my eyelids, some eyeshadow will get transferred to my finger.

Verdict: Proof 10

Pros:

1) eyeshadow becomes more vibrant with this primer! payoff is very similar to the wet-on-wet technique, but it doesn't fade out or creases. due to its creamy, thick texture, it does a better job at 'grabbing' the eyeshadow pigments during application compared to the slightly watery E.l.f one.

2) very very minimal creasing at the end of the day. just those 'inevitable creasing' seen. still, it's barely visible:)

3) eyeshadow doesn't travel! I did a test on this by using a cloth to rub off an eyeshadow applied over both primers each, and the Proof 10 clearly is the harder one to come off!

Cons:

1) consistency of the primer is a little sloppy and clumpy. the texture is also creamy thus extra effort is needed to blend it evenly. more tugging!

2) if the primer is not blended properly before it dries, it will leave a white, crusty residue behind. it doesn't dry that quick, but there are times that u won't notice there are some parts u didn't blend evenly. u can actually see what I meant by the 'white crust' if u look closely at the photos above (hint: inner corner of my left eye)

if you ask me which I prefer, it's really hard to choose. but I must say that currently, the E.l.f primer is my go-to item on an everyday basis. there's not  much hassle with the application and I'm always in a rush, so I end up always picking the E.l.f one! plus, it's super affordable so I do mind using it day-to-day.

I love the Proof 10 when I'm wearing a neutral eyeshadow look though because neutrals do not turn up so good on my skin tone. so this primer helps to add more vibrancy to my neutrals. and of course, when there are days I need the extra comfort of a good eye makeup that will stay put, I trust this to do its job!

I know I'm a little on the fence with these two products, but I sure hope this review is useful! :)

I bought this item 2 weeks ago from The Spectrum Shop:)

E.l.f Studio Eye Transformer. it looks pretty similar to the E.l.f Corrective Concealer quad, doesn't it?

this is part of this collective haul (which I videoed, but I couldn't upload as promised!)

anyway, back to the Eye Transformer, I must say that this is the item that I was most looking forward to! I first saw this from one of Icyabstract's (Sara) LOTDs a few months back and I was like WOAAAHHHH, super pretty effect! but only come to getting it few months later for some unknown reason.

here are the swatches.

it can be used as an eyeshadow on its own, or applied before or after putting on your regular eyeshadow.

so what this does is to transform your usual eye shadow colours to something more sheeny, not so much of glitter though. but I love it like that becos glitters can get so messy sometimes. plus at some angles, your normal blues can look green or turquoise. I had so much fun playing around with this and not knowing what colour will turn up!

so here are some transformation pictures. I used my Regular 88 Palette here.

I started off with my favourite colour on the palette! I'm such a fan of blues and greens <3

without flash

all these swatches are of the Eye Transformer being applied on top of the eyeshadows. I love that ts gives a whole new look for me, so instead of having 88 colours on the palette, I feel like I have 176 colours! :p however, I noticed that the Eye Transformer works best with darker colours. it ends up looking chalky/murky on the lighter colours.

this is the only LOTD that I have with the Eye Transformer. haven't come to experimenting them much on the eyes. picture was taken when I got home, so the colour transformation effect is not at its full swing, although I did apply primer underneath.

will definitely be posting more LOTDs with this product!

I got a few items from Cherubslips from her MU blogshop here. I gotta say I really love that she is ever so prompt with delivery! thanks for the message in the lil' red card, dear! so nice to know that u'd actually take the trouble to write personalized, individual notes for ur buyers:)

recently, Cherubslips brought in new items to her blog and I was so mighty excited to see that one of it is the E.l.f eyeshadow brush! every other MU blogshops (not even local ebay) I go to are oos on this brush for the longest time! so without even thinking twice, I added it to my cart, along with a couple of products - which I don't really need, but have thought about trying before.

so here's the E.l.f eyeshadow brush, with the soft and dense bristles. I probably am the last person to get this brush around here, hahaha. I am aware, however, that some MU blogshops are selling the studio line eyeshadow brush. but for some reason, I just wanted the normal, white handled one. if it's cheaper and good (judging from the online raves), why get the expensive one right?

E.l.f primer in Sheer. I dunno if there are other tones as well, but Cherubslips only carry this tone I guess?

and lastly, the well-known and highly-raved Covergirl Lash Blast mascara in Darkest Black Waterproof.

I always had this impression that this mascara is quite costly, but I just learnt from Cherubslips' site that it is actually a drugstore mascara, just not available in Singapore. so I'm really happy to get my hands on this one too! a lot of onsugarettes have been raving on this too:) I got this for $15.90 online. the usual mascara I buy is around $21-$25 range. so if this Covergirl one really works for me, I'll switch to the cheaper (maybe better) alternative definitely!

and just something random... I get freaked out looking at the lash wand up close. even now as I'm uploading this picture. my scalp feels itchy and I'm having goosebumps at the nape of my neck.

the dense plastic bristles reminds me of a hairy tarantula! not that I'm afraid of spiders. I just have this weird phobia called trypophobia - it's this weird feeling I get when I look at many tiny dots, or holes, that kinda thing. hahaha I know I sound mental, but that phobia really exists! you can read it here. I feel silly making this confession now :p

ANYWAY! I spent $23.50 on these three products which I think it's really worthwhile. have yet to try all these, can't wait :) no promises when, but I'll post reviews soon!

note: I am not in any way affiliated with the mentioned sites.

with flash

I mentioned this E.l.f Corrector quad in my entry here.

in the picture below, I used the salmon tone for my bluish under eye area, green tone for the area around my nose and lavender for my chin, nose bridge and brow bone (basically the area where u would apply normal highlighter).

What I like about it:

the concealers are rather moisturizing, so it is easily blended into the skin by using a foundation brush. I usually use my foundation brush from Ecotools with this. the brush that comes with the E.l.f quad is pretty small, so I don't use it. think: blotchy lavender and green uneven patches!

I pair the salmon tone concealer with my Za Concealer Perfection to balance up the moisture level. the Za CP provides heavy coverage, thus when used on its own, I find that it starts to dry out and crease in the middle of the day. the E.l.f quad help to give my eye area the fresh, dewy look. my skin type is normal, and slightly dry. I find that it works for me. I don't think that this would suit every skin type though.

I especially love the green and lavender tones as it creates that illuminating effect to my face. I don't normally apply powdered highlighter on my face because I sweat a lot! and it'll just be wiped off the minute I step out of my house. but the creamy (slightly waxy) E.l.f corrector stays put longer, even after I dab my face with a tissue. both tones also does a good job at neutralizing the unevenness of my skin tone and gives that overall dewy glow.

What to watch out for:

the concealers are of a waxy texture, so it's a bit hard to pick up the colours. but in a way, it' good that u can be assured that u're not putting too much each time. better to pile on slowly rather than overapply, I guess? I feel that it would've been better if it's of a creamier texture though.

the salmon tones also provide only minimal, light coverage. thus, I would need to pair it up with something stronger (for a lack of a better word). so I would not suggest using it on it own because it doesn't do much. and on its own, it may be a tad too oily as well because u would need to apply more to cover ur under eye area as compared to smaller areas like ur brow bone, chin etc.

lastly, I would not suggest using the salmon tones as a zit concealer as well! I tried it once and it made my pimple bigger! I think it's due to it's waxy and slightly oily texture.

Would I buy this again?:

Probably. but I would probably experiment with another kind too when this has finished. if only Singapore stores sell the Lise Watier Corrector Wheel. I want it so badly! if anyone knows how I can get my hands on this, do let me know! I'll be forever grateful :)

I'm beginning to love E.l.f Studio's Corrector quad. it helps to moisturize the eye area so my concealer doesn't crease or appear dry. I didn't do any editing, just adjusted the contrast to make the colours more apparent. and with the use of 3 different types of concealers (the E.l.f corrector being one), I managed to conceal my dark circles! I will usually hate how dry my under eye area looks when I apply too much concealer, but the E.l.f corrector help to moisten it and give that dewy look :)

haven't really been using this since I got it a month ago becos I didn't like it initially. but it grew on me, and I'm starting to like it.

I used the green and salmon coloured ones for my undereyes, green for the areas around my nose and lavender for my nose bridge, chin and brow bone. it does provide that sheer, illuminating effect that reflects light and give the fresh look. I'll only use this when I have time though, it's like a whole extra step if u wanna do tone correcting.

if u want a proper proper review of the E.l.f Studio Corrector, do let me know babes! becos there's a couple of downsides to this product too. since I'm mainly doing a LOTD entry, I shall not delve too much into the review.

and the "wind effect" is due to me standing at the side of my fan in an attempt of an artistic shot! HAHAHHAH. Pass/Fail? :p and centre-parting fringe ftw! I have no exact parting to my hair actually, but my fringe will always fall apart at the centre I have no idea why la. haha.

Splash's Teal pigment on eyes, Maybelline's Pure Mineral Blusher in True Peach on cheeks and Maybelline's Color Sensational in Toffee Cream on lips. the rest of the routine is pretty much what I use on a regular basis which I have already mentioned before in the past entries.

thanks for reading! :)

sorry for the bad lighting cos I was using my digicam to record this. I'm working on getting a better recording equipment (since I hate my laptop's built-in webcam so much!) so bear with me :) I had to cut down a lot of the parts in the video as well to keep it under 10 mins, so excuse all the abrupt cuts. I hope my two cents' worth of review help in one way or another ;)

Reviewing...

1) E.l.f Studio Powder Brush

2) E.l.f Studio Blush Brush

3) E.l.f Studio High Definition Powder

4) E.l.f Tinted Moisturizer

Tone 2 in Honey with SPF 15. on the right side of the blob, I blended the moisturizer onto my skin just to show how the colour appears when blended.

details on where I got this products from and their prices are in the video towards the end :)

So what are some of your fave E.l.f products? Do share!

as mentioned in the the earlier entry, I bought more lipsticks. I'm not exactly a Maybelline junkie. I dunno why, but it just so happens that I get so mighty attracted to the colours that they have, drugstore-wise. Especially the new Moisture Extreme range. I find other drugstore brands like Revlon's or Loreal's lipstick range doesn't quite have much that appeal to me. yes, I am aware that Revlon has pretty pinks, but nothing jumps out at me. or can u recommend any? :)

left: Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Empire Rouge
right: Maybelline Watershine Pure in B24

excuse my chipped nails :p

Empire Rouge is a sultry, deep red colour. it's not like a wham-in-ur-face kinda youthful red. the Moisture Extreme range has a lot of reds and one of the reasons I picked this was its ultra hip name! haha. Empire Rouge~ and for most part, I love the deep red colour that makes the lips more defined. one thing I learnt is that, red lipsticks help to make u have shapelier lips -- especially when used with a lip brush! give it a try!

I just used the lipstick on its own though without brush, just to do a quick lip swatch.

B42 is a sweet, pale pink which is highly glossy. would look perfect with dramatic, sultry eye makeup.

to compare, I prefer the Moisture Extreme range than this Watershine range in terms of moisturizing prowess. although the Watershine looks extremely glossy, it wears out faster and leaves ur lips feeling dry. both, however, bleeds a lot. so it gets pretty messy if u drink from a cup/bottle and might stain ur teeth too!

revlon has more lasting quality, but too badddd they don't have colours that I like! :(

moving on, I got the Artistry 8pc Brush Set last week from Magical Tannsu.

the pen is there just for size comparison's sake :) the bristles are said to be from real animal hair, didn't mention what though -- I think it's either goat's or horse.

from left to right: spoolie, sponge applicator, angled brush, concealer brush, 2 eyeshadow brushes, angled blush/contour brush and total face brush. the blings on the right side of the faux leather case is my doing :p

these are my fave brushes from the set:

from left to right:

spoolie -- my first spoolie ever so I can't help but favourite it! and it does it's job to separate my lashes after mascara application.

angled brush -- picks up colour real well.

face brush -- the bristles are super soft and springy. doesn't scratch at all. but the downside is that the bristles shed! not to the point of balding, but yeah, they shed. but it doesn't bother me.

angled blush/contour brush -- bristles are soft too! though I wish it's denser so that I have more control when applying blush. this sheds too.

the two big brushes comes with a plastic protector too so u can safely put them in ur makeup pouch. I don't really like the other four brushes. retails at $21.90 per set.

and last but not least, I finally (after much procrastination) got my 88 original eyeshadow palette. from Magical Tannsu as well, retailing at $29.90. even cheaper than from ebay!

I suppose I don't have to review on this one. there's a lot of raves about this product -- how vibrant, how blendable and how pigmented the colours are. just youtube on this "88 palette" and wham, u can see a lot of raves :) and I'm sure most of u, if not all, have seen/heard of this palette before. coastal scents are the original makers of these. I believe most 88 palettes are dupes and the one I got is also a dupe, but reviews say they are equally good and there's no tell-tale signs of any differences. except that there's customer satisfaction gurantee if u buy from Coastal Scents. I think.

not gonna review on this. but one thing I realised it that the matte colours are a bit chalky when u first pat on.

notice how the blue is chalky as compared to the two shimmery brown-toned colours? but it is okay after blending. so u might wanna pat first, then blend to avoid massive fallout. I'm really loving the sheen and glittery colours! even though the 88 palette original is labelled as "matte", not all are matte... some has sheens and shimmers.

I was at mustafa with the bf today and I bought Vaseline. haha totally no idea what this is for. I just know it's good, but I dunno for what reason. always good to keep something that u might need :p I will google on 'What is Vaseline for?' soon or perhaps someone wants to help enlighten me? :)

and to end off, I'll give a random fact.

my E.L.F blusher has hit pan! and in under a month too! wait, I think it's just three weeks ago -- I wrote a haul entry on it here. I've been using it everyday. and it doesn't help that the pigments crumble under my brush. so I wasted a lot of blusher, which can't be helped. becos I think as pretty as E.L.F blushers are, the compact is loose and a lot of the powder will crumble more than u need.

phew, what a long entry. thanks for reading!

painted a new colour! this is the Couleur Inc nail polish in Furud which I did a haul entry on last week.

I initially though it was of a pastel base, but it isn't actually.. but I like it better like this! it's a sort of milky jade hue. the colour is actually slightly darker in person. my camera flash washed the colours off a bit. but what I love is that the colour is true to the exact shade u see in the bottle. I only applied two coats (without top coat) and I'm satisfied :)

application-wise, the liquid runs a little watery but when applied to the nail, the liquid sort of settle in and becomes more gooey. and when it dries up, the coat becomes thick. it's better than The Face Shop polishes, for me. the latter doesn't dry up thick. and Couleur Inc is one of the cheaper nail polishes with the easiest application, I must say. I barely had to do any touch ups after that. I love it :)

retails at $4.30 per bottle.

I bought this today. the E.L.F Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Luminance.

I know it says bronzing powder, but I'm planning to use this as my highlighter thus, I picked the lightest shade. the darker more 'bronzer-looking' shades are pretty too.. there's two more shades, Sunkissed and.. man, I forgot the other one.

retails at $6.90 each at Sasa. it's really good, in terms of colour payoff, for something as affordable as this :)

here's the swatch. on the left left side, I blended the powder to show the pretty sheen -- perfect for face highlighter! or used as eyeshadow highlighter on ur brow bone. it's more of a sheen rather than glitter, so it's safe to apply on the highlight areas of ur face without looking like a glitter ghost :p the swatch on the right is just a quick finger swatch to show u the true colour.

and the colour is really true to the colour u see in the compact too! colour is really pigmented and totally blendable :) I can't find any downside to this yet. but I am totally loving how this adds the fresh, dewy glow to my face!

right, that's all for now. gotta get back to studying for my last mid-term paper tmr! go syidah, go! and then friday will come soooooon <3

I got these yesterday at woodlands' john little :)

Couleur Inc Nail Polish in Purity (pink) and Furud (green)

I was so attracted by their array of pastel colours. wanted to get a pastel baby blue, but I've been buying too many blues so maybe I'll skip them for a while. picked up the natural-looking pastel pink instead. came home and realized that I have already have one of that same shade, but not of this brand. my best friend pointed out that I always tend to buy nail polishes of this range of colour - natural pinks, brown pinks, nude pinks etc. haha! but not hot pink la, that's HER colour :p

the consistency of the Couleur Inc polishes looks  a little watery though. I hope it's not too diluted when I apply it. will probably need a few coats to get the colour out. will let you know when I've tried it :) retails at $4 something per bottle.

Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lipcolor lippies

left: Pink Peach, right: Toffee Cream

retails at $15.90 each.

Angel Rose is the one I bought about a month ago. you can see the lip swatch here.

I prefer Pink Peach to Angel Rose because the pink hue is more vibrant and pops out against my skin. I find that Angel Rose washes my face out because of its pale pink tone. but I think this will suit fair-skinned girls really well.

Toffee Cream is the first brown-coloured lipstick that I own! for me, it is really not as brown as the swatch seen above. the colour is more of a honey orange-brown, yet nude at the same time. I'm guessing it's because the brown hues in the lipstick matches the browns of my natural skin tone, thereby appearing subtler. this might look odd on fair-skinned girls. I love that it gives me a healthy bronze glow when applied together with a brown blusher. haha yes, I am so into browns at the mo.

last item came from the mailbox.

e.l.f Blending Eye Brush. got this from ebay at $3.99.

for a super affordable brush, the bristles are super soft! blends eyeshadow pigments really well as well, diminishing harsh lines.

alright, I'm gonna dinner now and play sims afterwards. can I like shut off my brain for just one night? this week has been too much to handle. alright, thanks for reading!

Apologies for the lack of effort in the past entries :( the week has been murderous! though it's only thursday, I'm glad the week is coming to an end. I swear when monday came this week, it felt like it was already friday.

anyway, I've always been wanting to post Face of the Day (FOTD) or Eye of the Day (EOTD) pictures, but I always seem to not be able to find time to take nice daylight pictures becos I'm always late hence, always in a rush :p so anyway, I'm gonna be posting pictures I've been taking for the past few weeks (which is not that many either). and since shreenz asked me to talk about my Lady Gaga-inspired eyeshadow look (haha!) so I'm just gonna be randomly posting photos in this entry as I go.

added 3 more to my Silkygirl Duo Eye Shadow rack

Left to right:

03 Wild Fantasy, 04 Glamour Babe, 16 Mocha Latte

I'm 3 more shy of the entire Duo Eye Shadow collection haha!

I've mentioned the names of the other duos before in an earlier entry. if u wanna know, do ask :)

I'm not sooo crazy about these, but it's so darn cheap @ $8.90 each, don't u feel so tempted to get everything? colour-wise, it's very pigmented. the powder may come off as loose. so u have to dab and then blend to avoid too much fallout. or use a moisturizer/makeup base beforehand that will help the powder to stick to ur eyelids better.

I experimented with pen, paper and eyeshadow. becos I was too lazy to do it on my face and wash them off again and again (too much cleanser dries up the skin!). plus, on paper, it requires less pigments. so technically, I'm not wasting much. and my paper is clean! so don't come and screw me over hygiene.

I was skeptical about the Wild Fantasy combination at first. such stark contrast!

but it works, giving a nice bright-eyed look ;)

I used the Wild Fantasy duo together with a dark blue shade eyeshadow (from a Maybelline quad I think) for the outer-V to add depth to the corner of the eyes. and also Revlon Colorstay in Black to rim and wing the eyes.

the lime green is not actually a total green, but it has yellowish hues to it as well. I figured that's why it blends perfectly with the blue. despite the initial skepticism, this is by far my favourite combi out of the Silkygirl Eyeshadow Duo range! though I love their neutrals too.

this is the best pic I can find. the rest are either too unfocused or I had my fringe entirely covering my eyelids -_-

this one is just a combination of Glamour Babe and some random charcoal-coloured eyeshadow for the outer-V. and yes, eyeliner too. this turned out a bit muddy cos I added too much charcoal tones.

experimented around for a suitable vday eyeshadow look a few weeks ago (which I ended up not wearing on the actual day!)

each eyelid has a different combination. left side is more of a golden brown tone, while the right is more of a smokey purplish night look. I was trying to see which combination looks nicer with my Splash loose eyshadow pigment in Teal (used mainly on my lower lashline). I guess the look on the right suits the teal more? but I ended up not wearing this look becos I went out in the afternoon only for vday. looks a bit too wayang for day makeup :p

got this today from Sasa just now. Elf Natural Radiance Blusher in 2305 Bronze.

I crapped up the pressed pigments becos it was so hard to slide the cover off and when it did finally slide off, my thumb jabbed into the powder. opps.

what I love about elf products is that they are highly pigmented and super easy to blend. and the plus point is that, most of their products are at $6.90 each (eyeshadow duos, lip glosses, liquid liner, bronzer etc.). I've no idea why they are so cheap, but I'm not complaining! for a super affordable cosmetic, it exceeds its expectations in terms of quality :)

I initially wanted to get the bronzer powder, but they were sold out. so I got my first bronze-coloured blusher instead. not sure if this can be used as a bronzer becos of the crazy amount of glitter! but the glitters are not in chunks, it blends nicely with the coppery sheen of the blusher. maybe it might work ;) I'm gonna give my oranges, apricots and pinks a miss for some time. getting sick of them :/ I'm on a mission for a healthy, natural glow, remember? haha! and I'm too lazy to jog, so....

used as a blusher (with flash)

(no flash)

and a swatch :)

shit, I am phreeeeaking hungry. shall go hunt for food :D thanks for reading!