Beauty Binge: High end faves.

Dear Puss, Do you really hate all high end brands? I hardly ever see any on your blog. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you feature drugstore brands as I can't afford to splurge on expensive cosmetics, but I'm wondering if you've used high end brands other than Mac? Do you have favourites? Layla B.

Hey Layla!

Thanks for writing in. First and foremost, I dislike using the word "hate". It's too strong of a word. Plus, regardless of the brand, "hate" is such a dirty word to use for makeup, methinks!

No, I don't dislike all high end brands! I just can't stomach paying the extra 60% (?) on packaging and marketing!! I also think high end brands are of better quality is a myth! If you're a smart consumer, you'd know you don't have to pay so much for "quality". I've used high end makeup for most of my radio career. That was how I learned what I liked and didn't as I did tons of shoots. I'm not one to just make a sweeping statement on how I don't like this brand and that without even trying. When I say I don't like a product, more often than not, I've already used/tried it, not once, not twice, but usually more than that.

I still have favourites from the higher price range although I have to admit I've been more or less distracted by the funner side of drugstore makeup. That's another reason why I am not keen on high end brands - I find most of them boring.

Some of the high end products I still adore:

Lips

Lancome Juicy Tubes.

Lancome Juicy Tubes: Raisin. Mangue. Myrtille.

At one point, I practically had every colour possible. Some people despise the ultra stickiness of these babies, but I love them! They are long lasting, especially when I use them for shows under bright lights and long hours. The colours are adorable, not too pigmented but not too sheer either, they make your lips look ... well... juicy! I used most of the tubes til the last drop, and now I'm left with these and a couple more in sample sizes. However, I am not too crazy over the packaging as I much prefer the traditional bottle with sponge-tip applicator anyday.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipsticks.

EsteeLauder Lipsticks: Almond. Caramel Toffee. Vanilla Truffle. Gloss in White Chocolate.

"Long lasting" my foot! But these are so creamy they glide on my lips, don't dry them out and do not slide off. They are NOT long lasting!! I will be the first to admit, I don't like most Estee Lauder products, and I used to own tones for a job I did for them. They paid me half in cash, and half in products. Out of all, I just like their lip products. The three lippies were a staple in any shows I did. They're all super nude, concealer-like nude, but I normally layer these over a bright coloured lipstick and top it off with Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Gloss in White Chocolate. This gloss is less than stellar but the shade fits the bill. I'd wear this lips with super intense dark eyes, and I constantly had to remind myself not to eat or drink until the event is over, or else I'd have to re-apply. And re-applying backstage when it was normally chaotic, is not much fun.

Eyes
Shu Uemura single eye shadows.

Shu depotted single shadows.

Yes, we all love Mac. I don't need to tell you they make darn good shadows with excellent colour choices. But a photo shoot I did using Shu Uemura products made me take notice of their shadows. These babies rock my world!! I dare say I love them more than Mac shadows! They are so vibrant, smooth, silky, crazy pigmented, come in an array of colours, I just could resist getting some for my collection.
They are also easier to depot, and so I bought an empty quad and stuck all 4 Shu shadows I own into a quad. I had to stop at 4, because I couldn't justify paying RM80 a pop (back then). In my eyes, I think Shu makes some of the best shadows in the market.

Lancome quads.

Lancome GWP quads.

These were Gift-with-Purchase (GWP) and were given to me. One look I was like, "How freakin' boring!" The colours are nothing to shout about, but I love using these quads on days when I just need to look a little polished. The texture is silky, they last a good while, but no burst of colours. They are small enough to throw into my makeup bag, I love these for being so convenient.

YSL Touche Eclat in #2.

YSL Touche Eclat highliter pen.

My favourite pen-highlighter of all time! I use this on my laugh lines (which are getting deeper by the year darn it!) and on the bridge of my nose. Comes out great in pictures making me look line/wrinkle-free!! Woot!

Face
Mac Studio Tech.
This was my go-to foundation when I had events to attend and shows to host. It's such a great product! This water-base medium to heavy coverage foundation is cooling to the touch and glides over skin. This is the perfect foundation when you have flashbulbs going off in your face. There's no white mask effect, the foundation makes me look flawless in pictures without looking over made up. Even in real life, your skin will look smooth and beautiful with this. It comes with a sponge but I use this with a flat foundation brush for a clean, streak-free finish.

There you have it!

Have an awesome day, y'all!

xoxo,
PUSS
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: Makeup of the Week

I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.

This week has been one long, boring week, as far as makeup goes. I wasn't as adventurous as I normally am, and stuck to the bare basics (or minimum).

I really like the ELF Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick. The first one I bought was in green/moss. I was quite impressed by it, I put in for 2 more orders: brown/basic and black/smoke.

ELF Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Brown/Basic.

I found another way to use the ELF Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick. So this time, I whipped up the brown/basic eyeliner & shadow stick, colour my lids all over with the shadow stick and used the liner in the crease (since the liner is darker), and blend it out just using my fingers.

I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance prior to the shadow as I know it'll crease almost immediately. Then I set the shadow with translucent loose powder. The shadow and liner lasted a good 4 hours on my lids that way, before I found minor creasing in my inner eyelids. This is such a simple and fuss-free way to dress up the eyes without having to deal with so many eyeshadow colours!

Face

Foundation: Wet n' Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturiser in Sun Kissed.
Powder: Everyday Minerals Kaolin Finishing Powder in Soft Bronze to set foundation.
Concealer: Maybelliner Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer in Beige Medium 2-4 for undereye circles.

Cheeks

Bronzer: ELF Studio Cool Bronzer to contour.
Blush: Milani Mineral Blush in Mai Tai.

Eyes

Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance (not in picture).
Eyes: ELF Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Brown/Basic - Shadow stick all over lids, Eyeliner in crease, blend, Eyeliner to line; NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent to set eyeshadow.
Mascara: Maybelline Define A Lash in Very Black.
Brows: Wet n' Wild Brow Kohl Liner in Taupe.

Lips

Lips: NYX Tinted Lip Spa in Hush.

This seemed boring but it worked! Great for days when you do want to look a little more than just mascara and lipstick/gloss/lip balm!


Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: CS Smacks didn't rock my lips.

So, I thought I'd amuse myself and get one these lip glosses from Coastal Scents.com.

To be honest, I wasn't really wowed by the product but yeah, I was curious. Coastal Scents' Smacks lip glosses come in a variety of shades and it was almost impossible to choose one as the pictures didn't really show the true colours.

*image from coastalscents.com*

I decided to go safe - pick a shade closest to my natural lip colour. Mega Mauve looked like it could be it so I ordered one.

Let's start with the positives first. I liked the brush applicator any day. It applies the gloss better and more evenly onto my lips. No clumps, no mess, pretty easy, pretty smooth.


I liked the colour! Mega Mauve was almost an exact match to my natural lip colour. It even made my lips looked better, even though it is not a pigmented gloss!

Buuuuut! Overall, I am not impressed at all with this lip gloss.

The size is tiny! Granted I probably won't use up the stuff anytime soon, but this looked like a sample than the real thing.


I didn't quite like the formula of the gloss either. Too runny, a little too sheer, not sticky enough enough for me so the gloss lasted for about half an hour on my lips before just leaving a dull sheen. I like my glosses a little stickier, like MAC's Lipsglass or Lancome Juicy Tubes, as the shine is better and they last longer. This, I hate to say, is your typical cheapo gloss. Heck, I've even tried cheaper glosses perform better than this!!

I think this would be good to throw in your handbag, as it it is small in size, and can be used for touch-up and such, but if you prefer glosses that go the extra mile without having to re-apply every 10 minutes, you may be disappointed with this.

Me, I'm just glad I didn't go nuts and buy a whole lot of shades. Thank Gawd I was sensible enough to just get one for a try-out.

Coastal Scents Smacks lip glosses retail for $2.95 on Coastalscents.com.

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: Makeup of the Week

I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.

I received Cover Girl Eye shadow quad in Drama Eyes a few weeks ago, with a quarter of the white shadow chipped off. There was white powder everywhere and although I could clean up the damage, there was still traces of the broken shadow bits all over the palette. Yet again, a testament of how crappy the packing skills of drugstore.com (where I bought the quad from).

Bad packing aside, I have grown to really love Cover Girl. I haven't tried many stuff from them, but I enjoy using their shadows (singles and palettes) and absolutely adore their Cheekers Blush.

I bought Drama Eyes for that Burgundy colour.

I wanted a typical smokey eye palette but use it for daytime wear - not so smokey, not intense, and not boring. That burgundy shade made it possible! This palette has great colour pay-off! Cover Girl, over the years, has up their game and improved the formulation of their products. Their eye shadows at least, are a joy to use!

I also found great use for the too-dark ELF Hydro-tint foundation (Tone 3). I mixed it with my lighter foundations and it changed the colour, but not the coverage, which is perfect!

Face

Foundation: ELF Hydro-Tint SPF 15 in Tone 3 (too dark) + Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation in Beige 304 (too light!) = PERFECT SHADE!
Concealer: Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer (old packaging) in Dark.
Powder: NYC Loose Face Powder in Translucent to set; Milani Glimmer Stripes in Berry Glimmer lightly all over face to finish.

Cheeks

Blush: Milani Powder Bronzer in Light to contour; Revlon Cream Blush in First Blush on apples (love!!).

Eyes

Eye primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
Eyes: Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Coastal Blues as base; CG quad in Drama Eyes - light silver (2nd from right) all over lids, black outer-v, Burgundy wash in crease, white as added highlight; CG Single in Golden Sunrise as highlight; Femme Couture liquid liner in Black to line.
Mascara: CG Lash Blast in Very Black.
Brows: Wet n' Wild Brow pencil in Taupe.

Lips

Lips: Wet n Wild Lip liner in 666 Brandy Wine; ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Oasis.



Thanks for dropping by, and Ramadhan Mubarrak to those who observe!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: Makeup of the Week

I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.

I received quite a number of new ELF stuff this week, so for the most part, I was testing and playing with my new toys. My favourite look this week was using just one colour. Out of the blue, I remembered my love for MAC Cocomotion pigment. It's such a beautiful brown-bronze colour that is unique on it's own. I don't quite enjoy using loose pigments, as I am a klutz and a half (though I love their intensity), but I just couldn't resist taking out my Cocomotion to give it the attention it deserved.

Looks like dirt but super gorgeous even on it's own: MAC Pigment in Cocomotion.

The look came out far from complicated - it was stunning yet simple, no-fuss and down-right gorgeous. You can go night or day with this. MAC Cocomotion ... Wow! This is one look I shall be wearing over and over.

Face

Foundation: ELF Hydro-Tint SPF15 in Tone 3 (Arrk! Too dark!!).
Concealer: ELF Studio Under eye Concealer & Highlighter in Medium, ELF Studio Complexion Perfection mixing yellow and pink to set under eye concealer.
Powder: ELF Studio Complexion Perfection to set.

Cheeks

Bronzer: ELF Studio Warm Bronzer lightly all over face.
Blush: ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Bronzed to contour, Flushed on apples (pretty!).

Eyes

Eye primer: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer.
Eyes: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in French Fries as base; MAC Pigment in Cocomotion on lids; Milani single shadow in Classic Beige as highlight; Loreal SuperLiner in Black for upper lashlines; Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in Black to line 1/3rd outer lower lashlines and to tightline.
Mascara: Avon Daring Curves mascara in Black.

Lips

Lips: NYX Round Lipstick in B52.

I got a couple of NYX lipsticks as well in this package. I'm not a fan of lipsticks so I wasn't in a rush to test them, I think they were the last ones I tried on! I can see why NYX's B52 is always out of stock - it's a pretty creamy mauve-rose colour. But since I am not a huge fan of lippies, I wasn't totally taken in. Oh! Well!

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: Makeup of the Week

I don't do FOTDs or EOTDs, but I thought I'd pick one look from the week that I liked and list down the products I used in Makeup of the Week.

My favourite look this week was from one of my all-time favourite palettes - MAC Novel Twist Warm Eyes. I used to have this in my makeup bag at all times. This palette has 5 wearable colours, and I had such a fun time coming up with different looks with this! Plus, it's a MAC, so I don't need to tell you how wonderful these shadows are. This week, I used all 5 colours, and I have worn this look countless of times to shows and events. On lazy days, I'd probably just use 2 or 3 colours, and I'd still look polished. This is one versatile palette, and it's still one of my go-to palettes.

MAC NovelTwist Warm Eyes:
Vanilla. Unwind. Folie. Adlib. Club.

I heart MAC. It's such a dependable brand!

This week I also played with some new items from my drugstore.com haul, and my new Everyday Minerals haul. L.O.V.E !!

Face

Primer/Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil before and after.
Concealer: ELF Tone Correcting Concealer in Light; EDM Abbot's Perk Me Up concealer to set.
Foundation: MAC Fix+(not in picture) sprayed on brush; EDM Pressed Foundation in Buttered Tan.

Cheeks

Bronzer: jane Oil-free Bronzer in Sunkissed lightly on temples, cheeks, nose, chin.
Blush: EDM Pressed Blush in Waffle Cone to contour; EDM Blush in Snuggle (ver-ry pretty!).

Eyes

Primer: POP Eye Magnet Primer (sample).
Eyes: MAC NovelTwist Warm Eyes - Vanilla (1st from left) highlight; Unwind (2nd from left) inner half lid, Adlib (2nd from right) outer half lid, Folie (middle) middle of crease, Club ( 1st from right) outer-v. Blend! Blend! Blend! MAC Kohl in Phone Number to line outer 3rd of lower lash line and tightline; Revlon ColorStay liquid eyeliner in Blackest Black to line upper lash line.
Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black (sucks-dot-com!).
Brows: Wet n' Wild Kohl Brow-Eyeliner in Taupe (awesome stuff!).

Lips

Lips: Rimmel Rich Moisture Lipstick in 279 Smooch; Palladio Plump n' Shine lipgloss in Creamy Pink.

My skin's still acting up as I am in the midst of changing moisturisers. *sigh* I look like a freakin' teenager! I hope my skin will calm down soon. Having pimples at this age is soooooooo not on!!

Thanks for dropping by, and have a great weekend!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge: Lip service.

I prefer tinted lip balms on most days. They're a bit more comfortable and low maintenance. Sometimes, I'd wear an intense smokey eye, and will slather on only Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on my lips!! (Still worked in my opinion!)

I got that Kieh's lip balm when they first opened their flagship store at Pavillion. I've read many good things about their lip balms, so naturally I was *thrilled* when I saw this included in my goody bag. Long story short, it's sitting on my table collecting dust. It's far from the stellar lip balm written in the reviews. The texture is way too runny for my liking, it doesn't last long enough, and it's not as moisturising for me, not that I have dry lips. Thank Gawd I got this for free!! I wouldn't waste my moolah on this.

Here are my two favourite tinted lip balms:

NYX Tinted LipSpa in Hush. MAC Tendertones in Honey Bare.

I don't quite fancy the packaging on the MAC one. In fact, I just don't like pots; I dislike sticking my fingers in a product! I think they're way too unhygienic! The MAC lip balm is a handbag essential, and I reach for it very often. These shades are barely-there shades on my pigmented lips, but they feel oh-so-good and light. I might get another LipSpa from NYX. Maybe a more pigmented one.


Can't live without these:

Carmex Clickstick. Crazy Rumors lip balm.

Seriously, I can't sleep if I haven't slathered either one on! Carmex is an ol' fave. I was using the classic (in a yellow pot) when I was a student in the US. Saved my lips from being horribly chapped! I was delighted to find this brand in a form of a clickstick. Crazy Rumors lip balm was not love at first sight, but now I'm so loving this lip balm! I bought it because everyone raved about their balms. It's darn creamy and does a fantabulous job at keeping my lips moisturise. Mine is in Irish Cream and I *love* the taste!!

Then there are these two duds from jane...

jane Be Pure Mineral Lip balms.

They taste waxy, have no sheen whatsoever to the texture but the colour payoff is quite good. I still use 'em, when I need a little more colour but don't want to reach for a lipstick.

Thanks for reading this blog!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge:Paw-stamped and approved! July faves.

Since I have such a *huge* makeup collection, I thought it would be great, at every end of the month, to list down 5 things I enjoyed using in that month. I get new products at least once a month, so some are new, some are old stuff tucked away which I have re-discovered. Enjoy!

My skin was a little too temperamental this month, so at times like these, I turn to my mineral makeup. I *love* mineral makeup, although it doesn't quite work on me. Whatever the coverage or formula, it makes me oily. So this month, I used my minerals a little bit more than usual (my minerals are usually for the weekends). I am also happy that July is over and done with. There were too many deaths of people I know this month, so I am happy to leave July behind.

Here you go, my July faves, in no particular order:


1. Essence of Beauty (fine) crease brush.
This is part of a duo, exclusively sold in CVS Pharmacy. Out of the two, I've thoroughly enjoyed using this one more. It's a pencil brush much like the MAC219, though I dare say this is little smaller. It has become an indispensable tool for my eye makeup. I use it to define my outer-v and gently smoking it out. It's just an awesome tool to work with darker colours to define the crease. Some people also love using this to smudge eyeliner for an instant smokey eye, or to line the lower lashlines. It's soft, doesn't shed, and so far has stayed in shape even after so many washes. This is one of my HG (holy grail) tools. And it's cheap!! Available at CVS.com.

2. Jordana Pretty Shine Luxury Gloss in Lovely.
I got this from Shins (also available from Sasa) for RM17.90. My favourite Youtube Beauty Guru raved about this gloss, and I was delighted to find this at a local beauty supply store. I bought 2 colours: Sweet - a pale metallic pink, too metallic that washed me out completely! And this shade, Lovely - beautiful rose colour, also metallic. I don't normally wear metallics well, but the shimmer in Lovely is not as stark as in Sweet. I have quite pigmented lips, and this colour compliments me almost instantly! It's not too dark, nor is it too red, or neutral. You know I'm wearing a coloured gloss but the colour is not in your face, if you know what I mean. This was such a great buy!!

3. ELF Studio Contouring & Bronzing Powder .
I've had this for a while, but when you have so many other stuff, that one great product is forgotten. I am so glad I dug this back up again! This is such a great duo for traveling. You get one shade for bronzing (though it may be too dark for pale skin) and a beautiful peachy pink blush. Even for me with a NC40-42 skin tone, I use a light hand with the bronzer, but the blush side gives me a nice iridescent glow. It doesn't show much colour on me, but it's still a nice blush to wear. And it's only for $3!! Talk about a steal!! You can purchase this from eyeslipsface.com.

4. Everyday Minerals Concealer in Abbott's Perk Me Up.
This is kinda a salmony/peachy concealer that works great with bluish under eye circles. My bags and circles are a permanent fixture on my face. Have always had them, despite the amount of money I spent on so many eye creams to get rid of them. I have deep-set eyes, so the bags and circles are part of the package. Doesn't help that I spent years sleeping at odd hours and having to wake up at 4.30am for work. The abuse my eyes have gone through!! I have given up spending my energy and money to get rid of them, so my best bet is a concealer. Typically, powdered concealer dries my under eye area and highlights my fine lines, but I use this concealer over a liquid concealer to set. It doesn't completely eliminate the darkness, but it definitely minimises them. At least now, friends don't say I look tired anymore even after I've had 8-hours sleep! I have this in sample size and it's more than enough. You can find this at everydayminerals.com. They don't ship to Malaysia anymore, but there are a few people on Lowyat.net carrying sprees who can bring the stuff in via Singapore.

5. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil.
This is a translucent finishing powder that also can be used prior to your mineral foundation application. Does a fab job at controlling oil and setting your makeup. I love using this after I've done everything to my face: bronzer, blush, lipstick, eye shadow, mascara etc., and I'll dust this over to finish. It's so light yet comfortable, and your makeup stays in place. Some people are allergic to Bare Minerals but have no issues with their Mineral Veil. I also sometimes use this on its own. Bare Minerals can be found at Shins for ridiculous money, alternatively you can purchase this at ulta.com.


Here's celebrating the end of July, and hel-lo August!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com