Showing posts with label rimmel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rimmel. Show all posts

Makeup Inspiration #1⎪Natural, Fresh & Flushed




Foundation: Innisfree Water Glow Cushion (No.23) 
This is great for the light and glowy face. It also has a medium coverage, and it also helps with brightening the face, so you don't have to use a separate concealer for the under-eye.

Blusher: Missha The Style Defining Blusher (PK 02)
This is a product I've never spoken about before but recently, I've pulled it out and gave it a try. It's really pretty. This sweet pink adds a beautiful flush to the face. I like to use this on a wide surface of my cheeks so that the entire cheeks is kind of glowing from within.

Eyeshadow: Benefit Long-Wear Eyeshadow (It's Complicated)
When you want the natural fresh faced makeup look, you want to keep the eyes simple. I've chosen this eyeshadow that has a natural shimmer and the shade is a beautiful beige peach-pink. It helps emphasize the eyes so that when you add mascara, you get that extra effect.

Mascara: Lancome Hynpose Doll-Eyes
Love, love this mascara.

Lips: Jouer (Wind)
Keeping lips simple with a natural beige-pink lip gloss. You want that gloss on the lips for that fresh face. It's soft and moisturizing and not sticky at all!

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte (Translucent)
Great setting powder if you feel that the foundation is too glowy! You can just set the T-zone and keep the cheeks nice and dewy.


swatch of the Missha blush



RIMMEL Stay Matte⎪Real Techniques Face Brush



The Rimmel Stay Matte Setting Powder is a pretty talked about deal.
I bought it almost a year ago, and I've since left it in the deep ends of my makeup drawer. But recently, after trying on foundations that were more dewy and moisturizing like the Hera UV Mist Cushion Foundation I've been needing something to set that foundation in. I've been using the Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder as a primer to help with the foundation from melting, but I've found that this Rimmel Stay Matte Powder has been doing a good job indeed!

But the magic seems to come from using a different brush. Previously, I've used brushes that were fan shaped and fluffy so that I can kind of dust this all over the face. But, with the Real Techniques Face Brush, which is more dense, I've been able to pat this on only areas I needed and it's kind of locked in everything. It's also helped with the coverage of pores!

The shade I have is the shade "translucent". You can get ones in other shade colors.


BAG ALERT. Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac in Plum



This is aka "What's in my Bag" post, showing you what I carry around in my bag. It is an edited version, meaning, I've cleaned my bag a little and decided to feature things that were only beauty related. But this Rebecca Minkoff bag only allows a certain amount anyway. It is my first Rebecca Minkoff bag, and I bought this last Fall actually, and it is only now that I'm featuring it on my blog.

I absolutely love this bag, and in my recent trip to Europe, this was the only bag I carried around and it was the perfect size. Although it is a mini mac quite a lot can fit inside this bag. I loved it for chucking essentials in: like the beauty products that I feature, as well as carrying around my iPhone and travel billets and such. I decided to bring this bag to Europe because as a tourist, you want to be careful of picket-pocketting, and the last time I was in France, I was a victim of picket-pocketing and so I wanted to be extra careful.

I like to wear this cross body, and when I'm walking around, I kept it in the front of my body. The zipper is something I love about this bag, because it zips up so well. There are quite a lot of bags, I have to tell you, that just don't zip up well! You actually need your two hands to zip up, but this bag has such a smooth zipper that when you are in a rush and want to zip up, you can do it easily. Small unnecessary fact you say? Not for me, since zippers are something I always check up in a bag!

And with the functionality of this bag, comes the absolutely beautiful style. This color just makes my heart flutter. In some lights it may look a bit dark, and then in some lights, it looks bright plum. I love it! You may know that I have a huge obsession with plum colored things, and when I bought it last Fall, I knew I'd get a lot of wear with this. It is both chic and feminine at the same time!


So, finally here are some handbag essentials that are really do carry. They aren't just placed this way for the blogpost. These are my current handbag necessities that I took out of this bag for this post.

As a whole, I think all girls carry around a hand cream of some sort in the winter. I have been falling head-over-heels for This Works Deep Sleep Dream Cream lotion for hands and body. I loved it when I first bought it, but decided to give it to my mother to use but when I found she wasn't really using it, I took it back and fell in absolute love! I recently bought another tube of this and it's been loved very much by me! Read here.

Then of course, a lip balm. I featured this balm before but Nuxe Reve de Miel is just a great lip balm for the harshest winters. It has a matte finish, and it is very thick-- almost so thick, it's hard to scoop out of the tube when the weather is cold. But nonetheless, it masks your lips and instantly binds the torn skin on the lips upon application! The small is also lovely. The only downfall is that when you apply this too much, you may end up with residue of the balm on your lips. You want to make sure you are applying it without leaving particles of its content visible on your lips. (Anyone else know what I mean?) Read here.

Then for lip colors, I usually carry two shades. One neutral/nude, and the other, bright. I recently had to go to an interview, and for interviews I always wear this shade by Burberry. It is their lip mist in the shade Copper. Hands down, the best professional lip color, whatever that means. Whenever you want to look proper, read, and professional- go for this one. It always perfects the lips by moistening it, hydrating it, and giving it a color neutral peachy/rosy/pinky nude. The color is just right. Read here.

Then for the bright lip color for a sudden change in look, I have been loving Rimmel Apocalips (Show Off) shade in Big Bang. This is a Marilyn Monroe red, and I love it. But what I really love is the Apocalips formulation in general. Couldn't get better- creamy, moisturizing, and perfectly pigmented. Their lip lacquers are better than the luxe brands that I've tried. Read here.

For face, I always try to carry a face powder around, especially when I want to look my best the whole day. I hate when I see my makeup melt and I have nothing to fix it up! I have been obsessing with the Bourjois Unifying Face Powder. I did a review of this after I brought it from France. This again, is by far, better than most high end brands I've tried. It instantly perfects my makeup anytime during the day. Read here.

Lastly, fragrance. Ah, fragrances! When I was Europe, I was never without this scent. Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit fragrance. I did a whole review of this recently, so you can go read it up here.


My Beauty Picks #4⎪January




January beauty picks are as follows:
  • This Works Sleep Partners, Deep Sleep Night Oil and Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
  • This Works Deep Sleep Dream Cream … read review here
  • Jouer Bronzer "Sunshine"… read review here
  • Jouer Blush "Blossom" … read review here
  • Skindinavia No More Shine Makeup Finish … read review here
  • Rimmel Apocalips/Show Off Lip Lacquers in shades: Celestial, Big Bang, Shooting Stars … read review here
  • Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Cream
  • Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Intensive Serum
  • Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum … read review here
  • Nuxe Reve de Miel … read review here 
  • Rimmel Concealer … read review here
  • Bourjois Unifying Matte Powder … read review here




Under-Eye Concealers





Under eye concealers have only been a recent thing for me. I first discovered how much of a difference they make only last year, and since then, I've been using them incessantly. They do what I've always thought was lacking-- brighten in just the right places. These four under-eye concealers have been superb and I would like to recommend them to you. In no particular order, they are some of my favorites.

The luxe of them is the Burberry Sheer Concealer No.02. Like the name suggests, it is sheer in that it is watery but it definitely has enough pigmentation to make the dark circles disappear. The shade that I have is a pinky-salmon color that cancels out the blueish dark circles. It is also hydrating in that even after hours, it won't crack or crease under your eyes. I'm sure we all look for that in under-eye concealers, right? The packaging is lovely in that its in a form of a pen, and you just need to click to have enough come through the brush.


If you aren't too particular about packaging, you may resort to more affordable options that are just as marvelous. The first one I'd recommend is the Maybelline Dream Lumi-Touch Concealer. There are several shades offered, but I again looked for the salmon colored one called "radiant". It should fit for all shades, as long as you blend it out well. It is such an instant highlighter, and it very long-lasting. I've gone through two of these already. Another Maybelline concealer that's pretty amazing is the Dark-Circle Eraser Concealer that I've blogged about here, before.


The two others are from my recent trip to London. One is available here in the States: Rimmel Wake me Up Concealer in the shade soft beige. It a little less long-lasting than the other concealers, and it is the creamiest. However, I still love it because days when my skin feels really dry and cracked(?), I love using this concealer in particular because it's so creamy. It helps the dryness around my eyes, and hydrates that area the best. The color isn't too salmon, but it does a good job highlighting.

Lastly, Collection 2000 is from the UK drugstore, and I doubt you can get that here in the States. I know this is a favorite of all the UK bloggers I know of, and I can see why. It is like water, and it is really instant. You can put a bunch of it on your eyes, but it'll pat perfectly and have a skin-like finish. Again this color isn't all-too salmon, but it helps brighten the areas: under-eyes, bridge of the nose, between eyebrows and the like.


So far, I use them in rotation. Tell me what some of your favorites are! x

RIMMEL Lip Lacquers




Today I want to rave about a brand new liquid lipstick or "lip lacquer" range that is beyond anything I've tried before. I've tried quite a few: Hourglass, Giorgio Armani, and YSL liquid lipsticks. I've reviewed the Hourglass and Giorgio Armani here. Although they each have their pros and cons, I have to say that a brand half their price has done the best! I'm talking about the Rimmel Lip Lacquers: Apocalips or also known as Show Off lip lacquers. 

Although I'm not sure if Apocalips and Show Off are the same thing (sold in different names from UK and the States), the formulation seems to be the same (and by the reviews, people are saying so). When I was in the UK, I went to Boots and bought these two shades: Apocaliptic and Shooting Star 

Then, a reader of my blog informed me that Walgreens actually sells these lip lacquers! So, I checked it out and decided to get these two other shades: Big Bang and Celestial





Here's what I love about these lip lacquers:
  • Formulation: Ever so creamy! Not only should lip products go on creamy on the lips, they should also fade away without cracking and drying up the lips. These lip lacquers are perfect in that they go on so super creamy (like lip butters) and when they fade or you take them off, they don't strip away your lips! The formulation is what I love the most about this product. 
  • Wear: Super long-lasting! Although it goes on super creamy, that doesn't mean they just fade away from the lips easily. I can't say exactly how many hours it stays on the lips, but I can say that it's pretty long where you don't have to touchup constantly.
  • Pigmentation: Rich and really pigmented. The more vibrant the shade, the more you'll probably have to be careful in applying them!
  • Packaging & Applicator: this is really easy to apply, so even if you are working with vibrant shades, you don't have to worry too much about getting it wrong. The packaging is very travel friendly, and for the price, it's tres bon! 
  • Shades
    • Apocaliptic: cherry-pink that sometimes look red and sometimes fuchsia under different lights. It's super bright and super pretty.
    • Big Bang: just think, Marilyn Monroe red! Hollywood-glam.
    • Celestial: everyday, easy pink wear that can't go wrong! I thought it looked really similar to the Kate Moss 107 lipstick shade
    • Shooting Star: ugh, such a pretty nude! I have a light-medium beige skin tone, and this nude complements my skin really well! It doesn't look washed out, and it really perfects the lip! 
I love every single shade I have. I don't know if I need to go out and buy any more shades because I think I covered most of what I was looking for! If you want to try them out and you really want to be sure of what really is worth the buy, let me recommend: Shooting Star for that perfect nude, Big Bang for that perfect red, and finally for that perfect pretty in pink shade I recommend Celestial

Best of 2013.


I am spending the day before New Years at home, relaxing and cleaning my room. I thought I'd spend a few hours in the morning to film my Best of 2013 Beauty Favorites video while I could, so that I can post the video by tonight. Filming a video takes longer than one would think, and editing it is just a whole heck of a chore! But now that I've got it done, I feel I can concentrate more on finishing this day with a more reflective note.



As always, it's pretty difficult to pick and choose "the favorites" of the entire year. I am one of those people that buy something after much research and review-reading. Once I decide to keep it in my collection, that means I love it. To choose the best from all the ones I love is seriously difficult. So, I just gravitated towards picking the ones I "used" the most instead.

I divided it up between skincare and makeup bits. Watch the entire video here:


I realize that there are so many products that I love but couldn't mention. I also realized that in the video, I forget to talk about two things that are actually right there! That's what happens, I guess, when you just wing things through. The first one is a hand cream: Rose of Bulgaria Hand Cream and the other is Nars Laguna Bronzer.

I also want to do a special mention to NEOM Candles because I enjoyed them so much this year. Although I wanted to stock up when I went to London, I just couldn't find them anywhere in the department stores I visited. I may have to just order it online! But really, NEOM candles have been just amazing and I highly recommend them as well.

On a final note, I wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2013 has been one heck of a year. Thank you to all my subscribers, readers, and followers. I truly appreciate all of your feedback! I hope to continue blogging next year with better content and format on both my blogs and Youtube channel.

I hope all of you the best in 2014 :)

Ellie goes to London PART I. Drugstore Haul

Ellie goes to London, PART ONE is going to be a beauty/skincare haul. I did a bit of affordable skincare and makeup shopping when I was in London. There aren't too much you can't get in the States, but there sure are price differences in some. When I first saw the BOOTS store in the airport, I was thrilled. For all you British readers, you'd think I was joking! It would be the same if any of you Brits thought CVS or Duane Reade was thrilling. But seriously, I was just way too excited for Boots. I soon learned however, that depending on which store you go to, it's quite different.





I stayed right around Portobello Road, which was such a cute quaint town. I bought a few bits from the Boots store there, but I mainly bought mine from a Boots around Covent Garden.

This haul also has products bought from John Lewis which seemed like a Macy's here, and bought the Antipodes mask from Selfridges, and finally a Nude skincare from SpaceNK.

Watch my video here to see what I have to say about the products. It's only a haul video, so I have yet to form an opinion about all of the products. I did, though, forget to mention a Pixi product that I bought at Convent Garden. It's the Pixi Glow Tonic that bloggers have been raving about. I still have to see how it works out on me. Review will be up soon :)


Random Drugstore Haul

I never thought of buying makeup products at any drugstores. I've always thought, I'd save my money and buy the good quality luxury items. And, I always have. Until recently, I've been watching a lot of Youtube beauty bloggers and the good things they say about some of them have really gotten me to consider purchasing and trying out some of their products... without pressure!


One of the most talked about drugstore brand is Revlon. I hear it so much, people raving about their lipsticks and other products. Of course there is the cost of cheap packaging and not the same content as high-end products out there-- but the point is, considering the price, it's a good deal.

So, basically no one has to go out of their ways to purposely get something "cheap". But if you're on a budget, it really doesn't hurt to try!

On my usual stocking of cotton pads and wax, I decided to give some beauty/makeup products a go. Unlike Sephora or other beauty counters, you can't try the products at the store. It's more like you like what you see, you buy it. If you like it, that's good. If not, oh well... you missed out on five dollars.

I bought two lipsticks from Revlon. "Gentlemen prefer Pink" (no. 450) and "Softsilver Rose" (no. 430). I often find that when you are buying cheaper lipsticks, it's good to be safe. I feel buying neutral everyday colors will give you the most payback with these lipsticks. Sometimes going a bit exotic on the colors might prove the lack of quality these products may have.

That being said, these two colors were very pretty. The 450 is a really pretty satin-finish pick. The 430 is a bit more red but very wearable. It's just brightens the lips with a soft pink-red, and it also has a satin like finish. They are decently pigments and are quite creamy so it won't necessarily dry out your lips. I do find that after awhile, if you were to rub your lips a little, your skin might start peeling. So not entirely hydrating or good for the lips, but I think you get what you get.

Next, I bought a Rimmel lipsticks. Now, I never even heard of Rimmel until my obsession with UK beauty bloggers. Then I started thinking, hey maybe I'd try if I ever found one around me. Well, I did! Packaging was pretty, and I especially bought the one from the line that was collaborated with Kate Moss. Supposedly, it's her "shades", the ones that would best represent her.


Loved the cute packaging and the colors were decent. There was about five shades. I got the shade 08, and it's a mauve brown. It's actually browner than I thought it would be, and I'm not sure I could pull it off. But with the right kind of makeup, I think it'll be a chic lip color to wear. It does have a slightly model-esque feel to the mauve lipstick!

Then I went and picked up two Essie nail polishes. I prefer buying mine on Amazon as I find them so much cheaper. It's literally $3 online! But I wanted to try them out asap, and I've realized that the cost of buying it so cheap online is that sometimes, they can be sending the ones from the older edition where the applicator isn't so great as the ones that have come out now. So, I thought-- why not?

I got "Cute as a Button" and "Fiji". Fiji seems to be some kind of hype and I thought I'd give it a try. I am currently wearing "Neo Whimsical" which I find to give that really pretty bridal pink color. But it does have a purple pastel undertone, unlike the Fiji which is a white-based pink. It is quite pretty. "Cute as a Button" is a bright neon pink/purple. I'm horrible at describing this, but one of my favorite Youtubers, Tanya Burr, wore this color several times in her video. And I loved it so much and thought it was pretty cute!


I ran out of some top coats and I find the Sally Hansen dual action really works best and has the best applicator. So, I got that.

And other miscellaneous things! But I thought I'd share :)

xx
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