Eyes

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette (Natural Beauty , Beauty Glow , Seductive Beauty)

Charlotte Tilbury, Makeup, Swatch & Review

When I get an email about a new launch, it’s relatively rare that I immediately click the “SHOP NOW” button, travel to the website and checkout all in one go. Yet this happened with the Charlotte Tilbury Look in a Palette Beauty Glow face palette (and that in itself should be enough indication for you to prepare that wallet).

A couple of weeks back, Charlotte Tilbury launched their third face palette, Beauty Glow, an all-in-one palette comprised of rose-gold and bronze tones to achieve a healthy, glowing look in just 5 minutes. The Beauty Glow is inspired by Poppy Delevingne’s wedding makeup but works for any occasion where you want dreamy, ethereal perfection.

Similar to the first and second palettes of the collection, Natural Beauty and Seductive Beauty, these palm sized compacts include three eyeshadow shades to brighten, enhance and smoke out the eyes; a bronzer for contour; two blushes; and a highlighter.

The eyeshadow and blush compartments hold 2g each and the bronzer and highlighters have 6g of product.

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette BEAUTY GLOW Swatches

I have been a fan of Charlotte’s beauty line every since her best-selling Filmstar Bronze & Glow. I love how her formulations don’t emphasize imperfections or create texture that you never knew existed. I have dry/combo, acne-prone and sensitive skin thus anything that aggravates these factors quickly end up abandoned in my makeup collection.

CharlotteTilbury Instant Look in a Palette MACRO on texture (no primer / base)

This post will be photo heavy mainly to compare the three palettes and hopefully aid in your selection of the perfect one for you… or see if you need the Beauty Glow if you already own one or two of the others (the answer for me, in short, is yes).

CharlotteTilbury Instant Look in a Palette Natural Glow Seductive — CharlotteTilbury Instant Look in a Palette Natural, Glow, Seductive

The eyeshadow formulas are similar to her eyeshadow quads. Good pigmentation with minimal powder kick-up, practically undetectable fallout, and splendid blendability. I would recommend using a primer with these eyeshadows for longevity, especially if you have oilier lids.

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Eyeshadow Swatches

Comparing the three palettes, they all veer towards the warmer spectrum. Shades 2 (NB), 1(BG) and 1(SB) are all very similar and to be honest, you can’t tell much of a difference once applied. If we were talking about eyeshadows alone, I’d choose the Beauty Glow for daytime and Seductive Beauty for night.

Face Bronze and Face Highlight both have the same formula as the Filmstar Bronze & Glow. I have not tried any Charlotte Tilbury blushes so I can’t make a comparison for the quality to her existing line; however, they blend nicely into the skin for a natural flush. My only complaint is the size of the blushes since I can’t really swirl my blush brush in each individual shade.

CharlotteTilbury Instant Look in a Palette Bronzer Highlight Swatches — Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Bronzer Highlight Swatches & Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Let’s put it this way… if you are pale-skinned and want a very natural contour that is neither warm nor cool, Beauty Glow (BG) is for you. Medium skin tones may prefer Natural Beauty (NB) and summertime tans would enjoy Seductive Beauty (SB). The bronzer in BG is very similar to the new Hourglass Cosmetics bronzer in Nude Bronze Light.

NB and BG highlighters are virtually the same. SB highlighter has more rose tones and the filmstar has more champagne. Which means … if you already own Filmstar and either one of NB or SB palettes and the eyeshadows or blushes don’t catch your eye… then you can pass on the Beauty Glow.

CharlotteTilbury Instant Look in a Palette Blush (Swish & Pop) Swatches

When comparing the three palettes, the blushes are what makes each palette unique. I really enjoy the darker blush (5) included in the Beauty Glow palette that holds more mahogany undertones. I can wear this alone to double as a contour and blush. I don’t tend to wear blush on a daily basis because I’ve been having issues with my skin on the cheeks but the SB combo is my favourite out of the three.

In the end, it really boils down to what you already own and what shades match your style. If I could only have one palette, the Beauty Glow would have most of my favourites. I believe it has the greatest variety of shades that compliment each other and complete a healthy visage.

The CT face palettes are perfect for travel, especially short trips where everything you need is neatly packed in this slim case. The snap closure ensures the lid won’t open inadvertently in your bag, and the full-sized mirror is also a plus. You can purchase all three from CharlotteTilbury , Holt Renfrew , and your local counters (85$ each, Made in Italy).

What would be your pick?

Kelly |

memebox PONY Shine Easy Glam Review & Swatches

Eyes, korean, PONY Effect

I first came across PONY Makeup when I watched “Pony’s Makeup Diary”, a special beauty segment of OnStyle (YouTube channel). Pony (real name Hye-Min Park) is one of South Korea’s most prominent beauty gurus and celebrity make-up artists. All of her videos are subtitled in English hence why she has followers around the globe. In the past couple years, she created her own YouTube channel “PONY Makeup” where she has makeup tutorials, GRWMs, brand-specific videos and travel diaries. Working in the beauty industry for many years as a self-taught MUA, Pony’s knowledge of both makeup and skincare really shines through in her videos. I learned a lot about skincare and korean skincare routines as well as Korean makeup trends from her expertly executed and edited clips. Her makeup transformation videos are also very inspiring and I have linked two for you to view at your leisure:

With her extensive background in both Korean and western makeup, I had high expectations with the quality of her products. Her first releases were in collaboration with memebox, an online company which delivers top trending beauty products from Korea (unfortunately they no longer deliver to Canada). At the time of this review, there are two PONY Shine Easy Glam palettes released. I will be reviewing the first.

Pony has since released her own beauty line which includes a plethora of products such as foundations (in both bottle and cushion format), lip collections, eyes and cheek palettes as well as sheet masks. From the products I’ve tried, I adore her eyebrow pencils and eyeshadow sticks.

On to the review! I had so much fun styling these shots 🙂

The memebox x PONY Shine Easy Glam palette features 8 hand-picked shades (15g, made in Korea) curated as must-have shades to create a classic Korean-style eye look.

Key Features:

Skin-fit System – The eyeshadows contain silicone powder oil which makes every shade easy to blend. It hugs the eyelids better in order to give a smooth, vivid finish.

High-Gloss Effect – Having pearl powder as one of its main ingredients, each eyeshadow has a pearl shine finish that looks gorgeous under any type of light.

Double Coating Powder – Its advanced double coating technology keeps the color and shimmers intact with minimal fallouts.

Jewelry Complex – The shimmer shades (Shine Rosegold, Shine Gold, Glam Cocoa, Glam Espresso) are improved with premium jewel extracts such as Ruby, Pearl and Amethyst which add to each shade’s ravishing finish.

Rosehip Oil – Each shade in the palette is enriched and fortified with natural rosehip oil which makes the eyeshadows go on buttery smooth.

The palette is free from parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, mineral oil, alcohol, tea, peg, phthalates, coal tar, formaldehyde-releasers, triclosan, propylene glycol, mit, sodium lauryl sulfate, and dye.

I separated the shades according to finish (matte vs. shimmer) and swatched them in a Z shape for each group:

Easy Base – pale beige

Easy Shadow – warm yellow-brown

Easy Brown – warm toasted almond

Easy Charcoal – cool ashy dark brown

Shine Rosegold – pearl champagne

Shine Gold – sunset copper

Glam Cocoa – dark bronze

Glam Espresso – reddish dark brown

memebox Pony Effect Pony Shine Easy Glam Swatches Shade — Swatches in shade

memebox Pony Effect Pony Shine Easy Glam Swatch Sunlight — Swatch under natural sunlight

The shades are housed in a durable black plastic with shine finish. A full-length mirror occupies the underside of the lid. I love the portability of this sleek palette which makes it perfect to bring along on a trip or slip into your purse. I’m also thrilled that the palette doesn’t come with a built-in brush compartment which usually just ends up collecting excess powder because I remove the brush and use my own most of the time.

All shades feel buttery smooth in the pan and blend effortlessly although there is minor powder kick-up with Easy Base and Easy Shadow. The shimmer shades apply truer to colour and more evenly with your fingers. The pigmentation is top-notch for korean brands (which generally have a softer finish for natural beauty) and the four mattes rival KVD and UD mattes. They last 5 hours on my normal lids without a primer and extend to 6.5 with a primer (I tested with Urban Decay).

If you have a warm undertone, Easy Shadow can definitely be used to naturally contour the finer features of your face such as the inner eyes for depth and around the nose.

memebox Pony Effect Pony Shine Easy Glam Swatches Flash — Swatches with flash

The shimmer isn’t too noticeable with normal shade and light but really shines with direct sunlight / flash.

My favourite shades in this palette are Easy Shadow & Easy Brown for the lid and contour, and Shine Rosegold for the inner corner.

With all the variety of shades in the market, this palette may not seem like anything special but I really enjoyed all the shades. These work especially well for asian skin and meld together with our yellow undertones. If you’re in the market for a good value eyeshadow palette that can easily transform a natural daytime look into a sophisticated date night glam, definitely consider looking into this one!

ETUDE HOUSE Dear My Enamel Eyes-Talk (RD 301, OR 201, PK 002) Swatches & Review

Etude House, Makeup, Swatch & Review

On average, Korean brands have new releases and collaborations every month whether it’s new packaging, new formulas, additions to existing lines or a completely new line itself. For the Korean makeup and skincare giant ETUDE HOUSE, whenever an entire collection is released, they often have promotional prices. One of their current promotional events is the Enamel Look for Fall/Winter 2016. Essentially, they chose three shades from their Dear My Enamel Lips-talk and Eyes-talk releases and combined them into a package at a discounted price.

There are three different looks, each with a lipstick and eyeshadow:

Etude House Dear My Enamel Eyes-talk — *Courtesy of Etude House*

My review on the Etude House Dear My Enamel Lips-talk can be found HERE.

When purchased together, you get 30% off the retail price. You can also purchase the lipstick and eye shades separately at 20% off.

I’ll be reviewing three shades from the Dear My Enamel Eyes-Talk, a softly melting eyeshadow with high colour pay-off and long-lasting effects. There are 12 shades in this line which are separated into 5 categories based on colour undertone: Beige (BE), Brown (BR), Orange (OR), Pink (PK) and Red (RD).

These come in a clear acrylic case with snap closure and silver embossed letters on the lid. I adore the simple yet elegant lace pattern on the product itself which ties it nicely to the Dear My Enamel collection (this print is also featured on the Lips-talk tubes). Each shade currently retails at 6.80 USD each.

RD 301 Berry Berry Vitamin – A vibrant cool-toned red.

Honestly I think this is such a nice shade … FOR LIPS. I don’t tend to wear bright reds on my lids; however, I must admit it ties in nicely with a bold red lip – especially if you use it as a transition colour with the slightest sheen peeking through.

OR 201 Afternoon Tea – A grapefruit peachy shade with satin finish.

Such a feminine shade with a slight innocence to it. This shade actually melds very nicely with RD 301 and also as a blush. Because there is a slight shine to these shadows, Afternoon Tea can work as an all over lid colour.

PK 002 Lover of Sun – Golden sand with the slightest pink undertone.

I love this shade for everyday. It brings attention to the eyes in a very natural way.

This is a new eyeshadow texture from Etude House which they claim to be a “melting shadow” – shadow that keeps colour fresh without creasing for long hours compared to cream shadows. The texture is very creamy to the touch yet you can also tell it’s made from a powder form. If I had to compare… it’s very similar to the L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow pots (reviewed HERE).

These blend very nicely on the lids without any tug or pull. I would highly recommend using your fingers to get the best effect from these shadows rather than a brush. I have dry lids so these do last all day. If you have oily lids, I’d definitely put an eyeshadow primer first.

In all, another fun collection from Etude House. I love how the eye shades compliment the lip shades previously released. I’m not too fond of RD301 since I won’t be wearing it on a daily basis but the formula itself gets a thumbs up. I’m interested in more brown and earthy shades such as BR402 and RD302 and will be looking to purchase those!

These are available for purchase at Etude House .

Until next time,

Kelly (TAKARABOXX)

THE ITEMS FEATURED IN THIS POST WERE KINDLY SENT TO ME BY THE ETUDE HOUSE GLOBAL TEAM FOR REVIEW CONSIDERATION; HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS, ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE UNBIASED, GENUINE, AND MY OWN.

ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Blending Pencil Review

Etude House, Makeup, Swatch & Review

ETUDE HOUSE is a very popular South Korean cosmetics brand mainly known for their cute packaging and affordable assortment of colour beauty products. Owned by Amore Pacific, the brand has been expanding its global outreach and can be considered one of Korea’s makeup giants. It’s been a year or two since Etude House first launched their Play 101 series which gained much fame from their versatility. A single pencil was no longer limited as an eyeliner – it doubled as an eyeshadow, a concealer, a lip liner, a blush… basically anything and everything. Using a similar formula, Etude House has launched their Play 101 Blending Pencils to compliment the best-selling Play 101.

Disclaimer: As part of Etude House’s Global Pink Bird Program, I was sent the following products for review consideration; however, as always, all opinions expressed are unbiased, genuine, and my own.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Pink Bird Program, it is a blogger and influencer program where Etude House sends a box each month to highlight their newest launch. The Pink Box of July features the newly launched Play 101 Blending Pencil Sweet Box which is a collaboration with Dear My Universe, a Korean fashion brand popular among Korean girls.

EH Pink Bird July 2016: Etude House Play 101 Blending Pencil x Dear My Universe

Contents include:

Play 101 Blending Pencil in #5
Play 101 Blending Pencil in #20
Universe Bag

The Universe Bag is a navy blue drawstring pouch with a heart-shaped planet embroidery on the front. The material itself feels sturdy and will definitely hold some weight without deforming. For the purpose of this review, I will be focusing on the ETUDE HOUSE Blending Pencils in shades #5 and #20.

The entire Play 101 Blending Pencil Collection features 25 toned-down moody colours for eye, cheek, and lip.

There are four textures:

Creamy: like soft cream, it delivers smooth drawing and natural blending. Useful for eye base, contouring and shading, concealer, or eyebrows. (SHADES 2-10, 14, 15)
Jewel: it delivers a twinkling effect with pearls. May be used as eye shadow, highlighter, or lower eye makeup depending on the colour. (SHADES 1, 11-13)
Velvet: the velvet-soft matte texture delivers soft and clear application and delicate colours. Useful as blusher and for gradient lips. (SHADES 18-20, 22-25)
Jelly: it delivers a dewy and glossy finish to make fuller lips and can be used as a blusher to apply on the cheeks and other wider parts of your face. (SHADES 16, 17, 21)

You can think of shades 1-14 to be geared towards eyes, contouring and brows whereas 16-25 are red-tones mainly for the lips and cheeks. Shade 15 is unique and doubles as a concealer or to blur the lip lines before applying a lip shade on top.

These pencils claim to be smudge-free with long-lasting adherence (except Jelly textures). These sticks are housed in a lightweight plastic tube with a twist-up mechanism. Unfortunately, they don’t come with a built-in sharpener similar to the original Play 101 Pencils (or Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayons); however, since these are blending pencils, a sharp tip isn’t that important.

They retail for $9.80 USD each and are currently on sale at www.etudehouse.com for $6.86 USD.

Each pencil weighs 14g and contain 1.1g / 0.04 oz (shades 1-14) or 0.9g / 0.03 oz (shades 15-25) of product.

For comparison, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks and NARS Velvet Shadow Sticks contain 0.05 oz of product retailing at several times the price.

Etude House Play 101 Blending Pencil Ingredients

If you’ve been following me on Instagram (takaraboxx) , you must know I adore eyeshadow sticks. Someday I will collect every single shade – I love them that much. They’re convenient, effortless, and perfect on-the-go. If you aren’t a morning person and you find yourself rushing out the door, I would definitely purchase at least one. It’s great to apply all over the lids then blend with your finger. When I saw Etude House launching these Blending Pencils, I was beyond thrilled. I have high expectations of eyeshadow sticks because I’ve tried so many. It feels tough to base my thoughts on the entire collection based on one shade and one texture alone, but I have tried ETUDE HOUSE in the past and their formulas were quite consistent.

Shade #5 is a creamy matte warm brown. It reminds me of milk chocolate with some splashes of orange. Application was easy – it glides on the lids without tugging on the skin. The formula tends to dry more quickly than other cream shadows I’ve tried so your play time is somewhat limited. If you tend to pack on all different eye colour sticks then blend it at the end, you may find blending the shades together more difficult. When applying this, I put 2-3 strokes on the lid then blend it immediately with my finger for a flawless gradient.

What I love about EH Play 101 Blending Pencil is how it dries very matte yet doesn’t crease. The texture is very similar to an eyeshadow base and allows any other powder shadow you apply on top to really adhere to the lids and enhance their colour. I’d love some lighter neutral shades to use as an eyeshadow base – #5 is a tad too orange for my skin tone.

This shade in particular lasted 4.5 hours before fading with a tinted remnant after a 9 hour day. I have noticed though that if you really pack on the colour, once it sets, it doesn’t budge. Water alone won’t wash off the colour.

Shade #20 is a matte/velvet tomato red that actually looks very similar to the nail shade “Espadrilles” by Chanel with tints of orange. There was some tugging on the lips when applying the lip pencil but it went on fairly evenly. The rounded edges and small tip made precise application a breeze. The formula tends to be on the drier side and I would highly recommend exfoliating your lips before applying the lip colour as it tends to settle into the lines and dry areas.

Etude House Play 101 Blending Pencil #20

If you don’t eat or drink, the lip colour can last several hours; but it definitely fades after a meal.

EtudeHousePlay101BlendingPencilSwatches — Shade #5 on the left, heavy swatch and blended. Shade #20 on the right.

Etude House Play 101 Blending Pencil #5 & #20

In all, I am impressed with the Etude House eye colour shade in #5; however, I would have liked more from the lip product. If you decide to try out this line, I recommend the eye shades (1-14). I think the Jelly texture lip products would have suited me more as I prefer glossy natural lips; nevertheless, shade #20 is a very pigmented and matte alternative.

– Kelly (takaraboxx)

This box was kindly sent to me by the ETUDE HOUSE GLOBAL team for review consideration; however, as always, all opinions expressed are unbiased, genuine, and my own.

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eye Palette Swatches & Review

Makeup, Swatch & Review

Helloooo~! Back with some more swatches and a review! This time featuring the Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eye Palette that I picked up from Hudson Bay during their beauty sale a couple weeks back . . . actually I think it’s been a month now ¯\_( – ﹏ – )_/¯.

Continue reading “Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eye Palette Swatches & Review” →

CLINIQUE Lid Pop Eyeshadow Swatches & Review (Cream Pop / Cocoa Pop)

Makeup, Swatch & Review

I have always been a fan of CLINIQUE skincare. It’s been years since opening my very first bottle of their world-renowned Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion/Gel (I have since switched to their Moisture Surge and have expanded my skincare repertoire). CLINIQUE prides itself in producing high quality goods which are allergy tested and 100% fragrance free – this includes their colour makeup lines.

My very first experience with their makeup is from Bonus sets (if you’re from Canada you will recognize this at Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Nordstrom etc.). I often enjoyed their mascaras and eyeshadow duo/trios. Not too long ago, CLINIQUE came out with 8 individual eyeshadow shades to compliment their POP collection : CLINIQUE Lid Pop.

Continue reading “CLINIQUE Lid Pop Eyeshadow Swatches & Review (Cream Pop / Cocoa Pop)” →

ZOEVA Graphic Eyes+ Waterproof Eyeliner Swatches & Review

Makeup, Swatch & Review

If we take a minute to reflect back on the latest trends in beauty, it is obvious that we have been constantly promoting easier application methods and creamier formulas with extended lasting power. These trends are so successful because it becomes so easy to incorporate them into our busy lifestyles (ie. cushion foundations, eyeliner pencils, eyeshadow sticks, stick foundations … and the list goes on).

As a beauty enthusiast and healthcare professional myself, I can appreciate the need for easy and quick makeup application and cosmetics that will last throughout a tiring and fulfilling work day without a need for constant touch-ups. My daily needs are summed up as: a base to cover my hyper-pigmentation and scarring, a concealer to brighten up those tired eyes, an eyeliner or eyeshadow to define the eyes and something hydrating on the lips to battle dry hospital air.

With that, I am proud to review 6 new ZOEVA Cosmetics waterproof eyeliner shades from their Graphic Eyes+ collection.

Continue reading “ZOEVA Graphic Eyes+ Waterproof Eyeliner Swatches & Review” →

ZOEVA Spectrum Collection : Swatches & Review (Pink Blush Spectrum & Cool Eyeshadow Spectrum)

Makeup, Swatch & Review

Minimalistic. Elegant. Sophisticated. These are the words I’d use to describe ZOEVA Cosmetics new launch – The Spectrum Collection.

“Just like a raindrop breaks the light of the sun into a spectrum of infinite hues and with the manifestation of a rainbow brings to life one of the most beautiful, ethereal wonders of the universe, the ZOEVA Spectrum Collection worships color in all of Mother Nature’s splendor. Experience a radiant burst of endless color with ZOEVA’s Spectrum Collection, consisting of three distinctive eyeshadow palettes and three blush palettes for all skin types and unlimited makeup looks.” – ZOEVA Cosmetics

Continue reading “ZOEVA Spectrum Collection : Swatches & Review (Pink Blush Spectrum & Cool Eyeshadow Spectrum)” →

COMPARE: Shu Uemura vs. Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers

Makeup

Hello!

Short comparison post today featuring the Shu Uemura & Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers.

Continue reading “COMPARE: Shu Uemura vs. Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers” →

REVIEW: Jouer Crème Eyeshadow Crayons

Makeup

Happy Thursday everyone!

I’ve been loving Jouer Cosmetics products lately (their Luminizing Moisture Tint Sunscreen is amazing) and since I’ve also been obsessed with eyeshadow crayons/sticks/pencils, I thought I’d give my opinion on the Jouer Crème Eyeshadow Sticks. This will be a mini-review – I plan to make more in-depth reviews in the future! I bought mine from Nordstrom during their anniversary sale. They also had a promo with a free gift with purchase 🙂 They retail at 24$ USD (32.63 CAD) and currently have 5 shades available: Rococo, Renaissance, Baroque, Avant Garde, and Abstract. Continue reading “REVIEW: Jouer Crème Eyeshadow Crayons” →

REVIEW: Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette Swatches

Makeup

Tarte has been known for user-friendly products with natural ingredients and beautiful packaging. The Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette is no exception. The first time I saw this palette, I knew I just had to get it! This eye and cheek palette is not only beautiful to look at but also very versatile and extremely good for travelling. Please read on if you want a more in depth review!
Continue reading “REVIEW: Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette Swatches” →

COMPARE: Stila, Maybelline & Milani Liquid Eyeliners!

Makeup

stila maybelline milani liquid eye liners
Eye liners and eyeshadows have always been my number one makeup products and they were the very first products I used. I still remember the very first eyeliner I bought (Annabelle Kohl Pencil Liner). Since then there has been many more eyeliner options: gel, pots, retractable pencils, liquid, and etc. When I’m getting ready for work or when I’m rushing out the door, I really like to use liquid eyeliner pencils because they’re quick and easy to apply, there is no need to find a clean brush and they usually last all day/night long! Continue reading “COMPARE: Stila, Maybelline & Milani Liquid Eyeliners!” →