mash-up review

even though it's been half a year already, but i still need more time to recover.

i'm not sure if my message over there at youtube was clear enough,
but i'll just write a little about my condition over here..

in fact, my eczema has gotten alot worse since february,
i can no longer put make up on my face because even the skin there is affected.
*mega sad*
that explains the lack of updates..
the only video i did for this year was filmed when i was on oral steroids (not the best thing to be consuming for a long period of time), so i still looked normal back then..
but once i'm off the medicine, things have gotten worse..

later on i found out that my worsening eczema is in fact a sign of me being addicted to topical steroids.
that seems to have explained the reason why my skin have been getting worse despite the constant efforts (non-steroidal) to improve it.

my skin is still in a shamble right now,
it'll take a long time for it to recover from steroid addiction!
so i can't really promise when will i be fit to start wearing make up (and making new tutorials) again!
i hope it's soon, because i really miss putting on make up.

ok, enough of my story that explains my disappearance..
i have some long over due reviews to do, and i decided to just do them all in this entry.

Maybelline Eye Studio Creamy Gel Liner (02 Brown)



i was using Kate's gel liner previously (it was my first gel liner!),
i really loved it but it has dried up over the years.
i think i've used that pot of gel liner for close to.. 2 or 3 years!
so when it's dried beyond recognition, i had no choice but to buy a new pot of gel liner.

my take on maybelline's gel liner:
1. it's really really creamy, but a little too soft for me.
2. this shade of brown is actually metallic brown, which i don't really like. i prefer the matte brown that kate gives me.
3. this gel liner sets pretty quickly, but it might still smudge throughout the day (especially when i use it on my lower lids, they'll be missing by the end of the day). it's not so bad on my upper lid since i layer eye shadow powder over them.. so it sort of sets it even better.

i like to use the brush that came along with it (it's quite a decent brush by the way!) to scoop out a little dollop of gel liner, screw the lid back on, and then place the dollop on to of the lid.
because the gel liner is so soft, i need a hard surface in order to work the gel liner into the brush before applying onto my eyes.

over all, this is a pretty decent gel liner for its price,
but i won't purchase it again.
i'm not sure if maybelline revamped their gel liner,
because the packaging of the current gel liner is different from the one i bought!
perhaps they did!

+ it's really creamy as it claims, and it's easy to work with for beginners
+ affordable (SGD16.50)
+ comes with eye liner brush which is pretty decent (quite similar to the one that comes with kate in my opinion)
- smudges if you use it alone without other products (primer, eye shadow)
- sometimes little bits dries up and falls into my eyes (maybe i went a little too heavy with the liner!)
- i didn't like the metallic sheen of the gel liner

Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner



i was using maybelline's felt tip liner previously,
it has served me well, but it's time for a new liner!
what i like about this liner is it's super fine tip.. it helps me create the perfect wing at the end of my eyes.
the tip is like a paint brush, and it's very soft.
on one hand it makes drawing a line very easy (because you can apply force and bend the tip so that it touches your eyes), on the other, such precise control needs some practice!

color wise, it's a deep black but because the line is so fine,
i need to draw it again to get a solid black line most of the time.

it claims to be sweat/sebum proof,
i think that claim is quite true!
but it doesn't hold against tears!
when i try to line the inner corners of my eyes,
it actually gets washed away by my tears.

will i buy again?
maybe not, i want to try other liquid liners out there before i decide which is my holy grail liquid eye liner!

+ it's really sweat/sebum proof
+ fine tip allows you to draw precise fine lines
+ easy to remove
+ pretty affordable (HKD65)
- it's not tear proof
- needs some practice to harness the goodness of the fine tip

ZA Pure Shine Lips (RD-1 and BE-1)



i seldom wear lip color, but when i saw them on offer at watsons i thought that there's no harm in trying!
can't find photos of swatches, or any specific photos that showcases my lips when i wear them..
perhaps when i finally recover, i'll make up for the lack of photos. : )

anyway, both lip colors glides on smoothly, and leaves a sheen.
the color applies sheer, giving my lips just a tinge of its color.
both of the lipsticks are unscented, but i can smell a tiny (almost undetectable) whiff of the typical lipstick scent.

RD-1 is a very soft red, but upon application it simply made my lips look more glossy and just a little red.
i love BE-1, it helps me get that nude lips look, but as the color isn't intense, it just tones down my original lip color a little.
i tried wearing it with a concealer and it made me look very sickly.
so the usual wear without concealer works really well for me.

staying power wise.. i can't really tell.
when i'm outside, i eat and drink alot, so i guess i can't tell if they're not staying because of their lack of staying power or simply because i ate them all up!

will i buy again?
i wouldn't mind buying them again if they're on offer (i got them at SGD10) : P but for their original price (SGD17.50) i guess it's a nay.

+ really glossy and shiny, but doesn't leave you with that sticky feeling
+ color is light and subtle, looks natural on my lips
+ it's a good buy when it's on offer
- not too sure about staying power but i doubt it stays on my lips for too long even if i don't eat.
- glitter residue on my lips after a few hours

KATE Dual Blend Eyes (BK-2)





yea, every girl needs a simple palette like this to create that perfect smokey eyes.
you think the more (shades) the merrier?
what amazes me is that two shades is all i need to achieve a good gradation.
i think what matters the most to me when it comes to eye shadow is how well the colors payoff in terms of intensity, and i dare say this palette offers me just what i seek in a good eye shadow palette.

let me show you 2 looks i did with this palette.

for the first look, i applied the glittery black color onto the whole of my lids,
that's why you can see that my fold is complete black.
then i used the black color to shade the lower lids too, bringing it all the way to the inner corner of my eyes.
highlighted my inner corners just a little bit with the frost color.
its a very intense look.


a bit blurred but you can see that i've applied the dark color even on the whole of the lids.
usually i apply a lighter color on the inner half, and the darker color on the outer half.


a clearer photo that shows you the color.

for the second look, i went back to my usual rule, with the ligher color in the inner half of my lids and the darker color on the outer half.
for the lower lids, i only used the black color on the outer 2/3 of the lid, the inner 1/3 have been highlighted with the frost color.



i like both looks : )

so this palette is really blendable (as the name suggest), so you might want to be careful with potential smudging.
i think the key here is to blend out the colours so that they don't try to adhere onto any thing other than your eye lids.
the frost color is like a metallic silver color, while the black shade is filled with micro glitter (i love this color so much).

and if i ever touch pan on this palette,
i will definitely buy it again.
IT'S A MUST HAVE!

+ good color payoff
+ easy to work with
+ very blendable
+ it's affordable, and it's worth the penny (HKD82)
- MIGHT smudge because it's so blendable

so this is the end of my mash-up review on several items.
i hope i recover fast, because i can't wait to write again already!