MISSHA LINE FRIENDS EDITION: NEW PRODUCTS

Because one release is never enough.

Not too long ago, MISSHA released a load of cute products in collaboration with LINE. This is the second release to rip that hard earned money off your hands.

Actually, it's just 3 products, but each having 6 colour variations.

DUAL BLENDING CUSHION SHADOW | 7800 WON

a high blendability eyeshadow (x 2!) thanks to the cream to powder formula.

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TENSION BLUSHER | 11800 WON

the bouncy formula will leave you with a natural and long lasting flush.

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POPTASTIC JELLY TINT | 7800 WON

a jelly formula to stain your lips evenly with strong vivid colours.

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EDITOR'S NOTE
What interests me the most is the tension blusher. At first glance, I thought it's just the usual cushion blusher which by now has sort of become the norm. I do see the merits of a liquid blusher, and an applicator with a larger surface area to ensure even and diffused application. The tension blusher however, appears to be a lot less watery than the cushion blusher I have come to know of. It's a thicker liquid encased within a mesh (I think!). The formula also looks very hydrating, so it might be the perfect blush for girls with dry skin. 

And the tint, you can tell how well it stains the lips just by looking at the model's lips. Especially in the "hot coral" swatch, you can see the stain from the previous colour! Haha!

Even though I can't wear any makeup currently, I'm lusting after peach toned eyeshadows. The orange cupcake shade looks really good on the model's eyes!

What about you? Saw anything that interest you?

image credit: missha

Foundation Routine for Natural Looking Skin

Just 3 simple steps, a lot less products than you think.

summer is almost around the corner, you probably wouldn't want to risk your makeup melting off your face in this heat. the best way to overcome that issue?

WEAR LESSER MAKEUP!

follow this 3 simple steps and you can get away with not just lesser makeup, but also a natural looking face. because who doesn't like the no-makeup makeup look?

1// BRIGHTEN DULL AREAS

the eyelids, under eye area, side of the nose, nose bridge, and chin area can use some pick me up with a highlighter.

these area tend to be a little darker and could benefit from the brightening effect of highlighter. you can either use a highlighter or a colour correcting formula to achieve the desire result. the glowy look makes you look healthier without looking washed out.

2// USE FOUNDATION/CONCEALER SPARINGLY

DO NOT apply it all over your face. i repeat: DO NOT USE FOUNDATION/CONCEALER ALL OVER YOUR FACE. the areas that need the most coverage are usually the under eye, side of the nose, and around the lips (if you have uneven skin tone).

well, if you have acne, it's a different story! the thing about foundation/concealer is it can easily remove all the shadows on your face, which basically means wiping away all the definition your natural face has. you either layer on some shading powder afterwards to correct that, but that means you end up using more product and that's not the aim for this look!

3// ONLY POWDER THIS 2 AREAS TO REDUCE CAKING

powders are meant to absorb oil, so use it on places that actually produce oils - your T zone, and the side of your nose.

dust a small amount of powder with a puff or a very fluffy brush. doing so greatly reduce the chances of your makeup caking up throughout the day.

that's basically it! spot concealer, brightening and powdering. it's no secret, but we all need that reminder once in a while to not slather everything on our entire face even if it's more convenient. convenience comes at a cost, and in this case, it's the cost of looking heavily made up.

on a side note, i haven't illustrated in a while and i can definitely feel my skills become rusty. URGH. and how do you like the super imposed headband? hahahahaha if i were in a better mood i'd do a better job. but this has to make do for now. images adapted from the www.

Top 5 Brown/Nude Eyeshadows

According to 300 Japanese office ladies.

japanese magazine VoCE recently published their TOP 5 brown eyeshadows, according to a vote by 300 office ladies.
why them you ask? because brown eye shadow can enhance your eyes subtly without it being too loud for the work place!

there's a range of eyeshadow from the different price category. let's see why they love these so much, starting with the first.

1ST // LUNASOL | SKIN MODELLING EYES 02 | 5000 YEN

"creates three dimensional eyes with just the right amount of pearl. works great for work and the after hours."

2ND // KATE | FORMING EDGE EYES BR-3 | 1400 YEN

"it's affordable, and the instructions are easy to understand." check my previous post for the entire selection of colours.

3RD // MAQUILLAGE | TRUE EYE SHADOW BE323 | 3500 YEN

"the colours are beautiful, especially the eye liner shade that helps to define the eyes"

4TH // CHANEL | LES 4 OMBRE 226 | 6900 YEN

"the package is glamourous, and the colours can easily create an elegant and natural gradient."

5TH // DIOR | 5 COULEUR 746 | 7600 yen

"good colour pay off, the palette can transform your day look to night look easily."

EDITOR'S THOUGHT//
lunasol has been a crowd favourite ever since their skin modelling eyes was released 9 years ago. i heard that their powder is super powdery smooth while the colour is pigmented yet natural looking. the price tag is hefty though (although chanel and christian dior's eye shadow made lunasol relatively more affordable simply by price comparison). someday.. i'll get to try it! someday..! a girl can dream!

images and poll via voce

NEW KATE EYESHADOW: FORMING EDGE EYES

Almond eyes are trending right now in Japan?

it's about time to explore other eye shapes, i suppose! rounded eyes have been in vogue for way too long in japan, so i'm glad the korean wave finally hit some sense into the beauty industry to start trends that actually enhances what we have instead of making us lust for something we don't have.

asian eyes are usually long and slender, it's the exact shape most caucasian makeup style goes after: the almond shaped eyes.

while you don't need this exact eye shadow palette to create the effect, this is KATE's way of recognizing and promoting a trend that i approve of!

introducing the FORMING EDGE EYES, available in 8 colour variations.

FORMING EDGE EYES | 1400 YEN

the eye shadow palette trio consist of a highlight shade, a medium shade, and a dark colour.
the shape of the pan is similar to the shape of how you'll apply the eyeshadow.

application instructions.

they recommend applying A first, followed by C, and lastly B to add definition to the eyes.
the palette comes with a sponge tip applicator, which is a pity because i think a brush will work much better with the blending.

before and after.

the eye shadow looks rather frosty, especially the highlight and medium shade.

click to enlarge!
swatches of the different colours

EDITOR'S NOTE

looking at the swatches, i notice the eye shadow is mostly frosty, which reminds me of their BROWN EDGE EYES. the only difference in this new palette lacks the nose shading powder the latter has. 

KATE is known to rehash their products, so this is definitely not a must if you already own some of their older eye shadow palettes. however, it's a good addition if you feel like experimenting with japanese eye shadows because for the price, KATE's products will amaze you. i can vouch for the smoothness and buttery-ness of their eye shadows.

KATE has a good selection of browns. if browns are too boring for you, check out GN-1, deep khaki. it's an uncommon shade among the western beauty brands! i'll personally stay away from BU-1 because frosty blue just don't float my boat.

all images belong to KATE.