Review and Swatches: TOPSHOP Lip Products

Hi everyone! 

I'm back with another review and swatches :)

For those who don't like to read chunks of words.. I've made a video:

This is my first experience with Topshop lip products... Got a total of 6 products:

A mixture of lipsticks and lip bullets.

L-R: Crave / Back In The Game / Wine Gum / Motel / Pillow Talk / Brighton Rock

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LIP BULLETS

 

Got two colours from the Lip Bullet range called Crave (orangey nude) and Back In The Game (blue based hot pink). Was very impressed with how they swatch on my hand, but upon application, it felt sandy and it didn't stick well to my lips. The pigmentation however, is awesome and the colours are very vibrant and nice. I'm just kinda confused as to why it doesn't adhere well to my lips :/ It's like an obvious layer of colour sitting on top of my lips.

While looking for swatches online (some colours didn't have proper testers), I stumbled upon the swatch of the colour Motel. Tried looking for the colour but to no avail. Saw this box on the way to make payment and I got it another day. This set is made up of two colours: Wine Gum (deep purple), and Motel (brown based pink). They are the smaller version, you can see the comparison on the main picture or in the video. Motel looked like a good Kylie Jenner Lip dupe and I was very interested in trying it out. Same thing, the lip bullets didn't adhere well to my lips. The worst experience I had was with Wine Gum because it came out patchy and way toooo darkkkk.

Out of the 4 colours, my favourite is Motel. I just feel like it's not as patchy as the rest, although it still feels sandy upon sticking my lips together.

Some swatches:

 

Crave / Back In The Game 

 

Motel / Wine Gum

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LIPSTICKS

Picked up two colours from the Lipstick range and I got Pillow Talk (velvet finish baby pink) and Brighton Rock (matte finish coral hot pink). I love the lipsticks! Maybe that's why they are pretty much out of colours when I was there. Glad I managed to pick up these two :) Both lipsticks are super comfortable to wear, very easy to apply, smooth and sticks well to my lips! I love how not drying the matte finish one is and it gives a lot of colour. 

I love both but if I were to pick I really love Brighton Rock. I've always loved a good hot pink statement lips cause I feel that it can brighten up my whole face. I usually tend to forget to wear lip products so when I remember to use I'd usually go loud with Reds and Hot Pinks.

Some swatches:

 

Pillow Talk / Brighton Rock

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Overall, I find these lip products worth trying out because the pigmentation is really good, especially impressed and happy with the lipsticks. The lip bullets are kind of a hit and miss. I love the colour range, love the formula and pigmentation on my hand but not on my lips :( However, I'll still continue using them because that's how much I love the pigmentation!

Furthermore, Topshop is currently having a Buy-1-Get-1 promotion for their make up range so it's definitely worth a visit and a try.

Do let us know how you feel about these products if you've ever tried them!

Topshop Make Up is available at most Topshop outlets in Singapore. Lipsticks (3.5g) and Lip Bullets (3g) are priced at S$19.90 each while the Lip Bullet set (1g each) is S$23.90.

xx,

Flo

Review and Swatches: NARS Sheer Glow VS Sheer Matte Foundation

Hi everyone!

I finally caved in and bought the NARS foundations that have been super raved by almost everyone in youtube. I actually wanted to get NARS Sheer Glow (SG) because I've heard more reviews about that as opposed to the NARS Sheer Matte (SM) even though ironically I should be getting the matte version since I have pretty oily skin.

Here's a Get Ready With Me using the NARS Sheer Glow foundation:

Anyway a long back story...

Since a few month ago I've been reading up and trying on the foundation every time I chance upon any NARS counters, the SA actually suggested and matched me to either Light 4 Deauville or Light 3 Gobi. I leaned more on to Deauville because I thought Gobi looks light and I don't want to have a white face! So I thought Deauville would be a good match. I also went online and read up on people with MAC NC20 colour because... I thought I am NC20 hahaha (I recently found out I am actually generally MAC NC15-NC20 and C1 for Face and Body). Anyway I decided upon Deauville and I bought it.

Went home and tried it on the next day. It was pretty disastrous because..... IT WAS TOTALLY OFF. I felt dull, grey-ish, orange-ish, basically anything but my skin colour -_- I was pretty depressed for a few days because NARS products are. not. cheap!!!!!!!! They are actually pretty expensive and Idk what to do if I have to purchase another colour at $72 and then leave my Deauville in the cupboard. I really wanted Deauville to work for me, and I tried it on again the very next day. I wanted to die because I still felt dull and that's not how foundations are supposed to work, at least in my opinion :(

Long story short, I managed to sell off the Deauville and in the meantime I purchased the SM in Gobi and shortly after that the SG in Gobi. I think it was kinda fate because my sister found some vouchers and Robinsons had their last bottle of Gobi cause Sephora was totally out of stock. Hahaha. Happy me!

Presenting to you....

NARS Sheer Glow and NARS Sheer Matte, both in Light 3 Gobi

Product

I'm not an avid NARS fan, not familiar with their products and I've only tried the lip glosses which I love. So I wasn't quite sure what my expectations should be but because of the price tag and all the raves surrounding it, I expected it to be good.

Sheer Glow

The SG is very runny and not sheer at all. I would say it is of a medium-full coverage depending on how much you put and how you apply it. Very easy to blend into skin, although it will emphasize dry patches, after a while it's no longer obvious. Finish is super natural and not flat, which I love, doesn't feel thick at all no matter how much you put.

Sheer Matte

Surprisingly, SM is very very light. It is more of a gel-water texture, very difficult to come out of the bottle and I had a super hard time trying to get it out!! It is more of a light-medium coverage, when you put more it gets a little cakey, eeks. However, it feels light on the skin. The finish is also surprisingly not matte at all! I don't really like extra matte foundations because I have some dry patches and matte finish tend to make my skin look worse than it is.

Packaging

I love how NARS packaging looks -  very sleek, simple and professional. But I HATE how it functions. The cap is super super super dust and dirt attracting, super difficult to clean as well. It's also kinda ridiculous how we have to buy a separate pump at S$10 each, when the product is already pretty pricey!

The SG and SM looks exactly the same of course except for the fact that the SM has a matte finish glass bottle and SG just regular glass bottle. I strongly suggest pump for the SM because I'm having a hard time trying to shake it out of the bottle. The SG is easy to pour out onto the back of my palms, but I'm really considering getting pumps for these two because I have no time to waste products or get bacteria in it. Hahaha.

Swatches

You can see that the SM is of a thicker texture and the SG is thinner. I had an easier time blending SG than SM. My hand was a little bit red cuz I was cold but the colour is pretty damn awesome for my face. I'm so glad after such a big turn I managed to get Deauville off and find not 1 but 2 Gobis! Yay.

Application

In my opinion, both SG and SM feel and look the best applied with my fingers.

Sheer Glow

The first time I applied SG on my face, I used the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and it left my face looking streaky and patchy. Tried to salvage the situation with my Beauty Blender but to no avail. I was so pissed off cuz 1. Colour was already off and then 2. SO STREAKY??? Second time I applied, I used the Beauty Blender and it still didn't give me the finish and coverage that I wanted and expected out of this foundation. Was quite depressed. Third time I used my fingers and it was okay but ... Still dull -_-

But with Gobi, and using my fingers to blend out the SG, it looked super good. The coverage was good enough for me and I pat a second layer on my pimples... Haha. Good enough concealing for me! Dry patches were still there because I am on my period so pimples and then the aftermath which is dry skin was on my nerves. However after the foundation sets, my dry patches were no longer visible and the finish looks awesome.

Sheer Matte

As I've mentioned, the SM is slightly of a thicker consistency but when blended out it becomes lighter coverage than SG. Weird, I know. I've been using my fingers the moment I got this and never tried it with anything else because with fingers, the coverage is already so minimal, I can't imagine what it'll be with Beauty Blender or a brush. Anyway, SM, to me, is not matte. It doesn't cling onto my dry patches as obviously as SG does, weird again I know. Haha.

I wasn't impressed with this at all cause I like to have at least medium coverage, if not I don't see a point in putting on foundation. I have half a face of SG and half a face of SM. Both are oily after a few hours and I didn't powder both. Although I have to say that the side with SM is significantly less oily that the side with SG. So I would say it's pretty oil-controlling considering the fact that my skin is really oily hahaha.

Verdict

Overall, I prefer SG to SM. Although I feel that there isn't a significant difference except for the different feeling during application (which SG won me over cuz it has higher coverage than SM) and also the fact that SM is more oil-controlling than SG (I can always blot right.. HAHA). After a while both looks great on my face and my skin looks flawless even though my skin is not even near good. As you can see my unevenness, red patches, pimples, pores, dry patches.. I can go on forever lol.

And this time round it really proves that colour match is soooo important. When I had the SG in Deauville I was complaining and cursing everyday as to what a waste of money this is and the raves are all fake. But after getting my actual matching colour, I can see why SG is such a holy grail in many people's books. I love it, I love the finish of it and I love how good it looks in photos. However, do note that after a prolonged few hours of wear it somehow doesn't look as good anymore? I'd definitely suggest this as a special events kinda foundation. Definitely not a long-wearing everyday foundation, especially in Singapore, where we are either under the hot sun with super high humidity or in an air-conditioned confined space.

If you are choosing between SG and SM, I'd highly recommend SG because it is something different as compared to other foundations that I've tried and the immediate finish is beautimoussss~!

Quick Summary

Sheer Glow

The Great:

• Very natural finish
• Great medium-high coverage
• Easy to blend
• Feels light on skin
• Many shades to choose from

The Not-So-Great:

• Not very long-wearing, at most 6 hours on me
• Expensive
• Pump is an additional purchase
• No SPF

Sheer Matte

The Great:

• Pretty good oil control
• Easy to blend
• Natural finish and not too matte
• Many shades to choose from

The Not-So-Great:

• Light coverage
• Expensive
• Pump is an additional purchase
• No SPF

NARS Sheer Glow and Sheer Matte Foundations can be found in Robinsons at The Heeren, Orchard Tangs and Sephora ION. It contains 1 FL Oz/30 ml worth of products and is priced at S$72 each, pump comes separately at S$10 each. 

Do you like the SG or the SM? Let us know!

Love,

Flo.

Review and Swatches: Maybelline ColorShow Lipsticks

Hi everyone! It's been so long since I did a post here because I've been very occupied with trying to finish my last semester in school, and now that I'm done... I was enjoying myself a little bit too much, heh! I'm more free now, so expect lots of posts coming up :)

I recently went back to Jakarta, and of course, I have to drop by drugstore make up counters because the prices there are slightly cheaper! Also, they have a wider range of colours for some.. Like the Revlon Colorstay Foundation and L'oreal True Match! Will leave that for another post next time~

First up, the ColorShow Lipsticks! I think, the ColorShow range is an even more affordable range from Maybelline. Then again, Maybelline are not super cheap in Sg, thus these lippies priced at $10 each are considered super affordable.

Packaging

The packaging is very very simplistic, and very light to carry around. Otherwise, nothing exciting about the packaging. It is made of plastic, doesn't feel luxe and not durable. What to expect though? Lower cost = lower selling price! Hahaha. 

Product

I love Maybelline lipsticks, especially the Color Sensational and So Nude range. I mostly got this because it was very cheap. I got them in four colours: 403 Plum Perfection, 107 Pink Paradise, 305 Nude Mocha, 301 True Toffee.

The product is surprisingly very very pigmented, smooth consistency and sit well on my lips. I said surprised because really, I bought this because it was cheap and they didn't have any proper testers at the counter on the first day that I went. Most of the testers are almost finished so I barely had any chance to test them on.

The lipsticks are creamy and buildable. It has a slightly glossy finish, so your lips will not look super dry or cracked. Some of the lipsticks contain very fine glitter (e.g. Pink Paradise) - I'm a big fan of glitters but NOT on my lips! However, it doesn't show up too strikingly, actually, it doesn't even show up at all unless you stare at your lips closely after applying.

My fav of the lot has got to be 305 Nude Mocha. When I opened it, the lipstick was off the tube and it was stuck on the cover, OH THE HORROR. But I kept calm and tried to pull it out, it was a success. Hahaha. Nude Mocha turned out to be a red colour with brown base on me, it is super duper creamy and it was just love at first sight!

Swatches

In the same order: 403 Plum Perfection, 107 Pink Paradise, 305 Nude Mocha, 301 True Toffee.

I was planning to get a nude, a pink, a red, and a plum. Without a tester, I got True Toffee and Plum Perfection! My 3G died on me and I couldn't even googled for swatches >:( The next day I went to another counter and got Nude Mocha and Pink Paradise.

Application

Swatches on my lips! These wore great on me throughout the day with lip liner below :)

Verdict

For the price, I definitely think the product works great. I would definitely buy more if I had a chance to... Even though I only have a pair of lips... HAHAHA. This will work great as a stocking stuffer for Christmas presents, or when you wanna try out new colours but don't dare to splurge just yet :)

Quick Summary

The great:

• Affordable
• Huge colour range
• Easily available

The not-so-great:

• Melts too easily
• Packaging not durable

The Maybelline ColorShow Lipsticks are available at any supermarkets and drugstores with Maybelline counters. They are priced at $9.90 each.

Do let us know if you've tried any of these ColorShow lipsticks and how you feel about them! I was pleasantly surprised because honestly, I didn't expect them to work so well on my lips :)

♡♡,

Flo

DIY Spa Manicure

A little Monday manicure to kick the blues away! 

So I'm a nail fanatic. I've tried press-ons, acrylic nails, gel, normal, acrylic paint... You name it, I've probably tried it. My nails aren't in the best condition and it takes me forever to grow them out. Plus years of painting have totally stained them like crazy. 

This is my nails in 'slightly better' condition a few months back. Stained but the length is still there. Recently, they have gotten incredibly weak. Splitting and cracking and it made me so fed up. 

Last night, I decided to give myself a DIY spa manicure and in 4 simple steps, look at my nails this morning! 

I feel so happy looking at them. Most of the ingredients can be found easily in a kitchen'

#1

Rid your nails of any leftover polish, trim/file them down to a desired length.

My nail beds were gross from splitted nails so I buff the surface to make it slightly smoother. Don't buff too often cause it thins down the nail bed.

#2 

Soak nails in warm water for about 5 mins and then using the orange stick, gently push back cuticles

#3

Baking soda is awesome. I swear by baking soda. 

So mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water. Mix it so you get a paste. Make sure it's not too wet. You don't want it to drip. Cover your nail beds and around the cuticle area with the paste and leave it on for 10 mins. After that, just scrub it off gently. You can use a nail brush, old toothbrush or even just circular motions with your other hand. 

This will exfoliate your cuticle area and whiten your nail bed.

#4

Mix a capful of olive oil with juice from a slice of lemon (not too much because lemon is drying) and add in whatever essential oils you desire! I only have tee trea oil and Argan oil so I added in about 2 drops each. Then I slather it all over my nails and hands and then go to bed! Make sure you wear gloves or just long socks. I make more of this step and then keep it in a container. I am going to use it every night cause my nails are very weak at this point! This will save you some time and you just need to slather this on and then go to bed. So much more benefits than a hand lotion! 

Hope this DIY makes your nails healthier! 

Love, 

Pea