Hey Everyone!

There’s just something about Japanese makeup that makes you want to run around in a flurry of pink, diamonds and kawaii. It’s the whole aura of funny colored lenses, much too flattering eye-lashes and voluminized hair in every color but your own.

When we think Asian makeup, that’s probably the image we’re able to muster up almost instantly. Face it, it’s the packaging and the girls at the purikura photobooths that have us wishing we were 2D. Personally though, I’ve never really bought into this packaging mainly for well two reasons. Number one being that I never felt that I could ever be priviledged enough to fall into the steretoype of having my index and middle finger up as my default pose ready to turn anyone into a bunny rabbit in photos and number two being the fact that I wasn’t skilled enough to read the packaging in the first place.

Therefore, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I need your apologies for having very few asian makeup products despite running around in my own ethnicity. But, every journey starts with baby steps and I’m starting to explore BB creams much more and well today, I have a review of a very special cream blush I’ve been loving lately- the Canmake Cream Cheek.

Thanks to the lovely Jolyn or passing this to me, it was very sweet of you. Speaking of sweet, this packaging is probably the definition of sweet. It’s in a cute or shall I say kawaii heart shaped case that’s diamond cut, complete with japanese words I can’t read, sparkles and a plastic clam like case. The actual product is a balm and mousse like finish that blends easily into the skin and the whole thing is quite small. It fits into your palm that’s great for on the go because you won’t need a brush.

Product Claims taken from www.canmake.com:

1. Silky Soft Texture

“The melting gel-type texture, which is silky-soft on your fingers, becomes dry from the instant you apply it to your cheeks!”

2. Long-Lasting

“Contains masses of emollient agents that are highly compatible with your skin (squalene of vegetable origin and amino acid-based emollients), enclosed in a special stretchy gel, which not only protects your skin from drying out, but also improves the blusher’s adhesion to your skin, making it longer-lasting.”

3. Good Pigmentation

Gel-type formulation for vibrant color that looks just as it does in the container.

The claims are pretty self explanatory so we’ll see if they hold!

Starting with bare cheeks….

Let’s Put it On!

Step 1: Shade 01 is a cool pink color and the best way to apply the product is to use what your mama gave you – meaning your clean fingers. Simply swipe the product onto your fingertips. I suggest using two at a time so you can apply the product a little faster. As you can see, the pigmentation is great swatched on your fingertips.

Step 2: Start by patting the product on the cheek. Just place the cream blush first. You’ll blend the product later on. This is just the placement of the blush.

Step 3: Blend it out! You can see that it’s a pretty intimidating cool toned pink. I reckon it’s very similar to the MAC Well Dressed blush.

However, in daylight, it mellows out into quite a flattering color. On the Canmake website, this color is supposed to be called Peach Dream. It’s definetley a Pink dream, not a peach.

Have you tried the Canmake Cream Cheek and what do you think of it?

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

Along with my MAC brushes, my NARS blushes are probably one of my most prized posessions in my make-up collection. In fact, they pretty much have a drawer to themselves. With racy names like “Orgasm” and “Deep Throat”, NARS created an international stir but a justified one at that for their blushes are simply amazing.  With beautiful shades and lasting colors, it’s pretty much what every blush should strive to be like.

I have in total six single NARS Blushes and one NARS Duo in Albatross and Torrid. I’ve also attatched ratings to each blush in the form of a scale of cute little red hearts. A magnificent, must get blush is 5 hearts and a blush you can skip is 1 heart. Note that although I’ve said that I’m in love with NARS blushes, the blushes with low ratings simply don’t suit my skintone but the formula remains the same. You’ll see what I mean.

In this post, I’ve also included face swatches of three blushes in Passion, Orgasm and Deep Throat as requested in my NARS blush collection video. Thank you so much for your kind comments. You’ll see who won the last facebook MAC giveaway at the end of this post and what is up for grabs this week ;) But, read the rest of this because it took me forever. Kay thanks.

Let’s do this!

1. NARS Deep Throat (Rating: 5/5)

I’m starting off this post with my all time favourite NARS blush in Deep Throat. I don’t want to delve into the specifics of why the blush is named so if you haven’t already guessed but I’m trying to keep this post PG. Anyway, this blush is a beautiful light pink (but not pale) with a silver shimmer undertone barely noticeable on skin. It glows a beautiful pink glow when applied and I love this product because it is such a no-brainer. It’s for one of those days when you’re late for class and need to grab something to whip on before fleeting out the door. You’ll almost never go wrong with the Deep Throat and if anything, you should get this baby first.

As you can see it’s not too cool which is nice and it’s pretty much the perfect blush shade. I’ve paired it with Hoola by Benefit (or you can use any bronzer really) in this picture.

2. NARS Amour (Rating: 2/5)

I really wanted to get this and love it but with all online purchases, sometimes you kind of go wrong which is why it is especially important to try it out first at the counter if you get the chance. At 2AM in the morning, sometimes that doesn’t really cross your mind. This is a pretty darker pink shade but like another blush you’ll see later, something is just wrong. It must not suit my skintone very nicely and it’s very pigmented which means that I can’t use it as a no-brainer blush. Sometimes when I apply it, I just want to rub my cheeks to blend it out. I just don’t know.

3. NARS Dolve Vita (Rating: 1/5)

Perhaps this is more suitable for a darker skintone. Like amour, the Dolce Vita is way too pigmented for me, even when applied with a stippling brush. The color also doesn’t suit me very well but I’ve heard so many rave reviews about it. If you’re an NC 35 and below, this is probably a blush to skip.

Some swatches on the hand. Look how dark Dolce Vita is! Amour looks so nice swatched but on my cheeks, it’s just alright.

4. NARS Passion (Rating: 5/5)

I’ve been wanting this blush for ages simply because I like matte blushes and I like peach shades. This is the perfect combination of the two. It’s a beautiful matte peach shade, perfect for spring and summer. I give it a five for being another no-brainer blush because I don’t have to think about how much I’m putting on when I’m applying it or at least I don’t have to be too careful.

A matte peach blush is great paired with a chocolate smokey eye. Of course you would know this look as my signature NARS cordura look!

5. NARS Albatross (Rating: 1/5)

I was so looking forward to this. I was quite impressed with the Shiseido WT905 and I was looking to get another powdered highlighter and I thought albatross was the one. Unfortunately, the gold shimmer is so obvious not in a chunky way because it’s quite fine but you can see it so it looks like you’re wearing a gold powder on your cheeks. It might go well with olive skintones so you can go out and look like the Greek goddess Athena but for everyday wear, it is for sure a miss.

6. NARS Torrid (Rating: 5/5)

This is pretty. It’s a peachy leaning on to a nice orange shade with a bit of gold flex. Think NARS Orgasm without any inkling of pink whatsoever. I like this blush a lot and find it a beautiful match with a nice bronzer underneath. It looks pigmented but it’s actually not too bad.

You can’t see the gold shimmer but on the cheeks it’s pretty obvious. I look like I have a yellow sheen and I already have a yellow undertone so it really doesn’t look very good.

7. NARS Zen (Rating: 3/5)

This is one of those shades you’ll use for the blush layering technique. Blush layering is when you use a pair of blushes instead of just one. One blush should be a more darker tone while the second blush is more brighter. Think the MAC blush ombres. Zen is perfect for that purpose matched with a pop of bright pink blush or bright peach blush because it balances it well. I will show you one day what I mean. This and Pink Swoon make a perfect combination. On it’s own, it’s good worn to warm things up. However talking about necessity, you really wouldn’t need it.

It just looks like a dirty bronzer really.

8. NARS Orgasm Blush (Rating: 5/5)

This is the most talked about blush, possibly. It’s the NARS orgasm blush which has been NARS’ best selling blush for quite a while.  I remember the day when I skipped to the counter to purchase this and NARS Laguna. I was so excited and my heart was beating. They say that make-up is just make-up, but for make-up junkies like us, it’s more of an experience. Despite the bad and very good reviews, opinions have been mixed. I love this blush because just look at it! It’s such a beautiful pink, with a peach undertone and gold reflex. It’s beautiful. I love this blush even more in Melbourne because of the dry climate. I don’t glow as much here as I do in Singapore. In Singapore, I would opt for another blush because my beads of sweat (ew) make up for the lack of luster. Too much luster as you know isn’t a good thing.

Overall a beautiful, easy to reach for blush!

and there we have it my NARS blush collection and my thoughts. I hope it makes your next trip to NARS a little easier. If you have any questions regarding where I got them, and how to get them cheaper, feel free to ask!

and then finally, who won the MAC Plum Du Bois Blush from last week’s giveaway??

Congratulations to…..

CHARLENE JUDITH LEE!!

Your name was randomly drawn! Please send me your address to roseannetangrs@gmail.com :D

But, don’t fret, if you didn’t win. Get your keyboard ready and comment on this post the answer to this question…

What is your favourite product from NARS and why?

If you haven’t tried anything, what’s on your wishlist?

In your comment, don’t forget to include your Name, Email Address, the answer to the above question and the username you are following the blog with so I can check!

For example:

1. Roseanne Tang

2. I absolutely love the NARS deep throat blush because it’s the perfect shade of pink!

3. roseannetangrs

4. Your email address

and you can stand a chance to win the MAC Liberty of London Summer Rose Beauty Powder!!!

Conditions of the Contest:

1. It is international

2. You must be a follower of this blog (www.roseannebeauty.com). Look at the directions on the right side widget to see how to follow this blog

3. You must be comfortable with giving me your address and receiving packaeges if you do win

4. Contest ends on Sunday, April 10, 2011!

Good Luck!

Do note that reading the entries to this post is a great way to add ideas to your shopping list as well so stay tuned ;)

Love,

Roseanne

Hello Everyone!

I hope your day is going stellar. Today I’ll be doing a review of a pretty stellar product – the highly raved Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. If ever you think of the brand Bobbi Brown, the shimmer bricks are probably one of the first products you can call up. These babies aren’t just blushes, or face powders, they’re shimmery highlighters that are supposed to add radiance and a healthy beam to any look.

Let’s look at the Packaging:

It’s packaged in a sturdy, commonly high-end case with a mirror and the brick much like a mineralized skinfinish, but baked in strips. The Body Shop has a very similar product as well, I think it’s called shimmer strips. The best way to use this is to take a fluffy white haired brush, just like the MAC 168 because it’s easier buffed onto the cheeks rather than patted on with say a smaller blush brush.

Mine is in Rose. It’s a burnt pink with cool undertones so watch out if you have a yellow undertone. I know, I know, I’m yellow, but I thought pink blushes do look good on me, I’ll save the undertone complaints until later.

So How Do You Work it?

1.) Simple. Here’s me with bare cheeks, i even skipped the bronzer:

2.) Swirl your brush into the brick so that it collects all the colors of the gradient. Then, use the brush and buff first into the apples of your cheek, working upwards to the tip of your ear, not touching the tip of your ear but buffing towards that direction.

3.) The effect produced is a much more prominent cheek apple and sweep of pink that’s subtle and not too over the top.

What do I think of it?

I want to love it, but it’s probably not the first blush I’ll grab for because it’s hot and sweaty in Singapore and I’m pretty sure that I’ll get the same glow if I wait out in the humidity a bit. That’s because I have combination oily skin. However, I think it adds a beautiful glow to the cheeks, and probably great in dry countries or when you just need that little sparkle. This one in particular is much too cool toned for me, and probably a warmer shimmer brick like ‘Nectar’ would have suited me better. I can’t really use this primarily as a highlighter because its pink and I don’t really like having a red bridge, but a sweep on the cheekbones, with another blush below might be a good suggestion. I know that if this whole thing was the white, it would for shizzle receive a 5/5 from me, but as a blush it just doesn’t seem natural sometimes. Nonetheless, its still beautiful, it’s hard to explain my opinion and from me, I’d give it a 4.5/5 because the highlight is sometimes too over the top for me.

Overall – this is an expensive product and you can get the same sub at The Body Shop. However, if you’re into Bobbi Brown and her products – go for it -but don’t, if you have oily skin.

What do you think of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks?

xx Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

I’m back! I hope you haven’t forgotten me. I just want to give you a big bear hug for being so patient, I had exams to attend to which explains my dishelved appearance in these photos but hopefully they’ll do.

I’ll be doing a review on YSL’s Touche Eclat Radiant Touch. We’ve all seen it, probably know what it does but does it work? I’d have to give it my thumbs up. It was definitely a life saver during study time when my eye bags were become more obvious and I just looked plain tired. You’ll see my triple eye-lids, I only get those when I’m not sleeping enough.

DISCLAIMER: This product was sponsored by The Beauty Club as a gift. I was not told to do a review, but hey it’s YSL, and it’s good stuff. All opinons are my own and not influenced by any factors whatsoever. Duh. :)

Packaging:

It’s sleek, gold, and an easy application being a pen. There’s a black clicker on the back that you click away if you need more product and you can use the brush tip to quickly apply the product on your face or use your fingertips to dab and pat. A beautiful case, easy, no fuss.

The synthetic brush tip is just the perfect size for the right amount. You really don’t need a lot of this product, and too much might give you a white overcast so here, the amount you use does matter and the brush tip makes a nice solution.

Product:

YSL Touche Eclat makes a great under-eye concealer for people with not so obvious panda eyes. For people with darker eye bags, probably heavier than what I have here, it will make the area appear brighter but will not totally conceal your dark circles. If you have minimal dark circles and want to fix this, this does a great job! To apply it to the under-eye area, dab a small amount using the brush and pat with your fingertips to blend the product until it isn’t obvious anymore.

You can also use the Touche Eclat for highlighting the bridge of your nose, your cheek bones, your chin, cupids bow and brow arch. It blends flawlessly into your skin while giving light and it doesn’t leave an overcast or oil up. It’s an awesome no fuss highlighter.

In fact, here’s a general map of where you would apply the Touche Eclat. The product isn’t supposed to be a general concealer but sales assistants have added that it makes a good eye-primer. I haven’t tried that but I think that because it isn’t a matte product, it probably won’t do so well in that department. It’s a dream for me in the under-eye area and as a highlighter and fulfilling those two purposes during exam time was good enough for me. Excuse the stolid expression haha, I didn’t want to smile because you won’t see clearly, nor did I add any eye-makeup. You don’t have to get the lines perfect because you’ll be blending away anyway! :)

Once you’ve got the general map going, blend away using a patting motion to slowly integrate the product into your skin. It blends easily and flawlessly so there is no worry there.

The End Result?

For sure a brighter complexion. I give this product a 5/5. Beautiful design in it’s packaging and a beautiful product. There are different shades and I’m in #2 being an NC30. Find the product on makeupalley and compare your MAC shade, I reckon it would matter what shade you get especially if you’re thinking of making it your under-eye concealer as well.

If you have any questions, just ask away!

I’m back in Singapore and so excited. There’s a bunch of things in store I promise so stay tuned. :)

What do you think about this product? Leave your comments in the comment section above!

xx Roseanne