Maybelline Volum' Express One by One

This is one of my favorite mascara right now, so I thought, why not do a post about it. 

Two months ago when i was at Changi airport, I saw the volum' express one by one mascara (the non waterproof one). It was at the duty free shop. No tax = cheap. haha.. I bought this at 15 singapore dollars. I tried this at home and totally fell in love with the mascara. 

Here is how the wand looks like:

As you can see the formula is quite wet and it has the rubber wand (which I love). 

Here is my eyelashes with one coat of this mascara 

It gives more volume, but it doesn't separate the lashes as good as the waterproof one and as usual, non waterproof mascara doesn't really hold the curl that well. 

Never the less I like this mascara because it gives more volume to my lashes and it is totally great for layering. It doesn't clump up easily. 

I love layering this mascara with Lancome Hypnose waterproof mascara. It gives more drama and the waxy formula from hypnose holds the curl pretty well. This combination gives me a pretty good smudge-proof mascara and non flaky. 

Anyway, on my way to South Africa, I have to transit in Singapore for 8 hours during friday night peak hour (not the best time to travel from the airport to city). So I decided to stay in Changi airport. And there in the duty free shop i saw the waterproof formula. 

So, here it is:

As you can see, it has a dryer formula. It actually has the same wand with the non waterproof one, but because it's dryer, the mascara isn't clumping in the wand and it looks spikier. 

So the waterproof formula gives more length and separation. It also holds the curl pretty well. 

Because the formula is dryer, I find that it's easier to apply on my short lashes. There is not much mascara on the end of the spikes, so when you accidentally touch your eyelid with the wand, there won't be mascara smudging on the lids. It's super easy to apply on the bottom lashes as well. 

So, in conclusion, I think both mascara is great for layering. It's kinda hard to make your eyelashes clumpy with these mascaras. I love the waterproof one for everyday use (when i'm too lazy to layer my mascaras), while the non waterproof one, i love layered with lancome hypnose mascara (this combo gives more volume). 

Hope this is helpful ^^

Love,

Couture MACqueen

Foundation review - Laneige Snow Crystal Dual Foundation

What? another foundation review? 

Yea, because i wanna tell you guys of everything great and BAD that i find. 

I know finding the right foundation is kinda hard. Every skin has different problems and preferences. I myself have tried A LOT of foundations, ranging from drugstore to the department store to the high end products. 

Anyway let's just get started with the review.

I heard a lot of mix review about this foundation. Some of my friends LOVE this foundation and there are several that really, i mean REALLY hate it. 

So, i checked it at makeup alley and the rating there is 4.2 out of 5. That is pretty amazing. 

As always, i recommend everyone to check temptalia's foundation matrix before purchasing any foundation. It is pretty accurate. 

I am an NC 25 so my perfect match is in the shade no 23. 

This foundation came in with the matching concealer. This is how it looks like:

It came is with 30 ml of foundation like most other foundation such as the giorgio armani's, MAC studio fix fluid, MUFE HD, revlon photoready, etc. 

It retails for SGD $55 in singapore. I bought mine in Hong Kong of only a few dollars cheaper. 

I believe it is about the same price as MAC studio fix fluid, a bit cheaper than MUFE HD, and about half the price of Giorgio Armani's. 

This is a light to medium coverage foundation. The consistency is quite runny. Not as creamy as MUFE HD but also not as watery as MAC face and body foundation. A little bit more runny than studio fix fluid. The foundation itself will not fully cover anything. It will only tone down any redness.

To get the foundation out you need to press the top part of the foundation bottle. After you press it the foundation will ooze out from around the small circle in the middle of the bottle. 

I have an oily combination skin and i love this foundation. It kinda help to control the oiliness of my face. If you have dry skin, DO NOT worry. ^^ One of my friend has dry skin and she loves this as well. She said it does not accentuate her dry patch. 

To make it easy for you to decide, let's just move on to the pros and cons:

PROS:

1. Long lasting foundation

I apply this foundation at about 8am everyday and by 9pm i still have coverage. The foundation did not separate. 

2. SPF22 PA+

It has a sunscreen property, so you won't need to worry about applying another sunscreen 

3. Light weight 

It is really light weight, almost feel like putting water on your skin. Non-sticky. I hate foundation that are sticky 

4. The price

It might be more expensive than drugstore foundation, but don't forget, you get the concealer. Which brings me to the next point,

5. Came with a GREAT concealer

At first i thought the it will just be a crappy concealer. I was wrong. The concealer is AMAZING. Really creamy, full coverage, easy to blend and is not cakey at all.

6. It does not break me out

I have been using this for the past month, and i did not detect any acne.  

CONS:

1. It's not available everywhere. 

I know for sure that this is not available in Australia. Although i'm not sure about US or Europe. 

2. Colour range

They marketed this for people in Korea and i'm pretty sure most women in asia wants to have skin as fair as possible. As far as i know they only have 5 shades in the website 2 that are lighter than mine and another 2 that are darker. But in every counter that i have visited i only saw 4 shades. 2 lighter and 1 darker than mine. 

3. The packaging

As interesting as it can be, i have to say i hate cleaning the foundation form the top of the foundation bottle. If i apply too much pressure the foundation will ooze out again but if i don't apply enough, it won't be clean. 

  

Yea, i think that's all i can say. I really DO RECOMMEND this foundation

I hope you have a great week unlike me that has been sick for a couple of days. 

Love,

Couture MACqueen

Foundation review - Giorgio Armani - Lasting Silk UV Foundation

Hi everyone, sorry for the silent treatment, but i'm back with a review for Giorgio Armani Foundation

So last saturday i went to times square at hong kong and found that they have a Giorgio Armani makeup at lane crawford. 

For sometime i have heard that Giorgio Armani's foundation is really good, but there isn't any in Indonesia. 

When i was at the counter i didn't really know which one is the one that people rave about, so i just let the makeup artist find the one that is suitable for me. 

Here is what she told me:

the "lasting silk UV foundation" is for oily skin

and

the "luminous silk foundation" is for dry skin (after doing some research by myself, this is actually an oil-free foundation, so i might want to try this one as well >_<)

Well, my skin tend to be more oily around the T-zone area and quite dry everywhere else. I hate looking oily, so of course i went with the lasting silk UV foundation. 

I am pretty upset with the makeup artist in that counter because she only apply the foundation on half of my face. I asked her to apply the foundation to the other half of my face but she looked at me like she didn't understand what i was saying (the main language in Hong Kong is Cantonese, but i can't speak cantonese so i asked her in english) although i am pretty sure that she understand cause i've been speaking english to her. 

Anyway i was really in a hurry so i purchased the foundation and the corrector. They both looked quite decent with the store lighting. The most upsetting thing is that when it is under direct sunlight, i can definitely tell that it is NOT my shade. I look awful with half of my face darker and more orange than the other. 

I was so angry! I was not anywhere near that counter to go back and exchange it with another shade, I do not bring my makeup remover, i wasn't done for the day (so i went out for half of the day with a crazy face), and there is no drugstore near me either. 

The next morning i tried to apply this "too dark and orange" foundation in the hope that i can still work this foundation. IT DID NOT WORK. When i first apply it, it looks quite okay, only slightly darker than my skin, but within 5 minutes it oxidized on my skin. My face looked horrible. So i wiped off the foundation and went back to my MAC face and body foundation. 

and i know this is supposed to be a review only for the foundation, but i wanna talk a bit about the corrector. IT IS ORANGE! scary!

Anyway, i am still persistent  that i want to try this foundation, so i purchased another one in the shade that is suggested by temptalia's foundation matrix. I really recommend people looking at this before they purchase any foundation, because it is quite accurate.  

I made the purchase at Giorgio Armani shop at elements mall (kowloon area). 

The makeup artist here is nice and she actually apply the foundation in my whole face! YAY for that ^^

So, i am in shade no 4.5 and i am NC25 for MAC studio Fix fluid. In case you are wondering, the first shade that i bought is in no 6.

okay, so now for the pros and cons

Pros:

1. This is a really light weight foundation with good coverage. 

I have to say that this foundation have a decent medium coverage that is build-able. Surprisingly this foundation is so light weight. It doesn't look cakey or thick on skin. 

2. Long wearing as promised.

I have been testing this foundation for a while, and I am impressed with the long wearing property. I applied my makeup at 8 in the morning and usually took it off by about 9 at night. It doesn't look like when i applied it in the morning, but it doesn't crack or look crazy. The foundation is definitely still there, not like MAC face and body that will disappear in the end of the day. When freshly applied it will be more towards satin finish, but by the end of the day it will be slightly dewy not oily. 

3. SPF 20.

Will not give your face the ghostly white effect on flash photography, but give a little bit of protection. 

4. Blends easily.

I use my MAC 190 foundation brush. With a lot of foundation this brush will create a lot of streaky-ness. Not with this foundation though. 

5. It doesn't break me out.

My skin is prone to breaking out when i try a new foundation, but this one hasn't broke me out yet. I will keep this post updated if i did break out. 

Cons:

1. It is EXPENSIVE

2. It oxidized pretty quickly

My advice if you are going to buy this foundation:

1. Check temptalia's foundation matrix before going to the counter.

2. Check makeupally's review for this foundation and specified on your personal skin type to see whether this foundation will suit your skin.

3. Go to the counter and try the shade on half of your skin first, but DO NOT buy first.

4. Let the foundation sit on your skin for about 15-30 minutes and then go and see the foundation in direct sunlight. (DO NOT TRUST DEPARTMENT STORE LIGHTING)

5. If it matches perfectly to your skin then you can consider buying it. 

I hope this is helpful for some of you that are thinking to splurge on your foundation. 

As for the sigma review part 2, i hope you guys are patient enough to wait because there is some technical problem for that post. 

love,

couture MACqueen

Review - Sigma Premium Brush Kit (Part 1)

Hey everyone,

I decided that i wanted to do this full review for Sigma Premium Brush Kit, just because i haven't seen that much beauty blogger do an in depth review for this set ^^

I will try my best to compare it with MAC's or other brushes that i have. But just keep in mind that i don't own all of these brushes from the kit in MAC's version. 

Before i get started, i need to make a disclaimer:

I'm pretty much a new beauty blogger. So sigma in no way contact me or give me this brushes for free. All of the brushes that i'm about to show to you guys are bought with my MOM's money. (she bought this for me as a gift, thank you so much mommy). This is my honest review. 

Okay, so, first thing first. I got this set a few months back when sigma has just launched this set. The coding in my brushes are still the old code which correspond with MAC brushes. I have used this brushes for months. So, I'm able to tell you pretty much everything (from a consumer point) you need to know before buying these brushes.

Let's get started then ^^

The first thing that i want to cover is purchasing, shipping, etc. 

This set costed me US$ 149 

Well, in term of price I think these brushes are more on the cheaper side. I mean, come on. If you compare this with the MAC version, it will be approximately US$ 500 (including the brush roll). 

That's a crazy difference (I still love my MAC brushes, don't get me wrong ^^) 

Shipping

first, u guys need to know that i live in the south east Asia, which usually when i buy stuff from the US i might pay more for the shipping cost compared to the price of the products itself. 

So, sigma offered 3 different shipping cost:

1. 18 dollars for shipping in 2-3 weeks (i use this one)

2. 42 dollars for shipping in 2 weeks (damn expensive)

3. 45 dollars for shipping in 1 week

i am really glad that i never chose the second or third options. 

so i placed my order on the 7th of April, the next day i got an email that my brushes were already shipped, and i received my brushes on the 15th. Which is approximately about a week time. 

so this is a plus for me.

Enough of the rambling, let's jump on the product review.

Brush Roll

I don't have MAC's brush roll, but i have seen one. I have to say MAC's brush roll is not even comparable to Sigma's. MAC's is so flimsy, it's made out of nylon. Sigma's one however is made from synthetic material and has a stronger body. It's a really nice material and easy to clean. I feel my brush will be safe in this brush roll.

okay, so again i forgot to take pic of this, so i'm gonna show you the picture from sigmamakeup.com

Dimension: 46cm(width), 26cm(tall) *without the snap button*

Large Powder - SS134 / F20

described as: Large paddle-shaped brush with fluffy and rounded tip. (Natural Hair)

what to use it for: bronzer, blusher, setting powder, sometimes i even use this as a high light brush.

i accidentally rubbed off the branding and code >_<

dimension: approximately 17.4 cm (overall), 4.8 cm (bristles), 5.4 cm (ferrule), 3.4 cm (bristle thickness)

MAC's comparison: 

- MAC's bristle is a little bit wider 

- Sigma's is denser 

- Sigma's handle is shorter 

left to right: Sigma, MAC

-Now, to me this is the most obvious difference. It might not look like they have so much difference, but the Sigma's one is definitely thicker. With that being said, the SS134/F20 is not as practical as MAC 134. The thickness made it hard to contour or highlight with. But as a setting powder brush this still works fine. 

ramble: If you are only interested in a dupe for MAC 134, i recommend you to just get a crown brush. They have a better dupe for MAC 134 which is "Jumbo Chisel Powder Brush C309" click here to see crown brush

recommendation: Not recommended 

Lip - SS316 / L05

described as: compact synthetic lip brush protected by a metal cap.

what to use it for: apply any lip products to create precision

dimension: 17.8 cm (total length when cap is used as the picture above), 0.7cm (bristle) 10.25 cm (when capped)

MAC's comparison:

-The shape of Sigma handle is not as elegant as MAC 316 (personal preference)

- The biggest disappointment of all is at the bristle. MAC 316 has a longer bristle, with that being said, MAC 316 is more comfortable to use. I find when i use Sigma SS316 / L05, my lips often get scratched by the ferrule 

- Sigma SS316 / L05 bristle is also not as soft as MAC 316

ramble: LOL, i think i started this review with 2 of my biggest disappointment, but i promise it will get better ^^. This doesn't happen to me, but i watched one review that said his cap doesn't fit nicely on the end of the brush, so basically, he can't make it into a full size brush. (maybe he's just unlucky, but mine fit perfectly)

recommendation: not recommended

Tapered Face - SS138 / F25

described as: Large domed brush with tapered tip (Natural Hair)

what to use it for: the side is usually used for sculpting and shaping and the pointed tip is used for blending, highlighting, or setting powder. 

dimension: 19.8 cm (length), 5.1 cm (bristle), 3.7 cm (thickness of bristle)

MAC's comparison: I do not own the MAC version of this brush

ramble: i really love this brush for setting my foundation with powder. not so much on blending products on your face.

recommendation: recommended

Duo Fiber Powder / Blush - SS131 / F15

described as: medium size tapered duo fiber brush (the shorter hair: natural, longer white hair: synthetic)

what to use it for: to apply highly pigmented blush or even to apply foundation 

dimension: 18.6 cm (length), 4.2 cm (bristle), 2 cm (bristle thickness) 

MAC's comparison: 

i can't find any significant difference in both of the brush. I use them pretty much for the same stuff and did not see any difference

ramble: i am satisfied with this brush, although it shed a bit, just like any other brush

recommendation: recommended


Powder / Blush - SS129 / F10

described as: Medium round brush (Natural Hair)

what to use it for: all-purpose blush and face powder brush

dimension: 18.9 cm (length), 4.1 cm (bristle), 3 cm (bristle width)

MAC's comparison: 

I do not own a MAC 129 brush in regular version. All i have is the special edition. short handle 129. From what i can see, Sigma SS129 / F10's bristle is not as wide as the MAC's version. It is also not as thick. I would probably say, that this is more comparable to MAC 116. Although i don't own that one as well. 

ramble: to be honest with you, i rarely reach for this brush. I'm most likely to use Sigma SS131 / F15 for blush. But what i like about this is that it packs on colour really nicely. The bristles are soft, and because this is somewhat thinner and not as wide as MAC 126, this brush offer more precision in blush application.

recommendation: it's an okay brush 

Tapered Highlighter - SS165 / F35

described as: tapered cheek highlighter (Natural Hair)

what to use it for: the tapered point make it a great brush for highlighting and contouring. But what i use this brush the most for is for powder foundation. I heard some people use this with liquid foundation as well. 

dimension: 17.8 cm (length), 3.5 cm (bristle) 

MAC's comparison: 

- Sigma SS165 / F35 has a shorter but thicker handle

- MAC 165 comes to a more pointed tip

- Sigma SS165 / F35 is fluffier

- Sigma SS165 / F35 shed more when deep cleaned

ramble: This is probably my sigma brush that i use the most. The difference within the MAC and Sigma for this brush are not that big of a deal for me. Do keep in mind that MAC 165 is a limited edition brush, so you can't get this at their permanent line. Anyway, I use Sigma SS165 / F35 almost everyday. I use this for my powder foundation, highlight, contour, and sometimes even blush. (I don't like to use too many brushes in one day, because i'm just too lazy to clean them at the end of the day) 

recommendation: highly recommended 

Large Concealer - SS192 / F65

described as: large synthetic concealer brush (Synthetic Bristle)

what to use it for: concealing larger area. This brush is also ideal to blend in any cream blushes or cheek stain

dimension: 17.3 cm (length), 2.7 cm (bristle) 

MAC's comparison: I do not own the MAC version of this brush

ramble: to be honest, i really rarely use this brush. I usually use my (clean) finger to blend concealer over larger area. It's just so much more practical and fast. I only use this when i'm doing makeup on someone else

recommendation: It's an okay brush. Nothing really special

Large Fluff Brush - SS227 / E50

described as: an extra large paddle-shaped brush with fluffed and rounded tip (Natural Hair)

what to use it for: eyes and cheek highlight. Use for applying or blending powder products

dimension: 16.4 cm (length),  1.7 cm (bristle) 

MAC's comparison: 

- MAC 227 has longer handle 

- Sigma SS227 / E50 is more fluffy than the MAC 227

- Both work as great. But i prefer MAC 227 for highlighting my eyes and Sigma SS227 / E50 for blending colour and face highlighter. 

ramble: this is one of my must have brush. I use this every day  

recommendation: recommended

Part 2 will be next ^^