In a Buff Disposition with theBalm Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Nude 'Tude palette was released in November 2011 and carries a fabulous range of neutral shades with a good mix of highlighters and middle to dark tones. I guess it is inevitable that most cosmetic companies will start naming their neutral palettes with words like "nude" or "naked" since the Urban Decay version has been such a big hit.

The Nude 'Tude palettes come in Naughty or Nice variations. Both contain the same eyeshadows but the Naughty version (pictured in this post) features a bunch of naked women with their hoo-hoos and ya-yas covered up by eyeshadow pans. I know some people will cringe at the images but I think it's quite fun!

There are twelve lovely shades in one palette and it comes with a dual-ended brush, which I find to be pretty rubbish. The angled side is probably more usable and you can use it as a liner or brow brush. It is a very well-rounded palette with shades to suit most skin tones and you can use them to create natural to smoky looks.

Sassy - Pearly white frost.

Stubborn - Light peachy-pink frost.

Snobby - Light golden shimmer.

Stand-offish - Peachy-bronze champagne frost.

Selfish - Shimmery taupe.

Sophisticated - Dark brown with slight shimmer.

Sultry - Satin warm medium-brown.

Schitzo - Shimmery copper-bronze.

Sexy - Matte burgundy with a hint of brown.

Serious - Matte medium-black.

Silly - Slightly red-brown with fine gold glitter.

Sleek - Matte brown-black.

The overall texture of these eyeshadows are of very high quality. They are satiny smooth and buttery but not too soft that it will create much fall-out. The eyeshadows are also pigmented and yet very blendable, if you'd like to sheer out the colours.

I really, really like this palette! Really! I would definitely recommend Nude 'Tude to all you neutral lovers. You can find theBalm Nude 'Tude palette at Sasa stores for RM115. Each palette consists of twelve lovely, mixable shades and is quite value for money. I got mine at RM97 because Sasa was having some year-end discounts at the time of purchase.

more of theBalm products previously reviewed:
• theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer a.k.a. The Luminizer
• Eye Combo from theBalm Shady Lady vol. 2
• theBalm Hot Mama! Shadow / Blush
• theBalm Cabana Boy Shadow / Blush
• theBalm Down Boy Shadow / Blush
• theBalm Frat Boy Shadow / Blush

PS:
There are still a couple more days to participate in my blog birthday giveaway, so make sure you don't miss out!

Keeping Eye Makeup In Check with NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

After having waxed lyrical about Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI) and going on and on about how fabulous that little tube of wonder is, I then had to opportunity to test out the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base when I visited Hong Kong in May. I honestly didn't plan on picking up an eye primer since I was very happy with TFSI.

But you know what? I'm a makeup junkie and a lemming at that. I actually didn't get it immediately but after walking around for hours with a full face of NARS makeup on (I was testing out a number of products that day) and noticing that everything was sort of melting except for the eye makeup, I went back to the counter and grabbed that Smudge Proof baby.

Description:

This smudge-proof eyeshadow base uses a unique polymer and mineral powder blend to get a firm grip on color for long-lasting, gorgeous wear. Fortified with a special deep-sea extract and an antioxidant rice extract, it dries on contact and keeps the delicate eye lid smooth and ready for eyeshadow application.

I do like the simple, under-stated packaging but why must they add that irritating NARS "rubber" on everything? Haven't they realised by now that their rubber tends to go all kinds of funky in heat and humidity? Thankfully, nothing has happened to my tube yet.

The Smudge Proof base is a white cream but goes on colourless once you apply and blend it out on your lids. The texture is very silky, probably due to the silicone content, and it is very easy to spread. It smooths the lid surface, helps extend the quality and wear of eye makeup, and most importantly, does not cause my eyeshadows to crease.

It helps deepen the opacity of eyeshadows and makes them look more vibrant. I have also gone clubbing (which is a very rare occurrence) and returned home at 3AM with my eye makeup still looking fresh and intact. This is a true test of its namesake and it is indeed smudge proof! Hint : It's probably a good one to wear in the upcoming Christmas dinners and parties too :-)

Overall, I really like the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and can even say that it is on par with TFSI in terms of performance. However due to the price difference between the two, I'd still go for TFSI as it is more value for money. Smudge Proof costs US$24 for 0.26oz and TFSI costs US$18 for 0.35oz.

Ingredient List:

Isododecane · Talc · Cyclopentasiloxane · Disteardimonium Hectorite · Vp/Eicosene Copolymer Dimethicone · Cetyl Ethylhexanoate · Cyclohexasiloxane ·Sorbitan Sesquioleate · Trimethylsiloxysilicate · Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride ·Propylene Carbonate · Peg-40 Stearate · Sorbitan Olivate · Tocopheryl Acetate · Cera Alba (Beeswax) · Phenoxyethanol · Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate · Oryza Sativa [OryzaSativa (Rice) Bran Oil Extract] · Triethoxycaprylylsilane · Castor Oil Phosphate · Sea Whip Extract · Mica · Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) · Ci 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)

Oh, Paul & Joe, You Make My Heart Sing New York, New York

Paul & Joe Fall 2011 makeup collection called Manhattan took inspiration from the glamorous New York City and launched a gorgeous range that was released in two parts. This collection recently reached our local shores and I have been anticipating its arrival for more than a month. There is a special set on offer with selected items from both parts of the series, so of course I had to get it.

I won't go into too much detail on the entire collection and you can refer to their website instead. This has to be one of the nicest Fall makeup releases in a while and I absolutely adore everything, which is quite rare because I tend to only like one or two items (or none at all) in most seasonal releases.

Face & Eye Color CS in Empire State (074) comprises of shimmery yellow-gold and dark grey strips that can be used alone or together. The combination is really pretty!

The Pencil Eye Liner WP is a shade called Upper East Side (001) and it's a steely charcoal with gold glitter. It is meant to be smudge-resistant and waterproof.

I am so happy the Nail Enamel that came with the set is the one I had intended to purchase as well. The City Never Sleeps (018) is a gorgeous, bold purple with flecks of gold and navy shimmer. I'd like to think that the colour was inspired by the inky night sky, illuminated by dazzling lights of New York City.

Paul & Joe introduces the newly formulated Lipstick M in this series and the colour NYC (002) is a brilliant jelly fuschia pink with bits of shimmer strewn through. It looks scary and bright but actually applies very sheerly and the finish is a pretty subdued pink that is slightly glossy and glittery. It is surprisingly easy to wear.

Influenced by the art deco designs of the city, the Color Palette in Chelsea (002) with shades for eyes and cheeks is a lovely combination of feminine yet daring colours. The brushes included are actually usable and quite good quality although I find the cheek brush rather small.

Overall, this promotional set does not disappoint and is very limited so I'd recommend that you hurry to your nearest Paul & Joe if you're interested. The set retails at RM360 and it comes with full-sized items.

Note:
I will try doing swatches and individual reviews soon!

At the time of writing, the SA has not received the full product pricing yet and the list below is based on her estimates. I will continue updating the price list as and when I receive more information.

Product Pricing (Updated 20th Nov 2011):
• Color Palette - RM154
• Face & Eye Color CS - RM117
• Pencil Eye Liner WP - RM60 ++ (price to be confirmed)
• Lipstick M - RM87
• Nail Enamel - RM52

Clinique Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour

I first heard about Clinique coming out with a new eye makeup product a few months ago and I was very excited because most of the reviews I have read were very promising and positive. The Clinique Lid Smoothie is relatively new and I believe was brought in locally late August.

The Lid Smoothie comes in a rather unassuming little tube. I like the fact that I can see the actual cream itself as it is easier to tell how much product is left.

Description:

Creamy, crease-resistant eye colour wears for 8 hours. Instantly cools thanks to a unique applicator. Nourishing ingredients coax fine lid lines into a blanket of smoothness. Antioxidants help protect eye-area skin.

I chose the shade Bit O'Honey because it is a neutral, shimmery beige that looked really pretty as a nude wash or base colour. It has a relatively smooth consistency and dries to a powder finish. The metal applicator tip feels cool on the eye but I don't find that it dispenses or applies well directly on the eyelid. I prefer to squeeze a small amount onto my fingers or brush.

However, the Lid Smoothie is not crease-resistant on me and I still find that it creases after 4 hours or so. This was a huge disappointment as I was hoping that it can hold up on its own without having to apply an eye primer below. If you don't have oily lids, you probably won't face similar problems. It would have been a perfect product otherwise and this is why I won't be getting the other colours.

Pros:

• Pretty array of colours.

• Can be used as an eyelid wash.

• Comes in a tube so it's hygienic.

• Interesting metal applicator.

• Smooth texture.

Cons:

• Metal applicator does not spread product well.

• Creases on my oily lids.

• Expensive.

It was rather anti-climatic after all the expectations I had built up and although I didn't regret getting a Lid Smoothie, it was a little disheartening that it didn't work out so well on me. The Clinique Lid Smoothie is sold at Clinique counters nationwide for RM84. Each tube contains 7g of product.

Sleek i-Divine Palettes with Oh So Special and Curacao

The first time I came across Sleek Makeup was on Lipglossiping's fabulous blog more than a year ago. It's no secret (I think) that I have a huge crush on eyeshadows and absolutely adore colours. I do tend to get neutrals and slightly conservative shades because of work as I do not want to be known as Clown Lady at the office.

Anyway, I've been hemming and hawing about getting Sleek eyeshadow palettes for a while now and when they released the Oh So Special palette, I finally caved in because it looked like the perfect neutral palette that I needed in my collection.

The Oh So Special palette houses twelve different combinations of matte and shimmers and the colours range from beiges to peaches, browns and greys. The shades are relatively neutral and should flatter most skin tones.

The palette is slim and lightweight, which makes the perfect travel companion as it does not require much space. Although the colours are fairly neutral, I still find it to be a versatile collection of colours as you can create a variety of looks ranging from natural to dramatic.

On the other end of the spectrum, Sleek seemed to have thrown all conventional colours out the window and in turn created a fun and extremely colourful palette with Curacao.

With shade names such as Green Iguana and Bloody Mary, you'd know that this is not a palette for those who stick to plain, simple eyeshadows. Again, this has a mix of mattes and shimmers and the colours generally provide good pay-off but I have read that most folks have problems with getting one or two shades to show up properly.

I have just received the palettes on Saturday and haven't had the chance to dip into them much. I have been using Oh So Special for work the past couple of days and am very pleased with it so far. I will start experimenting with more looks over the weekend when I get some time to play, especially with Curacao :-)

Sleek Makeup can be purchased from Superdrugs UK. For international folks, you can order from their website at http://www.sleekmakeup.com/ directly. Both Oh So Special and Curacao may be limited edition palettes so if you're interested, best to get hold of them soon.

Inglot Eyeshadow Freedom System Palette ~ AMC45S, 414P, 419P and 451P

Since my first visit to Inglot a month ago, I have fallen completely in love with the texture, pigment and variety of eyeshadows offered that I had already decided to go back for more. Just last week, I was given the opportunity to attend the official media launch of the brand and thought it was probably good to pick out a few eyeshadows at the same time.

Inglot eyeshadows come in six different finishes, which are Matte, Pearl, Double Sparkle, AMC (Advanced Makeup Component), AMC Shine and AMC Pigment Powder. The texture of their eyeshadows are generally smooth, soft and buttery with minimal fallout. Their colours are also very pigmented and are visually stunning.

I had intended to get greys and blues since I had gotten browns, taupes and purples the last time. But I ended up coming home with this rather clever combination thanks to the three evil enablers I met up with that day. They had already spent an hour doing most of the legwork and all I had to do was "hitch" on their idea and add one more shade to complete the quad. You may start seeing similar colours popping up around the beauty blogosphere soon :-)

I am especially happy with AMC45S because it's not a shade I would have picked on my own. Xin was playing around with it at first and when I swatched it, I knew it was coming home with me. I have finally found a yellow I can wear because it remains more cool than warm. Another shade I like is 414P. This is one seriously gorgeous green and multi-dimensional too.

* sorry about the grotty photo, was in rush that evening *

I had a dinner to attend on Saturday and wore 419P as a base colour and shaded 414P on the outer corner of the eye. I then added AMC45S as a shimmery golden highlighter below the eyebrow. This is a really lovely combination and the colours blend and compliment each other very well.

Many eyeshadows tend to disappear when my eyes are opened but you can tell that these Inglot eyeshadows remain pigmented and visible. They lasted well through the evening. I had applied them around 5PM and the colours remained true past 2AM. I was wearing an eye primer so that helps the colours last longer.

This experience of self-selecting colours has also helped me be smarter and it's what the Freedom System is about, as it allows you to compose your own palette. The previous two palettes were chosen based on specific colour families.

* re-used my old photo but added the numbering schemes this time *

There is no right or wrong way of creating your own palette. Go with what you like and whatever colours that make you happy!

Availability:

Inglot products and eyeshadows are available at Ingot in Sunway Pyramid. Each square eyeshadow retails at RM28 for 2.5g worth of product (which is quite a lot!). The Freedom System palettes range from RM16 onwards.

Benefit Creaseless Cream in Skinny Jeans and Birthday Suit

When Xin organised a collective spree from Benefit, I decided to jump at the chance to get a couple of Creaseless Creams because I have read quite a bit on them and the general consensus seems to be pretty good. I used to own one many years ago, probably in a discontinued colour because I cannot find it on their website anymore. But I may have tossed it out because it was dried up and got rather gritty.

I couldn't really decide which colours to get initially but decided to go with Skinny Jeans and Birthday Suit because they seem to receive the most raves. I didn't even bother testing any of these out at the Benefit counters and just went with my gut instinct.

Skinny Jeans is a rather unique pewter-green shade that has gorgeous gunmetal finish.

Birthday Suit is a beautiful shimmery champagne, golden sand shade and it looks lovely as a wash, highlighter or base.

The texture is creamy and applies very smoothly over my lids. I don't recall the older version being this smooth so they may have reformulated the Creaseless Creams over the years. I use either a brush or finger to apply them and both methods work out quite effortlessly. It dries down fairly quickly as well and when it does, it is quite budge-proof.

The first time I used Skinny Jeans, I lightly swept some of theBalm eyeshadow in Makeout Mary (reviewed previously) over my lids to bring out more of the green. Powder eyeshadows seem to blend in quite well.

The next day, I used Birthday Suit as a wash over my lids with a winged eyeliner. I absolutely love this look and actually received quite a few compliments that day. Birthday Suit goes on as a subtle golden sheen across my lids.

I understand a lot of folks have had huge success with how long these Creaseless Creams seem to last on them but sadly, it was not really the case for me. They did start to crease on the inner corner of my eye after 6 to 8 hours but this is not bad considering that most eyeshadows on its own will crease after just a couple of hours. Also, it is very easy to smudge away the creased product with your finger so I didn't see much issue with this problem.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with Benefit's Creaseless Creams and won't even mind adding a couple more shades to my collection. I believe they retail for RM86 each at local Benefit counters but I got mine for US$19 (approx. RM58) from their website.

Topshop Eyeshadow Mousse in Glint

I have been meaning to try out Topshop makeup as soon as I found out that they launched a cosmetics line. But I did not get the opportunity to pick up a few things until recently. One of the items I got was the Eyeshadow Mousse in Glint, which was released as part of their Sandstorm collection for Spring / Summer 2011.

The mousse is contained within a frosted glass jar with a screw on top. Glint is a really interesting colour and it is mostly brown with a tinge of purple and bronze. The shimmer is fairly subtle and it appears semi-metallic. The texture is quite lovely, it is creamy enough to spread or pat over your eyes but sets quickly so it doesn't remain moist for long.

I used it as a wash over my lids with a simple winged eyeliner. I may have been a little clumsy when applying today because it was my first try and probably had a bit too much product on my finger. It performs beautifully as a wash and actually lasted a whole day without a primer. Pretty amazing stuff! Now I wished I had gotten the other mousse in Tundra. As the product is really quite crease resistant, it can probably be used as a primer or base itself.

Availability:

Topshop Eyeshadow Mousse is sold at Topshop in KLCC and Mid-Valley for RM46. I am not certain how many shades are available at the moment but I don't recall seeing many.

Eye Combo from theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 2

A month ago, I pounced upon two of theBalm Shady Lady palettes. They are fast becoming my favourite everyday eyeshadows. I have been using them quite regularly and even brought them along my long weekend stay in the city last week.

I whipped out Shady Lady Vol. 2 and used Makeout Mary and Caught in the Act Courtney (such cute names!). The golden olive green and shimmery red-brown combination is really nice. The texture of these eyeshadows are incredibly smooth and buttery.

They are also quite pigmented so you'd need to use a light hand if you're afraid of too much colour. But one should never be afraid of too much colour except clown colours.

It looks rather incomplete without eyeliner but I was running late. I normally use a duo of shades on work days because I don't really have much time to blend too many different eyeshadows together. Don't know why my eyes look a little sad in this photo but it's probably due to the angle it was taken. It also doesn't help that Lancome's Virtuose mascara makes my lashes droop because the formula is rather wet.

As far as eyeshadow combinations go, I really like this. The two shades should suit most skin tones and if you have the palette, they combine well with the other colours too. If you have similar shades in your collection, I'd definitely recommend giving this pairing a try.

Recent Haul ~ Getting Naked and Much Eye Love

When domncroxd from Belle Demoiselle called to let me know that Urban Decay's Naked Palette was back in stock at Sephora KLCC last week, I immediately told her to snap one up for me (thanks, babe!). I have been waiting for what feels like forever to get my hands on this elusive, always-out-of-stock palette.

My preciousssssss... * strokes lovingly *

My preciousssssss... * softly caress its brown velvety casing and gaze fondly at the twelve gorgeous eyeshadow shades *

I won't be reviewing this today because I have not the heart to molest the palette yet. There are loads of reviews and tutorials in the beauty blogosphere, so I'd recommend you check them out if you intend to purchase this palette (if you can find it, that is).

I also got the Too Faced Eye Love or Eye Love Too Faced (depending on how you want to read it) palette, which is a collection of two shades from four of its popular "Eye" kits. I think this was offered as a 500-point gift redemption in Sephora US and I really hope our local Sephora will offer some sort loyalty card or membership as well.

Like the Naked palette, Too Faced included a mini version of their bestselling eye primer. This is a really nice palette to travel with, it has enough shades to create different looks and is relatively slim and light.

I think you can tell by now that I am a huge fan of eyeshadow palettes. They are so much more practical and versatile. Probably the only eyeshadow singles I'd purchase these days are from Inglot but that's only because I can pop them into a palette.

The eyeshadow ban has been a big, fat fail.

Availability:
The Naked palette retails for RM175 and Eye Love for RM125 at Sephora Starhill or KLCC. Naked is of course, hard to come by so if you do see it, grab it quick.

Smashbox In Bloom Eyeshadow Palette ~ Pretty Spring Neutrals

The day after I declared an eyeshadow ban, I went out and bought more eyeshadows. I am such a hopeless case and can't seem to exercise much self-control, especially when Smashbox's Spring 2011 collection was so hard to resist.

Talking about a spring release now may sound outdated as most of the beauty blogosphere has moved on to fall, but the In Bloom Eyeshadow palette is just too pretty to cast aside.

The eyeshadows are housed in a sleek, black case with a fairly large mirror. It also comes with a brush and although the hairs are synthetic, the bristles seem to pick up colours well. It is a welcomed addition to my brush collection.

The eyeshadow palette consists of ten watercolour-like shades. They are pigmented and are very smooth. There is a mix of mattes and shimmers, dark and light shades. The lighter shades are perfect as a wash or highlighter whilst the darker shades can double up as a soft liner.

I really like Smashbox Spring releases because they are usually so pretty and this year's collection is no exception. Although this palette consists of neutrals that may seem boring to most, they are such classic, wearable shades and I find them to be very versatile as they tend to suit most skin tones.

Smashbox has arranged the colours vertically in duos to help you coordinate more effortlessly but that doesn't mean you can't mix and match the different shades from one end to another. With such easy and soft neutrals, they can be paired with almost anything.

Today, I used the first duo from left, which are Pink Lily and Soft Orchid.

Soft Orchid may look a little brown on my lids but it has a hint of purple and lavender. I used Pink Lily on the inner half of my eye but it does not show up very clearly on photo.

I don't wear fancy schmancy shades to work and usually reserve whacky or adventurous colours for weekends or parties. Muted tones that enhance the eyes but do not dominate are definitely more office-friendly.

I would most certainly recommend this palette to any working girl who's starting out with eyeshadows. However, as this is a limited edition item, it may be difficult to find locally. I purchased this nearly a month ago and the SA was telling me that there were only two palettes left. But I think he was trying to scare me into buying. He probably spotted the word "sucker" stamped across my forehead.

The Smashbox In Bloom Eyeshadow Palette retails for RM199 and might be available at Smashbox in The Pavilion. And yes, I know... that works out to RM19.90 per eyeshadow, which I'd like to think is value for money so I won't feel so guilty for breaking the eyeshadow ban :-)