Review: Makeup Masala Gel Liner

I picked this up shortly after I saw Toma's swatches of her Makeup Masala Gel Liners and it was on sale! Seeing how I have three too many BLACK gel liners, I ordered one in dark brown called Cocoa.

With so much resemblance to MAC Fluidline in size and packaging, how does this liner compare to my all-time favorite?

Read on for the comparisons...

The Makeup Masala Gel Liner is exactly the same size and shape as the MAC Fluidline. Look, they can even exchange lids!
Cocoa is a very dark chocolate color that is great for daytime use or to be paired with earth-toned eyeshadows. The liner is more creamy and feels just as smooth as MAC Fluidline.

From the swatches, you can see that Makeup Masala Gel Liner "sticks" on the skin a little better compared to the MAC Fluidline. Indeed, this liner has great staying power and doesn't flake off easily. It also has the potential to be an excellent Fluidline dupe if it wasn't for two things -- 1) it dries slower 2) it isn't as oil-resistant compared to Fluidline.

MAC almost never smudges on me and I can wear it the whole day without seeing it printed on my lids. That's the assurance I get with the Fluidline. However, the Makeup Masala Gel Liner have a tendency to smudge when it comes in contact with even slight oiliness.

Overall, this is a great liner at a very reasonable price. So, it isn't quite MAC Fluidline but those with not-so-oily lids can pull this off without any problems.

Makeup Masala Gel Liner goes for $9USD at The Makeup Mix Shop. Available in 5 colors: Cocoa, Fiona, Inky Black, Ms. Indigo, and Sugar Plum.


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Skin Deco Stash Sale Update!

A few new products have been added to the Stash Sale album:

• Brand new and used Bobbi Brown cosmetics
• Used KATE cosmetics
• Used Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
• NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils
• Many more...

Click for sales album
Click for ordering procedure and shipping information


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Skin Deco for TiC: Vibrating Mascaras

Many things in technology have vibrated for a while now - mobile phones, toothbrushes, video game controllers and of recent, mascaras. Lancome launched their vibrating Oscillation Mascara in Malaysia on January 19th followed by Estee Lauder's Turbolash All Effects motion Mascara a day after.

http://www.tonguechic.com/articles/1161-Beauty-On-Tuesdays-Vibrating-Mascaras





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Celluli Laser Intensive Night

"Biotherm introduces a slimming treatment in synchronization with the body's biological clock"

Last month, Biotherm held a luxurious media launch at the swanky KL Hilton to introduce their new Celluli Laser range of body products coming this April. Eunice of Biotherm was kind enough to extend me an invitation to check out cellulite-battling in action as well as learn some moves on the pole *winks*.

Read on for more...

Check out the sweet suite! And this is just the bedroom... Even their toilet seats are heated...

Biotherm trainer, Vanessa Tan, showed us how to massage away those nasty cellulites!

Bee so comfortably parked on the bed... I would've too but there wasn't enough room

The girls from Viva Vertical showed us some sexy workout moves on the fitness pole. I sucessfully twirled on the pole without falling flat on my butt :D It certainly looks harder than it actually is. Well, at least for the most basic two moves that I did...

Group shot! And the best part is making new friends. Did you know that it was Eunice who inspired me to look for a male co-blogger? She has been very supportive too. Thanks, Eunice!

Last but not least, the Biotherm goodies. Reviews coming up by next week!

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The Best $3USD That You'll Ever Spend

If you wear liquid foundation, you NEED this brush. I've always been on the hunt for dupes of the MAC 187 because it has been raved to give an airbrushed effect for liquid foundation. I finally got the MAC 187SE and although the finish was good, it wasn't exactly "airbrushed" as the reviews claim. I even tried the full stippling method (as in no swirling) and got better results but it took the longest time because the bristles were quite sparse.

e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush has completely murdered my lemming for the MAC 187 (RM180!). This is, hands down, the best foundation brush that I've ever used for liquid foundation. As if the Before and After isn't convincing enough! However, it's not to say that I won't ever buy another skunk brush. They're too cute :D

Read on for the review and step-by-step on how to get that airbrushed effect.

Just like the other brushes in the Studio line, the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush is full black. The synthetic bristles are extremely soft and very dense. It did have a chemical-like scent but it faded after the first wash. With no shedding and bleeding, this is a very high quality brush with a price tag that doesn't match. I'm so stocking up on this!

The brush head size is slightly bigger than the MAC 187SE but the bristles are still flexible enough to get into the edges of the face like the sides of the nose. Quite obviously, the bristles are a lot more compacted and dense. From the picture above, the e.l.f. brush has been used about 5 times while the MAC 187SE only once and you can see clearly which one looks dirtier. The e.l.f. brush does not absorb as much foundation compared to the MAC. With the amount that I paid for my MAC187SE, I could've gotten 3 or 4 of the e.l.f. brushes... *sighs*

Applying foundation with this brush is very easy and fast. First, pour enough of liquid foundation (I'm using RMK) onto your palm. Then, get some foundation onto the bristles by lightly dipping the brush head into the foundation. Distribute the foundation onto your face, starting with the cheek and apply more on areas that require additional coverage. Continue stippling (tapping) until you get a flawless finish, which is within seconds. No buffing required.

e.l.f. Studio products can be purchased from www.eyeslipsface.com or via sgdrugstore sprees.


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Male Blogger Search Finalists

Name : Jeremy aka J.T.

Age : 21






Name : Shazrul aka Cecobi

Age : 23







They've made it through Round 1 and at Round 2, the contenders have completed this quiz with flying colors. These guys really know their stuff!

For the final round, they'll each be submitting a review for the same product. Readers, check back next week for their reviews. We'll be needing your feedback to help determine the winner.

Read on to view the prizes...





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Look + Review: Green Moss

You can't blame me for wanting to camwhore since I've hidden my face for so long. However, to make this post a little more meaningful, I'd like to go into detail about my new favorite product which I've used for this look -- e.l.f. Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Green/Moss. I previously got Black/Smoke but it wasn't the kind of shade that I'd wear often (silver-ish). Green/Moss turned out to be more beautiful than the color shown on the website and it's probably the only cream eyeshadow that I'd wear (and have worn!) without any additional eyeshadow. It's just perfect like that.

Read on for the swatch, mini-review and full description of items used.

Items Used:

Benefit Dr. Feelgood
All About Face Liquid Foundation
Giorgio Armani Loose Powder
e.l.f. Healthy Glow Powder n Luminance
e.l.f. Studio Blush and Bronzer Compact
Beauticontrol Color Control Creme
e.l.f. Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Green/Moss
Stila Eyeshadow Pan in Sage
MAC Pigment in Off the Radar
MAC Eyeshadow in Meadow
MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Dior Eyeliner Crayon in Black
Maybelline 5x Volum Express Mascara
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander
Daiso Auto Eyebrow Pencil
e.l.f. Studio Brow Kit
Daiso Lasting Rouge in K
NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Natural

One end is the eyeshadow and the other is the liner. The eyeshadow part is absolutely smudgeproof and although the liner isn't as good, it has slightly better staying power than the Black liner.

A gorgeous mossy green with ancient gold flecks. Cheap stuff hardly look this good! The liner is a more olive shade with less shimmer.

I tried using only Moss with a sweep of MAC eyeshadow in Zone and no other eyeshadow base (OMG! No UDPP!). After 12 hours, the creasing was bearable which is a whole lot better than any other cream eyeshadows I've tried using as a base. Oh, with the exception of MAC Paint.

Oooh... look what's new from e.l.f. Studio... reminds me of [this] except five times cheaper.

e.l.f. Studio $3USD products are available from http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio or sgdrugstore sprees (Malaysian Residents).


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Review: Jesse's Girl Baked Eyeshadow

The whole baked cosmetics craze has gotten to me and so does not being able to willingly afford MAC Mineralized Blush and Eyeshadows. I spotted Jesse's Girl Baked Eyeshadows at The Makeup Mix Shop and ultimately picked up Evergeen and Volcanic after reading Vanessa's review. That should help hold the cravings for a while.

Read on for the review and swatches.

The first thing that I noticed about these baked eyeshadows was the size. They're HUGE as in quite impossible to finish using. Next was the shimmery-ness of the eyeshadow which made me weary at first that my eyes might be mistaken as disco balls.

Fortunately, on skin, the shadow gives a smooth coloring with just enough sparkle. True to Vanessa's review, these shadows are incredibly pigmented and they pack on well. All in all, good quality eyeshadows.

Evergreen is a fresh teal green with gold shimmers. I got complimented the first time I wore it but then I realized, I have too many green eyeshadows that looks just like this one and with the vast amount of eyeshadows that I have to alternate, it'll literally take me decades to finish using it. This means that I'll be adding it to my Garage Sales soon in hope that it'll go to better hands.

I bought Volcanic to be used as a blush. Ya'll know I can't pull off pink eyeshadows. As a blush, it gives a very sweet plum shade and the glitter gives the cheeks a pretty glow.

In this picture, I've used both of the eyeshadows for my look. Evergreen on the eyes and Volcanic on the cheeks.

Now on to the downside, the entire line of baked eyeshadows only has 4 colors. FOUR! Even foundations have more shades than that! I really wish they'd make more colors and come up with baked blush as well.

Jesse's Girl Baked Eyeshadows are available from The Makeup Mix Shop for $4.99USD.


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ALERT: MAC Brush Dupes! And I'm not talking 'bout Coastalscents

I'm sold. I wanna get the Face Brush Kit which includes 5 brushes at $39!! That's $7USD a brush which is practically a STEAL.

Enpointe of lowyat.net is running a spree [click for spree thread] for Sigma Makeup brushes and her rates aren't too bad either. The Face Brush Kit is RM175.66 which comes up to RM35.13 a brush. Not bad at all!!

I'm so excited!!! :D :D :D Can't you tell?

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Skin Deco Cosmetic Garage Sale!!

It's time I get rid of cosmetics that:

• I hardly ever use
• Are similar to a lot of other things that I have
• I'm allergic to
• Doesn't work for me

Gotta make room for new things, eh? :D [Click to view store album]

There are over 40 products for sale ranging from budget brands to high end at low low prices. All are in good condition and some barely even used.

Read on for purchasing details.

Free shipping for purchases above RM40 and negotiable for purchases above RM50.
There are free gifts for the first RM20, RM30 and RM50

Postage rates:

• Pos Express RM3-4 depending on size
• Pos Daftar RM4-5 depending on size
• Pos Laju RM6-7 depending on size

Cash on Delivery is available upon request (KLCC, Mid Valley until end of this month, TARC area)

Products can only be RESERVED for THREE days. If you'd like to extend your reservation, you're encouraged to make a deposit to secure your item(s).

This garage sale is open to Malaysian readers only. Please e-mail me at smellyocheese@gmail.com if you're interested in any of the products.


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Tutorial: Blair Waldorf with Burgundy Lips

The steaming hot love scene where Blair Waldorf lost her virginity to Chuck Bass in the back of his limousine made "Victor/Victrola" one of the most memorable episodes of Gossip Girl. Yet, the other thing that made this episode memorable to me (although I do love saucy love scenes as much as the next person!) was Blair's makeup during her celebratory dinner with the Archibalds.

For this tutorial, my attempt to re-create Blair's look was awfully feeble since I look NOTHING like her. Oh well, at least I tried and I had fun trying.

Read on for tips on how to achieve Blair's look as well as the tutorial.

Definitely not easy to get the exact picture I wanted but basically for the dinner scene, she wore dark burgundy on her lips while keeping her eyes neutral.

Blair shows off her porcelain pale skin and keep it looking matte and flawless. Her eyebrows are dark and well-defined, matching her brunette hair. She has a very deep crease so try using a dark matte shadow into the crease to give it more depth. Dark eyeliner and eyeshadow are concentrated on the outer Cs of here eyes to make them appear more rounded.

For her cheeks, she usually uses matte pale pink or coral blush. She usually goes for lip colors that matches her cheeks but she occasionally wear dark red lipstick, which stunningly contrasts with her pale skin. She also hardly wear shiny lipglosses. She always looks polished.

Items Used:

Face:
Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie
RMK Liquid Foundation in #103
Missha Perfect Concealer
Giorgio Armani Loose Powder

Cheeks:
Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #6 (cheek contour)
Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #11 (apples)

Eyes:
Beauticontrol Shadow Control Creme
Makeup Masala Mineral Eyeshadow in Priya
NYX Eyeshadow in Dark Brown
Shu Uemura Glow on Blush in P Gold 91
Makeup Masala Gel Liner in Cocoa
Dior Crayon Pencil in Black
Maybelline 5X Volum Express Mascara
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara
Daiso Auto Eyebrow Pencil
e.l.f. Brow Kit in Light

Lips:
Eastgirl Perfect Liner Pencil
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 124 Bordeaux

Prep lid with eyeshadow base. Using a firm eyeshadow brush, apply Priya on the lid and blend from the crease all the way up to the brow bone. Using a small crease brush, place Dark Brown directly on the crease whe you want it. Blend Dark Brown with a larger round crease brush. Add more Dark Brown and repeat the steps to slowly build depth.

Darken the outer corner of the eye by blending Dark Brown into the outer-V. Apply Dark Brown on half of the lower lash line and blend the color inwards to the inner corner of the eye. Using a small brush, apply highlight only directly under the arch of the brow. Line the upper lash line with a thin line and only a tiny flick at the corner. Finish off with mascara and fill in brows.

Yet again, neutral colors always get washed out in pictures. Dang...

Bold lip colors have a tendency to bleed horrifyingly and make girls look like they've just gotten some serious "action". Thus, red lipsticks should be properly applied and not just slapped on. Start by linining the outline of the lips with a lipliner of a similar shade to your lipstick. Take a lip brush and blend the color of the lipliner to the centre of the lips. Since we want rich color, apply lipstick directly from the tube but make sure to color inside the line (kindergarten stuff!). Using the lip brush, get some of the lipstick and fill in the outline. To further prevent bleeding, lightly dust lips with loose powder after applying lipstick.

Darn Asian eyes. Where's that crease??!!

I look so Chinese... bwahahaha.

I couldn't go out with such vampy lips so I wiped it off with a makeup remover and it actually left a rose-petal stain that's quite pretty! My lips look more "voluptuous" than usual. Lol!

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Skin Deco for TiC: Candy Make-Up Tutorials

Spring 2009's eyeshadow make-up trend is all about playful colours that are subtle and wearable. This week we'll be creating two Spring looks inspired by candies - fun "Lemon Drop" for day, and sultry "Chocolate Mint" for night - you'll be looking sweet in a jiffy!

Read the rest of the entry @ Tongue in Chic



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Review: NYX Single Eyeshadows

By the time I've uploaded all the pictures of my new NYX single eyeshadows that I got from Nikki, I just realized that I've never done a review on my Golden NYX shadow (as seen in Chicken Golden Blue) and I've had that for over a year!

Granted, I did not take any pictures of Golden so in this post I'll just be featuring the three new ones. The colors that I've received are Daisy, Hot Orange and Deep Brown.

Read on for the review and swatches.

NYX is definitely THE budget brand for large color selections and quality products -- Lipsticks, lipglosses, eyeshadow pencils, blush, eyeshadows. They have over a hundred shades of eyeshadows and many of them are dupes of more expensive brands, like MAC. In fact, Golden is supposedly a dupe for MAC Amber Lights (picture taken from Lily's blog).

These eyeshadows are super pigmented and they pack on well. The shimmer shades have appropriate amount of shimmer and the matte shades don't go blotchy. NYX eyeshadows not only have a huge variety of shades but also textures just like how MAC has Lustre, Veluxe Pearl, Satin, Frost, etc. The packaging is also very MAC-like with a little window on the lid so that you can see the actual color of the shadow.

Daisy: Packed with golden shimmer, this soft yellow shade has a slightly more powdery texture and doesn't give too much color. I don't like it so much as a lid colors since it's not intense enough but it's great for highlight. If there was less shimmer, it'd be a perfect highlight shade.

Hot Orange: This super fluorescent orange has a few specks of glitter and is insanely vibrant. I've read that it's a dupe for MAC Fab and Flashy from the C Shock collection (see swatch here) but it's a lot more intense.

Deep Brown: I use this shade the most because it's matte and works great for the crease. The deep brown has a hint of maroon in it which compliments asian skin tones well. It's also suitable to fill in eyebrows with. Known as a dupe for MAC Brown Down and from the picture, I'm pretty convinced. What do you think?







I'm looking into getting more colors from NYX and at $3.50USD each @ Cherryculture, they make only very light dents on the wallet.
Malaysian readers, sgdrugstore often do sprees for Cherryculture and Nonpareil Boutique


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Seller + Product Reviews: Acmamall + Bourjois Blush

About a month ago, I was approached by Joe of Acmamall.com to have an online shopping experience in their beauty department.
Acmamall is a Malaysia and Singapore based online “mall” that sells a large variety of products ranging from books, clothes, CDs and of course, beauty products.
Taking the chance to get cosmetics that are not locally available, I picked up two Bourjois Blushers in Rose Ambre and Rouge Bonne Mine.

Read on for more...

Acmamall.com can be converted to several localized versions where the prices are shown in the country’s currency. There is even a local management office in Malaysia which actually made me assumed that my products were being delivered from Malaysia and not Hong Kong. Needless to say, I was rather puzzled when I had to pick up my parcel(s) at the international dispatch office. Registered delivery took less than a week to arrive. Quite peculiar, both blushers were separated and sent as two parcels. The blush pots were very safely wrapped in bubble wrap and surrounded by several inches of Styrofoam pop corn and sheets. They even tied a pretty white stain ribbon on the box. I was very impressed with how they’ve packaged the products but I do wonder – If I had ordered ten items, would I be getting ten separate parcels? Oh and did I mention that shipping is free for cosmetics?

Acmamall’s beauty department carries over 450 brands, including those that are not in the Malaysian market such as Smashbox and of course, Bourjois. However, the product selection for each brand may not be very extensive. But that’s not to say that you won’t be able to get pretty good stuff! Most of the products have prices that are lower than the retail prices but some are slightly more expensive. I blame that on the currency conversion.

Unlike most international online shopping websites that offer only Pay Pal or credit card payment services, Acmamall accepts payment methods that are more favorable locally. In Malaysia, the preferred payment method is through bank account transfer. From Acmamall itself, you can opt to pay via Maybank2u and even log into your account without having to open another window to access Maybank2u. After payment is made and has been verified, a confirmation e-mail will be immediately sent.

Bourjois Blush

I’ve heard so much about Bourjois blushers and I do like anything that’s baked like macaroni and cheese pie...

The blush is packaged in a cute old-fashioned plastic pot(?). I was indeed excited to see the actual product but the moment I popped the lid open, I caught a whiff (or several) of what I can only describe as scent-of-old-lady. Not that there’s anything wrong with how elder ladies smell. My grandma smells of chrysanthemums. But the powdery rose scent of the blush is so strong that it’s as if the entire blush has been made out of dyed talcum powder. I’m usually not that particular with scents but I just couldn’t stand the smell of this. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to smell it on my cheeks but I actually could.

The color of the blush, however, is very pigmented and gives great lasting power. Rose Ambre gives a very natural flush to the cheeks while Rouge Bonne Mine makes the cheeks look very shapely. The latter’s color is still a little too strong for me but it should suit darker skin tones well.

Although I do agree that these blushers are good quality and affordable, the scent needs to be taken out. It’s just too overbearing for me. I’m quite upset that I wouldn’t be able buy another Bourjois blusher in my lifetime merely because of the scent. Unless I come across a really awesome color then maybe.

Two thumbs up for Acmamall.com but only one for Bourjois Blush.


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