Test Run: Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Vibrating Mascara

Subject: Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Vibrating Mascara

Pre-Verdict: It's clearly performing better than its high end counterparts (Estee Lauder & Lancome)

Have you tried it? Any thoughts?


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Too Much for the Office? What Do You Think?

Did you really think that I'd resort to soft browns just because I work in a cubicle?

Of course I know my limits and not go to the office with dark smokey eyes or yellow eyeshadow (No, wait. I've tried that!). Nevertheless, I'm still happily experimenting as long as I don't go too far. FYI, Rainbow Eyes would be going too far.

So, to make up for being such a lousy blogger lately, I'll post up my work makeup on the Skin Deco Facebook page (if I can manage) and do a recap on the blog later on.

Check out three work looks after the jump!

Note: The sun isn't fully out when I leave for work so quality of pictures may not be the best.

Tuesday

Eyes: I Nuovi Metallogy Eyeshadow in Tin (lid) + Burberry Eyeshadow in Midnight Plum (outer corner) + Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sabbath (lower lash line)

Cheeks: Ettusais Cheek Color in PK6

Lips: Anna Sui Lip Gloss R in 750

Tip of the Day: Avoid taking makeup pictures so soon after sweating

When you're sweating and taking flash pictures, your skin's gonna look uber blotchy. It's about 7 minutes of brisk walking to get to the office so by the time I tag in, I'd be sweating like I've just been out of the rain (Yes, I'm exaggerating but I do sweat a lot!). Powdering too much is never a good idea for big sweaters.

Thursday

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Antique Gold + NYX Eyeshadow in Iced Mocha + Lotree Eyeshadow in #12 (dark navy blue)

Cheeks: MAC Blush in The Perfect Cheek

Lips: Clarins Joli Rouge in Heather Pink

Tip of the Day: If your eyebrows are not in agreement, hide the funny-looking one with your bangs.

I can't stress enough that having well-groomed eyebrows make a world of difference in makeup. If you have no time at all for makeup, the very least you should have neat and defined eyebrows. Sadly, they aren't always obedient and sometimes it's just impossible to get the arch to look right. Thank goodness for bangs.

Saturday (Seminar)

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Antique Gold + MAC Eyeshadow in Typographic

Cheeks: Anna Sui Double Cheek Color in 03

Lips: Stila Lip Glaze in Guava

Tip of the Day: If you can't find a highlight eyeshadow, make do with your pressed powder.

Working on a Saturday calls for a little rebellion. Well, a mild one at least. With the right application, even black eyeshadow can be work-appropriate. This one's simply done too with a shimmery eyeshadow base, blended with pressed powder.


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Review: C. Michael Tricologica Hairomatheraphy

For many years, I didn't quite care what I used on my hair. Nothing really worked to managed it. Many drugstore brands tend to disagree with it; oily scalp, flakiness, sticky residue, tangles, etc. With that, my hair started to develop a pricier taste in hair care.

Then came C. Michael Tricologica Hairomatheraphy. From the packaging to the content, I wouldn't have guessed that the range was highly affordable. More importantly, it didn't go against my hair like most drugstore brands do.

Read on for the reviews...

Scalp Improvement Shampoo

The runny-textured shampoo lathered really well and the smell reminded me of a shampoo or body wash from my childhood. I'm a big fan of nostalgic scents! Generally, I won't have problems with itchy scalp unless I use the wrong shampoo. This one's definitely the right shampoo because I haven't encountered any flakiness or itchiness unless I haven't shampooed in a few days. Yes, I don't wash my hair everyday! My hair feels soft after washing and it doesn't frizz up as much. I'm definitely liking this for frequent shampooing.


Cream Shampoo

This one's specially formulated for color-treated and/or permed hair. It's quite a thick cream but again, lathers really well. The scent's different than the Scalp Improvement Shampoo but still pleasant. It difficult for me to decide if it makes a difference to colored hair in terms of preserving the color but for hair that has been bleached and dyed three times in less than 4 months, at the very least my hair doesn't look completely fried. The shampoo claims to add volume and movement, which I certainly can't deny. But having quite a lot of hair to begin with, volume isn't too welcomed. If you have thinner hair, I think you'd like this shampoo more than I do.


Cream Conditioner

Remember how I was talking about the Rene Futerer conditioner looking deliciously creamy and solid while the Pantene one had that transparent-ish color. Well, the latter was chock-full of silicone, which made my hair uber heavy and sticky-looking. C. Michael's Cream Conditioner looked like an expensive conditioner. It's a thick, solid cream which does not contain silicones (at least I can't spot any in the ingredient list). My hair felt soft and silky with knowledge that it's not just a temporary effect from the silicone. The formula doesn't build up and is comfortable enough for everyday use.

BTW, that's 3 pumps

Essence Professional

It's some sort of a leave-in conditioner that provides instant moisture and UV protection. Sadly, I didn't like this product at all. It made no visible difference to my hair and it surely doesn't help to control my frizz. The pump's convenient but it dispenses too little product that even for my short hair, I had to use about four pumps before I could "feel" anything.

Nevertheless, I'm quite impressed with C. Michael's line of hair care products. I take comfort in knowing that I can still get quality hair care products at affordable prices.

Available at Watsons, Jusco, Isetan KLCC & Sogo Price Range (Retail): RM 16.90 - RM 24.90 Price Range (Promo): RM 15.21 - RM 22.41

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Updates: What's New + Giveaway Winners + Feedback

Before you start losing faith in me, rest assured that I'm not giving up on my blog anytime soon! I've just started a new chapter in my life and let's just say I'm still very much adjusting to working life while attempting to balance it out with what's left of mine. So much so that I missed Skin Deco's 3rd Anniversary! Not something I'm proud of, believe me.

This blog has played a significant part in my career decisions and I am faced with challenges that I probably could've dodged if it wasn't because of my love for Skin Deco. All I ask is for your patience.

On a lighter note, Bobbi Brown has taken an image twist with their Pretty Powerful collection and Burberry Beauty is finally in town!

After the jump, I'll also be announcing the winners of the Double Prosperity Giveaways (OMG Finally!) and a little bladi-blah on the feedback you've given me.

Very well, Bobbi Brown didn't quite stray with the color selections of their Pretty Powerful collections but check out the packaging! It's very unBobbi-like, isn't it? The front part, at least. Some may find it a tad tacky but I personally feel it's refreshing. Of course, it's probably too much to ask for a more daring color selection. They retail at RM230 each.

Two weeks ago, I got the chance to experience Burberry Beauty. The line was predictable yet in many ways, surprising. The colors offered are generally sheer but there are several impactful shades such as a gorgeous smokey purple eyeshadow and a bold red lipstick. The packaging is obviously divine with ample of heft. It'd be interesting to see how the brand develops.

I know, I know. It's been too many weeks since the closing of the Double Prosperity Giveaways. Better late than never, I have the winners!

Congratulations to:

Rachel Phan from Vietnam and Sabrina Aziz-Bahaman from Malaysia!

---------------

Realizing that there weren't many entries for the Facebook Skin Deco + I Nuovi giveaway, I asked for your feedback and I'm very appreciative of them.

A "Like"-based contest is nothing new so I figured why not just give this contest mode a try. As it turns out, most of you did not like the fact that the giveaway had become a popularity contest. Giveaways are all in good fun and before this, the winners are chosen by random but I guess it still gives a better chance of winning. I hope none of you will feel too disheartened over this contest. I've considered your comments and I'll certainly look into more effective ways of executing giveaways in future. Or if you're comfortable with the old random choosing method, I can stick with that :)


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Review: Ettusais Cheek Colors

When I first saw the Ettusais Cheek Colors, to be honest, I was apprehensive. I usually lean towards warm and golden bronze when it comes to blushers. I wasn't quite sure what to make of two seemingly pastel-colored pots of cutesy blushers. With a mini sponge puff attached no less.

Looks can certainly be deceiving.

Look at that pink. Does that look like anything that I'd normally reach for? It's called "Innocent Dolly Pink" for goodness sake! Also known as PK6. The only reason why I broke into the blush was because I wanted a soft pink blush for a pin-up look that I did. I didn't think that I'd end up liking how much the blush looks on me.

Click for tutorial on this look

The color was soft yet visible. It appeared matte and yet it gave such an effortless glow. There's shimmer in there but they're incredibly fine that you can't actually see them on your skin but you'd notice the effect. The pink is neither too warm nor too cool. I was very surprised that it worked on my skin tone and I can imagine it to be quite gorgeous on fairer skin tones as well.

Another thing that's surprising about this color is how buildable the color is. I was truly expecting a sheer shimmery blush that's quite typical of Japanese brands but this one's truly unique. It stays on as well.

The Ettusais Sweet Marble Cheek Color is packaged exactly like the Cheek Color but in the pan, instead of just one color, you get a swirl of three. The main color (orange) is the most apparent one, the 2nd color (pink) assists in the blending while the lightest color (pearl) aids in providing the glow.

Shade OR4, again, looks rather pastel but when worn, it can look pretty warm on the skin. The color, although not particularly unique since most of the blushers I have are of similar colors, is very much buildable and blends out well as it is applied.

My biggest gripe about these blushers is how small they are! They're about the size of a Stila Eyeshadow pan. But then again, with the amount of blushers that I have, I probably won't hit pan anytime soon. Another downside would be the packaging. It's not the best-looking kind of packaging you'd come across but it's still cute (mostly due to size). Also, I'm still not feeling the mini attached puff even if it is really soft and smooth.

Ettusais Cheek Color retails at Ettusais counters for RM65 while the Sweet Marble Cheek Color (Limited Edition -- Available March 2011) is RM70. The Marble Cheek Color also comes in pink while the regular line of Cheek Colors come in a mix of pinks and oranges.

*The products featured in this post were provided by Ettusais Malaysia for the purpose of review on Skin Deco

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Reviews: Max Factor False Lash Effect + Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash

I like 'em thick and long with a good curve.

Read on...

Before you start reporting this site to the Cyber Nanny, I was talking about my lashes. In this post, we're gonna take a gander at the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara and the Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash mascara.

Max Factor's entrance to the Malaysian market was highly anticipated with the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara as the brand's debut. Being a brand well-known for its mascara, especially the 2000 Calorie Mascara, having high hopes for this mascara was bound to happen.

The bulky tube looks like a carrot with a matching silicone-type brush that's surprisingly maneuverable despite its size. It reminded me a lot of the Cover Girl Lash Blast.

Getting a gigantic mess the first you use this mascara should be expected. The formula is very wet and takes at least 10 minutes to dry so in that duration, avoid sneezing. I'm serious! It has happened to me before and well... I'll let you imagine what a sneeze smudge looks like. I had to reapply my under eye concealer.

The formula eventually thickened up and the mascara was starting to grow on me. It separated my lashes, held them up and lengthened quite a bit. However, the effect wasn't really similar to having on falsies and you should know very well that I'm generous with my coats. Nevertheless, I was comfortable with the outcome since my lashes do look significantly enhanced and yet natural. I experienced no smudging and flaking from this waterproof formula.

Retails for RM66 at Max Factor counters. Kinda pricey for a mascara but still acceptable.

My favorite mascara of ALL TIME is the Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash. So, is the Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash just as good?

If you haven't figured it out, "Aqua" refers to the mascara being waterproof. The original Smoky Lash is washable.

Is it just as good? Yes and no. Compared to the original, Aqua Smoky Lash has a slightly drier formula that may clump when I over do the coats. The tube also dries up faster than the original. However, when it came to the effects, they were just as superb. My lashes looked dramatically thicker, longer and curled. The plus point for being waterproof is that I can cry or walk in the rain with this mascara on. While the original doesn't smudge, it comes off with water which is good for removal but not for rainy days.

Retails for RM105 (I think!) at Make Up For Ever counters.


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