Best in Makeup 2015

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year! I hope you have had a great break =)

This is the time of the year where everyone starts reflecting on their live, achievement, etc. While we are doing so, let's take a look at my favourite, tried and true favourite beauty products of 2015. I apologise if some of the products look really beaten up, but hey, it just means that I use them all the time =)

1. Foundation

I have two favourites for foundation in 2015, my no.1 favourite has to be the Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat, followed by the Borjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation. I have a normal to dry skin and I live in a super humid climate, however, I found that these two holds up on my face for more than 13 hours. What I love most about it is that they give me a healthy looking glow that last all day <3 I love to use the YSL one for when I am taking my blog photos too because it give slightly glower finish. However, the Borjois one lasted slightly longer (maybe about 16 hours or so).

2. Concealer

My most troublesome area has to be my under eye circle. It is extremely bad =( What I found work the best to cover up your deep, dark circle is by using a creamy concealer which has a peachy undertone. Here are my two favourite one from high end and low end: Benefit Erase Paste in Medium and L.A. Girl Pro Conceal in Nude. To be honest, I prefer the L.A Girl one slightly better because it does not settle in my fine lines as much. Benefit Erase Paste is doing pretty well, though it will settle into your fine lines if you over powder it.

3. Eye Primer

Now, don't even think to put eyeshadow if you don't prime your eyelid! My favourite one so far is the Innisfree Eye Primer. I love it better than legendary Urban Decay Primer Potion guys! Pretty mind blowing, I know. Anyway, the reason why I love this primer is because it performs as well as Urban Decay in terms of my eyeshadow staying power but it does not dry out my eyelid area as much. The best part is that it is so affordable, I think it is around $10 =)
4. Eyeshadow

However, I haven't met any eyeshadows that perform better than Urban Decay's eyeshadows. They are clear winners in my book for the past 5 years now. Urban Decay came out with loads of palettes and I have to say, all of them are beyond great! However, my favourites are the ever so popular Urban Decay Naked Palettes! (I guess they are popular for a reason, right?). The original is still my absolute favourite because of the color selection and I think the shadows are slightly more buttery but I did use Naked 2 a whole lot too last year.
5. Eyeliner and Brow

My fave eyeliner of 2015 is the L'Oreal Ultra Sharp Super Liner. I love it because it is really black, easy to use and long lasting. I think this stuff lasted longer than my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner that I love. 

For eyebrow, I am still loving my Benefit BrowZing. Not only that the color matches my brunette hair perfectly, the wax also makes the brow powder lasts all day <3 As you can see, I practically "murdered" my BrowZing.

6. Mascarra

The winner of 2015 Mascarra goes to Benefit They're Real! I feel like my lashes love this massacre, it lengthens and volumizes the lashes like no other. They are not waterproof but it last pretty long on me, just don't jump into water because it will smear.
7. Blushes

I have loads of blushers, so picking up a favourite is a nightmare for me =( However, in terms of formulation, my favourite pick is actually the Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush. As the name suggests, it lasted so long! Love this blushers! I am dying to get more shades. Sadly, it is not sold in SG, so I have to order it online from the UK.

My second favourite is the Clinique Cheek Pop. I feel like it is very cute and the cream powder formula lasts on my skin for quite a long time too. I mostly enjoy the texture of the blush.

8. Contour and Highlights

Well, what can I say? Ever since Kim Kardhasian took the world, contouring and highlighting became extremely important, didn't it? Both of my favourites in 2015 are from MAC. These are my go-to products because I love love its color, texture, blend ability and staying power.

MAC Soft and Gentle has been around for as long as I am wearing makeup and it has been most people's go to highlighter. As you can see in the swatch, it is very beautiful and will give you a subtle glow.

MAC Blush in Harmony has been my favourite contour shade for so long because I love the color, it is on the cool tone side which works really well to contour the nose and cheek bones. I also love that it is very long lasting on the skin. However, I am NC25- NC30 in MAC and I think if you are any darker than me, Harmony might not show up well.

9. Face Powder

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder has been on my skin the entire 2015. It just sets the makeup beautifully, it never cakes up and it does not flash back in flash photography =)
10. Lipstick

MAC Lipstick is extremely great! I think they have the best color selection, finish, scents and texture. It feels very comfortable on the lip. It may not have the best staying power though so you have to keep reapplying.

My honourable mention has to go to Wet and Wild mega lasting lipstick. It is my newest discovery, hence the festive red color. OMG, it is so beautiful, long lasting and surprisingly creamy. I think if you want to get fun color, definitely get this lipstick, it is very affordable too =)

L'Oreal Shine Caresse Lip Stain has also been my long time favourite lip products. It is very long lasting yet glossy at the same time. I love these products and I definitely relied on my Juliette shade to satisfy my red lipstick cray throughout the holiday season. I love wearing this to party and events where I have to mingle and meet loads of people because I don't have to worry about reapplying them.
11. Nail Polish

Alright, my favourite nail polish of the year has to be the Innisfree nail polish. They are amazing, they applies so smoothly,  they don't chip easily and they have a wide variety of colors. The best part? It is only $4.00 I think - amazing bargain! One downside though, this nail polish contains less product as compare to the China Glaze/ OPI polish, so just keep that in mind =)

Alright guys, if you are still reading this, thank you so much!!! <3
I wish you amazing year ahead and good luck finding your true beauty soulmate.

-Esther

How to make your makeup stay all day

Hi everyone,

Living in a country where summer is basically on its full force all year long, I have learnt a lot of tips and tricks to make your makeup stay long! I am saying like 16 hours or more kinda longevity.

Today, I am gonna share some of my fave tips and products that can combat the heat and humidity of Sunny Singapore =)

Here are the overview of my fave makeup products

First, make sure to apply base to your face makeup. There are a lot of different ones in the market, but my fave is the Laura Mercier foundation primer. It is amazing for sensitive skin as it does not contain silicon. 

However, I have found this eco safety suncreen by Innisfree that blew my mind. 

It has an SPF of 50++ which is crucial to protect my face from the crazy sun exposure here. The best part is that not only that it is not sticky but it also controls my oil throughout the day, making it a great makeup primer. So, I always wear this sunscreen everyday as it kills two birds with one stone =)

Try:

Innisfree Eco Safety No Sebum Sun Milk

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

If you are someone who likes to wear foundation, I would say to go with the light to medium coverage foundation. Do not wear full coverage foundation on daily basis, it won't do your skin any good. I have two fave foundations at the moment, they are different but they have similar performance in terms of coverage and longevity.

Try:

YSL Le Teint Touch Eclat

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Concealer is a must in my book, but you need to use different types for under eye circle and blemishes.

For my blemishes, I love to use a dryer formulation concealer that are matte while for my under eye circle, I always use a salmon color concealer that is more emolient.

Try:

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer for blemishes

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer for under eye

Powder is a must if you live in Singapore! Even if you don't have oily skin, the humidity will make your makeup slip and slide. There are a lot of great powders in the market but I am currently using Rimmel Stay Matte powder.

Don't even think to apply eye shadow without an eye primer! 

My fave one is by Innisfree, I like this one better than the ever so famous Urban Decay Primer Portion =) 

Try:

Innisfree Eye Primer

For cheeks and lips, I would recommend using a cheeks and lips stain. It lasts so long and you can even wear it for swimming and it won't budge.

Try:

Benetint by Benefit

Holy Berry Tint by Holika Holika

Eyeliner and Mascarra are hands down the toughest one to keep from smudging. So, finding a great one that works and does not smudge are key! It took me years of trials and errors but I found that gel eyeliner performs the best. My current fave is by Bobbi Brown. 

As for mascarra, the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascarra is amazing. It gives volume and length and it is waterproof.

Try:

Bobbi Brown Gel Eye Liner in Black Inc

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascarra in Black

Eyebrow is an it thing in 2015, everyone is going for a thick, full brows look thanks to Cara Delevigne! I am definitely not complaining as I have naturally thick brows too. Choosing a waxy brow formula will make your brow stay longer. My fave one is BrowZing by Benefit Cosmetics.

Finally, the ultimate long lasting makeup secret is the makeup setting spray! It is like a hair spray for your face. Urban decay makes a few that are amazing, I have tested it many times and it works wonder =)

Try:

Urban Decay Setting Spray in All Nighter

I hope this article is useful for some of you and thanks for reading :)

Stay Chic,

Esther