MAC LIPPIES HAUL!

I've long heard about these, and how SO MANY raves about them cute gun bullets. I tried to avoid them just because I didn't want to follow the crowd, but realised I couldn't anymore. Im curious to know what these babies are all about, and I want to know if they are over-hyped!

So recently, I went on a Carousell-trade hunt. I have so many makeup products and extra duplicates that I decided if I needn't spend extra money, I wouldn't mind trying them out! BUT the thing about Carousell is that they are so many fakes out there! Nevertheless, I found resellers who seemed "trustworthy enough" (and also considering the fact I got lucky cause they didnt mind the trade!).

These are the few I've got, and here's how they look like when I just received them.

Do you spot the difference that I see? I've had this really bad feeling about this batch because they came from different resellers - but how can the same company make different looks of its packaging?

Do you see another 3 big differences in their barcodes? I got REALLY scared that I've received fakes sold as "authentic" and immediately whatsapp-ed one of my friends who was a fan of MAC Lippies- she owns many collected over the years.

Here is how they looked at the base of their gun-bullet packaging. Note the difference in print and emboss too. I was going out of my mind whilst trying to smell them out- I've heard how fakes were bad at copying the original packaging and they have very bad effects on one's lips. They smell like Vanilla Cream to me, not of the plasticky-fake sort of smell (If you get what I mean). BUT, we can never be too sure especially when the source is not known- I was not trading away my pricey authentic cosmetics for fakes!

Coincidentally, I was at a mall having dinner with TM (my bf) and mum-in-law, and there's a MAC store there. I made a quick errand to the store and spoke with the store manager - whilst she checked and I compared them to their originals (S$30 each) - and I realised one thing - their packaging weren't consistent too.

The manager explained - MAC is a multi-million international brand, and they have stores all over the world; which meant that there are gonna be different suppliers handling various big loads. Different areas in the world receive different items, though their ingredients stay the same. Different batches, have different emboss/print on them as well and mine, came from different parts of the world (lol). They get forwarded and stocked to/from different places so its normal. The plasticky smell vs Vanilla Cream smell though, she says.. "Is true".  Of course, I felt overly sensitive at that moment and smiled stupidly. I got worried for nothing.

Phew.

Enough said, here are the colours!
Left to Right: Limited Edition Viva Glam Gaga (Lustre), Honey Love (Matte), Kinda Sexy (Matte), Please Me (Matte), Candy Yum Yum (Matte), Impassioned (Amplified), Lady Danger (Matte).

I hadn't noticed that I traded for more Matte finishes than others, not that I mind! I really hate how some lipsticks left my lips sticky and uncomfortable.

Now to the lip swatches + wearability swatches! Please pardon the bad lip swatches (I have VERY dry and uneven lips, also.. it's my first time and I will try to do it better in the next round!) All of them are colour edited to match how it looks like in real life- NOTHING ELSE is edited! See my bad chapped lips?? Anyway, this is about the lippies... focus on the colours k? :D

Viva Glam Gaga (Lustre)-  Limited Edition - Cool Pink Tone
When I first opened it, I went "Oh this is very Gaga". I think I could carry this off when I had blond hair, but now that my black roots have already grown out, I don't think us Asians can carry it off very well. You will need a very dramatic eye look to go with this so you don't look "sick". This came of as a chalky application and you would need a few layers to even it out, and though its finish was "lustre" it felt more like a chalky matte to me. Sadly, I don't think things will work out between me and this new found love.

Honey Love (Matte) - Light beige toned with rose
This shade is well loved by all- it is so smooth and easy to wear, but I felt a little washed out after I saw the picture of myself. It is a bad idea to take pictures with a lippie without any makeup on right??? Well, a friend of mine was with me when I first put this on (with makeup), and she loved how it looked like on me. I however, think it makes me look like I don't have a mouth. Agree?? Nevertheless you can pair this up with almost anything- from a natural look to a dramatic one, its easy to match.

Kinda Sexy (Matte) - Neutral Pinky-Rose
This is also another well-loved nude colour. I like this more than Honey Love because it has the teeeeeniest hint of peachy pink to it. I foresee using this a lot.

Please Me (Matte) - Muted Rosy-Tinted Pink
This is your everyday pink that is just the right amount. It doesn't come off as "too much", yet it is still noticeable. An alternative to nude! I love this and I'd be using a lot of this too.

Candy Yum Yum (Matte) - Bright Pink/ Fuchsia
This is a popular favourite that will give you a dollish look! I feel that this fuschia will look good on many skin tones, and I can see why its a favourite! I like it too~

Impassioned (Amplified) - Amped-up Fuchsia
This is like a pink-coral-red mix for me, and I like how unique this shade looks! I would use this on a lazy day when I only have foundation and eyeliner on - just to get that flush of colour.

Lady Danger (Matte) - Vivid Bright Coral Red
Isn't this pretty? I've never owned a bright coral red and I have always wanted to! I see this alot on k-drama, and I find that it gives a very classy look to the wearer.

(Tip!) If you're wondering why my lips don't look THAT chapped even though I complain so, that's because I've recently been trying out a new product: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (S$27). It seriously does wonders! I've applied that in between lip swatches so the swatching would not burn my lips.

Hope this helped and let me know if you have any colours that you'd like me to try because you absolutely LOVVVVEEEE IT. Should I haul on MAC soon?

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Thank you for reading!

Tippy's Favourite Blushes (Part 2 - Matte/Shimmer)

I'm back and I know that I mentioned in the last post that we will be moving on to some of my best matte-er shades. But before I continue, I have to admit that I got mistaken when I was planning this series and upon looking at their closeups, these blushes are actually a mix of matte and slightly shimmery ones! Nevertheless, they are still one of my favourites so please enjoy this post without labelling them entirely "matte". I will still be labelling which is shimmery/matte.. Im really very sorry about this mistake! T_T

If you haven't read the Tippy's Favourite Blushes (Part 1 - Shimmery), you can do so Here.
Alright let's go!!

These 3 blushes are from MakeUpGeek (MG) and despite looking very matte on skin, it contains a little bit of glitter (which are too little to be captured on my camera). MG is one of my favourite online brands ever and I want to own all of their products! I stalk their site + social media so consistently, and I really respect how Marlena (owner of MG) works so hard to let us have the good stuff without breaking our pockets! Im always excited to hear from her and the first to sign up for new product launches.

*Side note: Marlena is sick (allergy reaction) atm because of testing formulations for us. Product launch this july/august are gonna be delayed but it dont matter, get well soon please!

Top down Swatches & their corresponding pans: Hanky Panky, Secret Admirer and Spellbound.

MG's products come in either Pan or Packaged, which gives you the freedom of choice to customize your own palette/ individual collection - I always purchase them in pans and keep them in a ZPalette. Also, they are very affordably priced for their quality so when they JUST released these blushes, I purchased 3 of them at a go. They are USD$9.99 each and you can get them Here.

Next up: Etude House Lovely Cookie Blushes. I own 3 shades of these, and 2 of them instantly became my favourite. I've just pictured all of them here in case someone wants a swatch comparison (: Side note: I bought these when I was on a trip to KL during christmas season sale - but you can buy them Here at a discounted price (almost the same price as Korea).

 From left to right: #06 Grapefruit Jelly, #04 Carrot Cheesecake, and #03 Raspberry Tart.

Close up of swatches, you can see which contains shimmer:

#06 Grapefruit Jelly (most left) is my favourite of the trio, and it is matte. I always get compliments when I wear this! #03 Raspberry Tart (most right) is a very vibrant pink which shows up with a purple undertone on my skin - this has some glitter but alike MG's blushes, it is not obvious. #04 Carrot Cheesecake (middle) lived up to its name and made me look like a carrot- which I am not a fan of.

The Etude Cookie blushes are smooth and applied very well, but they drop off easily and do not have a long wear time - they became my favourites partially due to this feature they had (dropping off easily but prettily), this was because I could pack loads of product on my cheeks without giving a hoot when I am in a rush. BUT one thing I didn't like was that it made the glitter in #04 carrot cheesecake travel all around my face. I don't fancy this look, but that is just me, and maybe some people are okay with it because it gives them a "glowy" effect.

After some rubbing, get what I mean? (: It's very light but there is still something there- so it gives a very natural finish after some time (30mins on my face / externally oily).

Another blush from Etude House which applied very naturally and lightly was this:
The XOXO Minnie Touch Blusher, how cute is the packaging!

This blush is limited edition, and I don't think you can get it anywhere anymore. The last time I checked, it was still available Here online. I wanted to show you how it swatched in comparison to the other permanent etude blushes available, and also to thank the darling who passed it on to me (she has dark skin). Therefore, please note that this shade will work only on very fair to medium fair skin.

Left to Right - Purple, Darker pink, Lighter peach, All Mixed.

I am usually the fairest/ 2nd fairest of foundations and I use this mixed, as a base below any other blushes to make my skin look fairer than it actually is. (Oh, mini tip!) However, no matter how good it applied, I felt that this blush wasn't buildable (it will not go heavier than this).

Last but not least, this very pigmented orange blush "Lover" from Illamasqua ! My bf bought this for me when we were in BKK, when Illamasqua was not readily available in Singapore yet. You can however, view them now in Robinsons Orchard.

This is how it looks like in its packaging (below)- picture taken from an online source because I have popped my pan out of the packaging and I cant find its case.

Swatch of it:

Unlike any other orange blushes I've used, this did not turn me into a "carrot" XD , somehow it made me look slightly tanner than I was, and gave me a beautiful healthy flush! The formulation of this powder blush is matte, highly pigmented and finely milled so application was flawless. Just a little of this went a long way for me (above is a very light swatch)- but despite its cost I felt that this was well worth its price! I don't use this everyday, only on special occasions because, well its costly for me and that it lasted longer when comparing it to the Tarte blushes. 

I found almost all their powder pigments to be SO pigmented, and went back to Illamasqua repeatedly. I currently own 3 of their brow powders (I cannot live without them), 2 nail varnishes, an eyeshadow and a foundation powder pact. I will be back to swatch them for you... till then!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope this review + swatches helped! Please let me know your favourite blushes because Im curious like that!

That's all folks! Please remember to follow/ subscribe, share and comment!
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**Btw I have 18% code on Zalora and I don't have anything to buy, you can use it under their 'Sephora' tab for cosmetics and others! Comment/ Email/ Text me for the code. First come first serve!

Tippy's Favourite Blushes (Part 1 - Shimmer)

With cosmetological advances, there are plethoras of blushes released from time to time; Cream to Liquid to Powders, and even transitional cream-to-powder forms as well! I wanted to show you my all-time favourite blushes by far, dissecting them by their brands, then cross-comparing them with similiar colours. They will be in 2 separate posts; today's covering the more "shimmery" shades, and the next being all about the matte-er ones.

A word of warning: all these are my favourite blushes, you may find some parts of this series repetitive when Im comparing their application/ touch, or maybe you will go "ALL OF THEM SO GOOD MEH?" But yes, precisely because all of them are great to me, I've included them in here! I emphasize again, that I did not include those I didnt like - All products in this series are bought with my own hard-earned money, or gifted by my friends. All opinions are my own.

Shimmery Blushes
To me, Shimmery Blushes give off such a glow that they can double-act as a highlighter. Besides the two star powders from Gerard Cosmetics which I reviewed Here, the other highlighter/ blush that I'm quite impressed with are those recently released by NARS: "Dual-Intensity Blush Duo" - I bought them for my mom for Mother's Day!

Left to Right: Adoration Duo, Fervor Duo

Sorry they looked used- because they are. I haven't decided to open this blog until lately so these reviews are on products that my mom and myself have been using or have already just started using!

These beautiful NARS blush arrived in a "brick" pattern with embossed lines, they are shimmery and long-wearing, and feel like wet powder that don't budge from where they are placed unless you have a very oily skin type. They can be applied both on its own or wet, and the latter being lower in intensity. These are limited edition and available at Robinsons Orchard, NARS Counter for SGD$60 (not including GST). Here are some corresponding swatches (dry, swapped only once):

Next up will be from a brand loved by many - Colourpop. I'm sure many of you have already heard of them and their creams-to-powder intense pigmentation + consistency. I lusted over them since last year but didn't get any because they aren't available to ship to Singapore yet! However, as my birthday gift earlier this year, one of my childhood friends (who is currently in New York working) decided to ship a truckload of products from this brand to me! I feel so intangibly loved and blessed, thank you sisssssy! If you're reading this, I love you duper duper much <3 Without further ado, their recently-released highlight range -

From left to right: Stole the Show, Wisp and Tasty.

Similiar to their eyeshadows, these are sponge-y to the touch and are best applied with fingers / synthetic flat brushes. BUT that is not all! These are NOT creams, and feel like powder AFTER application.. and are only USD$8 a pop! The above picture are their sample sizes - they released these as gifts with purchase - the same size as their shadows which are USD$5 per pop. If you have a way to bring them in from the states, click Here for the link.

Corresponding swatches (swapped only once):

The one I thought looked most mundane in pictures surprisingly was my favourite out of the three; some duo-chrome properties can be seen in Tasty; a pink glitter within a coral hue - which I managed to capture only on video:

Speaking about duo-chrome properties.. next up will be from one of my favourite brands: Tarte! Being a student, my first ever blush from them felt very expensive for me (SGD$45 in Sephora), and I purchased it in a single shade- Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in 'Glisten'. I removed the packaging so it can fit in my ZPalette with my MG blushes (: So here is the product in its pan:

Glisten is a beautiful coral-pink filled with gold glitter that reminds me of NARS' well-raved blush in 'Orgasm'. It has been over a year since I purchased it- until today, I love it and rarely use it because I don't want to ever run out of it. Below is a swatch:

I don't only own 1 blush from Tarte: below is the gorgeous palette 'Pin-Up Girl" (SGD$59) - it contains 2 shimmery and 3 matte Limited Edition shades. I know I shouldn't be including the matte shades in this post but its in the palette together ><" It doesn't look like your regular palette in a box- the powders are safely clasped within a soft exterior clutch. I ADORE this packaging. This is a Christmas gift received by another childhood friend of mine (I'm such a blessed girl, right!?) Thank you, love!

Colours Top down (Swatches from Right to Left - all colours swapped only once):
Irreplaceable, Bashful (Shimmery), Whimsy, Embraced (Shimmery), Breathless.

Last colour on the left (not in the pin up palette) : Glisten.

Before I end this post, I will just finish this section up with 3 shimmery individuals that I love from 3 different brands -

In their packaging and the swatches (Left to Right, swapped once): 

Laura Mercier 'Highlight 01'- A very fair white shimmer with a hint of pink - a very very subtle glow for fair-skinned ladies!

 Too Faced 'Snow Bunny'- When mixed all together, they give a very pinkish gold glow, I like to use it when I am wearing a very natural look and want a healthy glow to my face.

Sigma Beauty 'Sweet Thing'- This is very similiar to the duo-chromed 'Glisten' from Tarte, just darker in pink towards the rose-ish hue.

Alright, that is all for now! I hope this review + swatches helped! :>

Just a short notice here: Even though some of the pictures may not look as "great" when in comparison to the pictures you look online, but all of them have been edited to match its true colour in real life (to my best knowledge) - which means there is NO HEAVY FILTERING, nor EDITS.

Also, when I mention "swapped once", what I mean is I have only dipped into the pigments once, and put it on my skin in one sweep- which also means I did not go back in to build their colour to add on its intensity to look "nicer" in pictures. This is in hopes of showing their authentic colouring and comparison of these products. So you see, all the blushes are actually very smooth and pigmented.

As a consumer, I've tragically bought a mass amount of products thinking that they look gorgeous in their pictures only to be disappointed - because let's face it, some of us can only get some products through online sources so there are no other ways of seeing it truly on your skin. So.. I'm sure all of us want some accurate colour comparisons, unless we want holes in our pockets for nothing right? (:

Thank you for reading this lengthy post, it ended up pretty long despite myself trying to shorten it as much as possible! Please do let me know how you feel about your favourite shimmery blushes and I will be back soon for Part 2 of the Tippy's Favourite Blushes!

Read Tippy's Favourite Blushes Part 2- HERE.

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Morphe Brushes Online Haul (Part 2)

Hi! So I'm back with the 2nd installment of my Morphe Brushes (MB) Haul! If you haven't read the first part on falsies, magnetic palettes and eyeshadows, Click Here to read it. Enough of the wait.. here are the wonderful brushes I've bought!

In this MB haul, I've bought mostly brushes because I am looking for the perfect brushes for my mom. These brushes are synthetic (cruelty free, yay!) and are so affordably priced! The set on the left (look at that colour, I really like these!!) is the Set 680 - 10 Piece Vegan Brush Set - USD$45.99 now USD$22.99 (Click Here to view) I also bought some other brushes and I'd be talking/ comparing some of them later.

Some price comparisons to similiar sets:

Source Credit: Luxola.com

Zoeva Complete Set - S$196.99 (Click Here to view)

Source Credit: Luxola.com

Sigma Beauty Mrs Bunny Essential Kit - S$209 (Click Here to view)

From left to right:
Tarte Airbuki Bamboo Foundation Brush S$43,
Kent Kabuki Brush S$69.90,
MB S16 Deluxe Ultra Soft Kabuki USD$6.99 USD$4.89 (Click Here to view) ,
MB S18 Deluxe Pointed Kabuki USD$6.99 USD$4.89 (Click Here to view)

The Tarte's Airbuki bristles feel taut and firm - I use this with powdered foundations and they give me a HD coverage. The Kent Kabuki is really big and fluffy, but I have only used it once- it pricks my face and I dont think its suitable for sensitive skin types. These 2 brushes are on the higher end tier, when compared beside the MB Kabukis - see the price difference! I've used them too- so soft, not scratchy and they don't shed (I've only washed them once though).

In the Jar: The MB Vegan Tapered Blush Brush and Tapered Powder Brush beside my Zoeva 106 Powder Brush (Click Here to view). 

In front are the Kabukis for size reference!

The MB Vegan Foundation Brush beside the Sigma Beauty (SB) Mrs Bunny F60 Foundation Brush (Click Here to view).

A close up picture of all the other smaller brushes for you to compare! They are the usuals- nothing super special but they are very soft; I will talk about a few of my favourites and some of their comparisons.

From Top down: 
MB Angled Brush,
Zoeva 317 Wing Liner S$12.99 (Click Here to view),
Real Techniques (RT) Brow Brush (Part of their set- link later below).

The MB Angled Brush is like a hybrid between the Zoeva's and the RT's. The RT Brow brush is the "thickest" of this lot, so it makes picking up pigments and blending a dream, while the Z's 317 is very thin, making it perfect for a beautiful gel cat eyeliner. I use the MB Angled brush to do shadow application on my eyes like how I do with an eyeliner - just for a soft finish.

THIS! Nothing I ever own came close to RT's "flat but fluffy" Deluxe Crease Brush. You can pick shadow with the "flat side" of the brush and still be able to blend it! The MB's Oval Fluff Brush is like the ultimate dupe. Sadly, these brushes are only available in their sets and not sold individually.

Source Credit: Luxola.com

Real Techniques Starter Set - S$39 (Click Here to view/ buy)

These are the other brushes I bought individually!

From Top down: 
MB S18 Deluxe Pointed Kabuki, 
Kicho Foundation Brush (S$20ish, from SASA - I'll check again!), 
SB F86 Tapered Kabuki (bought in a set - I'll show it below),
MB Gunmetal- G8 Tapered Powder/ Blush Brush (USD$16.95),
MB Elite- E3 Precision Pointed Powder Brush (USD$16.99).

I've never thought that I could find something softer than my F-series Sigma Kabukis. Well done, Morphe! The Elite collection are seriously the softest brushes I've ever come across, and even though they are pricier than the other brushes available on MB, they are well worth the money. The Elite collection are also Limited Edition (not confirmed as of now), so grab yours just in case! But no matter what, I still love them all (in this picture)- they are the softest of the gazillion brushes I own. (I show only the good stuff I like, so I have LOADS more I just set aside and dont talk about because nehhhh they dont work for me).

Here is how Sigma's 5 Kabuki looks like, just in case you want to have something to refer to:

Source Credit: Luxola.com

Sigmax® Kabuki Kit 5 Brush Set - S$117 (Click Here to view/ buy)

Left to Right (Top down):
SB E40 Tapered Blending Brush S$25 (Click Here to view),
Zoeva 228 Crease Brush S$14.50 (Click Here to view),
MB 23 Round Blender USD$11.98 USD$5.99 now (Click Here to view)

All of them are super soft, and I use all of them diffuse shadows- they do it really nicely. However, I feel that the Zoeva one might be a TAD bit more flimsy than her other two sisters. Not that it affects performance greatly or makes a huge difference though. Alright, last brush design that I wanna show you!

Left to Right (Top down):
Real Techniques Accent Brush,
M213 Smudger Brush USD$1.99 (Click Here to view)

This is a really really teeny tiny brush to add details, and I like to use it to add a pop of colour right below my bottom waterline. I dont think I need to say more!!

Lastly, discount codes. Read Part 1 Here for discount off Morphe Brushes site! Also, I have discounts on Luxola, but I won't be sharing them on the site as its a personal discount code- feel free to contact me to ask about them though!

I hope this review helped! Comment below / email me your favourite brushes!! Don't hesitate to ask me anything - I'll try my best to answer them! Ciaoz~