Review: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

The Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow comes in 9 shades and has a gel cushiony gel texture which reminds me of jello. With that being said, this doubles up as both an eyeshadow and gel eyeliner. I got the color in Mirifique, which is a shimmer black. It has very pigmented and its silver glitter sparkles beautifully in the light.

It comes with a brush ideal for putting on this eye product. The brush allows for both eyeshadow and eyeliner application. It is very easy to draw both fine and thick lines using this. Color may also be piled up to create an opaque bold line. I find that it has great staying power and is great for tight lining. Personally I dont use this on my waterline.

Swatched on my hand. The above is a thick line ideal for eyeshadow application and the bottom is a thinner line for eye-lining. As you can see, it is very luminous and sparkling.

This is a photo of the ingredients list. 

Pros: 

-easy to use 

-can be both used as eyeliner and eyeshadow 

-long wearing 

-very pigmented so you only need a tiny bit 

Cons: 

-may be some drop out here and there so make sure to apply primer before using this and apply to eyelids bit by bit 

Who may like it?

 -anyone who wants a long wearing glitter gel eyeliner or eyeshadow 

Score: 

4.5/5

 I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. -Makeupmacaron

Review: Dior Sweet Chérie Pinks Eye & Lip Palette

Recently, I have gotten the Dior Sweet Cherie Pinks Eye and Lip Palette which is exclusive to Sephora stores in spring 2013. It opens up to reveal  a mirror, 4 eyeshadows and 4 lip products (1 lip balm, 2 lip glosses and a lip stick). It also includes a double ended brush and sponge applicator. 

As you can see from the amount of product I used already, I really like this pallet! Its so convenient yet contains everything I need to create a everyday look. As pictured on top, the lip products come in one side and the eyeshadows come in the other side. From the order of left to right is the lip balm, 2 lip glosses and lip stick. They're pink based and gives a natural, healthy finish which I love. The eyeshadows (from left to right shimmering white, soft pink satin, mauve, smoky grey), however was less pigmented than i expected but nonetheless allowing a very natural makeup with a subtile pink shimmer.  The colors also work together to contour and compliment my eye shape. They are also very easy to use and blend, I can even do my eye makeup while on the bus when i use this. 

Swatched on my hand, the colors are quite sheer. Lip products on top and eyeshadows on bottom. In order they appear in the pallet. 

Pros:
-convenient

-natural colors with a slight pink shimmer

-cute packaging 

Cons:

- none, from my experience

Who may like this
-anyone who wants natural point makeup in a compact pallet 

Score:

5/5 

 I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 

-Makeupmacaron 

Review: Lancome Eau Fraîche Douceur

The Lancome Eau Fraîche Douceu also known as, Micellar Cleansing Water Face, Eyes, Lips, has been my daily morning facial cleanser for about a month's time already. As it is a cleansing water, it does not be rinsed, making it very convenient and time-saving in my morning skincare routine. I just put 2~3 pumps of the product on to a cotton pad and wipe on my face, leaving it feeling fresh, clean and toned. Unlike many cleansers which I have tried before, this actually makes my skin feeling moisturized! Sometimes I even bring it out with me and quickly use it to wipe my face so i can feel refreshed, but of course that is when I dont have makeup on. 

The cleansing water, also claims to be able to remove all, eye, face and lip makeup, including waterproof ones. I would say that it does a decent job in removing base and lip makeup, but for eye makeup it would require a lot of product and some tugging to get the job done. However, it has not been able to remove my gel liner and mascara fully and I often have to go over with an eye makeup remover to get the residue out. (That may only be because i use too much of the stated makeup products, though; I have heard from some of my friends that they were able to remove even those with this cleansing water.) Overall, my own personal experience would state this as a good cleanser, but may not be the best makeup remover I have tried.

Here is a picture of my hand with  primer and waterproof eyeliner pencil on.

I used around 3 pumps of product and with a little tugging action, the makeup products have been absorbed onto the cotton pad.

All clean!!

Pros:

-convenient  and does not require rinsing

-gentle and not drying

-effectively cleanses base and lip makeup

-can be used "on the go", great for hotter months and seasons! 

-lightly scented

Cons:

-may not be effective at removing certain eye makeup

Who may like it?
-anyone who wants a refreshing, convenient and gentle cleanser 

Score:

4.5/5 

 I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 

-Makeupmacaron 

Review: Burberry Velvet Foundation

Attracted by the beautifully packaged bottle with the signature Burberry plaid on the cap, I decided to give the Burberry Velvet Foundation at try in color trench 01. It has a rather fair color with yellow undertones and leaves a semi-matte finish. The sales associate told me that this is an oil-free formula, is good for all skin types and even better for those with combination skin.

I am currently having a love-hate relationship with this product; on days on in which I have smooth, exfoliated, moisturized and acne-free skin, the finish of this foundation is AMAZING. It make skin look velvet and glowing, natural skin. It also does a decent job of retaining moisture. HOWEVER, on days when I do have dry patches or acne, this foundation places emphasis on them rather than fixing them. It clings to dry patches and makes acne look even more obvious.  After various attempts in hope that different primers and application tools (brush, sponge, fingers) would improve the look of this foundation on my flawed skin, I have finally given up and decided that this foundation would only be used on days when I have nearly perfect skin. To be honest, I’m disappointed, for its price tag I was hoping for better. I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to get through the bottle, as perfect skin doesn’t happen often. The good thing about this foundation, though, is that it is able to provide coverage while looking natural, so I seldom use a concealer for my acne scars and dark eye circles with the use of this foundation.

Furthermore, on days even when I have good skin, this foundation tends to get cakey in a short period of time.  Even with primer, this foundation tends to move around my face a lot making spots look uneven and I have even experienced  shine while using this foundation. Its gel texture also requires fast blending, as it sets rather quickly on my skin.

Pros

-looks natural

-beautiful bottle

-able to cover up uneven skin tone (such as scars without the need of a concealer)

-nice floral scent

  

Cons

-cakes up

-places emphasis on dry patches and acne

-moves around your face

-may be considered expensive

Who may like it?

-people who want natural looking foundation

Score

3/5

It comes in a long and slim bottle with the iconic Burberry plaid on the cap.

Its a very long bottle! 

It comes out in a gel formula that sets quickly. Be sure to work fast! 

Blended on my hand. It leaves a smooth texture on my skin while looking natural. 

 I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 

-Makeupmacaron 

Makeup Beginner 101: BB Cream

BB (Blemish Balm) cream has been one of the popular fads in the Asian cosmetics market, with Korean brands taking the lead with their various different kinds of it. It has already hit the western market in recent years and western companies are launching their collection of BB creams too. But, you may ask…

WHAT exactly is BB cream?!

To make it simple, BB cream serves the same purpose of foundation and I know some people who like to think that  BB cream is just an upgraded version of foundation.  The formula was originally formulated in Germany and was supposed to be use on those who had undergone cosmetic surgery to help heal their skin. Somewhere along the way,  cosmetic companies have taken the formula and made it into a combined makeup and skincare product. BB cream is supposed to improve and address various skincare concerns with providing SPF and coverage. (To make it simple, think of it as a multipurpose product composed of  foundation, primer, moisturizer and sunblock.) Because of this, BB cream is supposed to save time and steps in your skincare and makeup routine. Some may find BB cream good enough to substitute their normal moisturizer with a BB cream while some may chose to use BB cream on top of it. I personally use BB cream on top of my normal skincare routine and may use primer or not depending on the formula of the BB cream. As with foundations, BB cream also comes in a variety of coverage and finishes.   Some also include concealer in their formulas so even more steps can be saved. Although BB cream does not come in a lot of shades, you are supposed to use a thin layer of it so it blends in with your skin tone.  However, from what I am seeing in the market now, more options are available.

So BB cream or Foundation?

I personally use both BB cream and foundation. I tend to use BB creams over foundation in the summer due to their SPF and lighter weight/texture. The BB creams that I have tried usually offer less coverage than foundation so I would also use them on days when I want to look more natural or less “made-up”. I also use it on days when I want to save time on my makeup and skincare routine as BB cream saves steps.  The downside to BB creams, however is that they don’t provide long lasting coverage so you would need to touch up every so often. I would recommend using BB cream on days when you do not require long lasting high coverage. They are also worth using just because of the various skincare benefits too!

I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 
-Makeupmacaron 

Review: Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis

The Meteorites Perles du Paradis is of  Guerlain's spring 2013 collection and is limited edition. The container and the balls in it is a bit larger than the usual Meteorites and also includes a cute puff applicator. The packaging of the product is very cute, going with the pastel pink color scheme of the pearls.

The pearls come in a few pink shades which is supposed to illuminate your skin with a pink glow with subtle shimmer. However, it does have a floral fragrance which disappears quickly after application. (I personally love this fragrance though.) When these colors are swatched together, it is supposed to color correct your skin tone and to reflect light. The pink glow also compliments the bright and pastel color schemes of spring makeup. Furthermore, when this is used as a setting powder, this sets and keeps my foundation on all day. I personally find that using this gives the illusion of having perfect skin (and have been complimented).  I would recommend this to anyone who would like to have "glowing" skin with a pink glow.  This has really became my holy gail of setting powder! 

Pros:
-delicate shimmer
-keeps makeup on all day with a glow
-cute packaging and colors 

Cons
-the packaging isn't really sturdy, this one is made of cardboard as opposed to other meteorites that were in tin cans 
-pearls may break if dropped, or if package turned upside down

Score
5/5

I hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 
-Makeupmacaron 

Review: Guerlain L'or Radiance Concentrate with Gold

(image taken from official Guerlain website)

Guerlain L’or Makeup Base is one of the best primers that I have used so far.  It is quite pricy ($76 CND) for 30 ml and contains real 24k gold flakes. The product itself comes out as a clear gel texture and 1 pump is all I need to prime my whole face. The gold fakes blends out effortlessly while having anti-aging skincare benefits. I really notice the difference on days I use this and on days I do not. It not only adds radiance to the facial complexion  but it also helps to moisturize the skin and keep the makeup staying on longer. I usually use this lightly scented primer along with my Guerlain foundations but have still gotten positive results even when I combined it with foundations from other brands.  I have been using this primer in the winter season (its very dry and cold in where I live) and have noticed that I have had less dry patches and cakey makeup clinging to them. I have also gotten less acne with continued use, maybe due to the healing power of gold? However, this primer did not do an adequate job of minimizing and making my pores look less visible.  At the 6~8 hour mark I did notice my skin feeling a little oily with shine, but that can also be due to my teenager skin so I cannot fully judge if it is due to this particular product. Overall, the benefits outweigh the negative aspects of the product and I will definitely repurchase for my winter skin primer.  

Pros:

-light weight

-keeps makeup staying on longer

-adds radiance

-moisturizing

Cons

-the price

-does not have significant pore minimizing effect

-may get oily on the T-zone depending on the skin type you have

Who may like it

-people who needs a moisturizing and anti-aging primer

-people who wants to prolong their wear of makeup

Score: 4/5

 hope you found this review useful and should you have any questions, feel free to post comments. 

-Makeupmacaron