Alluring Red | Red Lipsticks

From the left: L'oreal Colour Riche 383 Pink Carat |Maybelline Colour Sensational 550 Cherry Candy |

Bourjois 04 Fuchsia Ardent |Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate #12 |MAC Russian Red |

Chanel Rouge Allure Garnet Fire #48 |NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

Every girl must own a red lipstick as it is not only an item that defines your femininity, but also a magical bullet that can transform your whole entire look with a few sweeping motions. In my opinion, a red lipstick is essential for an occasion where stealing the spotlight is the aim. Red is a colour of seduction and arouses our senses, meaning you can never go wrong with a red lip, whether you're on a date, a girls' night out or even just a chill lunch with your gal pal. 

L'oreal Colour Riche 383 Pink Carat

This is a sheer lipstick that is suitable for those of you who are not brave enough to wear a bold red lip. The sheerness gives your lips a hint of red, which is perfect if you are wearing heavy eye makeup but still want that touch of red to give you a sense of sexiness. It has some shimmer running through it to give your lips that extra bit of 'umff' if you are having a casual lunch with your main gal but still want to look dressed up. 

Maybelline Colour Sensational 550 Cherry Candy

This is also a sheer lipstick, but it is buildable to create a bold red lip. It has a glossy finish, so a lip gloss would not be needed. It is also quite bright, so I would recommend it for a day time look. 

Bourjois 04 Fuchsia Ardent

Although it looks matte on the bullet, it has a satin finish, which is suitable for both day and night time looks. It lies towards the pinkish side, but could be layered to a bright bold red. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate #12

With a satin finish, this lipstick applies on very smoothly and is very pigmented. However, I find that it slips and slides throughout the day and could be a a hassle when you're eating. I would not recommend it if you are on a date or having a drink with your gals, but it would be a stunning colour if you are going to the movies or shopping and want a bright orangey red lip. It is definitely a summer/day time colour. 

MAC Russian Red

This is the definition of a bold red lip. It has a matte finish, which means it has a very high colour payoff. Although it can be quite drying as I found my lips flaking after a few hours of applying it, it is the 'perfect red' that beauty gurus out there so often describe. 

Chanel Rouge Allure Garnet Fire #48

Personally, this is my favourite in the whole category as it is the perfect burgundy shade that doesn't look 'emo' but still gives you that grungy look. The picture does not do the lipstick justice, as it appears much brighter than it is when applied on the lips. The colour is a combination of red, brown and plum. It has a satin finish, which allows you to intensify the colour by layering it. It has quite a glossy finish, though it doesn't look like you've applied a gloss over it - the amount of shine is perfect. It is also the least drying out of all the lipsticks mentioned. What can I say...you pay for what you get! 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

Very similar to MAC Russian Red, this has a matte finish and creates a bold lip. The colours are also quite similar, though I think this is a deeper red and less drying than MAC Russian Red. A lip balm is essential as a base before application. It has a relatively long lasting power and does not slip and slide, which is a safe product to use if you're planning to wear a bold red lip to a date or girls' night out. 

What's your favourite red lipstick?

CHESS

January Favourites

From not owning a hair brush to using multiple hair sprays and mousses on my hair after I wash my hair, I've been completely drawn into taking good care of my hair. This month, I've been enjoying a few hair products and a few makeup items.

Given a sample of the Oscar Blandi Hair Lift thickening and strengthening mousse in Sephora, I've been using it on damp hair to give it a bit of texture and volume. It is in a mousse form, which doesn't make my hair feel greasy nor does it give it that crunchy effect. It goes smoothly on my hair and once brushed through, my hair dries with much more volume. It claims to plump and expand hair with strong flexible hold, which I completely agree.

I've also been enjoying the Charles Worthington Shine Booster all over gloss spray as my hair can look a bit fluffy and dry after use heat on it. This is when this product comes into rescue - with a few spritzes, it transforms my dehydrated hair into healthy, sleek, gleaming hair. With added Crystal extract in the formula, it smoothes away flyaways and gives your hair a vibrant gloss.

Makeup wise, I've been totally obsessed with the Santhelia 1-2-1 Lash Extension System - commonly known as 'magnetic lashes'. I've receive tons of compliments on my lashes whenever I use this as it gives the most natural yet false-lash-looking effect. Even my dad was not convinced that I was only wearing mascara! How it works is that you use the first mascara for adhesive properties and volume and the second mascara for fibre extensions and length, then the first mascara again to seal everything together - hence, the name '1-2-1'.

For my lips, I've been reaching for the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in Y2K801 (15) the most. It gives the most natural peachy tint to my lips whilst keeping my them moisturized. I also like that it has a glossy finish as I find that matte lipsticks can look (not only feel) drying on my lips. This colour is perfect for a natural day time look with a peachy coral blush and some mascara.

To set everything in place, nothing beats the Urban Decay De-Slick makeup setting spray. It is a fantastic alternative to using powder as it leaves a non-cakey yet matte finish to the skin, whilst having oil-control properties. It also helps keep foundation and everything else from sliding and fading throughout the day. The only problem I have with this is that it is quite pricey and I tend to waste a lot of product as I always miss my face when spritzing it.


What are your favourite products for this month?

CHESS

Face Of The Day #1

This is my first post of the 'Face Of The Day' series, which is basically just me showing you guys what I'm wearing on my face, along with descriptions of the products I use. Today, I went for a more natural and fresh look.

EYES

For my eyes, I decided to mute it down and so, I lightly sweeped The Body Shop eyeshadow in #13, which is a matte creamy white colour, across my lids to give it a swash of colour and cover up my veins. This also helps brighten up my eyes.

For eyeliner, I tight lined using the Dior waterproof eyeliner pencil and created a thin line with a small flick at the end on my upper lid with the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. Both eyeliners stay put throughout the day and are very pigmented - aka, they are jet black. I then used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude to tight line my lower last line, which also helps brighten up my eye.

For mascara, I used the Bourjois Volumizer mascara in Ultra Black, which has two steps (two brushes) to it. You're supposed to use the smaller brush for the first coat to give it some volume and use the other bigger, fatter brush for another few coats to achieve up to 11x more volume. Although it did give a lot of volume, it didn't give much length, which isn't really an ideal all-in-one mascara.

For my brows, I used the Sleek Brow Kit in Medium. I took the angle brush that it comes along with and dabbed it a few times into the wax then a few more times into the powder and filled in my brows according to its shape. I find that this method creates a more natural effect as the harshness that the wax creates is toned down by the powder, whilst using less product as I don't need to use extra powder to set my brows.

FACE

 I didn't use foundation as I feel the need to use it on a daily basis - it's too heavy and unnecessary if I'm just doing some errands! I used the Shu Uemura concealer to cover my blemishes, which I'm not a big fan of as it is quite drying for my skin - it sets on my dry patches - though, it gives a decent amount of coverage. I normally contour my face, but, as I said, I was going for a more natural look today, so I just used blusher on the apples of my cheeks to give it a pop of colour. The one I used is NARS Orgasm blush, which is a peachy pink colour with some golden shimmer running through it. It gives the most natural, pinky glow to your face!

LIPS

Although it looks like a very bright colour in the tube, this YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in 62K801(15) - if that even is the name of it - has a sheer and glossy finish. It is the perfect nude colour for my skin tone as it has a slight peachy tint to it. It is also quite moisturizing on my lips and glides on very easily.

To give my lips a bit more shine, I topped it up with the Benefit Dandelion lipgloss, which is a peachy nude colour. It even tastes like peaches! It's not very sticky or glossy, which I love because I wanted my makeup to look natural and fresh.

What are your makeup essentials for a natural/fresh look?

CHESS

Beauty Wishlist #1

I've been eyeing on these products for a while but never had the chance to purchase them, mainly because I already have similar makeup products (or enough makeup to say the least). The product that I've recently added to my wishlist is the MAC Instigator lipstick, as it belongs to the Punk Couture line, which is limited edition.

1. Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
2. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
3. MAC Painterly Pro Longwear Paint Pot
4. MAC Shroom Eyeshadow
5. MAC Instigator Lipstick


What's in your beauty wishlist?

CHESS

New Purchases! (Chanel, Shiseido, Elizabeth Arden)

Hola mis bonitas!

Today, I am going to show you guys the new goodies that I've added to my makeup collection recently. I actually bought these babies around a month ago, but decided to blog about them now because I wanted to do a review on them as well!

1. Soleil Tan De Chanel

First of all, I bought this beautiful bronzer from Chanel, which I've wanted for so long. It is in the form of a mousse and quite frankly, I was quite skeptical about this product at first, despite the hype of it. I was worried that it might apply too heavily on the face as I personally like dusting bronzers/blushers gently for a natural finish...perhaps, I thought I could have more control over the amount I'd like to use with powder bronzers/blushers. However, I was so impressed with the formulation of this bronzer because, not only did it apply easily onto my face, which meant blending the harsh edges was a piece of cake, the colour of it also helped in creating a very natural finish. Although it only has two shades, I feel that either of them would be suitable for all skin tones because it blends with the skin very well, which means that as long as you blend the product sufficiently, it will leave you the most bronzed up, dewy and natural finish. 

2. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip Protectant Stick in SPF 15

This is my second tube and honestly, I cannot preach this item enough! This is by the far, the most hydrating and sooting lip balm i've ever used! It does not leave a sticky finish, nor does it feel heavy on your lips. It doesn't have a particular scent, which I love about it because, I hate tasting the artificial flavours of fruity lip balms. The packaging is also a win for me too, because unlike other lip balms/chapsticks, it comes in a sturdy, white tube that looks almost like a packaging of a lipstick! Seriously girls, this should be a staple item in your lippies collection!

3. Shiseido Eye Brow Pencil

This is a luxurious buy that my god mother had given me. I was never into filling in my brows as I have quite dense brows. However, after testing this product out in the store, I immediately fell in love with it. It comes in two part: the power and the pencil. On one end, it is a pencil that twists up and on the other end, it is a power with a spongey applicator. It is a very clever and handy product as the pencil can be used to shape the brows and the powder can be used to fill them in. I also really like the packaging of it because the metallic grey tube may it look very luxurious and the fact that the pencil is a twist up makes it a lot easier to use. 

All in all, I am very impressed with the products that I purchased and am loving them to death so far! Please let me know if you guys have tried any of these products or/and would like me to do similar reviews in the future! 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Stay beautiful.

xx