Review: Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Garden of Eden Palette

A few months ago, I blogged about my Sleek MakeUP haul and I finally am reviewing the eyeshadow palettes that I bought. 

As blogged 4 months ago, I bought the Sleek products from the Sleek website itself because international shipping was incredibly and surprisingly cheap. Only £1.67. What?! Even some Qoo10 sellers from Korea charge more than that. So yes, I got 2 eyeshadow palettes and a blush.

The Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Garden of Eden Palette costs £7.99. The palettes are really much cheaper than what some local online stores are selling them for. 

I bought 2 palettes, and I'm very proud of myself because both palettes belong to colour categories outside of the nude/neutral category. This Garden of Eden palette still has a few nude shades but the focus is on those beautiful green and purple-pink shades. 

Ingredients List

Great effort from Sleek MakeUP to include some kind of application instructions. But doesn't really help that much lah because I think a visual representation will be much more helpful and impactful. Like skip the many many words, and just put 5 different eyes for the 5 different looks.

But, hey, still great effort! Better than only stating the ingredients list and such usual sections right? I'm really just nitpicking here.

Packaging: Sleek MakeUP products always has very ... sleek (for lack of a better word) packaging. Simple and chic black outer packaging, very reminiscent of NARS product packaging. One more thing that I absolutely ADORE about Sleek MakeUP eyeshadow palettes is the huge mirror. Not just a tiny, bo sim (Eng: no heart/heartless) mirror, but one that is the same size as the entire cover. Excellent!

Pardon the reflection, those are my legs. :P

Pigmentation: 10 out of the 12 shades applied with great and commendable pigmentation. The 2 bottom left eyeshadows (Entwined and Adam's Apple) are just difficult to work with. Entwined is still buildable, maybe after like 5-6 layers, but for Adam's Apple, it's just bad. I can't replicate the vibrant pastel lime green shade at all! It just looks powdery and after you gently rub the area, the eyeshadow disappeared completely. Why like this one??

On a positive note, the other 10 colours are gorgeous. I'm glad they added a few matte/semi-matte shades to this palette. Sleep MakeUP eyeshadow palettes used to be filled with mostly frosty and shimmery shades.

Application: The frosty/shimmery shades apply buttery-smooth. No streakiness and they are really easy to blend out. The matte/semi-matte shades are more tricky, but nothing too challenging if you have the correct eyeshadow brushes. If you have a blending eyeshadow brush, it will take you longer to blend out the harsh edges of the matte/semi-matte shades, but still do-able.

Lighting: Normal cloudy day

Lighting: Normal cloudy day with camera flash switched on

Longevity: You definitely need a good eyeshadow primer if you have oily eyelids. Last weekend, I applied Paradise on Earth on my entire eyelid and a bit of Eve's Kiss in the inner corners WITHOUT an eyeshadow primer despite knowing that I will be out for almost 12 hours (yes, very stupid). I applied at around 1130ish and 6 hours in, I started to see the oily lines forming on my eyelids. 10 hours in (we were having karaoke session), the purple-pink hue disappeared completely and it became more murky and greyish. I don't know what chemical reaction was happening but aiyah just apply eyeshadow primer before these eyeshadows!

Will I buy it again? Of course! Sleek MakeUP is always coming out with new palettes. Currently, they have the Del Mar II palette and this palette packs in some summer-appropriate shades like a hot peach and a canary yellow. Not really up my alley, but usually they introduce more subdued shades in autumn/winter, so I am eagerly waiting. Also hor, I now have 6 Sleek MakeUP eyeshadow palettes, so I don't mind expanding this collection lah. :D

Have a great day guys! 

Sleek Makeup Haul (Surprisingly cheap shipping?!)

Blush in Rose Gold
I-Divine in Garden of Eden
I-Divine in Vintage Romance

Late night itchy internet-browsing fingers always lead to surprises. I was curious how much shipping fee would be charged if I order from Sleek Makeup, so I loaded my cart with products that I would definitely purchase if the shipping fee was unexpectedly low. It was only 1.67 pound shipping to Singapore via Standard Mail? What?!

I checked out immediately.

Some more I had a 10% off coupon ("welcome10"), so the blush was 3.74 pounds and the eyeshadow palettes were 6.66 pounds each. I paid slightly over S$35 in total for these three items. WHAT?! Please ah, one eyeshadow palette from local online shops already costs more than S$20 hor.

Sometimes, anyhow curious then check things also good.

Review: Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace (Thank you Luxola SG!)

It has been long since I updated this space. I'm so sorry to all my readers! I have so many things due this week and I have been procrastinating (like always) and so everything just piled up. =_= Lesson for all university students - never procrastinate, or just try not to procrastinate so much. 

ANYWAYYY, I bought myself some Sleek goodies from Luxola.com! 

The Sleek Makeup blushes have been raved again and again by beauty bloggers everywhere and so of course I was intrigued! I purchased one last year, but it shattered to pieces and I'm now too heartbroken to use it because every single time I open it, more blush powder will be wasted. :( I know I should fix it soon, but as you have already noticed, I'm a procrastinator. So yes, I'd rather get a new Sleek blush. :S

First of all, before we go into the review of the Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace proper, I would like to comment on Luxola.com as a whole. My shopping experience with them was thoroughly enjoyable and a breeze. Even shipping was quick and my purchase was hand-delivered to me within 3 days for free! Amazing amazing experience! So thank you Luxola.com!!

So yes, I bought the Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace for only S$17! Currently there's a promotion going on for various credit card holders. More details at the end of this post! :) 

Packaging: Sleek Makeup has sleep packaging. Such an expected description and I'm not ashamed of it because it is really sleek! No busy and colourful designs, just a simple black, semi-matte packaging with the brand logo emblazoned on it. The packaging just makes the brand looks more expensive than it really is!

Pardon the eeky hair on the carpet. YIKES! 

The three colours included in this blush palette are:

1. Crochet - a bright orange with minimal shimmer. I think the formulation is quite matte. 
2. Guipure - a gorgeous pinkish-red with ultra-fine gold shimmers. 
3. Chantilly - a bright coral red with minimal shimmer. 

I'm such a predictable person. From the way I describe the colours, it's obvious that my favourite shade is Guipure. :D

Swatches taken with camera flash

Pigmentation: Ohmygosh, let's talk about how pigmented these babies are. They are so pigmented, you need a light hand to avoid looking like a clown. I prefer to see it as a positive thing because it means you are definitely getting your money's worth! The intense pigmentation can prove to be a challenge for those just starting out with makeup but hey, you learn from your mistakes! All three colours are beyond beautiful but Guipure does it for me. The ultra-fine golden shimmer is so breathtaking. It's one of those shade whereby under sunlight it looks like a normal blush shade, but with flash photography, you look like a bronzed and blushed goddess. AMAZING! <3 a="" always="" and="" brush.="" brush="" build="" can="" colour="" do="" easier="" ensure="" excess="" hand="" have="" i="" is="" it="" light="" ll="" minimal="" much="" my="" nbsp="" off="" on="" once="" or="" p="" product="" remember="" remove="" s="" swirl="" tap="" that="" the="" then="" these="" this="" to="" too="" twice.="" twice="" up="" use="" way="" what="" when="" with="" you="">

The amazing Guipure. 

Blush formula: The Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace has a powder formulation that can rival high-end brands. I'm dead serious. It's not powdery at all and it applies beautifully with a cheap or an expensive brush. After the blush is applied on the cheeks, it does not look like you have powder blush on, instead it looks more like it has a velvety texture, which is odd, but a very much welcomed odd. 

Longevity: The blush stayed on my cheeks for an entire day, like an entire 13-hour day. The colour did not fade at all, which is mind-boggling to me because I have more expensive alternatives to this set, but they don't last as long! Great job, Sleek Makeup! 

Will I buy it again? I will not buy Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace again, but I will buy it in other colours!!! My mind is telling me that I should collect these blushes because of how good the quality is! 

And yes, here's the information to the current credit card promotion that Luxola.com is having! My Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace was initially S$20, but I got S$3 off because of the promotion, so yay! :) 

Thanks for reading and I hope you have an amazing shopping experience with Luxola.com too (and no, I'm not sponsored or anything, I'm just impressed by them and hence I must share the love).

Have a good week everyone! :) 

Everyday Make-up Routine + Jazzing it up a lil!

I have been asked quite a lot on the everyday makeup products that I use. So here's a post to answer all the queries that I have on that topic! 

I used to buy makeup products just for the sake of buying, but nowadays I keep repurchasing things that I like, and I hesitate a little more when it comes to experimenting with new brands. The reason is simple - I don't want to risk my skin from breaking out. As I get older, my skin gets more and more sensitive to the chemicals used in such products and so usually I take the easy way out and just stick with the products that I know will work fine on my skin. 

The first section is just for face alone. Not everything is used on my face at one go; I rotate between products or just simply apply what I feel like applying. 

ZA Two-way Foundation - has been a favourite of mine since secondary school days. I strayed in the past, but always come back to this powder because it's fantastic! 

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Foundation - Not kidding about the "Stay Matte" claim. This liquid foundation also has no SPF in it, so it's good for days when you know there's a lot of flash photography involved. 

Maybelline Pure Eraser Mineral Liquid Foundation - My current favourite liquid foundation. Amazing product! 

Heroine Beauty Perfect Sunscreen - My default primer. Makes my skin so smooth and high SPF content too! 

L.A. Girl Pro.conceal - I used to hate this product but ever since my skin became the shipwreck that it was, I realised this was the only concealer that covers well but will not break me out. So I have officially jumped ship.

MISSHA Under Eye Brightener - I only use this for my dark under-eye areas. Works like magic.

everydayminerals blush in Viki's Radiant Creation - I use this blush when I feel like I need a more orange or coral cheek look. The fine sparkles are pretty too!

M.A.C Beauty Powder in Pretty Baby - On days in which I like pink cheeks, I will turn to this beauty powder. Extremely buildable and the colour is not too ra-ra!

elf Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in SunKissed - I always turn to this product whenever I need to look more alive. I don't use this for contouring though because it's quite sparkly. Usually what I do is I apply after my blush to make my cheeks more radiant!

Go-to eye products! I always use them!

NYX Eyeshadow Base - This product deserves more love from the beauty community. I tried both the UD Primer and the Too Faced Primer. This one works as brilliantly. So why pay more? :)

Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Trio in 12 Lotus Flower - I mainly use this for the nude colour. I will apply it all over my eyelid area and that will be all my eyeshadow work.

I like to layer my mascaras so here are my current two favourites - Tony Moly Cats Wink Mascara and M.A.C Zoom Fast Black Lash.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion - The blackest of black eyeliner with an amazing amazing AMAZING formula and staying power. I'm just sad I'm using it so much. I need to get a new one soon!

Heroine Make Liquid Felt-tip Eyeliner - I always use this to do my cat-eye or winged eyeliner. Of course years of practice help when in comes to the perfect winged eyeliner but this is a good product to start with!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Midnight Cowboy - I like to apply this on my inner undereye area because it creates the illusion of larger and more awake eyes!

When I see the need to jazz it up a little, or when I have a little bit more time, I turn to these products the most! More time equals to more products and more colours!

• Urban Decay Naked Palette
• Sleek Pout Polish in Electro Peach
• Too Faced bronzer
• Fresh lipbalm 
• elf Blush in Candid Coral

Yay! Hope this answers the queries! Have a good week ahead! :) I'm going to Bangkok in another 12 hours' time! Shopping galore!!! :D

Review: Sleek Blush in Flamingo

I have always wanted to try Sleek's blushes because of all the raves online. Hence, when I saw this going for S$8 on sgbeauty, I HAD TO GET IT. It wasn't in my most wanted colour (Rose gold!) but I can definitely see how much I like the texture/pigmentation on my face!

Review: Sleek Blush in Flamingo

I bought L.A. Girl Pro. Conceal Concealers too, but they are crap. Not worth reviewing at all. 

Ingredient List

Very very sadly, the item came damaged in the mail. The blush was cracked beyond help! :'( However, I can't not use it right? There's so much product in it!

This is the real colour of the blush. The above photo look very orange due to my room's yellow lighting. Flamingo is a hot and loud pink blush that is less disastrous-looking on darker skin-tone individuals.

Of course, I'm not saying you fair ones should avoid this altogether, but you need a very very very IMMENSELY steady hand to apply it beautifully and without looking like a ge-tai singer wannabe.

Pigmentation-wise, there's nothing that I'm unhappy about. It's bloody pigmented to the point that I need to dab my brush on the product SUPER gently to avoid looking like a clown.

Application-wise, this colour can be tricky for beginners. What you really need are a good steady hand and a good wide blush brush. Those itsy-bitsy blush brushes will catalyse the almost-expected disaster. You have to dab the brush extremely lightly on the blush, and then either tap off the excess or swirl some on the back of your hands. Then apply. This way, you can build up the level of brightness that you want on your cheeks.

I hate it when I apply too much colour on my cheeks. I can't exactly brush it off right? I always end up removing makeup from my entire face (concealer, foundation, etc) and redoing everything. =__=

Swatch: one swipe of product

Swatch: product blended out

To be honest, this is a very gorgeous colour if applied carefully. For those of you who are tanned or dark-skinned, this is a very suitable blush colour for you!

Let's stop focusing on the bright colour for a moment.

• The powder is very finely milled, almost velvety.
• Slight fallouts during application. If you have high cheekbones, then life's good. If you don't, you may get some fallouts on the lower half of you cheek too. 
• Impressive staying power. I wore this out THE ENTIRE DAY and it faded only a weeny bit. Maximum longevity unlocked. 

Is Sleek Blush in Flamingo a good blush?

• Yes, if you take the colour out of consideration. This is a good blush colour for certain people, but definitely quite risky for fair-skinned ones. The pigmentation, texture and staying power, however, impressed me beyond words and I would definitely be purchasing this in other colours!