Review: Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix

I have extremely oily skin, and the oiliness is quite rampant on the T-zone area, the cheeks and the eyelids. Basically the only not-so-oily parts are my temples and jawline. What a nightmare. 

Having lived with overactive sebum glands for more than 5 years now, I have come to accept the fact that my foundation and concealer will never stay matte for more than 3 hours. Blotting and touching up has become a habit and so I'm not very concerned with my oily T-zone and cheeks. Actually, come to think of it, I used to have combination skin with manageable sebum production. But once I hit my twenties, my hormones went lunatic. Boohoo, what to do but suck it up? 

However, there's one thing I absolutely hate about my oily skin and that's my extremely oily eyelids. Blotting and touching up foundation is easy peasy, but the case is doubly hard when it comes to creasing eyeshadow on very oily lids. I abhor oily eyelids with a vengeance. This is why I'm always on the lookout for amazing eyeshadow primers that can minimise the oily mess. So far, the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and the Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer have been excellent and truly gifts sent from above for those with oily lids. However, they are not very cheap, and I finally have found a perfect dupe for the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It's only S$11 from Luxola! Cheap leh, very cheap!! 

The Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix retails for S$11 for a 7.5ml tube, while the Urban Decay one retails for S$33 for a 11ml tube. Lazy to do math now, but yes the Zoeva one is definitely more bang for the buck, especially when it's as good as the Urban Decay's. 

Paraben-free and fragrance-free! Excellent for those with sensitive eyelids.

Ingredients list

Packaging: The Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix has an economical packaging. It's packaged in a squeeze tube with a long and precise needle tip. You can dispense the exact amount of product that you want every single time and you can finish up the entire 7.5ml easily. Some primers have very stupid packaging where a doe-foot applicator is pumped in to get some product out. You will never use the entire tube this way! So this packaging is great. Also, it's entirely semi-matte black with grey lettering. Looks fancy but quite inexpensive.



Texture and application: The Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix has a semi-thick consistency that's extremely silky to the touch. It blends and spreads very easily and evenly. Once applied, you don't notice any product on your eyelids because it blends well with your natural eyelid colour. Application is easy-peasy and fast because of how blendable the product is. A little of this goes a long way. I especially love the product description on Luxola - "It’s concentrated: the size of a raindrop from the needle nose squeeze-tube covers the entire lid." Definitely agree with that!

Effectiveness: I truly believe that this is one of the best performing eye primers in the market, especially if you have oily eyelids. The Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix does help to make eyeshadows a little bit more vibrant than if applied on naked eyelids, but there are other primers that do a much better job at this component. However, in terms of keeping oily eyelids matte, the Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix is quite competent and impressive. For those looking for an eye primer to make your eyeshadows pop more, I wouldn't suggest this one, but the Lorac one is great at that! 

Longevity: My eyeshadow stayed in place - no creasing, no smudging - for more than 10 hours. How freaking insane is that?! 'Nuff said. 

Will I buy it again? YES!! But it's out of stock now, NOOOOOOOO!! I shall add myself to the waitlist. BAH... 

Have a good Saturday guys! Such a glorious day with nice rainy weather. :D 

Review: The Body Show InstaBlur

When I heard about the official release of The Body Shop Instablur, I knew I had to get one to try and see if it really is as magical and perfecting as it claims. 

The Body Shop Instablur retails for S$32.90 at The Body Shop outlets nationwide. I was lucky enough to have a S$15 discount from Perkd, and so I purchased mine for only S$17.90! A great deal! 

For S$32.90, you get 25ml (0.84 US fl oz) of product. 25ml may seem a little meagre, but a little bit of the product goes a long way so I can assure you that the 25ml will last you a long, long time. 

The Body Shop Instablur claims to have 5 perfecting characteristics:

• Shine Controlling for up to 12h
• Reduces appearance of pores
• Blemish Hiding
• Complexion Unifying
• Make-up Extending

I'm not exactly sure what "complexion unifying" really mean, but The Body Shop Instablur certainly does live up to its other claims. 

Ingredients List

Packaging: The Body Shop Instablur comes in a classy, white tube and when you unscrew the black cap, the opening is sealed, which is a plus point for those who are concerned with hygiene. It's good to know that no other fingers/hands have touched the opening of the product. Overall, I like the product packaging; it has a certain laboratory, disinfectant factor to it, which makes me more assured of the cleanliness and the effect that it has on my skin. It's strange how packaging can change the perception of effectiveness of a product. When I use this, I don't feel like it's going to cause breakouts. I feel like it's going to work in concealing them!

Texture and consistency: The Body Shop Instablur has a deceivingly waxy texture that blends out to a dry, matte and smooth consistency. I think this is contributed by the first ingredient listed, which is Isononanoate, and it's a skin conditioning emollient that leaves that silky, smooth feeling after application.

If you compare the photo above (product on skin), and the photo below (product blended out on skin), you can definitely see a marked difference in terms of the obviousness of the lines. I did not alter/edit the below photo in any way possible. Quite impressive eh?

Application: A little bit of The Body Shop Instablur will suffice for the entire T-zone and jawline area. When I apply my BB Cream/liquid foundation over it, it's quite obvious that the BB Cream/liquid foundation no longer seeps in into the huge pores that I have, making them more obvious to the naked eye. Instead, the Instablur already filled in those pores and the BB Cream/liquid foundation just glided effortlessly over the Instablur.

Oil and shine control? I'm not convinced that the Instablur will help to control oil and shine for up to 12 hours. However, it does its job well in keeping shine at bay for a good 7-8 hours. Usually, my nose area will be quite oily within the first 3 hours of foundation application. It's a problem that I have been wanting to eliminate and I believe that the Instablur can help me achieve the ultimate shine control! Of course, I have to combine the Instablur with another product (L'oreal Mat Magique! I just tried it and it is amazing! Review coming up soon), but as a makeup primer, The Body Shop Instablur performs beyond my expectations.

Pores and blemish hiding? The Instablur does a good job in concealing the pores and acne scars. The photo below may seem a little bit scary to some of you but it's a close-up lah, of course it's scary haha. My most "pore-some" (HAHA) areas are my nose and the upper cheeks area. I also have acne scars on both cheeks. The Instablur actually does a pretty impressive job in concealing those areas. It's not a perfect concealment but it's definitely much better than if I were to use the BB Cream/liquid foundation alone.

Longevity: The Body Shop Instablur lasts for a good 7-8 hours. I think my skin is way too oily for it to last for the claimed 12 hours.

Caking-up problem: There's one problem that I encountered time and time again after using the Instablur. My skin will look fine for 7-8 hours, then it will get oily. So, my normal routine will be to blot the oily areas and then touch up the areas with loose powder, using my trusted Real Techniques powder brush. Now, after using the Instablur, the areas that I have blotted and touched up will cake up and I can actually see the powder coagulating or curdling in one area. It's very strange. I got rid of this problem by not using the powder brush and replacing it with a normal powder sponge. But still, it's very very strange. Anyone encountered the same problem? How did you fix it?

Will I buy it again? The Body Shop Instablur is a great, great product for those with extremely oily skin and have huge pores and acne scars. It does a fantastic job in controlling shine and as a makeup primer for your next BB Cream/liquid foundation step. Personally, I will only use this during the hot months, when my oil glands go into overdrive mode. Maybe during the cooler months (when my skin is not so oily), I will not use the Instablur as frequently. It's still a good staple to have in your collection though!

The Body Shop Instablur Website

The Body Shop Singapore Facebook

Hope this has been useful! Have a great day guys! :)

Review: e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7502 Champagne

The e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer is a definite must-try and must-buy. It's only US$1 (or S$3-S$6 depending on which website/location you buy this from in Singapore) and it works strangely well for its extremely affordable price. I have used the e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7501 Sheer before and it was one of the better eyelid primers that I have ever used. I tried so many other eyelid primers (Canmake, Too Faced, Kate, etc.) and they all lost the match to my excessively oily eyelids. This e.l.f. one did not perform as well as Urban Decay's or Lorac's but it was able to combat my oily eyelids for more than 8 hours. Very impressive indeed! 

Since I wear a lot of neutral eyeshadow shades, I decided to purchase the e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7502 Champagne to see if it will intensify the eyeshadows' pigmentation and if it does as well as the one in 7501 Sheer. 

Packaging: Come on, it's US$1, let's not nitpick on the packaging. The essentials are there and so all's well.

Product brush/wand: The classic doe foot applicator is very much welcomed. I don't like doe foot applicators for lip products but I adore it for eye products - makes application idiot-proof.

Color: e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7502 Champagne is a nude colour primer with a slight peachy undertone, and it has both fine and slightly chunkier silver glitters.

Application: Applying the e.l.f. Eyelid Primer is a no-brainer. Just use the doe foot applicator to swipe some product on your eyelids and then use your ring fingers to blend it out. The primer blends smoothly into the skin and it is absorbed quickly so you don't experience that eeky sticky sensation before applying your eyeshadows. I will suggest that you apply this primer slightly beyond the crease. The glitters can be a little too much if you apply it to the entire eyelid. However, if you like that look, then you do you, no shame in that!

Eyeshadow's best friend? The e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7502 Champagne is all neutral eyeshadows' best friend. Shades that normally don't really show up as gorgeously as they were in the pan showed up beautifully and the colours were intensified. The primer will work the best for metallic neutral shades. The metallic factor is multiplied and you look like you put in a lot of effort in your eye makeup.

Longevity: For those with extremely oily eyelids, the e.l.f. Eyelid Primer in 7502 Champagne will surprise you with its ability to keep that eye look in place for a good 7-8 hours!

Will I buy it again? Yes. It's puzzling how such an affordable product can do so much.

Anyone else on the e.l.f. Eyelid Primer bandwagon? What are your thoughts on it? 

Have a great day ahead! :) 

Shopping District Beauty Haul (NYX, elf, COVERGIRL, Wet n Wild, jordana)

I got to know of Shopping District from a friend of mine on Twitter and ohmygosh I was hooked once I visited their website!

Just FYI, I'm not sponsored to write this blog post. I just love the site so much I have to write about it! Easy, fast and hassle-free transaction, and they have so many drugstore products that are not available in Singapore! 

Yay, here's my haul!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Single in Brulee (S$6.90) - Photo from X
COVERGIRL Lashblast 24 Hour Mascara in Very Black 800 (S$15)
NYX Concealer Jar in 04 Beige (S$9.50)
elf Essential Eyelid Primer in Champagne (S$4)

Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Point (S$8.90) - Photos from X and X

NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS10 Perfect Red (S$10) - Photo from X
Jordana Easyliner For Lips (S$8) - Photo from X 

Can't wait for all my new toys to arrive! Especially the lipstick and lipliner! 

Website

Facebook

Review: CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base

CANMAKE is so readily available in Japan (practically every drug store has CANMAKE!) and I couldn't resist the affordable prices! It irritates how much more expensive CANMAKE is in Singapore. Bummer. :( They actually have really nice eyeshadows but really too overpriced in Singapore!

I bought the CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base because I was running out of my NYX one. It was 500yen (before tax) and that's around S$6.25? Really good prices!!

Packaging: Since it's not very expensive, it's only logical that CANMAKE decided to forget about all the fancy packaging and just presented the product simply. It's a really tiny product and the fancy-less packaging makes it easy to fit into the smallest makeup bags. 

Colour: The CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base has a nude-beige colour, perfect for your eyelid because it has almost the same colour as everyone's eyelids.

Consistency: It's very oily. The eyeshadow base looked like it had thicker consistency in the packaging but when I used my finger to swirl a little bit of the product, it's really slimy and oily. Definitely not the consistency that I was expecting. However, the consistency is not unbearable and it applies and spreads well on your eyelids.

Application: Easy to apply and very easy to spread because of its oily consistency.

Here is a couple of photos to illustrate how well the CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base works on eyeshadows. I used a CANMAKE eyeshadow for this comparison! That review will be coming up soon because I love the palette so much! :)

Swatches taken with cloudy day settings (this Singapore everyday so cloudy?! HAI)

Swatches taken with camera flash

As you can see from the above photos, the CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base really does make the eyeshadow "pop"! The eyeshadow pigmentation is more pronounced and it looks more shimmery that it normally is. I'm impressed at how the CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base delivers despite its low price.

Longevity: It does not fare very well in terms of how long it makes my eyeshadow stay put on my eyelids. I think one reason why is because of its oiliness. It's great during application but after a few hours your eyelids become an oily mess. I recommend that you use a better eyeshadow base for smoky-eye looks because this will ruin them. Even with neutral shades, I could see a line of oil filled with my eyeshadow shade when I looked down. It's not very flattering and hence I'm quite disappointed. It does so well in bringing out the colour of the eyeshadows but why so oily?! For those with oily eyelids, just steer away from the CANMAKE Eyeshadow Base.

Will I buy it again? No. I have oily eyelids and I don't want to ruin my painstakingly applied eyeshadow at the end of the day. Imagine if you apply this in the morning before work, everything looks fine and you look awesomepossum. Then you spend an entire day in the office, and when it's time to go home, you realise your eyeshadow is a hot mess. Not an awesome feeling because usually when it's time to go, you still want to meet your friends or partners. Seriously not glam loh. :(

New Foundation Routine: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser + Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer

I'm so excited to write this post because the mentioned products have worked so well for me! It's a new foundation routine, and I can't wait to share it with you guys!

I used to slap a thick layer of liquid foundation in the past, but I don't think my skin can take on a daily basis anymore. I even shun BB Creams now because of the amount of wax they use inside! I read some post on the alleged over-usage of wax, but I'm not very sure of the truth in it. BB Creams just don't work on my skin lah, they break me out. :( 

Hence, I turn to tinted moisturisers! I grabbed a Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser sample when I stopped by its counter and it is BEYOND amazing. I love it so so so so very much! I'm now highly inclined to buy the oil-free formula one! The full-sized product cost S$68 but IT WILL BE AMAZING, so I'm gonna get it soon! 

I coupled the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser with Benefit's That Gal Brightening Face Primer, and the final look was AW-YEAH! 

Naturally, I have to use a concealer to cover up my acne scars, but I have been using the same one for months, so I'm skipping it out of this post! 

PHOTOS TIME. 

Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturiser is extremely lightweight, but that does not mean that it has no coverage. Surprisingly, it provides a light-medium coverage (depending on how many layers you apply). Also, the tinted moisturiser does not leave a tacky feeling on your skin. The most important thing is there's no unnecessary floral fragrance!

Benefit's That Gal is a really gorgeous face primer. It applies beautifully and does not make your skin look like a 1000-watt lightbulb. I don't know how Benefit does its formulation, but it seems like the appropriate places are mattified, while the raised places (nose bridge, upper cheek bones, etc) are highlighted. Either the product is created by a genius, or I am a genius during application. :P

I usually will mix the two products together on my fingertips and then apply it straight on my face. No brush whatsoever, because I don't like to apply liquid stuff using a brush (my logic is, if you use a foundation brush, you have to wash it right after using if not it's eeky and it's a bacteria heaven, so I'd rather not waste my time while I'm rushing). Using your fingers actually works a little bit better because your body temperature will warm the products ever so slightly - helps with blending!

Initially, the products will seem too watery.  But after a few massage circles, everything's absorbed and fabulous!

LIKE THIS! Don't see the difference yet right? Let me compare it with my bare hands. 

After application

Above is an AFTER photo, and below is a BEFORE photo.

Notice how there's a slight shine after application, and the red areas are not as obvious? AMAZING.

Before application

The plan is, I shall be an amazing granddaughter, niece, cousin, grandniece in Indonesia so I can collect more angbaos, and so I can pay my debts and BUY THE LAURA MERCIER TINTED MOISTURISER!!

:D