Airbrushing in a tube

Taiwanese beauty and fashion programme 女人我最大's Kevin recently talked about BB Creams on the show, which prompted me to run out and get a tube of my own. Korean beauty stores here like The Face Shop, Skin Food and Missha have it.

BB Creams originated from Germany, where they were first used on post-laser surgery patients for care and coverage. It exploded into a huge beauty trend in Korea after celebs there started using it and all the beauty companies came up with their own versions.

BB Creams are essentially multi-functional creams that moisturise, provide coverage and soothe even sensitive skin. Personally, I'm not too sure about the sensitive skin bit because even though the initial creations were meant for delicate post-laser skin, the commercial versions may contain skin-irritants commonly found in skincare/ makeup.

Still for normal skin types, after trying it myself, I conclude that this is one justified craze.

I went for the Missha one because, well, I spent a long time observing the one Kevin was using the show (the show's website usually lists the products used in the show but for this episode, the listing is still not up and I could not wait). There are a few experts on rotation in the show but Kevin is the one I pay the most attention to because generally, he offers the most comprehensive tips and recommends the best products. Don't be afraid of the rich, thick cream texture or the dark colour. Squeeze a little out onto the back of hand and blend it for a few seconds till it's warmed up and more spread out - this trick really aids smooth application for items like liquid foundation and makeup base.

Pick up a dab and apply in a brisk tapping/smoothing motion over areas that need help. The colour will blend into the skin and you'll forget that it was such a rich consistency to begin with. Large pores suddenly look much less visible and redness gets zapped away. Suddenly, with much less work than it takes to apply foundation, you'll look like a digitally adjusted version of your real self.

A beauty writer told me I looked very radiant and for the first two days I wore it, I just could not stop looking into the mirror. My skin stayed pretty much flawless for the entire day and was even less shiny than usual, which makes sense if you consider that skin starts to secrete excess sebum in protest of its state of dehydration. So the moisturising properties in the Missha M BB Cream must have been doing their job. The even skintone mimicked what I managed to achieve a while back with the Clarins 21-day whitening programme.

On the whole, I am most pleased with this discovery. My biggest problems are enlarged pores and some redness. And I detest having to put on makeup because it takes a lot of work to do a naturally flawless base that does not deteriorate into an oily mess by the end of the day. With this BB Cream and Fasio mascaras, my life is so much simpler.

Of course, if you're looking for heavier coverage, this may not be for you. Although you can layer on some powder or go for the versions that offer more coverage instead. Still, the trend has been towards natural-looking skin for a while now. And even if it's not a trend issue, from an aesthetic point of view, revealing the best "real" skin you can achieve is much more attractive than a thickly powdered pancake face.

HK shopping list for the lawyer

The lawyer is going to Hong Kong on Monday! While I have no real wish to visit that place again, it is still a cause for envy that she will be having a holiday while I continue being irritated by fools at work (not my colleagues, it's clients that are annoying me). Plus, HK is the nearest fix for H&M...

Urgh.

So anyway, ms lawyer, here's my shopping list, with pictures as per request.

Firstly, a bunch of Tweezerman products which, according to the website, can be found in these places in Hong Kong:

The Jasmine Room (Check out this article, the place actually looks rather pretty.)
15th Floor, The Loop
33 WELLINGTON STREET
CENTRAL, HONG KONG
(659) 843-8678

Zenith Cosmetics Trading Co. Ltd
RM 201-203 WESTIN CENTRE
KOWLOON, HONG KONG

I'm not sure if Tweezerman will be available in beauty stores such as Sasa and the like, but I'm guessing not as I couldn't find it when I was there.

I'm also guessing that there will be mark-up. I will think about my limit and let you know when we meet on Saturday.

#1
Tweezerman Folding Ilashcomb (USD 7 which is approx HKD 55 and SGD 9.50)

#2
Tweezerman Corner Lash Curler (USD 10, approx HKD 78 and SGD 14)

#3
Tweezerman Slant® Tweezer in midnight sky or neon pink (USD 20, approx HKD 157 and SGD 27.50)

#4
Also, I would like the RMK eyelash curler which looks pretty much like any other silver metal curler at a glance.

RMK counters can be found at Sogo Causeway Bay, Lane Crawford Kowloon and Kowloon Hotel Seibu.

According to a Hong Kong website, it should cost HKD 70 which is approx SGD 12.50.

#5
Lula Magazine. When I saw it in Taiwan, I think it was SGD 20+. But it's being peddled on ebay for something like GBP 20 - 30 so I'm no longer certain I actually saw the right price. If you could sms me the price when you see this, would be great.

There is an agent in Hong Kong according to the website:
Foreign Press Publishing Services Ltd
Ground Floor, 328 Kwun Tong Road
Rommely Chan – Managing Director
HONG KONG, CHINA rommely@foreignpress.com.hk
Tel: 00 852 2566 4183 / 756 8193

Below are the likely locations if it can't be found in the typical bookstores (not that I actually saw any bookstore while I was there).

Page One, 2/F, Century Square 1-13 D'Aguilar Street, Central Tel: 2536 0111
Page One, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong Tel: 2778 2808
Page One, Harbour City, Tsimshatsui Tel: 2271 5200
Page One, Times Square, Causeway Bay Tel: 2506 0382
Basheer Design Books, 1/F, Flat A, Island Building, 439-441 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay

#6
Lastly, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black

I'm not sure why Singapore doesn't stock it and I don't know if HK has it but if you do see it in Watsons or the like, please grab one for me. This shouldn't be expensive.

#7
I just need to check prices of the new Chanel Hydramax + Active products at duty-free. I'm still devastated by the knowledge that the old Hydramax has been discontinued. No more gel-creme. What am I to do?

And that would be all I can think of now. Thanks!

$100 for a mascara?

One day in the office, colleague was using this mascara her friend gave her. She was told it's from Korea and it costs one hundred freaking bucks. Now. What can make a mascara be worth so much?

I spent some time peering at all the Chinese characters on the box and checked out the website address printed there as well and figured that it's actually from China.

There are two tubes in the box. One says natural fibres and if you observe the wand, it looks furry - another colleague said it looks like someone rubbed the wand over a carpet. That's how fine and tiny the fibres are. In that aspect I can imagine that it will do a good job lengthening lashes without putting so much weight on it that it collapses.

The second tube says transplanting gel and it looks just like normal black mascara. The colleague tried it and while the extension effect was most excellent, it didn't look smooth. Individual lashes had that cakey, clumpy effect that makes them look like spider legs. I'm not sure whether it's due to application since I didn't try it myself.

According to the website, the natural fibres have a positive charge which make them adhere to the negatively-charged lashes closely. This is then secured by a bonding ingredient that also has lengthening properties.

The product claims to extend lashes by 300 percent and while I think it may be pretty close to fulfilling that promise, I'm not sure the overall effect is worth $100 when a good mascara can be as cheap as $11.

Still, the colleague said that while her friend got the one she was using for free, she had friends who enthusiastically bought it. It's amazing how much money women will spend on beautifying themselves. Ourselves.

Fasio Hyper Stay Mascara Curl Volume

It's slow, considering how Fasio mascaras are already known to be fab to a lot of beauty junkies and beauty insiders but still, after I tried the lengthening formula, I now tried the volumising one. And I'm happy to say I like it just as much, if not more.

The only boo-boo is that I bought the wrong colour - blue black instead of black. Still, the formula is intensive enough such that it still looks inky dark. I might get another tube of the black (now only $11+ thanks to 20% discounts), we'll see how it goes.

The brush is double-sided. On the inside of the curve is shorter bristles and on the outside, fanned out spokes. You're supposed to coat lashes with the inside first, then use the outside to comb it out.

Even though this is a volumising formula, the lengthening effect is almost as good as the Curl Long version. And because it's thickening, the effect is better - repeated coats of Curl Long can start to look spidery and scary because it's just long and skinny and hard. But with Curl Volume, it has a sooty, doll-like effect.

Personally, I don't like doing the swizzle, Z-shape application. Many girls swear by it but it's something that works with only some formulas. With thickening formulas, I find that it causes clumping. It's much better to make sure your brush is clean of clumps and then to swipe on in straight upward-and-outward strokes.

The only downside is that it's heavier than the lengthening formula, so my curled lashes started its way downwards. However, the mascara hardens so quickly that it was fixed in shape before it fully collapsed.

Conclusion? I'd say to use Curl Volume when you're looking for a sooty, very lush and slightly hooded effect, and Curl Long for the wide-eyed, slightly more natural look.

Tomorrow I'll try using Volume over Long. Let's see how far we can go in the pursuit of lashes that look like falsies without having to spend that kind of money.

“This shade is mine. Go get your own.”

Was intrigued by this Revlon foundation I saw advertised in Allure. The tagline is Jessica Alba telling you to get your own shade. (Also, Jessica's shade is Medium and she turns to click 2.)

This is tremendously interesting because pro makeup artists sometimes advocate owning two shades of foundation so you can adjust to your lighter and darker moments. But who really wants to sit around and blend skin colours? It's a lot of approximation and it'll be difficult to get it exactly the same each time.

According to Revlon site:

Innovative bottle offers five shade settings, making it easy to fine-tune your foundation shade for the perfect match. Simply turn the dial to adjust shade from lighter to darker. Lightweight formula blends seamlessly into skin for a naturally flawless look. Available in a range of skin tones from light to deep. SPF 15.

If it's really lightweight and blends seamlessly, I want to try it.

While googling, I also found this fascinating site - Packaging Digest. They have an in-depth article on the science of the packaging and it's both comforting and interesting to read about the precision behind this bottle.

Fasio Hyper Stay Mascara Curl Long

Suddenly, my mascara routine has been shaved down to five minutes from 20.

Allow me to explain why anyone needs 20 minutes to slick on product on such a tiny bunch of little hairs.

My lashes tend to collapse from its time with the curler when they are too heavy. This is particularly so with the left eye because it's a single eyelid there. Double lids on the right make that side easier to work with. Also, I have oily lids, which means I get mascara migration and end up with smudged undereyes and flaky bits on my cheeks after some hours.

So no heavy fibres or thickening formulas, not as a first coat anyway. And always water and sebum-resistant.

I've experimented with lots of brands - L'Oreal, Maybelline, ZA, Helena Rubinstein, Lancome, Chanel, Clarins, Kose, Shiseido and MAC all left me with something good and bad to say but generally my trials have led me to the following regime.

Ipsa Optimum Balance as a first coat - it has the finest, tiniest fibres I've ever encountered and maintains a curl like you're born with it. After which I use Deja Vu Fiberwig at the ends to lengthen and finish with Kose Mascara Fantasist to thicken and blacken. Finally I finish with Clarins Fix Mascara, which is clear and acts as excellent resistance against oil and water.

Yesterday, I finally ripped open the Fasio mascara I bought a while back. I've been keeping it sealed because I have 60 - 70 mascaras and opening one more just made me feel a little bad. I bought it after watching Queen (Taiwanese variety programme) when makeup artist/stylist Kevin said it has very light fibres.

It's damn good. All I needed was one coat and suddenly, my lashes were longer and sooty black. The curl stayed put and before I knew it, I was done. I added on two or three more coats for good measure and it's almost like falsies. Throughout my time out from 5pm to 3am, there was absolutely no smudging and the curl never once drooped. Take into account that I did rather a bit of walking and it was horribly humid yester-evening, I was impressed.

Just a couple of issues with it. It tends to look a little clumpy here and there which results in a rather scary looking stiff lash but it might be due to my application - it takes time to get used to a product and deduce the best way to apply it. It might be due to how it hardens so quickly and resolutely, I'm not quite sure yet.

Also, I wish it could thicken, then my mascara routine would truly be down to just one product. But one cannot ask for too much so I think I'll just go get the volumising formula. At around $14, it's hardly expensive.

A grouse that I've heard is that it's difficult to remove and requires the Fasio brand of makeup remover. Well I went at it with my normal Clarins eye makeup remover and it came off fine, although it did take longer than with my usual mascaras. I'll try it with the Fasio one as well to see if it makes it easier but honestly, given its benefits, I think it's worth spending a bit more time on the cleansing. And even if you do have to buy the Fasio remover, it's not going to hurt the wallet.

On the whole, damn good buy!

(I still feel like replenishing my Ipsa Optimum Balance mascara though. But at $49, it's a little... extravagant. Shall just sit on the urge for the moment.)

The Inability To Live Without Mascara

Got my new tube of Clarins Fix Mascara today. Staff discounted. Happy.

I've oily lids and mascara tends to run after a few hours, leaving me with appalling undereye circles. Waterproof mascaras are slightly more helpful but unless they're sebum resistant, I will get a real shock in the mirror at the end of the work day.

I went through a phase of wearing super heavy mascara and it wouldn't have been possible without Fix Mascara. It's a clear gel mascara that is water and sebum resistant. You swipe it on as the last coat and that's it, smudge-free till at least after work, if not longer. Even after dinner, shopping and coffee, it will at most leave a smoky eye effect which can look pretty nice.

Also works as an eyebrow gel to smooth unruly sticking-out strays.

One thing I stupidly didn't do was clean the wand after each use. So my last tube became a dubious grey. Well I've learnt my lesson.