Le Lust List as of March 2012

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[Burberry's Classic Wool Check Scarf in Pink]

[Yves Saint Laurent's Arty Ring]

[Dior's Addict Extreme Lipstick]

[Yves Saint Laurent's Lip Stain]

[Tom Ford's Private Blend Lipstick]

Cheers,

Charlotte

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Yeah, it's been awhile..

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It's funny how easy it was to pen-down (or finger tap, in this case) my thoughts on beauty products. Then, life gets in the way; studies kicked in, assignments piled up and writing and reviewing about beauty items seem to be such a hassle :(. My apology.

Another reason why I haven't been posting much is because I left my camera charger back in Malaysia. Such a smart ass, I know. But since my parents are coming over next week (Yay!), I'll ask them to bring the charger along. So, for the time being, pardon me for the not-so-clear-taken-using-iphone-photos.

I'm currently back in Melbourne, doing the second semester of my master. Life's been quite tough. Stressful, I'd say. I often hear people say that studying in Australia is easy, shake leg and your cert will drop from the sky. Seriously, where did they get that idea from?

The weather now is still tolerable. I like it when it is sunny and windy, hate it when it is rainy and cold. Cold weather makes me feel lazy and hungry all the time. And damn, winter is just around the corner. It's not here yet, but I can't wait for it to be over!

After this long hiatus, I've decided to spice my blog up a teeny weeny bit. As you all can see, most (98.156%) of my blog posts previously talks about beauty products. In fact, I've forgotten that I'm allowed to write about random stuff too. So, be prepare to read about random silly, funny, non-beauty-related stuff!

Ending my update-cum-humble apology note with my nail of the day:

OPI's Too Hot Pink to Hold 'Em

The beautiful bright pink instantaneously brightens up my day!

Love,

Charlotte

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Dior: Exquis

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After knowing that I could now purchase my favourite brands of nail polishes at a more reasonable price from SecretAllure and Nail Fiesta, I thought I didn't have to spend that much money on my nails anymore.

But I was wrong. Thanks to Pam, the polish police. And definitely not in a bad way :)

I know I've fallen completely in love with these gorgeous babies from Dior's Holiday 2011 Collection the moment I saw Pam's swatches. Especially, Or Divin, the one in gold.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner and all the hard core shopping trips, my purse has definitely gotten thinner. I told myself that I should only get one, just one.

I went to Dior's counter at Parkson just yesterday, getting real excited only to know that they don't have any Or Divin's left!! :( And they were sold out, EVERYWHERE ELSE! How cannnnn????

The SA told me that the only one left from the collection at their counter now is Exquis. Since it's my favourite, after Or Divin of course, I bought it without thinking twice. Another reason is to compensate my disappointment! There you go, I justified my purchase!

Since this is my first bottle of Dior nail polish, you have to forgive me for admiring its packaging :P

Ladies, this is Dior's Exquis..

The golden shimmer is really subtle. It adds uniqueness to the taupey base. Something like a it's-there-but-it's-not-there, peekaboo thing.

At first, I was quite worried about the formula. From the bottle, Exquis looks like a dirty gold metal, and these kinda polish are streaky and hard to apply most of the time.

But, my worries melt off when I first apply it on my nails. It was smooth, zero streaky-ness. Two coats and you're good to go.

This is my ultimate splurge for a nail polish. It costs me RM70 a pop! But, I love it and I have no regrets!

The only bad thing is that, when there's a first, there's always a second. Dior! Imma gonna get you friendsss!

Exquis, you're simply exquisite!

Love,

Charlotte

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A Visit to Sephora, Starhill..

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The Naked 2 palette has been the talk of the beauty town ever since there were rumours of its existence. The hype went up to a whole new level when UD launched the palette in the states two months ago. I'm sure all UD fans from Malaysia, like moi, were anticipating for this palette to make its way here.

January 7th, Sephora Singapore had a pre-launch event for this palette, and that kept me wondering, does this mean......? Answer: Yes.

I was super excited when I saw Sephora Malaysia posted this picture on their facebook wall. Many UD fans have been bombarding Sephora Malaysia's facebook wall with questions regarding the event. It was obvious that many people are heading down to Sephora solely for this palette and we were informed that there were limited stocks for sale. I know it was fat hope but I decided to give it a try anyway!

I arrived Sephora at 2pm and guess what? I was the first in line! Pretty unexpected because a little bird told me that people started queuing at 12-1pm during the pre-launch event in ION, Singapore. The thought of knowing that I'll get this FOR SURE excites me but I wasn't excited for long. Beep beep beep! Rant alert!

Generally, I don't like other people taking pictures of me. Reason being I don't know how I'll look on their camera and if I look like shit I don't want the picture to get published. But when one of the staff kindly asked a picture of me for being the first in line, I forcefully said OK since this was a public event and they might need to include it in their report or something. But still, I don't like it.

I personally think that one picture is enough! It really made me super uncomfortable when the event managers and sales assistants kept taking pictures of me -,-. Seriously, it was damn embarrassing. I don't think that being the first is that big of a deal and I don't like strangers taking pictures of me! The moment I know that my picture-not-ready look is gonna get posted up on their wall, I hope that I was the second in line instead of the first. Why didn't I walk a tad bit slower?! Ishhhh..

Anyway, after having to wait for an hour, Eric Jimenez walked in, gave a speech blablabla and announced that we could finally made our purchase. I walked up to him, he passed me a NAKED 2 palette, when I was just about to walk away, the people asked for pictures AGAIN!

After that, Eric Jimenez gave a lady a make over, demonstrating different looks using the palette and at the same time promoting other products from UD.

Yeah, that was pretty much how my trip went. I happily brought home my Naked 2 palette!

Along with other stuff too :)

And when I'm home, I saw my picture on their facebook page. As expected.

Messy hair, not even looking at the camera. Simply awkward. Just Bleh.

So, did you girls manage to get your Naked 2 palette? How did your weekend went?

Love,

Charlotte

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Sigma: Dry n' Shape & Taking Care of Your Brushes!

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A set of make up brushes that meets one's expectation is hard to find and most of the time, they are not cheap. I personally agree that a good set of make up brushes is always a good investment. But, if you don't take good care of them (the brushes I mean), they won't last, and to replace them, you'll definitely end up spending more $$!

Here's what I do to try and keep my brushes functional as long as possible:

Make sure that they are clean!

Please, don't be such a lazy bum! Especially when your pretty face is at stake! Something for you bum-bums to think about: How often do you clean your brushes? Do they look exactly the same as you first bought it?

Dirty brushes harbor germs, mold, fungus and other yucky stuff. I'm sure no one will re-use a moldy brush. That's if they realised that it is moldy. And if they don't, they'll just continue using them. Ladies! Imagine coating your moldy concealer brush with more concealers, then putting it on your bare skin! The thought of it is just so urghhh!

Most of the time, these unpleasant things are not visible through the human eye. So while your brushes seem to be clean when you didn't wash them, they are actually not, and that explains the breakouts or infections.

So, my rule of thumb: spot clean them after every usage and deep clean them as frequent as you can (at least once every week). I follow this religiously.

Always leave your brushes standing upwards when they are dry and downwards when they are wet.

When brushes are wet, some people lay them flat to dry, but I think it is best to keep them slanting or standing downwards. This is to prevent the excess water from flowing from the bristles into the ferrule. This is able to prolong the life of your brushes as water can end up ruining the glue in the ferrule that holds the bristles together.

Brushes that went out-of-shape might not deliver the expected finish upon application. Hence if you were to keep them standing downwards when they are dry, the bristles might spread out and that'll definitely ruin the shape of your brush.

Easy as A-B-C: Wet-down, Dry-up. Kappish?

Re-shape your brushes after cleansing.

Know how 'WOWZA' our hair always look when we go to bed with our hair wet? Brushes are just like our hair, they dry in the shape they are left wet. As such, you will want to make sure that your brushes are shaped properly when they are wet, so you'll get to use them in the exact shape you want the next time when they are dry. Okay, that's a mouthful, but I hope you get the idea.

Do not blow dry your brushes!

Never ever do this even if you're in a rush. Drying your brushes using high heat can cause permanent damage to the bristles. They should be dried naturally. Direct sunlight is not an option too. If you really need to clean your brushes but you don't have the time, opt for an alcohol based brush cleanser and spot clean them. Alcohol has a lower boiling point compared to water, hence it evaporates faster and thus have a faster drying time.

Apart from the above, I have a secret weapon that makes my brushes love me and thank me big time! It is none other than...

Jang Jang! My Dry n' Shape!

This is Sigma Beauty's description of their Dry n' Shape:

The Dry n' Shape provides the necessary pressure to bristles to quickly and efficiently remove water from every fibre. The fabric used to shape the bristles was specially engineered to accelerate water evaporation, resulting in a faster drying time for your brushes.

Besides that, they also guarantee that it is able to dry and shape your most dense brushes within 4 to 6 hours!

How to use it:

After having your brush cleaned, gently press the bristles to remove any excess water. Then, slide the handle of your damp brush down the band provided and into the bottom pocket holder. The brush should be placed like the picture shown above. Note that the bristles should not be visible between the band and the ferrule. This is to prevent excess water from flowing back into the ferrule.

The key here is to find the right size of band to fit your brush. Not too tight, as this might ruin the shape of your brush; Not too loose either, because you want the appropriate amount of pressure to be exerted so that your brush will dry faster.

There are altogether 12 bands in the Dry n' Shape. After placing all the brushes, you can lay the brushes flat down like this to dry.

But, I prefer rolling my Dry n' Shape into a cylinder. This way it can stand on its own like this and my brushes are hanging downwards.

Do not place this under direct sunlight. Wait for about 4 to 6 hours, and your brushes should be completely dry and the bristles will be reshaped to their original form.

Remove the brushes using both hands: one to hold onto the band, another one to slide the brushes downwards. Do not push the brush upwards to get it out, you might ruin the shape of the bristles.

My Verdict:

• My brushes dry within 6 hours. The densest brush, which is my Sigma F84, dries within 5 hours. Previously whenever I deep clean my brushes, it takes at least 10 hours or more to be completely dry. I'm happy that I have Dry n' Shape now as I don't have any extra/back up brushes if they don't dry in time.

Two of my brushes right out from the Dry n' Shape.

Laura Mercier's Blending Brush (top) & Sigma's F50

• As you can see, the shape of the bristles are perfect! It's like I'm having brand new brushes!

• I often use Dry n' Shape to store my brushes whenever I'm travelling. It has a pair of magnetic buttons to keep it folded securely. I can rest assured that my brushes are in placed instead of rolling around in my travel bag or getting squished and squashed by other objects in the bag.

Where to get it?

www.sigmabeauty.com

What's the damage to my purse?

$29. Remember to google for their 10% discount codes, they have a different discount code every month. This month's code is 0112XJML.

In conclusion, Dry n' Shape worked as promised. Some people might think that it's not worth the money. But, I think otherwise. This is definitely a hit! What say you?

Good day, y'all!

Love,

Charlotte

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Butter LONDON: British Racing Green

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This is my first ever green nail polish. Figured that it'll be a good addition. Doesn't hurt to have varieties right? :)

British Racing Green

Deep dark green. Like a forest green. Or an emerald green.

With a hint of shimmer. Beautiful.

I did two coats. Application was effortless. No complaints.

Definitely a hit. Did not regret! Love it!

xo's,

Charlotte

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Sigma: Angled Top Synthetic Kabuki F84 Brush

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F84 Angled Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush of Sigma Beauty!

I now crown thee to be the

BEST FOUNDATION BRUSH

EVERRRR!!

Source: sigmabeauty.com

Like many other make up newbies, I started off applying liquid foundation using my finger tips. It was okay but the residue of the foundation was such a pain in the you-know-what to get rid off! Most of the times, it got inside my finger nails and it was just horrible.

I tried using make up sponges too. Just normal drugstore ones. The application was streaky and what made it worse is that most of the products were being absorbed and there were little left for me to apply. So, as it might seems to be a cheaper option, it actually isn't. And I believe the same goes for make up wedges (correct me if I'm wrong).

Hence, I started my journey to hunt for the best foundation brush. My goal: a reasonable balance between price and quality.

While many sworn by MAC 187, Sigma's F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush receives many compliments and recommendations too. Some prefer MAC's over Sigma's, some the other way round. But what surprises me most is that those who claim to be loyal fans of MAC 187 also made their switch to Sigma's F80.

FYI, the price of MAC 187 is $42, and for Sigma's F80, $16. Wowza! Almost three times the difference! Being the stingy me, my decision was a no brainer. I decided to go for Sigma's.

And no, there was not a typo, and I did not crown the wrong brush. Simple reason why I chose F84 over F80: because it was angled. An angled brush is easier to work with especially at the corner of your eyes. And while you're applying foundation, your hand does not go 90 degrees against your face, your hand is actually slightly slanted, if that make sense.

So Sigma's F84 it is! Been using it for the past three months, I just can't apply my make up without it. Okay, that's a tad bit too exaggerating. Well, I just wanna stress that it is a very good brush!

I can give u 101 reasons as to why I love this brush so much, but first, lets see what Sigma Beauty has to say:

The F84 Angled Top Kabuki Brush is the perfect brush for precise, yet blended application of products on the cheeks. It seamlessly applies cream, powder and liquid products. Made of Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

Now, my two cents:

• I like that the handle of the brush is black in colour with a matte surface. It looks classy and expensive. Besides, it is also very sturdy. It's not too small nor too bulky. Thus, better grip and better control during application.
• The bristles are so soft. I remember when I first got my hands on this brush, I couldn't stop myself from swiping the brush back and forth my palm. Yay! No more scratchy-pocky feeling while applying foundation.
• The bristles are also very dense. Hence, it produces a good coverage in a blink of an eye! Haha, not that fast, but if you ask me, I'd say one minute, top!
• Like I've mentioned earlier, I love that it has an angled top.
• Most brushes tend to have their bristles falling off during the cleaning process. But so far, I haven't encounter any fallen bristles with F84. I spot clean my brushes every time I use it and deep clean them every one or two weeks.
• For some reason, applying liquid foundation with this gives a flawless, air brushed finish. Not sure if it's the brush that does the magic, or the wonders of my MUFE's Mat Velvet Plus. But for me, if you're going for a smooth flawless look, you'll definitely need both of them!
• Given its dense bristles, it is a brush that is exceptionally hard to clean. This is probably the only bad thing I can say about this brush. But if you're not a germ freak like I am, you'll prolly be fine. I've used Shu Uemura's and MAC's brush cleansers to clean this, the bristles look clean on the outside, but if you were to look into the roots, there are still residues of make up products. Yuck. And I can't stand it, seriously. (Stay tuned to know what I use to make my F84 squeky clean!)

Where to get it?

www.sigmabeauty.com

What's the price?

$16. Remember to google for their 10% discount codes, they have a different discount code every month. This month's code is 0112XJML.

In conclusion, this is a great must-have brush. It's my favourite brush! It's everything that I'm looking for in a face brush. And it does not cost a bomb. What more can you ask for?

Love,

Charlotte

P/S: I've only tried liquid foundation on this brush as I do not own any powder or cream foundation. So whenever I mention foundation in this post, I'm referring to liquid foundation.

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Tarte: Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Dollface and Exposed

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I've finally found my holy grail blush!

*jumps around in excitement*

Introducing....

*drumrolls*

TARTE AMAZONIAN CLAY 12-HOUR BLUSH!

Okay, wait! Before I proceed to tell you how amazing and awesome this is, you just have to read up bits of my grumble mumble (this is a trap! muahahhaa) or you can just scroll down to the bottom if you want :(.

I've gotta say that I've been lemming for this ever since I saw a video review made by MakeupbyTiffanyD and the urge to own this grew stronger when other beauty gurus speak so highly of it as well.

I've searched high and low for this baby in Melbourne to no avail, so my last resort was eBay. It was my first time shopping at eBay. I was quite skeptical, hence besides looking at the sellers' feedback scores, I actually went to search if anyone had written any reviews of these sellers on their blogs and have decided that if I found one with good reviews and many positive feedback scores, I would buy from him/her straight away. After much googling and searching, I bought it from m-a-c lover.

I made my payment at the end of October last year (2011). I was expecting the items to be delivered to my doorsteps two weeks later but it didn't. I contacted the seller and she replied almost immediately claiming that the packages might get delayed in the customs. Since it was November, people are sending gifts to their friends and family, I figured that her reasonings about the delayed packages were acceptable. Apart from that, she also ensured me that she has already insured my package, so if it were to go missing or if I did not receive them, I could get a refund or replacement.

After that, I've been checking my mail box and been getting disappointed every single day for the next two weeks. I contacted the seller again. This time around I was quite worried as I was heading back to Malaysia for my summer holidays soon. So even if the package got delayed, I might not be in Melbourne to receive it. I told the seller of my concerns and she said that, at this point she would assume that the package had gone missing and all I have to do is to sign an insurance form and she'll send me a replacement package right away. She even offered to have it sent to Malaysia for me.

Two weeks (again!) later, I found a parcel sitting in my mailbox! I was thinking: could this be it? could this be ittttt?! Without much hesitation, I opened up my parcel, and there they were, my very own Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes!

TADAAAAAAA!!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush

I've picked out two shades: Exposed (left) and Dollface (right)

So here's the review

What is Amazonian Clay?

According to Tarte, it is the clay that gathers in the Amazon River's basin where it is at its highest nutrient concentration.

The amazonian clay has been known to:

1. Remove surface oil to mattify skin
2. Nourish all skin types
3. Reduce the appearance of dryness and flakiness
4. Give skin an overall smooth and even appearance
5. Improve the appearance of skin clarity and skin texture
6. Hydrate dry skin

Dollface is a bright light pink.

It shows up well against my fair skin. Pretty!

Exposed on the other hand, is a plummy pink.

I'd normally use this when I want a natural glow.

It gives a "it's-there-but-it's-not-there" kind of glow :)

These are the ingredients.

Here are my thoughts:

Packaging

I like the packaging, it's so girly and sleek. Not too bulky, you can definitely fit it into your bags or makeup bags. Like many other blushes' casings, it has a small mirror too. I also like that the color of the casing is the same as the blush itself. This made the searching process through a whole stash of makeups so much easier :)

Does it really last 12 hours?

To be honest, I haven't wear the blush for 12 hours straight yet. I'd say it's still good at the 8th hour without any touch ups, it looks as if I've just applied it. Which is really amazing. I have combination skin, so my blush usually wears off by the third or forth hour. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush here is the exception!

Pigmentation

I love how pigmented these blushes are. The color really shows up a lot. Especially Dollface. If you have fair skin tone, do use it lightly. I'm sure you don't want your face to look like the ass of a baboon's :)

Finishes

Both of these have matte finishes, which is my favourite for blushes. Blushes with shimmers and frosts tend to accentuate your pores.

Besides, it also leaves my face looking smooth and the area where I apply my blush doesn't look greasy!

Shades

There are altogether 9 different shades of Amazonian Clay Blushes from Tarte. I'm sure you'll get to find at least one that suits your skin tone.

Does it cause any breakouts/irritations?

I've been using this every time I apply make up for the past month and it did not break me out.

Can it be depotted?

Yes, and I'll show you how.

There's a small little tiny hole behind the casing.

Use a needle or a bobby pin and poke it through.

The pan will be lifted.

The black thingy in the middle is the magnet that holds the pan.

There you go! Fit it into your favourite UNII palette or Z-palette!

Where to buy?

So far, I have yet to come across any authorized stockists in Malaysia or Melbourne. But you can definitely get it from eBay. I'd recommend m-a-c lover, even though there has been a delay for my order, I believe that it was not her fault. She's really friendly and responds to my requests almost immediately.

What is the price?

It costs $25 a pop from tartecosmetics.com. I've paid $30.99 for Exposed and $25.99 for Dollface and an extra $8.98 for the postage. It cost me about $33 for each blush which is $8 more expensive. Don't ask me why is Exposed more expensive, I have no idea too.

In conclusion, I'm sold! I love this product to the max, I'm actually thinking to get another shade: Blissful, which is a peachy pink *excitement*. Will definitely repurchase this!

P/S: Sorry for not posting up any pictures of swatches of this blush as I couldn't get a picture that shows up well. Will definitely do so, once I get the perfect swatches!

Hugs and kisses,

Charlotte

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Holiday Haul! :)

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What's the best way to celebrate holidays?

Shopping of course! :)

• Boscia's Luminizing Black Mask
• Fresh's Sugar Lip Polish
• Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua
• Bliss's Steep Clean 15-minute Facial Mask
• Soup & Glory's Scrub of Your Life
• A bag full of clothes from Forever 21! Well, Chinese New Year is comingggg!

I've been drooling over these after hearing many great reviews. Yay new stuff to play with! :)

So, how did you celebrate your holidays? Same as moi?

Love,

Charlotte

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Chloe.Ash's UD Naked 2 Palette giveaway!

Follow @charlotteg0h Here's a chance for you to win Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette!! Yes, you heard me! NAKED 2 PALETTE!

Lily from ChloeAsh is doing a giveaway and she's giving away the most wanted palette ever!

Here's the link! Click here!

What you have to do? Simple steps to follow:

1. Subscribe to Chloe.Ash's blog here
2. Comment on her giveaway post something interesting about yourself and how you got to know her blog.
3. [For extra entries] Like her facebook page here
4. [For extra entries] Tweet about this link and remember to tag @ChloeAsh!
5. [For extra entries] Blog about this giveaway, you get 2 extra entries for this!

For those who made an effort to get extra entries, don't forget to include your facebook name, twitter name, and your blog link on the comment section!

This giveaway closes on the 22th of January 2012! Participate and you just might be the lucky one!

Good Luck :)

Love,

Charlotte

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OPI: My Address is "Hollywood"

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************Happy 2012 people!************

I'm wearing My Address is "Hollywood" for the first day of 2012 and I'm loving it to bits!

I have many pinks but I still like this a lot! I would say it's like a barbie pink but not too bright to the point where it makes my skin looks tanned.

So girly! Me likey!

Oh and btw, this baby here is from OPI's Touring America Collection.

Smooth application. Dries pretty fast. Two coats is sufficient if you're not too picky.

For some reason, I was extra picky, so I've done three.

And topcoat is a must if you want a glossy and shiny finish.

Shimmers!

Sad that you can only see them under natural light and when your eyes are an inch away from your nails.

And it totally matches my new iPhone cover!

Hello Kitty! *hearts*

Love,

Charlotte

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