Kiss Me Heroine Mascara

I've been really happy with my mascara routine recently. I apply 2 coats of Benefit They're Real and another 2 coats of Max Factor Clump Defy. They work amazingly for my pathetic lashes that I don't feel the urge to buy another mascara because I think I have found my perfect combination.

But lovely Sharlynn from The Blackmentosbeautybox introduced me to this mascara and was very nice to give me this set of 1 mascara and 1 mascara remover. She said that it is her holy grail mascara so it must be great!!

I love the packaging so much!! Asian brands are really 1 step ahead in terms of cute packaging! I love the vintage manga character there,just like the characters in manga 'Candy Candy'.

Sharlynn gave me a set of 1 mascara and 1 mascara remover. She said the mascara is really waterproof that it needs 'special' remover for itself.

All instructions and product description are written in japanese ( I believe it is japanese ) so I understand literally nothing. lol

Both the mascara and the remover come in a slim tube with golden 'Heroine mascara' logo printed on it. The mascara has fuschia tube with black cap and the remover has a pale pink tube with the same color cap.

THE MASCARA

MASCARA REMOVER

The mascara comes with a curved wand. The wand is made of plastic, and the size and curve are perfect for my sparse short lashes. I usually have problems with bigger wands but this one is just the right size.

The remover comes with a really interesting wand. It is plastic and straight. It is difficult to describe so please take a look at the picture :P

Now to the result.

Since all the descriptions are written in japanase, I can't read what this mascara promises. This mascara does elongate and curl my lashes and it holds the curl. It also doesn't clump and doesn't create spider lashes. It separates my lashes really really well which I like very much.

But it is lacking in volume. And it is not 'black enough' for my liking. I like this mascara though, but I still prefer my Benefit They're Real. If you see the before after picture, you can definitely see the difference it makes, but I need more 'drama'. lol

And this mascara is also very waterproof, so I am happy that Sharlynn got me the set with the remover because it is kind of hard to remove with usual make up remover. My waterproof eye make up remover from Balea does remove this mascara though, but not as effective as the remover that came with this set.

Overall, it is a really nice mascara but I still need the help from Benefit They're Real for more drama. ;)

What is your holy grail mascara?
Love,
Pam



Plum Pink

Among other high end brands, Burberry is def on the top of my list. I love everything about it, from the packaging, the concept, the products and etc etc.

I've tried the foundation, face powder, blushes, and lipsticks from Burberry but not yet the eye shadow. Burberry eye shadows have been getting a lot of compliments from the beauty community so I am so curious to try.

After doing some research on internet, I decided that the shade I'd like to try 1st was Mulberry. Unfortunately it was not available at Burberry beauty counter in Galeries Lafayette-Berlin, so the SA recommended me this palette and voila! you know the rest.

The palette comes in a trademark Burberry metal case with magnetic closure. It also comes in a 'velvet' pouch with 3 applicators. I don't have to say much about the packaging, but I love it! 

Inside, the eye shadows are divided to 4 stripes, with the 2 shades in the middle having the most space. I love the face that they give more amount for the 2 shades in the middle because they are the shades I'd use the most. The eye shadows are embossed with Burberry signature check patterns. Lovely, yes?

Okay, first of all I have to give applause to Burberry. These eye shadows are bomb. The texture is soooo smooth, fallout is minimal, pigmentation is just perfect and the finish is beautiful. I believe you can see on pictures above, the satin-sheen finish, right? 

Plum pink is not an ordinary neutral palette. It is something more 'playful'. It is the combination between taupe, plum and mauve and peach. It is totally my cup of tea.  The plum shade on the palette gives a nice pop of color without going too far from the neutral border. It's easy to create a subtle everyday look as well as a more intense smokey look. 

All the shades don't need any effort to apply. And once applied, they give the most beautiful satin sheen velvety finish I have never experienced before from any other brands. They don't crease, they have great staying power even on my oily lids + no base, the powder is finely milled and they blend like heaven.  

Oh I can go on and on raving about this.. 

After reading some reviews online, some people said that the quality of the eye shadows on this palette is not as good as the individual ones. Wow that surprised me! Because this one has already impressed me , I wonder how good the individuals are.. Any of you have tried both ? Which one do you prefer?

Because price-wise, this palette is a bargain compare to the single eye shadows. The singles retail for 25€ and this palette for 51€. But I'll def check the singles later, since I am still on the look for 'Mulberry'.

Love,

Pam

My Foundation Routine for Spring / Summer

After the endless winter, it is now finally spring here in Berlin. It's sometimes still cold and windy , but at least, the sun is there and the weather is warmer. 

So, now I want to do a little different post than the usual product reviews and show you my foundation routine for the warmer months. 

STEP 1 - 4

Skin Care + Base

1. Clarins Pore Minimizing Serum. 
• I've been using this serum for the last 6 months and I still love it so far. It minimizes the appearance of big pores and smoothes the skin texture.
2. Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid face lotion.
• My new holy grail skin moisturizer. I first tried it when I was in Indonesia and it is so moisturizing without being greasy or oily. In winter , I usually apply the moisturizing milk after this lotion ( it has water consistency even though it is called lotion. It is common for asian skin care ) but in warmer months, the milk is a bit too 'moisturizing'.
3. Paul and Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV SPF 40++
• I use this primer regardless of the seasons. It has high SPF which I need especially in spring/summer and it doesn't make my skin oily although It doesn't make my make up last longer either. That's why I still apply another primer over this one.
4. Benefit Porefessional.
• I apply Benefit Porefessional over my Paul&Joe protective base because I noticed that it works better when applied after the Paul&Joe primer. It gives a smooth-matte base and my make up stays on longer over this base. 

STEP 5-6

Foundation + Concealer + Powder

5.   Revlon Whipped Creme Foundation 

• I really like this foundation. It covers up just enough imperfections without making my skin look dull. It has beautiful finish with impressive staying power. It doesn't look cakey and it is perfect for warmer seasons. 

6.   Benefit Fake Up Concealer

• I've been having this concealer for around 2 months and I've been using it literally almost every single day. It is a nice decent concealer for under eye areas. It doesn't provide a lot of coverage but it is brightening so I don't mind the minimum coverage. 

7.   Essence Fix and Matte Translucent Loose Powder

• Setting powder is a must for warmer months since I have oily T-zone. But I prefer translucent powder because it gives more natural and flawless finish without being cakey. This powder from Essence is really nice and finely milled.

So that's my foundation routine for spring / summer! :D

I sometimes switch the foundation with another one or BB Creams but most of the time, I use the Revlon one. 

What is your foundation routine for warmer months?

Love,

Pam

Shiseido Perfect Rouge Tender Sheer - PK 327

I fell in love with this lipstick the first time I saw it on Lu's blog. I have never owned a Shiseido lipstick so this is my first encounter with Shiseido lipstick.

I went to Shiseido counter at Galeries Lafayette and the sales lady was so nice and helpful. I loooooove nice and helpful SAs. :D

The lipstick comes in a sleek purplish black metal bullet with magnetic closure. The bullet looks expensive and well made, yet simple and shopisticated. The packaging is just what you expected from the higher price.

I knew exactly from the beginning what shade I wanted so I didn't do a lot of swatches on the counter. The SA lady helped me apply this lipstick on my lips so I could see how the color looked on me. I also tried on another similar shade which is #RS326 but it was too milky and pale for my liking so I picked up this one.

#PK 327 is a sheer nude pink lipstick. It is a 'your lips but better' shade. The texture is balmy and so moisturizing. It is really easy to apply, the kind of lipstick you can re apply without a mirror. The pigmentation is sheer just like it is supposed to be. But it is not very sheer either, it still gives a nice hint of color to my lips.

It glides on smoothly on my lips and it has a nice sheer balmy finish. It feels so comfortable on the lips mainly because of its balmy texture.  I've been wearing this lipstick a lot to uni because its lightweight feeling and wearable color. The texture reminds me a lot of Clinique Chubby Stick. This lipstick is taste and scent free. 

The staying power is pretty short, but I don't mind having to re apply a bit often.

Despite of the expensive price ( 26 € ) and relatively 'usual' color, I still like this lipstick a lot. It def won't be my last lipstick from Shiseido.

Love,
Pam

Benefit World Famous Neutrals - Most glamorous nudes ever

I got this lovely Benefit eye shadow set from my colleagues at work as my birthday gift in March. Aren't they nice?? ;) They know exactly how I love make up, so they got me make up! :D

I got the kit 'Most glamorous nudes ever' which was actually on my wish list, so I was so happy that they decided to get me this set, because all the shades are totally my cup of tea. 

This kit contains 2 mini creaseless creme shadows in Birthday suit ( a shimmery super wearable champagne ) and My two cents ( a warm shimmery chopper ) and 4 long wear powder shadows in Call my Buff ( a sheer pearl white ), Kiss me I'm tipsy ( a reddish brown ), It's complicated ( a beautiful peach with golden sheen ) and Gilt-y pleasure ( a shimmery peach with gold touch ).

The kit comes in a hard paper box packaging that is so cute. Benefit never fails me in terms of cute-retro looking packaging. They really pay a lot of attention to the small details. The box itself can be used after you finish the product though I don't know if I will ever use up the product. It also comes with a mirror and Tips and Tricks How to cards that you can detach if you don't want to keep them.

To be honest, I was surprised at how creamy the creaseless cream shadows are. This kit is my first encounter with Benefit's eye shadows. The creaseless cream shadows are creamy and soft and they apply sooooo smooth and glides on literally like butter. The pigmentation is good, and the staying power is okay as long as I apply eye shadow base underneath. 

The long staying shadow powders have smooth and almost creamy texture. They are not dusty and easy to blend. The pigmentation is great, and they stay on for a long time as well.

The set will be good for travelling as you get cream + powder shadows that are all wearable. But you can also create dramatic look with this set.  I love how Benefit combined all the colors because I think they all look good together and you can play with it to create a lot of looks. This set will make a good gift as well!

Love,

Pam