Primers

My dear readers, apologies for the hiatus as I'm sick at the moment and heading off for a trip soon! I'll be back soon with some reviews!

Meanwhile I'm wondering if I should purchase Laura Mercier's oil free primer. The last I checked, it was currently out of stock at all Sephora LM counters. Does anyone have any thoughts or feedback on this product? If not, what are you using as your primer?

Review: Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder

Hello folks! Chanel's Natural Finish Pressed Powder (Poudre Universelle Compacte) is the key product for review today. I've been using this pressed powder for over 2 months and decided that it was time to put something down in black and white.

Chanel created this pressed powder to produce a translucent, natural matte finish (not flat matte). It is ultra fine and light weight, to be used after your foundation or after your face makeup. There is also a slight tinge of floral fragrance to the powder. Do not use this powder if you are looking for a medium to heavy powder coverage. 

The ingredients are:
Talc, Nylon-12, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Magnesium Myristate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, Isopropyl Lanolate, Aluminium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate,  Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum (Fragrance), tocopherol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl oleate, Citric Acid

I love the sleek compact black packaging that comes with it (well, it's channel afterall!). There's also an applicator puff that comes with it but I generally prefer to use my own powder brush to pick up the powder. There's also a mirror in the package, so its really simple and easy to use on the go, for touch-ups or for setting make-up.

With talc being it's first ingredient, it is no wonder that the powder is so fine and light. While the product does not guarantee to be oil-free nor shine-free, it does allow my make up to stay matte for a good number of hours (8 - 5pm). It is also relatively lightweight such that you do not feel an uncomfortable layer of powder on your face. It doesn't create the kind of over-powdered look which some other powders may give. Most importantly, as my face is really sensitive, I was amazed that this powder did not give me any breakouts or rash despite the floral scent.

However this powder range has only 4 colour choices - clair 20; naturel 30, dore 40, muscade 140 - which I felt was a little limiting. I was matched with a 30 naturel despite my Chanel matlumiere foundation being 20 clair. I guess this was to avoid me looking like a geisha of sorts. Chanel also has another range of oil-free powder which was only suitable for ladies with a really oily texture and needed proper oil-control powders. Otherwise Chanel's Natural Finish Pressed Powder would work for normal to combination skin ladies.

How does it look versus some peers?

When compared to Loreal True Match Super Blendable Powder which is much heavier, Chanel's powder wins hands down for me. Loreal's powder has only 3 shades, of which none really works for me. Also, it's not oil-free, leaving my face looking greasy by midday. Chanel's pressed powder doesn't do the same!

I would also like to compare this against Bobbi Brown's Sheer Finish pressed powder and Laura Mercier's Loose powder. When put against BB's pressed powder, I felt that Chanel's oil control abilities were much better and it also felt lighter than BB's product. Unfortunately, BB does have a wider range of colours which may help to match our face shades better. Lastly, when put up against LM's loose powder, I felt that both worked wonders with different foundations. Chanel's powder had a little more coverage than LM's but LM's mattifying properties edges over Chanel's pressed powder slightly. Still, both powder's key ingredients are talc, which in essence is simply powder.

Summary

In short, I love this powder as I generally prefer lightweight makeup but the price tag at S$72.00 is pretty hefty! I would use this concurrently with my Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder.

Foot Glide - Blisters no more! Hurray!

Hello ladies! Ever felt apprehensive of fitting into a new shoe... weary of blisters or other forms of abrasion when wearing covered shoes, heels and boots?

I've recently tried this new product - Anti Blister Foot Formula Pretty Feet from Foot Glide brand, and it works like a miracle! It costs S$17.90 at all Watson (Singapore) stores and you can also easily find it at your local pharmacies.

Packaging in stores - Picture taken at Watson Singapore -
Retail Price: S$17.90 in Singapore, 2012

It's colorless, non-greasy , easy to apply and most importantly, long lasting! It is also resistant to humidity, perspiration and water. Remove with Soap & Water.

The packaging and formula. Just turn that dial at the bottom of the bottle
and you'll get the formula in a harden wax format.

One application per day is sufficient for my use (morning 8am all the way till past midnight in my new pointed heels from nine west!). So a tube will probably last you pretty long! An awesome partner for your feet but best used before the trouble start!

Ingredients & other notes

It is a roll-on applicator. All you need it to rub it wherever blisters may occur in your opinion! No more packs after packs of handiplast (plasters) and suffer from painful blisters when wearing pretty and nice shoes! I hope this helps to solve your woes as much as mine!

Note: this is not an advertorial, I was not paid to write this nor did I receive any free samples from Foot Glide. I truly feel that this saves more money than me buying packs after packs of plasters. All recommendations came from my bestie who has used it for several months before I hopped on the boat! Enjoy!

At last, Laura Mercier in Singapore!

I made my round at the Laura Mercier shelves at Sephora, Ion Orchard, Singapore this evening! Unfortunately I came back a tad disappointed. First off the SAs were not very helpful and does not seem to know much about the LM products that were on the shelves and unlike Sephora in the states, there were no samples. Due to the bad service and change in LM products since I last saw in the States, I only went home with LM's Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

So here's my first impression/quick verdict of the items I tried. 

(a) Laura Mercier's Oil Free Supreme Foundation - New in stores as at April 2012 - RRP S$68 at Sephora Singapore

Chanel's AquaLumiere Foundation -
pic taken from Chanel

I had tested LM's previous oil-free foundation in the States and was quite impressed with it. Unfortunately LM decided that they would get rid of it and replaced it with their 'Oil Free Supreme Foundation'. Like previously, I was matched with Sunny Beige. However this time round, it was alot tougher to test it out on my hands! The texture like spreading unmelted-almost-hardened cream cheese or butter feeling! I made a comment and the SA told me "oh oil-free products are typically thicker and harder to spread"! Imagine that statement! Don't buy into that. Just pop into Chanel (Beauty) at Ion and they will happily show you AquaLumiere, their oil-free foundation, which fyi, is a world of difference from LM's new product. Ok these statements does not consider the fact that LM's oil free supreme foundation is medium to full coverage as informed by SA while Chanel's Aqualumiere was sheer coverage. Still, I was disappointed with LM's new oil-free foundation formula. It is certainly not lightweight and doesn't glide on at all. I also took the formula outdoor, hoping that it does have some redeeming factors... unfortunately, I felt that it oxidised quite a fair bit and turned slightly orangey. I do not think that this is a foundation that I will purchase. I was utterly disappointed. 

Laura Mercier's Oil Free Supreme Foundation
- picture taken from hotbeautyhealth.com

(b) Laura Mercier's Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - RRP S$68 at Sephora Singapore

Laura Mercier's Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer - picture taken from miss wiggle.blogspot.com

This remains as I last saw it. You can see some swatches at Miss Wiggle's blog. While I'm not a fan of tinted moisturizer, this is what I call lightweight. It is sheer and doesn't settle into fine lines. It sort of leaves a 'glittery' finish when light shines at certain angle. This is something which you may want to becareful with especially if you already have oily-to-combination skin. More shimmers and glitter will make you appear more 'oily' if not well applied and combined with other facial make-up. 

Benefit's You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer

Well, this Oil Free tinted moisturizer is certainly better than Benefit's You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer which I feel clogs pores and provides an unnatural finish. (This product caused me alot of breakouts! sobs) 

(c) Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Powder -- RRP S$58 at Sephora Singapore

LM continued to use the same formula for their translucent powder, whose main ingredient is Talc. Yes you didn't read wrong, that's powder. The texture is so fine that it will sit nicely on your skin. However the price tag is a little hefty for powder. Still it's 1oz in volume and it should last you for some time!

When I used it previously, it does help to keep my skin oil-free for most of the day. However, that was the period where I was largely in Australia. I'll try it out in humid Singapore and let you know if I see the same results. Look out for my review once I've tested enough! 

Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Powder

That's all for now folks.. I doubt you'll be seeing much of me lurking at LM's shelves... 

Paul Smith's Striped Mini

I had the pleasure of attending Paul Smith's striped mini's arrival in Singapore over the weekend! I was quite excited as I bought its model car (exactly the same!) last summer in London! By the way of introduction, there is also a Paul Smith's shop at Hilton Hotel #02-24, as part of the Club 21 Group.