MAC nail lacquer: Wildfire

I have been very, very bad this month and I will be bad for the rest of the year until the Alexander McQueen for MAC collection at the very least. After I failed to find a blouse I liked enough to purchase during my lunch break, I consoled myself with a bottle of MAC nail lacquer in wildfire (black with red pearl) from the Smoke Signals collection. It looked so pretty in the bottle I bought it without even testing it, which almost turned out to be a tragedy. The first layer went on sheer, and I nearly cried with disappointment because I was promised a cream formulation. But a second coat transformed my nails and gave them a gorgeous black-purply sheen that was surprisingly more purple than black.

With flash, which shows off the colour and finish better.

Without flash.

Apologies for the bad pictures - they were taken in a hurry. Also, as these were taken on the third day of application, there is slight tip wear. Funny how one doesn't notice how much we use our fingers until one gets a manicure or applies a new coat of polish.

Wedding beauty.

Long story short - our lovely g33kchic got married to her sweetheart of 7 years on 25 August 2007. I went over to her house early in the morning to watch her get her makeup done. Many brides from our hometown go the whole hog on their special day - renting 3, 4 outfits for the day and hiring makeup artists to transform them into unrecognizable glamourpusses. Consequently, they look amazing in studio photos, but pictures taken by their guests inevitably reveal the caked on foundation that is 3 shades too light for their complexions.

g33kchic's attitude, which I share, is that the bride should look like herself on her wedding day, but look her absolute best. She thus opted for a neutral palette of shimmery nudes and browns carefully selected to include her favourites and 'holy grails' from her makeup collection.

All that a bride needs - I'm referring to the coffee, of course. ;)


Makeup checklist - brides usually tuck blotters, gloss into a small pouch the bridesmaid carries. Our g33kchic brought this bag, which was the size of a small football!


Eyeshadow - Dior 5 shadow palette in Frosted Earth(limited edition)

Bride's holy grail blush - Benefit's dandelion

Nail lacquer - Chanel's Pink Satin. I thought this would be prettier than a picture of the bottle itself.

Other items used - Laura Mercier primer, false eyelashes, Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nudes shadow palette, which was used for contouring!

By the time she donned her veil and gown before leaving for the church, she was truly a vision in white.

Review on Bobbi Brown’s Stonewashed Nudes Palette

As stated previously, I absolutely need to get used to wearing nudes and browns with the slightest hint of shimmer for a corporate boardroom look. Women I see walking along Collins St in Melbourne all sport nudes and browns while in their corporate suits. I suppose it's about time I get used to seeing natural colours on my eyes. Thus, the reason this palette was acquired. Of course, having seen how Shryh manages her Vincent Longo so prettily, I tried to convince myself I could wear nudes and browns well too. I was not disappointed.

Colours: 7 colours in the palette.
Navajo is a matte beige wash which is similar to the best-selling shadow from Bobbi Brown, Bone. This colour, when applied onto my lids hardly showed but it is good enough as an all-over base colour. As a highlighter, it's very disappointing. When highlighting the brow bone, I had to root around in my train case for another colour.
Mica is a shimmer wash eye shadow. It is pale brown in colour. Looking at it now, I think this can be used as a blending colour from crease upwards for the smokey effect.
Ash is a shimmer wash as well and this is lighter than the previous colour and I can see myself using this for the inner eyes.
Hot Stone is a matte brown which is similar to my Averine eyeshadow. I've used this successfully from lash line to crease, giving the eyes instant depth with only a hint of colour. Definitely office-friendly.
Stonewash is shimmer wash I used together with Hot Stone today. I used it as a blending colour and to add a bit of shimmer to the entire eye.
Rock is my favourite colour of the entire palette. It's a shimmer wash in grey. For me, this is the easiest way to get the smokey-ish eye effect with one swatch of colour.
Espresso is another matte colour in the palette. It's often used as an eyeliner and I like it just the way it is. My next experiment will bring me to using this not only as an eyeliner but also to use it to smudge the outer eyes.

Texture: All the colours are very sheer making it extremely easy to build upon for a more intense look. I love it that the eyeshadows come in both matte and shimmer allowing us to create almost unlimited different looks. Of course, one needs the skill for; of which I'm sorely lacking in.

Smell: None whatsoever. I like it that way. Somehow it fits the Bobbi Brown image of fuss-free and simplistic makeup.

Waterproof/Long lasting: Unfortunately I've yet to be able to test this feature out properly. With Urban Decay Potion Primer, I doubt any shadow would dare to even crease.

Usability: This palette comes with a double-ended brush. On one end is the soft bristles for the eyeshadows. On the other end is the stiffer one for eyeliner. I love both the brushes and I think Bobbi Brown's done a fabulous job with this eyeliner brush. The previous one I got from them - Ultra fine eye liner brush is quite rubbishy. The bristles are uneven in length making it so difficult to apply the gel eyeliner. The bristles for the eyeshadow is thick and is of the correct size to apply just the right amount of colour to the eye. It took me a while to get used to the shape of the brush for proper application and to know how to angle the brush to the different parts of the eye. But, overall, I would certainly say this is a very usable palette that will bring you from day to night very easily. Slip this into your bag as you head out for the day. For an evening out, simply pick some colours to build upon your existing shadows for a smokey eye effect for a night out. It's also very easy to use and I cannot see how anyone can make a mistake with application. In other words, it's extremely idiot-proof, even for someone like me who shies away from nudes and browns.

Packaging: This comes in a grey brushed metal casing. It feels cool to touch and has a heavy feel to it. I was certainly surprised by this packaging. Most Bobbi Brown products come in a black plastic case. Since this is a limited edition product, I thought it was fitting.

Price: RM190.00 for this palette. Steep? VERY. But, considering how usable it is, and how this would actually be an investment, I would say, it's money well-spent.

Overall: Just get it if you can. You'll have no regrets. It'll garner you the is-she-wearing-eyeshadow-or-is-she-not 2nd looks. Easy to use, great effects and most definitely worth the investment.

Diorissime

"Why're you stuffing your house keys there? Leave it in the glove compartment, it's safer."
Err... no, you need to send this car for servicing tomorrow and I need to bring it down to your house anyway.

"Put it in the glove compartment, will you?"
No! Drive-lah!

"PUT IT IN!"
Hmm...

Heh. Heh. Heh.

A prettily-wrapped box in gold with Dior embossed all over greeted me.

Heh. Heh. Heh.

A few days ago, he insisted on getting me something for the wedding. I lusted after the new limited edition palette. While Jen was at Parkson of 1 Utama, he told me the colour shade that I was after was no longer in stock.

I was crushed but he promised me we'd get it from the Dior counter in Ipoh. I suppose I had to live with it.

Little did I know, he visited Jusco of 1 Utama to get it for me.

In exchange for the pretty palette, he got a pair of cuff links which I sneakily bought from Mid Valley the day I met Shryh for lunch. I managed to evade and deny vehemently over the past few days until he threatened he would purchase a new pair for the wedding.

I would say how lucky we, girls are. I mean, how pretty can cuff links get in comparison with this?!



Colour scheme this:

Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nudes Palette

I try not to buy into the hype of each season's makeup 'must-haves', and when I first caught sight of Bobbi Brown's Stonewashed Nudes eyeshadow palette about a month ago, I wasn't as enamoured with the palette as many other beauty bloggers. But as the end is nigh for my beloved Vincent Longo eyeshadow trio in Easy Rider, and it was the first time in years I've actually finished a pot of eyeshadow. The imminent demise of my pot of Easy Rider helped me to realize that I overwhelmingly prefer a nude-brown eyeshadow combination to wear to work on a daily basis. I considered getting a second pot of Easy Rider, but that would mean delayed gratification as Vincent Longo makeup is not available in Malaysia. Bobbi Brown's Stonewashed Nudes eyeshadow palette, on the other hand, was easily available (albeit for a limited period only), highly coveted and fantastically office-friendly.

Still, it takes a longer time for seasonal collections to hit our shores (O' Flashtronic, wherefore art thou?) and after days of skulking around the standalone Bobbi Brown cosmetics boutique in Mid Valley, my vigilance with rewarded when the palette finally went on display today. A failed shopping trip over the weekend had left me with more cash in the purse than usual, so I bought the palette, encased in taupe brushed metal, instead.

L-R: Navajo, Mica, Ash, Hot Stone, Stonewash, Rock, Espresso

I now have a reason to look forward to the second day of work this week. For now.