Kat Von D at Sephora.

I am obsessed with two TLC shows currently airing on Discovery Travel and Living in Malaysia -- Miami Ink and its West Coast spin-off L.A. Ink (see pic above for cast). The show revolves around the young tattoo artist Kat Von D (white swimsuit, centre), first spotted on Miami Ink before she was fired, and her talented, quirky colleagues at High Voltage Tattoo in Hollywood California. My own fascination with tattoo art aside, I adore the alterna-chick look the women cast members rock and the absence of magazine-ready blonde glossiness (see The Hills) on the show.

You can imagine how thrilled I was when I learnt that Kat Von D was collaborating with Sephora on a makeup collection, which is now for sale online. I don't know the extent of Kat Von D's contribution (celebrity lines, y'know?), but the finished product has a romantic goth-glam feel to it so it feels like a collection the creator would wear herself. The plastic casing is stencilled with silver roses and comes in a specially silk-screened paper box.

The Kat Von D makeup collection isn't large -- there are two shadow palettes named after her favourite composer, creamy red lipsticks, liquid liner (of course) and an eye brush set. I'm personally lemming:

True Romance Eyeshadow palette in Beethoven (the other's named Ludwig. God, I'd buy both just to keep them together)

Painted Love lipstick in Hellbent because it's described as 'blood red'. Which I think is the perfect lipstick to wear when I'm carving my lover's initials into my skin while listening to My Chemical Romance.

It goes without saying that both images are from Sephora.

Prices for the Kat Von D makeup collection range from US$16 for an eyeliner and US$48 for the eye brush set, so it isn't exactly inexpensive. Still, this is one thoughtful eponymous celebrity makeup collection that may very well be worth every penny.

Update: Guerlain LE Eyeshadow Palette Fleur de Feu

A few days ago, I managed to snag what I thought would be the last Fleur de Feu palette on this side of the earth.

That was until I stepped into Myer at Chadstone today. A quick chat and I went away knowing that 2 more women in this city would walk away with the same palette.

So, just 2 more. Run, dash, fly to Myer today to grab one for yourself. To ensure you're not disappointed, you can call up ahead and have it set aside for you before you make a trip over.

The number for the Guerlain counter: 9567 6266

Happy shopping!

NB: Don't bother with David Jones in Chaddy's. It's not even on the display anymore.

Pretty Beauty Stash

A quick pitstop at Doncaster Westfield a few days ago and my heart skipped a beat.




Gift with purchase! My favourite kind of shopping!


Take a guess!






What could it be?!



I think I should stop tantalizing Tine. For an entire day of yesterday and today, we'd been exchanging texts and emails and she's probably going to make me pay dearly for teasing her when we do meet up for coffee one day.

Well, not long ago, Shryh blogged on Glossifieds not long ago on a limited edition Guerlain palette. I tried my darndest to locate it in Wellington airport but to no avail. But, heyho, here we go!




Up close and personal


Without flash

It's probably the last one in Melbourne because I got Myer and David Jones in the city to call up Chaddy's and a few other places. But, I never thought of Westfield.

Good on me!

NARS Orgasm lip gloss and nail polish gift set.

Image from sephora.com

Not content with giving us the blusher, lipgloss and the multiple, NARS has taken their most infamous hue to another level -- the nail polish. NARS nail polish in Orgasm is only available in a limited edition set on Sephora for the time-being, but given that this glowy peachy-pink is an easier colour to love than Zulu, which is currently being hunted by the most hard core of hard core polish fanatics since its disappearance, Orgasm will hopefully enter NARS's small but cultish permanent nail polish collection.

Guerlain LE Eyeshadow Palette Fleur de Feu

Heart... fluttering... Cannot... breathe...
Image from eluxury.com

Hooooly smokes, but Guerlain's Fleur de Feu (Fire Flower, I think) limited edition eyeshadow palette is making me go weak in the knees. Designed by Herve van der Straeten, the man who brought Guerlain into the 21st century with his product designs, the palette takes inspiration from a South African flower that "mocks the surrounding land ravaged by fire [...] the ideal metaphor for casting off winter's gloom." Oooookay. But apart from the melodramatic copy, what's not to like about the pink and grey shadows encased in a black gold (swoon!) compact? Nothing, I tell you, NOTHING.

MAC Cosmetics Heatherette Collection

Trust a former Club Kid to know makeup. While Heatherette's alley-punk aesthetics never once appealed to me, I must say that their makeup collection for MAC is wonderfully balanced: the coral, pink and nude lips colours are wearable but unsubtle while the eyeshadow trios succeed in being bold and unassuming at the same time. It strikes me as a rather suggestive collection, a collision between the makeup bags of a sixties sex kitten and an eighties disco diva.

I love the paint-by-numbers graphic. Whee! Photo from mac.com

The collection comes in limited edition (but of course) hot pink cases with a holographic foil decal of the Heatherette logo. Items of note include the Dual Edge Eye Pencil which has a glitter pencil and a regular kohl on either end in unboring combinations (I like Black Funk/Pop Blue, a black and turquoise glitter), and the nail polish in $$$$$, a shiny, bling-y metallic silver foil. The collection also contains the usual suspects of limited edition lipsticks, lipglasses and eyeshadows, and the loveliest shade I've seen so far is the lipstick in Lollipop Loving, described as a "clean mid-tone coral with subtle green gold iridescence". Specktra members have a Heatherette swatch thread going, so you can go ahead and check it out for yourself.

Over all, I think this is a stronger collection than Alexander McQueen for MAC, the narrow scope of which left me cold. Then again, McQueen as a designer blows Traver Rains and Richie Rich out of the water, though the comparison is quite unfair. The better the clothes, the suckier the makeup collection? Maybe Behaz Sarafpour, Peter Som and Thakoon Panichgul were wise to limit themselves to a single lipstick.

Lancome Pout-a-Porter Colour Fever Shine lipstick in Pixel Pink.

I like to think before I make a purchase. I think and I think and I think, then I return to the store to contemplate the product in person, decide against it and go home to think some more. My resolve eventually collapses under the weight of my lofty thoughts which impels my body to go forth and buy the damn thing already. This often means whatever I coveted would be sold out. So, I've never been fond of shopping really. It's way too cerebral to be therapeutic or enjoyable for me.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I learn my lesson. So when I found myself in a Lancome boutique and the limited edition Colour Fever Shine lipstick in Pixel Pink was available, I suppressed my natural instincts and bought one immediately. It was the fourth and final lipstick from Lancome's Pout-a-Porter series -- a collaboration between makeup artist Gucci Westman and several fashion designers she worked with. I didn't really care for the chalky pink Proenza Pink, but I was really sore about missing P.S. Kiss, which is frankly more to my taste than Pixel Pink. As for the first PaP lipstick, Behnaz Red, lipstick wasn't even on my makeup radar then.

So, the cardboard box is different...

But enough with the regrets! What about Pixel Pink? Briefly speaking, Pixel Pink was sighted on the runways during Thakoon's Spring 2008 show, and the sheer raspberry shade is intended to complement warm, sun-kissed skin. (See video for Thakoon's inspiration for his collection) The lipstick strikes me more as a mid blue-toned pink which was closer to my MAC Electro-Lush lipglass than anything berry-hued in my stash.

Look, I've eaten many raspberries...


... and this is NOT a raspberry colour.

Like other Color Fever Shine lipsticks, Pixel Pink goes on like a gloss lipstick -- slick, shiny and weightless. As my lips are pretty pigmented to begin with, Pixel Pink wasn't the most dramatic colour to grace them. It took on a darker, slightly bruised magenta hue on my lips, though it's likely that the colour isn't being shown off to its best advantage since I lack a tan. Unlike Thakoon's inspiration, I'm a girl who quit her day job to hibernate in a cave.

I wouldn't fret too much about not being able to get a tube, especially if you already own a pink, "your lips but better" lipstick. If you want to collect it, it's still available on the Lancome USA website but you'd better hurry if you don't want to fork out a hundred bucks for it three months later on eBay.

Sephora Blockbuster Palette

According to the Sephora website, this triple-tiered palette for eyes, face and lips contain 64 shadows, 32 lip colours, 7 cheek colours, 1 shimmer powder, 4 double-ended shadow applicators and 2 lip brushes.

Image from www.sephora.com

Is this THE perfect holiday gift for the beauty junkie? This one says no. Sephora's Blockbuster Palette presents a breathtaking sight, but I would be pretty upset if I found this in my Christmas stocking. I would not be able to justify ANY makeup purchases for the rest of the year (or... MY LIFE!), nor would I use every shade in the palette, which is quite wasteful. Finally, a makeup collection or traincase should be lovingly, carefully assembled over time after much research, discussion and agonizing so it contains the best brands and products for the owner!

In any case, the Blockbuster Palette could be a good gift for someone who does not own a scrap of makeup and does not particularly care but should, because, oh honey, we're not getting any younger, are we?

At US$48 a palette, it's quite a steal. Available in stores and online at Sephora.com.

New Goodies From Benefit

Browsing beauty websites is one of my favourite hobbies. It's like window shopping. All from the comforts of my room. And, Benefit cosmetics always has one of the most fun stuff. Quirky names, pretty packaging, they all seem to beckon at me from across the oceans.

One of the first few stuff which I came across was a set of brushes. Or, I should say one of the first few things which caught my eye since brushes are always interesting. This set contains 4 brushes, from its description: the powder brush, fluff brush, hard angle brush, and the talent brush.

I would think the fluff brush would be your regular large eyeshadow brush. The hard angle brush (last brush on the right depicted below) can be used for filling in the eyebrows and finally, the much-talked about talent brush (2nd last brush from right below) is multi-use. I imagine it would be suitable for a cream eyeshadow and even for undereye concealer! I wouldn't dream of using this to correct spots because it's just too wide for precision.

This set goes for USD$44.00.



Justine Case, a twist to the popular phrase just-in-case is a set made up of miniatures of Benetint, eyecon, california Kissin' and Some Kind-a Gorgeous in a pan. I would think this would be a good chance for those who have been dying to want to try some of these products. Benetint has received its fair share of good (and lousy!) reviews but you'd never know if it'll work on you until you've tried. eyecon is their eye cream which is touted to reduce dark circles but having tried an entire tub, I can safely say that it does not work. Well, that's the thing with dark circles. You cannot simply eliminate them with products. Trust me on this. California kissin' is a blue-tinted lipgloss which is supposed to make teeth look whiter. Well, it is true that a red lipstick with a hint of blue would make lips whiter but I still could not justify spending so much on a lip gloss. According to some complaints in forums, Some Kind-a Gorgeous is too expensive to be used solely as a foundation. You'd see the bottom of the pan in no time. Well, like I'd said, you wouldn't know until you've tried it.

This cute little palette retails for USD$30.00



Grabbing all the favourites from their range of products, Best of Benefit: Iconic Classics consists of Dr.Feelgood - a balm and/or primer for the face, Benetint and Badgal Lash mascara. These products are all packed up in a pretty little paper box and ready to be given away (or kept for yourself). Other than Dr.Feelgood, I can't say for how good the rest of the products are. I am actually rather disappointed with Dr.Feelgood. It made me break out at the oddest places! The little spots would pop out at the little crevices at the sides of my nose. Between the nose and the cheek. Just one or two. I've completely given that up. But, having said that, I've still not learnt my lesson and would, every now and then give it a go, just in case, I've gotten over the reaction.

This pink package retails for a whopping USD$58.00



Finally, a little gift set they've dubbed Best of Benefit: Beauty Bag Essentials consists of Dallas the bronzer, Badgal Lash mascara as well as eye bright, a pink pencil to be used to brighten up the eye area.

This retails for USD$46.00.



I've always loved stuff from Benefit, but somehow, I was just not inclined to buy anything this time round. Maybe the phase for Benefit has finally passed.

Note that this is not in any way sponsored by Benefit. I just think that their products are cute and are worth sharing. I shall not be held responsible for any spending sprees going out of control.

MAC nail lacquer: Whirlwind

With flash:


Without flash:

Whirlwind is one of the two shades of nail lacquer from MAC's Blue Storm collection. The website describes Whirlwind as "metallic royal blue with green, blue and purple pearl" in a frost finish. This could very well be true, but that's one confusing description if anything. Looking at my nails, all I can see is dark metallic blue-green. I love the colour, which goes incredibly well with my skin tone, and in the off chance that the prayer whispered into the internet abyss will be heard by Roland Mouret, I would love a Galaxy dress in this hue.

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.