#18052013 Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld

I was at the L'Oreal warehouse sale 3 weekends ago and manage to get my hands on a STEAL! I wasn't as hyped up about it a couple of years ago until I found love in make up. I only got to know about this awesome warehouse sale from my mom and aunt. They NEVER fail to attend this event every year! Especially my aunt. She would be the first in line at 8am.

Anyway, I manage to get myself 2 eye shadow + blush palette and a brush + pouch set from Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld's collection for only RM200. I don't know about you but my jaw literally dropped and I just knew I had to get it. Though I made a mistake for not checking the condition of the palettes. Two of the eye shadow pan is crooked but overall condition still boleh tahan.

Freaky but cute packaging. Mon Shu needs no introduction. This collection was released during Christmas season in 2012. So I am not too late to own it :P

(natural lighting)

(with flash)

(natural lighting)

As mentioned earlier, the top-left eye shadow pans from both the palettes were crooked. But I think it is better than having it fall out from a loose pan. So I can dismiss the crooked-ness =/

(with flash)

On the left is the Smoky Velvet palette and right, the Prestigious Bordeaux palette.

I tried swatching a few colours while at the warehouse sale. Absolutely love the texture and the colour pay off is good. I was kind of taken a back when the sales girl told me the bottom-right pan on each palettes are actually blushers. That size is pretty inconvenient for huge brushes to pick up the product. But that pretty much explains the size of the powder brush that came with the brush pouch =/

I didn't take a picture of the pouch overall. But here is one I grabbed from Beautezine.

(photo credit to Beautezine)

This set came with a powder/blush brush, eye shadow brush, concealer brush and a lip brush. The sizes of these brushes is comparable to an Iphone 4S.

Overall I find it pretty handy to carry around as a touch up/travel kit. There is a little pouch on the side for you to put whatever that is necessary.It doesn't fit a whole lot for a full face make up, so do take note of that. 

Personally, I wouldn't see myself using these brushes anytime soon because I already have another full size set of brushes which I can get a better grip instead of these mini ones. But I guess I might consider bringing them for a fuss free vacation make up kit.

Here is a Mon Shu interpretation by one of my favourite beauty guru on Youtube, Pixiwoo.

[Review] The Lilac Box 3

Some may interest you; many won't. But once in a while, you'll stumble across something that could possibly be the one. - The Lilac Box

After missing the first 2 boxes, I was pretty much determine to get the 3rd box when they were open for orders and so I did. The extra attraction factor was when they posted a picture hinting a partnership with Essie which made me think that MAYBE I will find one in the box (please take my moneeeeeeey now!) Sadly, when I received my box last Saturday, there was no Essie nail polish in sight...BUT the products that came in Box 3 didn't disappoint!

I suppose it is because of the month of May was dedicated to mothers', most of the face products have anti-aging properties. But girls, fret not because prevention is better than cure. Being in your early/mid/late 20s is never too early to start your anti-aging skin regime. Either that or you can just pass some of the products to your mom or dad (men are vain too!) I gave my mom the extra firming cream from Babor.

The list of goodies

• BABOR HSR Lifting extra firming cream
• BABOR HSR lifting extra firming eye cream
• MAX FACTOR Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 Foundation + Serum 1ml
• PAYOT Pate Grise 1ml
• PHYTO Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm 15ml
• SEE BY CHLOE Sample size Perfume 1.2ml
• YVES ROCHER Rose Fraiche Shower Gel 200ml

So far, I have only tried 4 products, the eye cream, hair relaxing balm, See by Chloe perfume and the shower gel. I will do a separate review for the MAX FACTOR Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 foundation.

You'll be in for a surprise when you open the little jar/tub. I have gotten a lot of samples in that size before but most of them were only half filled. In rare cases, below half. But Babor is extra generous because it was filled almost to the brim. I think it is enough for slightly over a month's use. Depends on how much you apply. I only use it before I sleep.

I have been using it for a week now. So far, no visible changes yet. I would probably write an updated review in the future after I finish my tub. All I can comment is that the texture of the cream. It feels thick when I apply it on at first but after I slowly worked the product around my eye area in a patting motion with my ring finger for about 30 seconds, I got a light and silky finish. I would suggest to go easy on the application. A little goes a long way.

Full size is retailed at RM490 (50ml) Read more here

This is my favourite product in the bunch. Who doesn't want healthy looking locks right? As per instructions, I applied it into my wet/damp hair before I blow dry it. The results were so-so. So I went against the norm and applied it AFTER blow drying my hair. My hair instantly felt smoother after application. It did not give me shampoo-commercial-model-like hair but it did tame down my frizzy hair quite a bit.

Read more here

You can never go wrong with rose scented products. This shower gel by Yves Rocher Rose Fraiche shower gel is no exception. I got a whiff of the scent from the bottle and knew I would love it. Compared to the Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose shower gel, the scent in the Yves Rocher shower gel smells milder. But if you are looking for a slightly longer lasting scent, I would recommend the Body Shop shower gel (RP RM45)

SEE BY CHLOE smells divine. It screams spring/summer all over! It doesn't choke up my nostrils like certain perfumes do. It is light and pleasant. I tend to gravitate towards floral scented perfumes. That is just my personal preference so I would say my verdict for this perfume is rather bias. Guilty as charged.

Curious to try it on yourself? Cleo is rewarding its readers with a free sample. The first 1000 people who present this post between 13-19 May 2013 at Mid Valley East Entrance lobby will receive a See by Chloe mini spray.

The Max Factor envelope came with not 1 but 10 sachets! of their Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 foundation + serum. 5 sachets for each shades, Light Ivory and Natural. Can't find the right shade, mix em up!

Just by touching-feeling the sachet, I think half a packet is more than enough for full coverage so make sure you prepare a good jar to store the excess content.

I haven't use the PAYOT or the Max Factor foundation samples yet but I am looking forward to try it after my skin settles down because I've been on this skin care routine and so far so good I must say. So I'll try to maintain it for a bit before starting on those products.

The Lilac Box goes out for RM49.90. From what I got in Box 3, I really think it is worth every penny. They really left a good first impression in me because not only do I get high end/branded products but generous amount of samples to try out. I especially love how the box that contains the products is not flimsy or tacky looking. I can totally see myself reusing it as a gift box or just storing my stuff in general. *big thumbs up*

Visit The Lilac Box website or Facebook page for more information on how you can get your hands on one of their delicious boxes.

p/s : I have been using the products for a week prior to this review. Just wanted to be sure on how I react to these products :)