Tag: makeup

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UNEXPECTED, LUXURIOUS & NEXT GENERATION

That’s what Marc Jacobs Beauty all about….

at least according to Tiana Lukette, Marc Jacobs Beauty Education Specialist from the US at the launch of this most anticipated makeup line. Me and fellow bloggers were invited to the launch event at The Immigrant, Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta. And boy, did we have fun trying them all. From Genius Gel Foundation, Remedy Concealer Pen till LoveMarc Lip Gel. Yup ladies, Marc Jacobs Beauty is finally available throughout Sephora Indonesia since this January 2015. This breakthrough brand debuts 126 products, assortment of 16 innovative complexion & color cosmetics, plus makeup brushes.

“Beauty is youth, beauty is energy, it’s something that you attracted to,” said Marc in his short video played at the event. In the video, he also mentioned about how he personally love the blackest of black, the shiniest of shine, the mattest of matte which he created for his beauty line. And I just love how Marc really gets his hands on all the products, from the ingredients to their names. Even his tattoo “Shameless” was the inspiration behind the brand’s bold blushes. 

If you think the ritual of putting on cosmetics, choosing your clothes & shoes is a part of your joyful life, then Marc Jacobs Beauty is for you! Get them exclusively at Sephora Plaza Indonesia and Kota Kasablanka, Jakarta, Indonesia. 

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LOVE MOTHER NATURE?

If you do, you’ll love BEYOND, Korea’s number one Eco Beauty cosmetics brand. 

I was surprised when I was told by BEYOND Indonesia’s team, that LG (yes that electronic brand from Korea) was behind this eco beauty brand. Apparently in Korea (which sadly I haven’t visited yet), LG also produced household and health care products. 

Committed to sustainable beauty in consideration for our environment, BEYOND was born in 2005. Practically new, but they do have a total care brand which encompasses Face, Body and Hair Care. They even have products for Kids. With their ‘Eco Values’ belief, they went through the entire process from finding raw materials for ingredients to packaging. Natural ingredients stored in eco-friendly containers, and not tested on animals. That’s really BEYOND. 

Thanks to BEYOND Indonesia, they sent me these two products to try: REAL MINERAL BB & Just BEYOND REAL MINERAL Glow Highlighter. As we all (might probably) know, minerals will let our skin breathe more easily and give that special glow like no other. And these two products did just that. The Blemish Balm (BB) is probably the most lightest BB Cream I’ve ever tested. It didn’t feel like a mask and glides evenly when applied. Yet, this triple functional mineral BB cream is still good enough to cover up imperfections like acne scars and big pores. And talking about pores, natural minerals supposedly won’t block pores, which is a good news for those who have sensitive skin or prone to acnes. It really gives that extra dewy skin look, so if you want it to be more matte, you might considered to dust some loose powder afterwards. Only available in one color, thankfully the shade fits me just right. It didn’t give me that greyish or pinkish tone like some other BB Cream I’ve tried. 

Perfect for highlight, is Just BEYOND REAL MINERAL Glow Highlighter. As the name stated, this mineral compact did give skin an extra glow by its’ own. When applied by provided sponge, it showed tiny shimmers particles without making skin look whiter. However, I recommend not to use this as an all-over face powder, especially if you applied BB Cream previously. Apply with contour brush on the high points of your face (bridge of nose, brow bone, cupids bow and cheekbones) to reflect light off your face. 

Overall, these two products are perfect to give us that dewy, glowing and fresh looking skin for everyday makeup. 

For more on BEYOND, click here or visit their cute BEYOND Eco Atelier (that’s what they called their shops) in Indonesia, in Taman Anggrek, Pondok Indah Mall 1 & Kota Kasablanka (just to name a few). 

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IN 2 WEEKS TIME…

I hope I’ll see improvement in my lashes & brows, now that I’m wearing Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Clinical Lash + Brow Enhancing Serum.

Truly, I have this love and hate relationship with my lashes and eyebrows. Some good days, they looked amazing (especially when eyebrows powder & mascara are added) and for those not so good days, they look blah. What can I say, I was born with sparse lashes and eyebrows. I did eyebrows embroidery (which eventually faded by time) and I did eyelash extension (which eventually fell off by time). Nothing last forever, right? Fortunately, in my hiatus mode from eyelashes extension (I decided to give it a break, because I’m worried I might lost all my own lashes *knock on wood), Kiki from Elizabeth Arden Indonesia sent me this product to try. 

True to its’ name, this specific serum is clinically tested to reveal visibly longer, fuller, more beautiful looking lashes in as little as 2 weeks time if applied daily. With exclusive triple peptide complex, boosted by vitamins, botanicals and lash conditioners, it will support natural renewal cycle, so lashes & eyebrows will look lush, healthy and revitalized. And I do believe that having naturally thick eyebrows and lashes will make us appear younger, no? 

Aging is not the only factor to blame for our thinning eyelashes and brows. Daily use of eyelash curler + mascara apparently will make our lashes starting to thin, too. Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Clinical Lash + Brow Enhancing Serum will help minimize the breakage & recover from this damage too! And don’t worry, it won’t darken eyelids or change iris pigmentation because it’s prostoglandin free. It’s also free of fragrance, colorant and paraben, which I found very practical considering that they recommend to apply this every night. Yup, make sure eyes are clean and free of makeup before applying this every night with its’ own applicator brush. Apply as close as possible to the roots of your lashes from inner to outer corner. And yes, you can apply it on lower lashes as well. Same goes to the eyebrows, apply on clean and makeup free eyebrows with its’ tiny brush. Use short strokes on the desired areas (as for me, I applied on whole brows).  

I have just started using this like two days ago, so of course nothing happened over night. But glad to say that it doesn’t make my eyes irritated, thanks to the fragrance-free factor. The clear texture is just correct, not too thick or too liquid so it won’t drip inside your eyeballs when applied. Being a practical person, the fact that I can use this one product for my eyelashes and eyebrows scored for me! And look at the black velvet pouch that came with the serum (see pic above), it just screams elegant jetsetter. So looking forward to any improvement of my lashes and brows in two weeks time. I’ll keep you posted for sure!

 

 

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BEAUTY ON THE RUNWAY

The Body Shop Indonesia has been the official makeup sponsor of Jakarta Fashion Week since 2011. And this year, they collaborated with three local fashion brands, KLE, CottonInk Studio and Ardistia New York. 

With a theme “Runway to Your Way”, I found this particular show as a very conceptual runway. Sitting there on the front row with The Body Shop Indonesia’s team, I can see why they chose the three local fashion brands mentioned above. Super wearable yet fashionable, not to mention…effortless. Just like the makeup from The Body Shop. 

I love how the multimedia screen projected a very modern clip about the key products from The Body Shop which were used for each brand. For KLE who expressed her Spring Summer 2015 Collection in all white, their key products are InstaBlur and All In One Face Base. To support the CottonInk Studio collection who embraced the essence of confidence with effortlessness, they accentuated with strong eyeliner made possible by The Body Shop latest Smoky 2 in 1 Gel Liner. Last but not least, for Ardistia New York who played with strong lines and bold colors, Colour Crush Lipstick was the main focus of the whole makeup (especially with that wig who covered models eyes). 

Congratulations for The Body Shop Indonesia’s team and their makeup artists who I believed work their hearts off backstage to support this year’s Jakarta Fashion Week. See you guys next year!

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WHAT’S HOT FROM …

BOURJOIS. From their first creations for theatre actors and actresses way back in 1863, this beauty brand surely keep on blossoming. 

Who could resist the power of that iconic little round pots? Of course, the formula has been improving ever since and Bourjois continue to invent, create and design cute yet feminine products for beauty junkies like us. Being an addict for anything Parisian myself, I love how Bourjois made their products accessible for their affordable price but with a great quality of makeup. Not to mention, they have their own counters in major department stores and easily to get in some of major drugstores here in Jakarta, Indonesia. Oh, and they also launches new looks each season with (again) Parisian style advertisement. So you can imagine their wide range of colors (at their website, they noted 400 shades and 100 of them are renewed each year). 

Last week, Bourjois Indonesia gathered us bloggers at Four Seasons Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia to introduce their upcoming products. Range of GLAMOUR Eau de Parfum (Glamour Fantasy, Glamour Chic, Glamour Excessive and Glamour Lovely), TWIST UP THE VOLUME Mascara, ROUGE EDITION VELVET & CC CREAM. They also sneak a peek of a few products for 2015. 

Adding to their complexion category is the CC Cream with three new corrective pigments inside a tube: Apricot for anti-fatigue, Green for anti-redness & White for anti-dark spots. It’s very lightweight, blend easily and leaves skin look brighter and more even. What awed me the most at the event was their TWIST UP THE VOLUME Mascara. It’s the first Bourjois mascara with (literally) twistable two-in-one brush. Check out my pics above for the close ups of the brush. Very convenient and time saving, as it will give length, definition, and volume with only one item. Each brush position has its’ own function. Position 1 will lengthen and separates the lashes, while position 2 provides even greater volume. When I tested it myself, I was very relieved for its’ clump free result as I found it hard to find a lengthening and volumizing mascara in one which delivered the same result.  

And finally I got the chance to test their most anticipated lipstick, ROUGE EDITION VELVET. Such a huge rave in beauty bloggers’ world, this latest lipstick came with ultra bold matte finish with super pigmented color. Surprisingly light weight in texture, very easy application and incredibly long lasting, they came in 8 glamorous & sexy bold colors (definitely not for the shy). I love how it initially feels like a lip lacquer but then it evolved to this fabulous matte finish, exactly like the one you see in the packaging. Tip: make sure you moisturize heavily and wipe the moist of your lips before applying this lipstick. 

WHEN X MEETS O

This week, I was invited to attend an ESTEE LAUDER event at Pondok Indah Mall 2, Jakarta. 

At this event, I was excited to meet Vincent Xu, Estee Lauder’s Global Premiere Makeup Artist from Shanghai. He was so humble, considering that his title was right below Blair Patterson, director of global makeup artistry of Estee Lauder.

When I sat on his makeup chair, I stumbled upon his collection of brushes (WOW!) and how he swayed his hands beautifully while holding his brushes. It seemed like his brushes didn’t touch my skin at all, but they did. Weird, right? He also made me wear this beautiful coral shade (Melting Sun) from Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer. He said this color is best seller in Asia. At the very last touch, he applied Advanced Night Repair on my skin, above the makeup. He said, it will hydrate our skin, even over make up and it can give a glowing effect. 

I also learned one more new trick from Vincent (who loves to take selfie by the way, he’s so cute!). He called it ‘XO’ Technique to conceal spots, like pimples. He literally draw ‘X’ right on the middle of the spot and ‘O’ around the spot (see the exact sample on the pic above). He said, make sure you’re wearing a liquid concealer and a concealer brush for easier application. After the ‘XO’ thingy, he applied foundation and powder to eliminate any shine. Such an eye opener trick, I might say.

GO GLAMOROUSLY GREEN

Widen your choice of makeup, ladies. As bo.ho makeup is coming to town.

What comes to your mind if you hear about green makeup? Mine will be: natural, not tested on animals, and environment friendly (from the ingredients to the packaging). And that’s exactly what bo.ho makeup offers. Launched back in 2012, this French organic (yes, it’s organic) makeup brand offers quite a complete range of affordable makeup products. The label: bo.ho does remind me of free spirit and hippies, which are the true characters of a true bo.ho, founded by Vincent Honnart & Christele Bombana. Knowing that green makeup in the world is still very limited, both Vincent & Christele were dedicated to create a gourmet brand with natural ingredients & professional quality.

If you see the green concept packaging, you can tell that they were inspired by all things natural, right down to the ingredients. FYI, all packaging is biodegradable, as they’re using cardboard and plastics that are made for plants.

In Indonesia, bo.ho is sold at Beauty Box and the nice people at Beauty Box Indonesia sent me some bo.ho products to try. Here’s my beauty verdict (see the final result pic on me above!):

Eyeshadow (Rp 175.000): The dark purple color in PRUNE is perfect to fill up the outer corner of the eyes to create that purplish smoky eyes. Very pigmented and not easily crease, this pressed powder eyeshadow is a must have.

Compact Foundation (Rp 250.00): Mine is BEIGE DORE, and this is the tiniest packaging of foundation I’ve ever tried. Very compact, I like the creamy texture which turn to powder sensation after application. Final result: matte, even without powder on top. Just make sure you put moisturizer or primer before applying as I feel it can be too drying for those who have dry skin type and always blend.

Eye Pencil (Rp 110.000): I tried the WHITE pencil, a great eyes opener for that fresh eyes look. It has a quite hard lead to create that precise line under my eyes. Just be careful not to poke on your own eyes.

Lipstick (Rp 180.000): This red wine color #103 is really bold. I applied a single layer only for the final result pic above, because it’s really that pigmented. With its’ matte texture, make sure you apply lip balm before application to keep your lips from drying out.

LIBERATE YOUR SKIN FROM HEAVY WEIGHT FOUNDATION

Frankly speaking, I’m not a huge fan of liquid foundation. See, I love to do my makeup as quick as possible, and using liquid foundation with brush and the need to blend them didn’t attract me. Until…

Yves Saint Laurent introduced their latest foundation, YOUTH LIBERATOR SERUM FOUNDATION. It’s the first serum-foundation by YSL and infused with the latest skin science, Glycanactif Complex, which does 3 actions in 3 compartments of skin for lift & pump effect. Let’s just say it works long-term under the skin as well as instantly gives that glowing complexion at the surface. 

I tried shades B30-Beige, and I love the result. My first selfie pic on the left shown myself without any foundation and concealer. The middle pic shown after using foundation only. And the after pic on the right shown after I set the foundation with powder. Surprisingly, even though the texture is quite thick, it was very easy to blend without using a brush. I pumped twice for the whole face only and it didn’t take long to blend. 

As for the coverage, it is a medium to high coverage foundation. So as you can see, I didn’t use any concealer to conceal my uneven skin tone (worst part on both sides of nose). Very good to hide any redness and small blemishes. I did feel like my skin glows from within without using any brightening powder, and even after I set with a non matte face powder, it’s still look naturally dewy. Thanks to YSL’s Color Tune-Up which reduces the appearance of the visible effects of time & magnifies skin tone to add a natural healthy glow to the complexion. 

It lasted really well throughout the day and the best part, it didn’t cake. Don’t be surprised if the shades look a little bit lighter on your face once applied, because it has SPF 20/PA++. The shades somehow will tune in to your own natural shade by time. 

Of course it’s a winner for me as it does save my time doing my makeup with a glorious glowing from within result. 

  1. I can skip my face serum
  2. I can skip my sunscreen
  3. I can skip my concealer

Yves Saint Laurent Youth Liberator Serum Foundation, now available in Indonesia at retail price Rp 750.000. Remember to always pick your shade correctly. 

SPRING FLING

Don’t you just love Spring makeup? Showered with gorgeous bright colors, Spring translated to be one of the most wearable makeup in the beauty business. Don’t trust me? Check out these looks by Make Up Store.

It’s great to know that our very own Jakarta, Indonesia has the first concept store in Asia which resembled the one in Make Up Store’s native Sweden. When I met Elaine Fong, Marketing Manager Make Up Store for Singapore & Indonesia for the Spring 2014 product launch previously, she said, “Even Singapore & Hong Kong haven’t got one.” Now that they have more than 200 stores worldwide, their Plaza Indonesia store is the must visit ones for beauty addicts. Check out my pics of the store above.

Make Up Store has different collection for each 4 seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. So you can imagine how walking to the store feels like. Lots and lots of makeup products, not to mention they also have range for tools, body care and face care too! This Spring, Make Up Store presents three collections and looks: FUSION, POETIC & DELUXE.

For red and pink colors fans, you’d be delighted with FUSION, a futuristic & eclectic interpretation of two feminine colors.

How to get FUSION look:

  • Blend the new Marble Eyeshadows in Blue Venato & Volcano to create colorful composition.
  • Apply Eyepencil in Not So Dark to complement the eyeshadow shades.
  • For a waterproof result, mix Cake Eyeliner in Dark Grey with Mixing Liquid to frame the eyes.
  • Stroke Volume Mascara to the lashes for that thick luxurious volume without the clump.
  • Pick your gloss. LED Lipgloss in Hot Pink, or Lipgloss Wand Duo in Clementis.

If you consider yourself as an artistic & dreamy, you’ll love POETIC. Sheer, romantic and light, this look also focus on nail decorations, perfect for nail art.

How to get POETIC look:

  • Blend Marble Eyeshadow in Rossi Asiago which is great as blush too.
  • Apply high pigmented Microshadow in Tiffany, Harlequin & Cava to create rich colors & long lasting result.
  • For more intense result, apply Eyepencil in Not So Dark to create that beautiful dark grey color.
  • Decorate your nails with choices of Flowers or Butterfly.

Last but not least, is my favorite look above all, DELUXE. The name said it all, it shows a luxurious look for those who enjoy all the good things in life. Perfecto! I tried the DELUXE look myself (as you can see at the pic above), thanks to Yani from Make Up Store Indonesia.

How to get DELUXE look:

  • Use Eyeprimer before applying Microshadow in Old Lace & Thistle for more long lasting effect, especially if you want them to last the whole day.
  • Complement those colors with Eyepencil in Not So Dark.
  • To add more shimmering effect, dust Eyedust in Sparkle & Umber.
  • Lipstick in Bittersweet will nurture and color your lips in the same time.
  • Top the lipstick with more sparkle using LED Lipgloss in Elegance.
  • Set the brows with Brow Set Fix in Tinted. Your guy can use them too!
  • Color those nails with Nail Polish in Jessica. It screams spring!

For more updates on products or promotions, follow Make Up Store Indonesia’s instagram @MAKEUPSTOREINDONESIA and their Facebook Page: MAKEUPSTORE-INDONESIA

IF NATURAL MAKEUP IS YOUR THING…

You’ll love Bobbi Brown.

“I believe all women want to look like themselves, only prettier and more confident” – Bobbi Brown.

At the exclusive beauty bloggers event this week in Rustique, Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, me and fellow bloggers were properly introduced to the beauty brand made famous by a professional makeup artist which started her makeup line in 1991. Amanda, trainer for Bobbi Brown Indonesia explained, “It was very hard for Bobbi to find a natural color lipstick at that time. Everyone was into rock and roll, so red color was very in. That’s why she created a line of natural color lipsticks which debuted at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.”

The makeup maven also created 10 step beauty, her simple 10 step (literally) makeup routine. Bobbi believes with the right knowledge and the right products, any woman can be her prettiest and most confident self. And here they are: 
Step1 Corrector/Concealer 
Step 2 Foundation
Step 3 Powder/Bronzer
Step 4 Blush
Step 5 Lipstick/Gloss
Step 6 Lip Liner
Step 7 Brows
Step 8 Eye Shadow
Step 9 Eye Liner
Step 10 Mascara

If 10 steps scared you, no worries, because Amanda also shared that we can always stop at step 6 if we’re short of time to do our makeup in the morning. As Bobbi herself believes that with blush and lipstick, we’re good to go. Interesting, right? 

And always…always remember that a good healthy skin is an important base to any makeup, natural or not. So, never skip a good moisturizer, a good eye cream and last but definitely not least a balanced diet and life!