REVIEW: MAC CANDY YUM YUM

If you read my previous post on my unsuccessful resistance against the NAKED BASICS palette, you probably would have known that this was coming. When this baby first came out, everyone went crazy and gaga over it. Bright, Shocking and right "bam" in the face. Yup I WANT CANDY~~~(thanks Aaron Carter). Want some candy babeh? You got it.

CANDY YUM YUM

with flash

 Basic info first. Candy Yum Yum has a matte finish and is described by MAC as a "neon pink".  That, I would say, is an understatement lol. It's seriously the craziest neon pink Ive ever seen. Probably as NEON as it gets. If the dictionary had pictures, Candy Yum Yum would definitely be inside under 'neon (pink)'! The photos dont even do this blue-toned hot hot hot neon neon neon pink justice!!! I tried my best to capture its impeccable vibrancy and richness but sry guys I couldnt. This colour has to be seen in person. Dont worry about it going away as MAC has cleverly made it permanent! (GD JOB MAC!!) I was worried that it would be too blue-toned for my NC20 skin but it really isnt! It's oddly wearable and I can see this on fairer and darker skintones too.

with flash

without flash

without flash, natural daylight

with flash (sry about my man-like fists hahaha)

 I decided to compare it with the other loudest pink in my collection which now in comparison with this looks like a meek lil' kitten. The Kat Von D lipstick in Backstage Bambi, my fav for when I want a bright pink lip (& I have received compliments whenever I wore it). As you can see below, it is slightly more yellow toned and almost 'rosier' than CYY. I still love it very much of course and these two shall receive my love haha.

without flash natural daylight, TOP: CYY, Bottom: Backstage Bambi

with flash TOP: CYY, Bottom: Backstage Bambi

Word of caution about CYY (and really any bold matte lips actually): make sure your lips arent cracking or peeling or dry when you apply this as it will definitely amplify that by a million times! The lipstick itself on me isnt drying and leaves a cute pink stain even after the main colour has worn off. I LOVE IT! Grab it while you can guys as I had saw it a week ago and when I returned the MAC artist told me that she only had two left (lucky me phew!!) and that all other stores around Singapore had mostly sold out (yikes). That's exactly how much love this baby receives. So glad I got it and definitely a great one to have in your beauty arsenal.

Verdict: Do I like it?: YES YES YES dont even ask! ;)
Would I repurchase?: Yes!!! (hope it wont give me a toothache!)
Grade: A

NAKED TRIBUTE: REVIEW: URBAN DECAY NAKED BASICS PALETTE

Yes. I am guilty. I caved. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, self-bashing myself but smiling like a silly fool at the same time -.-) Soooooo....in my past review, I mentioned how I couldnt justify the purchase of UD's recent baby, NAKED BASICS, saying that I could live without it. (Well technically we can live without makeup, #justsaying) Yet, I couldnt get it out of my head. Day in, day out it were two things floating in my makeup compartment in my brain. NAKED BASICSSSSS NAKED BASICSSSSSSS haunting me like some crazy spirit. (along with another sweet lil treat which I will mention later hehe) After reading and rereadings reviews, staring at the colours for a very very veryyyyy long one week, I caved. (greattttt -,- *facepalm*) I headed down to my second home, Sephora and went to see it again in person, since I was heading there to get MAC Candy Yum Yum (which Im soooo excited about and there were only two left when I got there. 0.0) Swatched it. Touched it. Bought it. Dang, it won. Well, for a couple of reasons. 1) I love matte shadows!!! 2) I love neutral shadows (compulsive E/S hoarder here) 3) I love UD 4) I had a 10% off voucher hahaha. SO YUP, here we are folks.

So as we all might know by now, this little baby from Urban Decay had five matte and one demi-matte shadow and they are all almost full size (1.3g/ 0.05 US oz.) (just like in its mummy & daddy NAKED 1/2). This palette has that NARS rubberized package feel but slightly less rubbery. Following the NAKED theme, its packaging is a light tan colour. Really nice.

As seen, the NAKED Basics, comapred to its mum and dad, is half the size with no frills. Just eyeshadows. Period. No applicator, nada, nothin'. Some may find it gd, others may find it inconvenient that there no room in the palette for a simple applicator. For good measure, I would say it is smaller than an iPhone 4S but bigger than a deck of playing cards.

with flash (L-R: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S, Naked 2, Faint, Crave)

without flash (L-R: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S, Naked 2, Faint, Crave)

E/S Shade Breakdown:
VENUS (NEW): slightly beigey-off white demi-matte. Has a frost-like sheen to it.

FOXY (Naked 2 Palette): Matte off-white yellow undertone 

W.O.S (WALK OF SHAME) (exclusive to the custom palette): Matte off-white with pink undertone

NAKED 2(NEW) : Matte Cool taupe with slight grey-ish lean (I believe MAC Omega is similar)

FAINT(NEW) :  Matte Dark-Med brown with a slight warm lean ( I believe MAC Charcoal Brown is similar)

CRAVE(NEW) : Matte Dark Black with brown undertones (Blackout from NAKED 2 palette had grey undertones). (However in this shadow, I can almost see veryyyy tinyyyy specks of microglitter, which probably wont show up all crazy on the eye so no worries for those who are concerned about it being 'glitter storm')

without flash: Top: (L-R): Venus, Foxy, W.O.S) Bottom: (L-R): Naked 2, Faint, Crave)

with flash Top: (L-R): Venus, Foxy, W.O.S) Bottom: (L-R): Naked 2, Faint, Crave)

As you can see from the swatch (sorry it wasnt better but I was in a lil rush). These swatches as per all others on my blog, are done without primer. Foxy hardly shows up on my NC20 skin but I actually quite like Fozy for a clean-wash lid colour. WOS too. I don't mind the two highlight shades but I do see what others are saying about it being unnescessary to have two matte highlight shades in this palette. Maybe one should have been Virgin (as in Naked 1) instead since that one is highly-adored. But then again, it probably will be compared to Venus. Venus is nice for a clean, polished lid shade or a good highlight. Naked 2 is nice and I like it quite abit. (I LOVE TRANSITION/CREASE BLENDING SHADES, LIKE REALLLLYY IN LOVE). Don't have anything like it so I have no complains about it. Faint impressed me the most as the shade of brown is dark-medium but somehow soft and not too harsh at the same time. Crave is another potential eyeliner colour, very nice. Overall, the shades are pretty buttery (im not sure if I initially said that they were chalky in the past post, maybe it was that much abused palette that I was swatching, I dont know.) and smooth. I can definitely see myself reaching out for this palette quite abit for everyday simple eye looks. Not too bad an investment. Good to travel with (potential makeup travel buddy over here). However, I would say you might not necessarily die without it, as like the name states they are pretty basic colours. Dupes from MAC are definitely possible but for the price point, it would be better to get this if you are just gonna dupe all the colours from MAC.

Verdict: Do I like it? : Not bad at all. Not bad. (I was mistaken)
Would I repurchase?: hmmm, honestly I am not too sure about this. I might but then again basic colours.
Grade: B+

How 'bout you lovelies? Any matte/ NAKED lovers? Tell me if you guys are/were having a mental battle about whether to get it too!!! Yay or nay lovelies? Yay or nay? ;)

Fragrant Treat: Flora by Gucci in Gracious Tuberose

Ahhh, who doesn't like smelling nice? haha I know I do. On my way back from Europe to Singapore, I was browsing the fragrances (of course) and managed to smell this little treat. Flora by Gucci in Gracious Tuberose. Just for reference, I like scents that are more of the 'sexy florals' and dont really like smelling strongly of fruits/candy. So floral scents are my way to go. Naturally as a avid lover of Tuberose and Jasmine scents, I knew that I would love this.

On me, this perfume smells exactly like how it is suppose to smell like in the bottle. Fresh, light and crisp. Great floral scent when I want something not to heavy and it is light enough imo to wear in the day. A nice one to even wear to work. Just dont overdo it (general rule for all scents anyway) such that you may smell like a walking flower shop. I find myself always coming back to this scent (& my HG Sake by Fresh) when I dont know what to wear for scents. It is among my top 5 scents to wear (probably 2nd) It is always a 'no-brainer' scent for me and generally can match most of the outfits that I wear. I wasnt so excited over the other two scents in the Flora by Gucci line but they aren't too bad either. Just not as awesome for me as this one. The bottle is pretty too. Clean and simple hexgonal shape with a cute lil black ribbon at the top to add a classy feminine touch. However, I wish it could last longer a time than it does. On me, the longest (sprayed on the back of my neck near the hair) it lasts is 5-6 hrs, which is not toooo bad. (considering it is an EDT). But overall, amazing as a light sexy floral scent.

Verdict: Do I like it?: yup definitely!
Would I repurchase?: Yes (top 5 HG scents!)
Grade: A-

REVIEW: Forever 21 Love & Beauty SMOKEY eye palette

Hello again lovelies! For the tribute to NAKED series, I talked about the unsung hero, the Natural Palette from the Love & Beauty line from Forever21. Love it. Here comes its sister from the 'dark side' (haha ridiculous puns have got to stop -.-) the SMOKEY eye palette! Again, like the Natural eye palette, it's cruelty free! (Yay, one for the bunnies!~~)

with flash

without flash

Right off the bat, you can definitely tell that there are cooler shades here for the eyeshadows than the Natural palette. As mentioned in the Natural review the eyeliner is fairly impressive. Despite the soap test, I had to really get in there and scrub it off before it really got off my hand. The eyeshadows are pigmented. For the price (SGD$11), WOW.

without flash (L-R with eyeliner swatch at the extreme right end)

with flash (L-R with eyeliner swatch at the extreme right end)

For me, the true test of a palette is the quality of their matte eyeshadows as generally they are harder to make in terms of getting the right pigementation, not being too chalky etc. For this palette the mattes are pretty awesome I must say. The blacks (both the matte and the one with tiny glitters) pack a punch. USE WITH CAUTION. I must say, I am really in LOVEEEEE with the matte grey shadow in this palette. I love matte grey shadows as they give the darkness you seek yet make it less likely to look as though you got punched in the eye by someone who really hates you. It might not be as crazy "Paula-Dean" kinda buttery smooth, but for the price, it does have decent smoothness to the eyeshadows. I hate to say this but I might even like this palette and the Natural palette more so than my UD NAKED 1/2, simply because I prefer the shade range in these palettes more. Not to mention , the price point is WAYYY better. ;) These palettes are great for those who are on a budget yet still want decently awesome eyeshadows. Or if you are as guilty of a Eye palette junkie like me, these are nice to add into your bountiful collection ;)

Verdict: Do I like it?: YES very much actually
Would I repurchase it?: You bet I would ;)
Grade: A

REVIEW: ELF Flawless Eyeshadow in Tantalizing Taupe

Ahhh ELF. One of my purse-freindly pals! I own and tried a bunch of their products and they always manage to impress my some way or the other. Especially the elf duo in Mocha Swirl. Today,  ELF flawless eyeshadow in Tantalizing taupe is no different! The quad comes in a simple clean white plastic packaging, much better and sturdier than the old conventional quads. The quad consists of four eyeshadows, named BASE, LID, CREASE and LINE. Great guide for makeup babies~!

without flash (L-R: Base, lid, crease, line)

with flash (L-R: Base, lid, crease, line)

The eyeshadows are pretty decent. Not too powdery and fairly pigmented. Easy to travel with and a spongetip applicator is provided for those who dont like to use brushes. A great basic everyday look kind of quad. The shades are slightly on brown taupe side as opposed the grey taupes. A quad that can pretty much flatter any skintone and eye colour imo. Another nice one from elf. Lovin the base shade especially as it has a satin finish like the ever-so-famous Virgin from the UD urban decay naked palette. However, if you are looking for anything out of the extraordinary, this is not the quad that you are looking for. Somehow, I still like my Mocha Swirl E/S duo from ELF more. However, it is a great one to have in your beauty arsenal when you need a no-brainer everyday quad. Always a good one to check out if you are a crazy neutral E/S palette junkie like the guilty one over here (*wave wave*) . Nevertheless, I still am a big fan of ELF and always look forward to their future launches and expanding product range!

Verdict: Do I like it? : yes, it is a decently good one to have around!
Would I repurchase?: probably not as I have quite a few that are similar (but I wouldnt mind checkin out other shades from the Flawless eyeshadow range)
Grade: B+

Anymore ELF fans out there? Im sure there are! ;D

Fragrant Treat: SAKE by Fresh

I know perfumes and scents are definitely one of the iffiest subjects to talk about in the beauty community as everyone's sense preference and body chemistry is different. What smells like the garden of Eden on one might make another smell like a horror story. Believe me, I know. *wriggles nose* However, it's still great to know what others think of certain scents that have caught us by the nose, right? ;) Today , Im going to be talking about one of my HG HGHGHGHGHGHG (how many times can I type HG? LOL) scents. SAKE by Fresh.

NOTES (http://www.fresh.com/fragrance/fragrance-sake-rice/sake-eau-de-parfum-1oz):
Top Notes: langsat fruit, grapefruit, ginger
Middle Notes: white peach absolute, lotus flower, transparent lily of the valley
Base Notes: osmanthus, vanilla, musk, white sandalwood 


According to Fresh, SAKE EDP is "a sensual velvety blend of langsat fruit, ginger, white peach, and sandlewood with subtle floral undertones and features a luscious, velvety fragrance influenced by Japanese beauty rituals and is housed in a mini artisanal bottle." I totally agree on this. It almost has an ethereal-like quality to its scent and everytime I smell it, I go crazy. After catching a whiff of it in Sephora, I never looked back. AMAZING is all I can say about this scent.It definitely falls into the 'sexy-floral' category imo, with a lil hint of subtle fruitness. I am no expert on picking up notes right down to the very bone, but the floral notes of this scent are definitely the most striking to me. This is one of those scents where you either like it or not. (my mum isnt fond of this scent but she is more od the subtle fragrance kind of lady) Dont get me wrong, it isnt crazily heavy whereby it feels like too much but all you need is one or two spritzs for that light and beautiful scent. Not only do I not get sick of this scent (which is rare for someone who needs to switch makeup/ fragrances up very often to avoid getting bored), it lasts a CRAZY long time on my skin. Even after having a bath or shower, I can still smell it deliciously lingering on my skin (and yes, I did scrub clean! haha). INSANE, I am definitely a fan of Fresh fragrance and will definitely be exploring more of it. (I already have a few others in mind! heehee) For an EDP, it wasnt the most ex, which is another plus. (in singapore, 30ml=SGD$49; 100ml= SGD$115) Truly truly one of my HGs HANDS DOWN! So if you like the sexy florals like me, definitely catch a whiff of this ethereal baby!

Verdict: Do I like it? : isnt it obvious?! YESS!!!!!! <3
Would I repurchase: I already have ;)
Grade: A+++

Anyone else lovin this scent? ;)

TRIBUTE TO NAKED: Forever 21 Love & Beauty NATURAL palette

Ever since UD's iconic launch of their Naked palette, the beauty world has been rocked ever more so than ever by the numerous naked/ neutral palettes that have been put out by beauty companies all over the world. Naturally (oops, pun), popular clothing line Forver 21, had to grab some of that yummy pie. In comes the unsung hero. Forever 21 Love & Beauty NATURAL Palette. Cruelty-free, affordable and what everybody wants in their neutral palette. Sounds good, right? I feel that not many people talk about this palette (Along with it's sibling palette which I would talk about in a separate review ;) ) and I think it deserves some love and attention here in the beauty community, judging by how it blew me out of the water with it's price and quality. I got it for SGD$11 here (in singapore, so far Ive only seen it in VivoCity's Forever 21 branch). I gotta admit I was a tad hesistant about these palettes but being neutral and just my type of palette, how could I pass it up? I knew I was gonna regret it if I walked out of that store. So I snagged it up together with the smokey palette and boy Im so glad I did!!!!

Packaging is fairly simple. Cardboard with cute animal prints as its cover. The palette consists of a simple mirror, 10 eyeshadows, one black pencil eyeliner and a dual ended spongetip/brush. For the price, the packaging is not that bad. Magnetic closure to make sure that the palette stays closed (sounds familiar ;) ) not too shabby I must say!

without flash (E/S are L-R, eyeliner swatch at the extreme right end)

with flash (E/S are L-R, eyeliner swatch at the extreme right end)

The eyeshadows lean fairly on the warmer side but nothing overly warm that cooler skintones cant handle. The shadows were VERY impressive. Bear in mind that the swatches are done without a primer (as per my other swatches on this blog). They are a lil' powdery but nothing that cannot be worked with. Good mixture of matte and shimmers, with the good ol' transition colour provided (BIG PLUS!!!) This palette could create any simple look and even provides darker shades for a smokier sultry look if you desire. As you can see from the swatched above, they are pigmented, Hello pigmentation! To be honest, I was not expecting much from the eyeliner but boy was I wrong, The eyeliner is pretty creamy and did not tug on my skin. As I was rinsing away the swatches (with soap and water), I noticed that the eyeliner was STILL THERE. OMG WOW. It took some good rubbing with soap to get this baby off my arm! I still cant get over how amazing this palette is for the price! For the quality it delivers for the price, you really cannot go wrong. Great to add to one's beauty collection or just a great affordable palette for those who dont wish to spend a bunch on high end neutral palettes. There are definitely amazing quality neutral eyeshadow palettes that do not break the bank. And this, is one of them.

Verdict: Do I like it: I AM IN LOVEEEEEEE
Would I repurchase? definitely yes!!!! I even considered buying backups (0.0)
Diff from NAKED 1/2 to have? : similar concept but alot less cost wise. But for the price, I would def get it in spite of having NAKED 1/2
Grade: A

Lovin' this baby too ladies? ;)