[Review] MUFE Rouge Artist Intense #1 Mat Flesh: It's matte like no other!

Hello, ladies!

Recently I love to play with the bold and smokey-eye make up. To balance out my look, I have to temporarily say goodbye to those intense and dark lipsticks. I checked my beauty case and realized that I still have my favorite nude matte lipstick from Make Up Forever (MUFE), even it's only 1/5 left on the tube. I bought it in May 2013, and when it almost finished, I kept it back on my beauty case because I loved it too much and still wanted to use this if necessary.

MUFE Rouge Artist Intense has pretty high rate in Make Up Alley. It comes in 50 wide ranged of shades from the #1 (mat flesh) to #50 (satin black). Each lipstick named based on what texture and finish it will create. For example, if the finish is matte, then the name will be 'mat flesh', 'mat orange pink', 'mat pink' and so on. If the finish is satin, you can see it from the name of 'satin light taupe' or 'satin rosewood'. If the finish is pearly, the name will also consist with it -- 'pearly mauve', 'pearly plum', etc. Let me tell you that the matte lipsticks are very intense and long wearing. I've tried my friend's in #8 mat bright red, and the color stayed until the end of the day, without too much fading. And I also needed oil-based make up remover to take it off.

Since I am a fan of matte ones, I picked #1 mat flesh and I was kinda worried if the color washed me out. Once I tried and applied, no. The color looks fine for my NC35/NW30 medium skin. It didn't wash me out at all. It softened and balanced out my bold eye make up successfully.

 

What is it?

Formulated with 50% more pigment than the traditional lipstick, Rouge Artist Intense gives an immediate true-to-color result. A blend of three natural waxes, the creamy texture glides on effortlessly for a long-lasting hold. The extensive color and texture range provides unlimited creativity.

My take on the product:

Hello matte fans, all your desires and expectations on how matte lipsticks should be is now come true! This product is true to its claim. The pigmentation is superb, and the endurance is wow. Even for this lightest shade, the color stays until 6 hours without getting streaky and too much accentuate fine lines. The color is perfectly nude, it's not too pink nor too orange. The texture is stiff, almost like crayon, but I found it's not difficult to apply though (maybe for darker ones, the application can be a bit uneven). Also, if you have dry lips, you may need to apply lip balm underneath, otherwise you may find it to be too drying and your lips can get chapped. But for me, I love, super love, a truly matte finish :)

 

Rating:

• Product: 4 out of 5
• Packaging: 4 out of 5
• Quality: 4 out of 5
• Overall: 4 out of 5
• Would I buy again? yes, but perhaps will buy #3 mat caramel this time
• Price:   $21, last year it costs idr 275.000. not sure if it's more expensive now.

 

Have you tried this lipstick before? ~xoxo~

Wet 'n Wild Megalast Lip Colour in Cherry Bomb: Because the Dark Lipstick is 'In'

Since last month I feel like going out from my comfort zone: 

it's my mattened-nude-beige-lips.

I saw a lot of MUA, beauty bloggers (inside and outside) who are promoting the dark vampy lips. Admit that I am so tempted to try. In my younger times, I never touch this kind of lipstick (neither the bright pink neon one), because dark lips make me look too mature. But life is changing now.

At first I was thinking to buy Lime Crime Velvetines Liquid Lip in shade Wicked, as the color is so bold burgundy red and it provides super matte finish. It has a doe-foot applicator and so far I found that it's perfect to evenly apply a liquid lipstick. But, I am almost broke had a tight budget here! This month, I have bought couple of cosmetics (and apparently dissatisfied with two out of six items, but yeah, life goes on) so I need to fasten my belt a little bit. This month, my daughter will be celebrating her 3rd birthday at school so you can imagine how much money that I will spend :D

Hmm..let's find a dupe then. If not, let's find a drugstore cheap lipstick to fulfill this desire.

I was googling hard and bumped into this Wet n Wild Megalast series. Well, at first I wasn't so sure that the color payoff and the intensity would look great, but I thought I would not go wrong with idr 55,000 lipstick, and I found that Mimo is selling them at the lowest price.

My take on the product:

Wet 'n Wild Megalast Lipstick comes in a wide variety of shades. I remember that I owned this already in shade Rosebud. I underestimated this lipstick but I was totally wrong. It's color payoff, consistency and level of comfort on lips are similar with Nyx Matte Lipstick. And Nyx's costs 1,5 times higher that Wet 'n Wild.

This shade's called Cherry Bomb. It's a truly cherry red but slight pinkier, leaning to burgundy red. What I did not expect from this lipstick is the intensity. It's nearly perfect. It's matte, doesn't smudge on lips at all (even in some MAC Matte's, they smudge!). Staying power is superb, for 6 hours without eating, and will leave a pretty dark red stain after eating, which still looks okay.

For the packaging, you will got what you pay. It comes with black plastic tube with clear cap. Looks so cheap, huh? Haha...I actually don't really mind with that, but one thing that I concern is the packaging makes it difficult for us to avoid messiness, as the cap will easily scratch the lipstick because half of it is outside the tube.  

For me, this is the darkest color I have purchased. Previously I have tried OCC Liptar in Black Dahlia (it's a lot darker and winier than this), but the difficult application of OCC Liptar compeletely turned me off! It wasn't reflect the money spent as it was quite expensive (originally sold for around 20 usd). I eventually sold it to someone else. 

My rate for this product is 4.5/5.0

I just can't believe that Wet 'n Wild Cherry Bomb possesses some qualities that the high-end lipsticks have. Admit that I don't feel luxurious when wearing this, but as a starter, I am giving this the highest rate of the history since I began to write a beauty blog. I am so in love with it.

For those who wanna see the full variety of Wet n' Wild products, you can visit here.

See you on my nest post. Sneak peek: the BB cream & pact from Tony Moly, my most favorite Korean make up brand. Stay tuned. ~xoxo~

Review: TheBalm Shelter Tinted Moisturizer in Medium

Hello, beauties!

Another review from TheBalm today, don't get bored, since I've been reviewing TheBalm so often lately. Yes, I'm currently a fan! None of their products I found disappointing, even a little, until I tried out its well-known tinted moisturizer (TM): TheBalm Shelter.

I have been eye-ing this TM since months ago. As I have typical of super oily skin (especially during summer like now!), I used to avoid myself using TM. TM is usually good for drier skin, and for someone who doesn't like to apply heavy make up daily. As for myself, without intention to get the heavy make up, I always pick the foundation which provides long-lasting and matte finish. My HG for drugstore in Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation shade True Beige and MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW30 for high-end. BUT, I have a big 'BUT' here. As I am now under dermatologist's medication (oh how I hate to comeback!!), she would strongly recommend me to use TM instead of foundation because TM's consistency is much thinner to let the skin breath.

So, with all my pleasure, I purchased this TM, hoping that all good reviews and raves in neighbor's blogs are true and accurate. To make sure to which shade I belong, I went to its counter at Debenhams and the BA said that my shade is Medium. Heard from the beauty bloggers that TheBalm Shelter has darker types of shades, I was thinking to buy myself the Light/Medium, but suddenly afraid of having my face with ghostly effect. Nay!

It's longer than my palm!

TheBalm describes this as:

"This weightless, silky-smooth tinted moisturizer with SPF 18 offers sun protection for everyday drama while helping to improve the look of your skin’s tone and texture, leaving you with a polished complexion."

My take after using this product:

1. COVERAGE is light to medium. It's great to even out skin tone, but not to cover acne scars or old blemishes. You definitely still need concealer.
2. CONSISTENCY is one of my likings. It's thick, not runny. A little goes along the way.
3. SHADES are only available in 3 (three) here, unlike in USA where they have 7 shades. The color is more beige-y than yellow-ish. For you who have fair(er) skin and used to love using BB cream the colors might a little bit too dark. You may choose the 'Light' one, because even 'Medium' doesn't match my medium-tan complexion. Since I have neutral undertone, I had to apply concealer with yellow-er shade to balance out the beige-y tone.
4. PRICE is not that cheap, originally sold for USD 25. Not a budget-typed of TM, but since they have 64 ml of product (it's even more than Etude Bright Fit BB Cream), the amount is worth the price.
5. LONG LASTING or not? It depends on the weather, I assume. Sometimes in Jakarta's current humid summer days, foundation with matte effect and long lasting promise is preferable. But again, as TM, this one would stay for around 4-5 hours. Not so bad.
6. PACKAGING is the winner! Even the tube is very sleek, soft, weight-less and travel friendly. I love it!
7. INGREDIENTS is paraben-free! That's why I fall in love with TheBalm products <3
8. OVERALL score is 3,9 our of 5,0. It's not a bad product, but maybe because I have been too impressed with my HG foundations, so this TM is not comparable. However, if you are looking for natural look, dewy finish and healthy glow face, this one is the answer.

No filter, no edit, just using self-focus and natural sunlight

Products I used: 

Base: TheBalm Shelter Tinted Moisturizer in Medium, Inez Corrective Cream in Dark, TonyMoly Dear Me Petite Pact in Natural Beige.

Eyes: Maxfactor Smoky Eyes Effect Eyeshadow in Purple Dust, Maxfactor Wild Shadow Pots in Ferocious Black, Silkygirl Gel Liner in Brown, L'oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black.

Cheeks: MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Autoerotique, TheBalm CindyLou

Lips: Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Dolce 

See ya later in my next review! ~xoxo~

Natural Plum Make Up: TheBalm Pinstripe & NARS Tonkin Review

Hello, Missy!

Duh, mau blogging tapi kok lagi gak mood nulis bahasa Inggris, jadi mari yuk kita review produk kali ini dengan bahasa Indonesia aja (walaupun berasanya jadi aneh tapi marilah kita coba).
Jadi hari ini judulnya aku mau share pengalaman aku yang paling seneng sama warna ungu, pake baju nuansa ungu, dan ber-make up pun hobi banget sama warna yang satu ini. Nah, berhubung kulitku ini gelap (hey, I'm proud of having tanned skin loh!), jadi mesti rada hati2 juga milih warna ungu, karena gak semua ungu cocok untuk kulit gelap.

Lavender mood

Lavender looks good on Natalie's Portman skin!

Jenis ungu yang menyerupai warna lavender atau ungu muda akan lebih bagus kalau diaplikasikan di kulit cenderung terang. Selain warnanya akan lebih kelihatan, warna ini juga akan menonjolkan kelembutan di wajah. Dan buat yang bosen sama warna abadi yang namanya 'pink', warna lavender bisa jadi alternatif yang paling oke selain peach/coral. So, princess-y look is no longer boring :)

Glam plum

Untuk kulit yang mendium-tan alias lebih gelap, warna ungu yang bisa dipilih adalah warna ungu cenderung plum, magenta atau berry. Kalau saya pribadi prefer plum atau magenta, karena berry akan kelihatan lebih cocok untuk kulit yang warnanya olive (seperti orang Latin atau Italiano).

Plum does match the darker skin tone

Warna plum di atas bisa kelihatan sangat glamor kalau diaplikasikan dengan tepat dan sesuai proporsi. Maksudnya, antara mata, pipi atau bibir, kita harus milih dua diantara tiga yang bisa dipakaikan warna plum. Yang satunya harus dibiarkan nude/polos. Biar nggak kayak nge-lenong ya Ciin :p

Nah, untuk urusan make up plum, aku serahkan sama blush on favoritku yang satu ini: TheBalm Instain Blush Pinstripe. Seperti yang para bloggers udah tau, Instain ini punya 6 shades warna yang cantik-cantik, yaitu Swissdot (orange/peach), Houndstooth (mauvey pink), Toile (strawberry/red), Lace (bright/barbie pink), Argyle (petal pink) dan Pinstripe (plum). Pinstripe bisa dibilang warna paling gelap dari keenam shades yang ada. Alasan kenapa saya pilih ini karena jarang sekali ada blush on merk lain yang warnanya menyerupai Pinstripe.

TheBalm Instain in Pinstripe

Vintage design, lovin' it!

The bold plum looks much softer on my skin

TheBalm sekarang ini jadi brand make up favorit aku. Selain packaging-nya yang super vintage dan cantik, kualitasnya juga worth it sama harganya. Oiya, kalau beli Instain baiknya sih di online shop, karena mereka biasanya beli saat TheBalm lagi diskon besar di negara asalnya USA sana, kalau beli di counter-nya (Debenhams Senayan City, misalnya), harganya sudah hampir dua kali lipat. Overall rating untuk blusher ini 4.0/5.0

Kalau untuk bibir, aku prefer warna plummy nude alias lipstik yang judulnya nude tapi punya hint coklat keunguan sehingga kalau diaplikasikan ke bibir jatuhnya plum. Bulan lalu, aku nitip salah satu temanku yang business trip ke USA karena aku penasaran sama lipstick NARS. Harga lipstick ini kalau pre-order di online shop berkisar di angka 380 ribuan. Wow, it's so pricey! Harga aslinya di Sephora adalah usd 26 plus pajak, jadilah aku beli NARS Pure Matte Lipstick ini 'cuma' seharga 320 ribu. Tetep mahal, dan officially jadi lipstick termahal dari semua koleksi, tapi it's definitely recommended for matte & nude lip lovers!

Kenapa?

Look how small NARS lipstick is!

Plummy nude colour

• NARS Pure Matte Lipstick ini gak bikin bibir terasa kering. 
• Konsistensinya bagus, kelihatan banget kalau ini barang high-end
• Opaque dan pigmented
• Tahan lama, kalau gak pakai makan (hanya minum) warnanya bakalan stay di bibir sampai 6 jam
• Gak gampang faded 
• Review lebih lengkap ada di sini

It's plummy but natural

Kalau ada pro, pasti tetap ada cons ya. Aku gak suka banget sama kemasannya yang walaupun sturdy, tapi KECIL! Saking kecilnya, lipstick ini baru aku pakai 3 minggu dan sudah habis hampir sepertiga walaupun cuma apply 2x sehari.

Courtesy of Karlasugar

Tonkin sendiri dideskripsikan oleh webiste Sephora sebagai "Cinnamon Plum", dan buatku warnanya memang jadi plum di bibir dan bukan beige seperti swatch di atas. Overall rating 4.0/5.0 untuk lipstik ini.

Finally, FOTD! Till the next review... <3

Cindy-Lou and Mary-Lou; the Great Luminizer Combo from TheBalm

Beauties,

Let me introduce you to the most wanted girls named Mary-Lou and Cindy-Lou. They are the highlighters from TheBalm. I have to tell you that I am deeply and totally in love with them BOTH!

I was introduced to Mary-Lou from one of my cousins (actually I saw it already at TheBalm counter in Plaza Senayan yet I was being so ignorant about highlighters). I thought, how would I need a highlighters on my face. Doesn't it just accentuate my gigantic pores and imperfections?

The answer is NO. These highlighters are just very pigmented. They make you glow but not glittery. They do not accentuate large pores, even somehow could diffuse the texture of your skin and make it look polished. Just a tiny amount, and you're all set. Are they that magical?

MARY-LOU

Mary-Loumanizer is exactly reflects its name as luminizer. It has champagne, subtle gold color that will be great to be applied in your upper cheek bone and brow bone. It gives you something to get everyone's attention, if you use it in the right amount. Mary-Lou can be wearable during the day, but it looks better to wear at night. Works better if combined with bronzer, and of course, suitable from the lighter skin (they can use it on eyelid as well to create no-makeup eye make up) to darker skin. I've never seen a highlighter that is so subtle and blendable like this before in my life!

I bought mine as one of my self birthday present on January. I love, super love, that it has a large mirror in the packaging, the mirror is even better than my MAC compact powder. One night when my daughter had tantrum (you may have to check what tantrum is on google, if you're still single, it's hard to explain :p), she kicked everything around her and voila, my one-month-baby Mary-Lou was dropped onto floor and broken into pieces. Seriously.

So I found that the packaging, though it looks sturdy, but fragile :( One minus, I guess. I moved it to the small jar, at least, instead of bringing the broken one because it would be so messy. I am so sad, yet suddenly I saw this newest baby on.

My score is 4.1 out of 5.0 for Mary-Lou :)

CINDY-LOU

It comes as a surprise, when I was really disappointed because my Mary-Lou compact must be rest in peace at home, I found the other version of Mary-Lou, named Cindy-Loumanizer. And it's corally dusty pink. At first minute, I was thinking that buying this could relieve my broken Mary-Lou :)

And it turns out to be my new favorite, as I can use it as BLUSH ON instead of just a highlighter. Perfect! Even if I use it on my cheeks, it's barely noticeable, only a slight pinky peach flush with subtle glow. Wearable in office hours, I guarantee :)

My score for Cindy-Lou is 4.0 out of 5.0

Below I compare my look with Cindy-Lou and Mary-Lou:

With Cindy-Lou on both cheeks. See the glowing pink flush?

With Mary-Lou as highlighter, on top of MAC Blush in Aquaerotique

If I had to choose, I would definitely choose BOTH!

TGIF and I'm Going Retro

Thanks God It's Friday!

This morning, I accidentally found a nice chiffon blue shirt with polka-dot pattern on my sister's closet.

Without telling her, I immediately wear it (hey, it's kind of revenge actually, because she wore one of my shirts last time without permission, haha :D) FYI, my sister lives in Bandung. She's on her 3rd grade studying at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), majoring Industrial Engineering. We have a huge age gap -- 9 years -- but fortunately she is my only sister (and sibling!) so no matter how annoying she could be, I still love her and so does she :* and I hope she wouldn't love me less just because I 'stole' her shirt.

I love the shirt because it has kind of retro style. So, I suddenly thought that I should wear a retro make up, too. Moreover, I just had my hair curled from the digital perm last month.  

Polka-dot and wavy hair? Oh I feel so 80's!

Here's my today's look

Going retro with silvery eye shadow and nude matte lipstick

Apparently, still not gone too far from my signature l

And for my FOTD, I am wearing:

• Caring Colors Stay True Foundation in #3 Natural Glow (I'll review later, it's one of good local products)
• VOV Cover Foundation in Light Brown (wear it as concealer to cover heavy acne marks)
• MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder NC30
• Urban Decay Dangerous Eye Palette in Mushroom (see the review of this palette here)
• Silkygirl Double Intense Gel Eyeliner in Dark Brown (another underrated drugstore product. love it!)
• Revlon Eye Brow Pencil in Brown
• NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna (another list to review, soon! ^.~)
• Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense in #1 Mat Flesh (trust me, this nude matte lipstick is the winner!)

See you again in the next review!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

~xoxo~