Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base Review

[UPDATED REVIEW]

I love Essence products; affordable and the brand offers a wide range of products. Essence is owned by Cosnova which is a company based in Germany. This review is on the I ❤ STAGE eyeshadow base which is an eyeshadow primer.

The product.

Description on the side of the tube.

The wand. Standard doe-foot applicator.

Description:

It is an eyeshadow base that has a very similar consistency to a concealer. There is about 4ml of product and it comes in only one shade.

Price: MYR 15.80

Where to buy: Watsons and Mydin (yes, Mydin!!!).

 

Swatch

It is very light in colour and appear even lighter when blended out which makes for good primer since colour would show up nicely.

With some poorly pigmented eyeshadows.

With flash. It seems a little bit more obvious here.

 

Pros:

It is one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) eyeshadow primers available in Malaysian drugstores.

As seen in the pictures above it really does enhance the colour of the eyeshadow.

Although the colour is pretty light, it does not show through eyeshadow (as in the hand swatch picture).

Blends seamlessly into the skin and it is not patchy or streaky.

Eyeshadow blends very seamlessly on the eyelids with this primer.

Eyeshadow lasts longer on the eyelids (7 hours of wear on my friend and the eyeshadow had just faded a tiny bit).

Helps with creasing of eyeshadow (used it on a friend with eyelids that have lines – and that’s not a bad thing, merely an observation – and it worked!).

 

Cons:

I don’t know just how long eyeshadow would last but 7 hours of wear is pretty amazing for a drugstore eyeshadow primer.

The ashy look to it might just cause a problem on very deep skin tones if over applied (only the tiniest dollop is necessary).

 

Rating:

8/10

It’s cheap, gets the job done pretty well and is available at the drugstore! Enough said!

Just A Little Goodbye

I do follow other blogs and all I do are dear blogosphere friends of mine (YES, even those that don’t bother replying to comments….. 😛 😛 😛 ).

But I am facing a couple of months of intense work and I don’t know how I am going to be able to keep up with blog reading and catching up with all the wonderful posts you lovely people write.

I have, in the past, been absent for a while but I always knew it wouldn’t be too far along before I eventually caught up. This time around, I really don’t know how long I am going to be away.

However, anticipating this hiatus, I do have posts lined up until the end of September. All will publish automatically so the blog runs even without my supervision.

I do hope you all stay well.

Keep being amazing!

Take care.

Well wishes,

From,

Harivaindaran K. Veeriah

(see you in a couple of months!)

5 Things About Makeup I DON’T Like, That Most People Do!

Watching YouTube videos, after YouTube videos, you’re almost conditioned into liking trends, products and techniques. We can all agree blindly hopping onto a bandwagon just because a YouTuber told us to, is not something we want to do, although we may appreciate the opinion of some. Beauty YouTubers get my eyes rolling, A LOT! I, in fact, have roasted beauty YouTubers in the past (go ahead, read it here and here, laugh).

But YouTube isn’t the demon here. I love YouTube. I love watching makeup videos, I love people caking on foundation and concealers on their face. Watching makeup being blended out with a makeup sponge is my visual therapy. It steadies my heart rate and brings down my stress levels. NO KIDDING!

I digress, anyway, there are certain, universally loved things/trends/products in makeup that make me go……..

Image from Giphy.com

All of these are norms by this point in the beauty industry and…… ummmmm……, you know what, just come along and I’ll explain.

 

These are in no particular order.

 

1. Highlighter

Yes, I DON’T LIKE HIGHLIGHTERS!

No, I am not specifically talking about the blinding trend on YouTube and Instagram these days.

Image from http://www.nikkietutorials.com/

NO, I don’t even like highlighting concealers!!!!

I especially hate it when MUAs go three or four shades lighter to conceal the under-eye area and to highlight! It works on lighter skin tones. On darker skin tone it looks FAKE! I prefer an even skin tone and I try to match the under-eye concealer or go, AT MOST, half a shade lighter. I find that on deeper skin tones, the eyes pop a little more when the under-eyes are not so overtly highlighted.

Alas, when doing stage makeup I can’t step away from it.

So it goes without saying that I also don’t care for shimmery highlighters. I have 2 highlighters both of which I didn’t purchase myself. Everything else is part of a palette in which I actually wanted the other shades in it instead of the highlighter.

I DON’T LIKE HIGHLIGHTERS!!!!!!!

 

2. Holographic anything

Anyone else get a headache with all these holographic packaging and highlighters!

Just me then.

ERGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

NO, I AM NOT KIDDING! This isn’t even the cynical me talking. This is not even satire!

I actually, PHYSICALLY get a headache!!!! It even makes me a little anxious!

NO!!!!!

PASS!!!!

 

3. The phrase “Holy Grail”

If you have one for 10 years, that’s a holy grail.

If it changes every year, please STFU!!!!!!!!!

“HOLY GRAIL” MY FOOT!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it so cliche. Everytime someone says this is my holy grail, it means they discount all possible products available in the market and no ONE person could have had used it all!

I have tried using the phrase and in my head I go, “YOU SOUND STUPID!”

 

4. Waterproof mascara

I know some of you are going……..

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Part of why you don’t really see me reviewing waterproof mascaras, not ones that are hard to remove anyway, is because I don’t like them!!!

If I am using mascara, not a single drop of tear is coming out of my eyeballs nor is sweat coming ANYWHERE close to them!

I don’t cry at weddings because you don’t when you attend Indian weddings. You just laugh and the rest of the time get stressed trying to answer relatives asking about your marriage status (that’s a whole other conversation!!!).

I don’t wear makeup if I know I am going to sweat. ONLY exception being stage makeup! And even then, my waterproof mascaras are ones that come off with just water.

I DON’T LIKE WATERPROOF MASCARAS!

 

5. Online makeup shopping

This fittingly makes me the cavemen of the 21st century.

I have, of course, shopped online before, but every time I did (which you can count with both hands), I get a tiny panic attack after payment! WILL I be the victim of the dreaded product shattered and broken nightmare??!!!!

I have even said this on my blog. I don’t like online shopping and will only condone it when there are no other options! I want to touch, feel, swatch, hold, caress, look, compare, purchase and carry it out of the shop, safely in my hands!!!

If you really are concerned for me, then imagine me doing this.

Image from Tumblr.

NO, not the laughing face, the bitch face!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading!

Fashion; My Love for It

I have loved fashion since I was a teenager and it was kind of triggered after having watched how cool and colourful Bollywood and Tamil Indian cinema costumes were (and still are).

Until I was about 19 or 20, I wanted to study fashion design. In fact, even towards the end of my bachelor’s degree I still thought I’d quit the science field and run off to an art school to pursue fashion design.

It would have fed my soul.

Evidently that didn’t happen.

But I don’t want to let it go.

So here’s this little blog where I can actually do something with it.

I just sketched out a little something.

I want to do more of these.

Hopefully it will manifest into something real.

Hopefully…

I follow beauty pageants and so this is a something a contestant might wear. The entire thing would be knit stretch jersey and the detail in blue would be embroidery. The borders would also be the same blue in which the detail would be done. The red would be in silk satin, pleated and pressed. I imagine the border blue to be teal. The dress darker blue to be a deeper ultramarine and the red satin to be a blood red colour. Just couldn’t find proper coloured pencils to get those specific colours.

Some really cheap, bad quality coloured pencils I had lying around.

Elianto Single Eyeshadows Review

[UPDATED REVIEW]

**MOST OF THESE EYESHADOWS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED EXCEPT THE ONES IN THE INDIVIDUAL PACKAGING.**

Elianto is a local retail makeup brand that comes at very affordable prices. I collected these eyeshadows over a period of time. I don’t have names of the older ones because I never imagined I’d ever start a makeup blog 😛 . I am going to be swatching and reviewing ALL the Elianto eyeshadows I own. The only ones that are currently available to purchase are the three single shadows not in the palette. So this is just a big swatch-fest parading as a review. HAHAHA!

The two palettes and the single shadows I own. I bought the palettes separately and each pan individually.

Only after taking that collective shot did I realise I had this quad in my collection which I won from a giveaway from who is now my blogger bestie Lakshmi (author of Big is Compatible; link here).

The matte pink shade on the left is one I already have; ballet pink (scroll down). The shimmery pink one is called pink lady; the grey one is called cool grey and the dark one is called taupe. These are all in plastic pans; all also discontinued.

From left to right, cool grey, pink lady, taupe.

Moving on to the large palette.

1-5 are the older ones when they came in metal pans. I don’t have the names of these (these have been discontinued).

• 1- Deep brown with a little bit specs of gold glitter. Doesn’t really show up in a swatch.
• 2- Gold glittery.
• 3- Matte deep purple.
• 4- Dark blue with blue glitter.
• 5- Light blue, iridescent.

6-10 are the newer ones when it was switched to plastic pans (these I have shade names for, all mattes, and these have also been discontinued).

• 6- Burlywood (dark peachy transition shade).
• 7- Sienna Gold (brownish ochre).
• 8- Scarlet Red (red).
• 9- Venus Brown (matte deep brown).
• 10- Ballet pink (sweet pink).

A closer look. YES! Hit pan on the gold!

AND on the brown! It works well as a contour shade! Metal pan and plastic pan difference can be spotted here.

Hand swatch. All the old ones in the metal pan. They do pick up better with brushes though.

The newer ones in plastic pans.

This is the 6 pan palette which only has 4 shades housed.

The smaller palette. It comes with a full sized mirror!

From left to right, plum purple, night blue, lilac purple, evergreen. All mattes!

And these are the ones still available; the single eyeshadows.

The three single ones. These are still available.

These are just mono eyeshadows in 01 White, 13 Cocoa, B138 Espresso.

Description: Individual eyeshadows from Elianto that come in several finishes. They no more come in just pans, each single shadow come with its own plastic packaging. They contain 2.5 grams of product.

Price: The mono shadows retail at MYR 9.90. The 6-colour empty palette retails for MYR 21.90.

Where to buy: Elianto booths nationwide and also online at www.elianto.biz

 

I used the white shade for my Halloween look (post link here).

I also used them on my YouTube video. If you opened up the description box they’re all listed.

 

Pros:

All the shadows are pretty well pigmented.

Some shades blend very well.

They are smooth, pick up well (both with a brush and the fingers) and deposit on the eyelids very well.

Price is a huge plus for the amount of product in the pan.

Decent wear time (5 hours before it begins to start fading).

 

Cons:

Some shades can be a tad bit streaky and patchy especially the matte shades.

Some of the newer ones are a little powdery and may result in fallout.

Some of the newer ones are not very long lasting.

Just demonstrating the powdery attribute I mentioned.

Ratings:

7.9/10

These are nice eyeshadows and the cons are things I can work around. They are not just affordable, they are actually cheap. Great for experimentation! Some shades are a bit of a miss so I’d suggest doing a swatch first before purchasing.

MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick Review

I can’t believe I am finally reviewing a MAC product! MAC is huge in Malaysia; ask someone who knows makeup to name a high end makeup brand and MAC is perhaps the first brand they suggest.

Today I review the first ever MAC Viva Glam lipstick launched in 1994!

So for you people not in the know, the first ever MAC Viva Glam line was endorsed by Rupaul Andre Charles!!! Look it up darlings! LOOK IT UP!!!!

The outer packaging.

Ingredients list on the side of the box.

The name of the shade.

The iconic bullet shaped lipstick tube.

Isn’t that a beauty???

YASSS!!!!!! I love that red!!!!

Shade name on the bottom of the tube.

Swatch.

Description: This particular line of lipsticks comes in several shades and are always celebrity endorsed. Part of proceeds from sales of these lipsticks go the MAC AIDS Fund. MAC lipsticks come in 3 grams/0.1 oz of product. This particular shade has a matte finish.

Where to buy: MAC counters; counters are available in Penang, Pahang, Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak usually in shopping malls.

Price: MYR 78

 

Pros:

Smooth and easy to apply.

Very pigmented!

Very opaque!

VERY long wearing!

VERY comfortable (like you are wearing nothing on the lips).

Does NOT at ALL emphasize fine lines on the lips.

This shade in particular is very complimentary for a wide range of skin tones!

Re-application is perhaps just one swipe and done kind of deal. VERY easy!

Although not particularly moisturising, it doesn’t dry out the lips either.

 

Cons

Not smudge proof or transfer resistant.

Price (which isn’t that bad considering some drugstore lipsticks in Malaysia can cost up to MYR 59 and I have not met MAC’s worthy competitor although there are dupes in terms of shade and finish).

 

Rating:

9.6/10

STELLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *applause*

Silkygirl Natural Brow Pencil Review

[UPDATED REVIEW]

I have reviewed several Silkygirl’s products (two mascaras here and here, makeup remover here, chubby stick here, and a retractable eyeliner here) and also put it in my top 5 most affordable Malaysian drugstore makeup brand (here).

This review is on the Silkygirl Natural Brow Pencil.

The product.

Name and code.

Description and ingredients.

Up close of the nib.

Swatch.

Description: Eyebrow pencil. Comes in two colours, 01 Soft Black and 02 Dark Brown. There’s a clear cap for protection and comes in 1.14 grams or about 0.04 oz.

Where to buy: Most drugstores and supermarket/hypermarkets in Malaysia.

Price: MYR 10.90 (it’s drugstore so wait for promos!!)

Bare brows.

For a black pencil (if used properly) it’s quite natural looking!

Pros:

It is cheap!

Black eyebrow pencil that isn’t too black so it has a natural finish.

Stays put (doesn’t just melt away with sweating).

 

Cons:

Very stiff and dry.

I never liked sharpening.

No spoolie.

 

Tip/Hack:

Use your hair dryer to slightly heat up stiff and dry eyebrow pencil to allow ease of application. Just a few seconds of exposure to the hot air will slightly loosen the product.

 

Rating;

6.8/10

It is a basic eyebrow pencil that I like because it matches my eyebrow colour. It may or may not work for you so discretion advised!

My Entry for the First Ever NYX Face Awards Malaysia!

So I have decided, I’d give this a shot. A makeup video for the first ever NYX Face Awards Malaysia.

If you don’t know the NYX Face Awards, just YouTube it. You’ll understand immediately.

Top 30 will be picked by judges but the top 15 and top 6 are solely via public voting. So if I do get to the next level, HELPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess that is all there is to explain.

Here’s my entrance video!

Thanks for watching.

Perhaps I’d make more YouTube videos. Kind of got the hang of editing already.

Elianto Nose Shading Brush Review (H) (07P)

[UPDATED REVIEW]

NOTE; THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.

Elianto is a cosmetic brand with items sourced from countries like Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Korea. Prices are hard to beat for the quality of their products and the brand is rather popular in Malaysia. This is a review of the Elianto shading brush [Nose Shading Brush (H) (07P)]. Although it is called a nose shading brush, it looks a lot like a small pencil brush.

The brush.

Bristles close up.

Comparison with H&M blending brush (on the left; which is about the size of a standard blending brush like Zoeva) and a tiny lip brush by Bloop Cosmetics (on the right).

This picture was from the original post because I discarded the package. It’s pretty nice and sturdy actually.

And the description on the back. This was also an old picture. It has been edited to my best of ability. 😛

Description;

Bristles: Pony hair and slightly tapered towards the tip. Bristle colour gradually darkens at the tip. Very loosely packed; more like a blending brush rather than a pencil brush.

Ferrule: Metal with a shiny finish.

Handle: No information about this (I am assuming it is wooden). It has a matte finish and is quite sturdy.

Price: MYR 19.90 (Elianto often has discounts, so this price is subject to discounts and offers).

Where to buy: Elianto counters nationwide.

 

Pros:

The price is amazing for a specialised brush made out of natural hairs.

The ferrule and handle are pretty sturdy.

Does quite a good job at blending although I have never used it for its intended purpose (nose shading).

Perfect for precise blending because it is so small and loosely packed.

 

Cons:

The bristles initially shed because of the fact that it is made of natural hair.

A lot more goes into caring for them (not beginner friendly). I use a gentle two in one shampoo and conditioner. Also takes a longer time to clean and dry.

 

Rating

6.5/10

I am completely on the fence with this one and it is entirely your choice to make a decision.

Silkygirl Big Eye Collagen Mascara Review

Silkygirl, a homegrown makeup brand, has so many underrated products and is perhaps one of the most accessible makeup brands in Malaysia. It is also available in Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

The product.

Collagen for eyelashes?

Wand. Yea…. I know… I’ll address this.

Description: Waterproof mascara with slightly tapered rubber bristles.

Price: MYR 28.90

Where to buy: Most drugstores in Malaysia; Watsons, Guardian, Caring, etc.

 

Swatch

Bare lashes.

 

One coat.

Two coats.

 

Pros:

Lengthens and thickens very nicely.

The wand is pretty effective at separating and curling the lashes.

Doesn’t clump.

No smudging.

Wand is easy to use.

 

Cons:

The wand deteriorates at about the three month mark because the individual bristles break off (it can be seen on the up close bristle picture).

Doesn’t really hold a curl (not on me at least).

 

Rating:8/10

I guess the hype surrounding this mascara is true! It is pretty good. However, it isn’t a mascara I personally like because I prefer natural looking lashes. But it is a really amazing mascara.