MUFE Rouge Artist Lipstick Swatches and First Impressions

Make Up For Ever (often abbreviated to MUFE), has expanded its Rouge Artist Lipstick lines with four new colours, and of course I just had to shamelessly swatch them for you guys - because that's what a beauty blogger does!

The 4 new additions to MUFE's Rouge Artist Lipstick range: 51, 52, N51 and N52

51 Playful Pink and 52 Rebellious Red are new shades to the Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick range, which features full-pigmentation lipsticks with a creamy (but non-shimmery) finish. Meanwhile N51 Naughty Nude and N52 Coral Confident are part of the Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick range, which features a more moisturizing formula, but is also more sheer (although with MUFE, sheer is a relative thing, certainly you can build even their Natural lipsticks up to near opacity with just a couple of coats).

Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint Review and Swatches: #08 Berry Pop, My Favourite Lip Tint

If you follow me on Instagram, then you'd know that the Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint in #08 Berry Pop would be one of my most favourite lip products ever! Yes, this is the one lip product that has popped up on my Instagram ever since I bought it in March. That's 5 months ago, so yes, it's been popping up in various Instagram posts, like this, this, this, this, this, and I liked it so much I went back to get two more! So I figured, it's about time for a proper review/swatch post of this on my blog!

Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint in #08 Berry Pop: My current favourite liptint!

The Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint has a few different shades (8, I think, although when I was in Korea there were additional shades in mini-sizes too), and the one I have is #08 Berry Pop. It's in a compact little plastic bottle, with a tulip-shaped doe-foot applicator.


Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint in #08 Berry Pop: Cute packaging as is typical of Korean brands.

Bioderma Review: Sensibio, Sebium, Hydrabio, ABCDerm Micellar Cleansing Water

Bioderma's Sensibio H2O micellar cleanser is one of the more popular cleansing waters around, but did you know that Bioderma's H2Ocleanser range also includes other related products? I didn't know this, but apparently there is also Sebium, Hydrabio, and ABCDerm. Sebium is for oily skin, while Hydrabio is for dry skin, and ABCDerm? It's actually for babies. So there you go - basically a Bioderma for every need, beyond the classic Sensibio!

Bioderma Sensibio, Sebium, Hydrabio, ABCDerm Micellar Cleansing Waters: One for every skin type

I know you're probably looking at the clear, simple-looking plastic bottles of watery-looking liquid, and probably wondering: is there any difference between the two? Which one should I actually buy? And truth be told, it's a reasonable question to ask - after all, all of the liquids in the various bottles look like water (if you don't count the tint in the Sebium version) and feel like water, and to the eye, there is no discernible difference. But of course, if you're like me, then you know the best place to start with such an examination: the ingredients list!


Bioderma Sensibio, Sebium, Hydrabio, ABCDerm Micellar Cleansers - the options you have are many
Yes, this is going to be one of those ingredients analysis pots with all my geekery. But I thought before I do that, I thought I would answer the question: Why is a micellar cleanser called a micellar cleanser? What is a micelle anyway? Is it just a different name for the same old thing? So with that - let's recall something from our old school days: emulsions!

Kiehl's Oil Eliminator Review and Ingredients Analysis: Moisturizer, Face Wash, Toner

Kiehl's Oil Eliminator is the latest in its Men's Skincare range, and it consists of three products - a Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Face Was For Men, a Refreshing Shine Control Toner For Men, and a 24-Hour Anti-Shine Moisturizer For Men. And as you might expect from a range called "Oil Eliminator", the cleanser, toner, and 24-hour moisturizer are meant to keep your guy's skin (or your skin, if you are looking for oily skin products) oil free and shine free for longer. You may even have heard about the brand's advertising claim that they have NASA space technology in their products - in particular some technology called Aerolite, which is based on aerogel technology. In fact, Kiehl's did this entire advertising stunt where they literally sent their product into space, and this magical ingredient is supposed to absorb more than four times its weight in oil.

Kiehl's Oil Eliminator For Men Skincare Range: Now with aerogel technology inside!

Skincare for guys has always been tricky, and not just on the technical, "men's skin is different" front - my personal belief is that the factors that contribute to a good skincare regime (e.g. use a good retinol product, which I've blogged about before, use sunscreen, which again I've also blogged about, etc.) are the same, whether the skin belongs to a guy or a girl, because the skin is very similar. The only exceptions are that men's skin tends to be thicker and oilier than women's skin, so brands often have to accomodate this. (And as we shall see in this review, Kiehl's has done a really good job of doing so.)

But beyond that, men's skincare is tricky because men are also surprisingly picky about skincare. It turns out that guys are actually quite hard to win over as skincare users, as a number of company PR and Marketing people have told me at various blogger/press events. Turns out, guys are picky about their skincare in the aesthetic or cosmetically elegant sense - the moment they have to put something on their skin and it feels the slightest bit sticky or oily, or leaves a bit of residue, then most guys will not continue to use it. (I'm sure any woman who has had to purchase skincare for her guy, only to see it go untouched after the first few tries, knows what I mean.) So formulating a skincare that is aesthetically pleasing for the male customer is also important as far as men's skincare is concerned.

Kiehl's Oil Eliminator For Men Skincare Range: A set of three products for a complete guy's skincare regime

So with that said, let's see whether Kiehl's has managed to placate the ever-picky male skincare customer. I think in both cases - formulating for thick, oily skin, and making sure the skincare feels cosmetically elegant - Kiehl's has done a pretty good job. And we'll also get around to talking about that fancy Aerolite/Aerogel technology (exactly what is it, you must be wondering). But for me to explain that more fully, we'll have to start at my favourite place for skincare products - the ingredients list!

Singapore Giveaway: 4 Winners Will WIn the StyleXStyle The Little Black Box!

Yes, it's a giveaway! Four winners can each win a StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box for themselves! If you've read my review of the StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box, then you'll know that this month's beauty box is a pretty good one - with high end brands from SK-II, Sulwhasoo, Shiseido, and Kiehl's! So you'll enjoy this box!

StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box August: Yes, you can win this!

This giveaway will run for a shorter period of time than my usual giveaways, because this is the August box, and I don't want anyone to get their box too late! So fill out the giveaway widget below with your entries, and good luck - although with 4 winners, your chances of winning have just been quadrupled!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Giveaway prizes provided by company. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Origins Dr Weil Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Review and Ingredients Analysis, and My Top 3 Picks

Origins is famous for its plant-based skincare products, and indeed the brand was one of the first mainstream brands to heavily market itself as a natural skincare brand. Chances are, you've probably heard of any of their skincare ranges, with really cute names like Plantidote, A Perfect World, or GinZing. Despite being around since 1990, the brand is fairly new to me. I've never tried anything from the brand, so it was some interest that I started testing out their Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Collection.

Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief: Mushrooms and lots of other plants to the rescue!

The Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief range is a plant-based range and advertises itself as such, so I thought a quick summary of the science on 1)the oils in skincare in general, and 2) the oils in the product range, may help to set the stage.


The Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief range has a grand total of eight products to suit all preferences.

Etude House Play 101 Pencils FOTD: Makeup Look with the Pencils on Eyes, Cheeks, Lips

In my Etude House Play 101 Pencils review, I shared swatches of the these nifty little multi-tasking pencils on my arms and lips, but wasn't able to fully swatch them on other places, like eyes and cheeks. And also on my Instagram page, I've received some questions about how the pencils blended out on drier skin patches like cheeks. So, I decided the only way to resolve this question was to actually do an FOTD (Face of the Day) with the Etude House Play 101 Pencils!

For this look, I used almost every shade of pencil in my arsenal - 15, 26, 28, and 50 (swatches re-posted below . The only one I didn't use was 20, because it was hot pink, and I wasn't sure how to incorporate it yet. But I'm sure that will come another day!


Etude House Play 101 Pencils Swatches: 15, 20, 26, 28, 50

Elizabeth Arden Untold Eau Legere EdT: A Summery, Lighter Take on the Original Untold

Elizabeth Arden released Untold Eau Legere, a flanker to the original Untold, a couple of months back. And I'm a little late, but I thought it was still an appropriate time to review this, given our perpetually hot weather, and the continued heat we seem to be experiencing! Given how the weather in Singapore is, I have a feeling this fragrance might be a crowd pleaser in this climate.

Elizabeth Arden Untold Eau Legere EdT: The latest flanker in the Untold range

You might be wondering, why did I say it was still an appropriate fragrance choice for our perpetually hot weather? Isn't the original Elizabeth Arden Untold, which I reviewed previously, as a modern, white-floral perfume with an amber base. The bottles for Untold Eau Legere and Untold may be almost exactly the same, with the only difference being the perfume name engraved along the side of the bottle, but the scents inside are coloured differently. And just like the scent colour, Untold Eau Legere, as the name suggests, has some similarities, being a flanker, but is different enough such that the two are distinct.


Elizabeth Arden Untold Eau Legere, left, and the original Untold, right.

StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box August Jetsetter Edition Review

StyleXStyle (pronounced "Style by Style") has a beauty box that you can purchase every month called The Little Black Beauty Box, and this August, the theme is Jetsetter! These are supposed to contain sample products that are good travel buddies, beauty-wise, and comprise mostly skincare, from sunscreens to moisturizers, as well as other miscellaneous products, like perfume.

StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box August: Jetsetter-friendly products!

Let's take a look at what this month's Little Black Beauty Box has in store! Look at all those cute little miniature goodies!


StyleXStyle Little Black Beauty Box: As you might guess, it's black!

Etude House Play 101 Pencil Review and Swatches

Etude House has recently launched its Play 101 Pencils, which are basically little sticks of colour pencils that you can use to colour your eyes, lips, cheeks, face - basically anywhere! The concept is indeed novel, as far as Korean drugstore brands are concerned. Basically you get a multipurpose pencil that you can use anywhere you want!

Etude House Play 101 Pencils: Nifty little multi-purpose pencils that could potentially really simplify your makeup bag!

The idea behind these pencils, I have to say, is super nifty. After all, these are pencils that can be used anywhere on your face, and imagine if you can use only pencils everywhere! Your makeup bag would be so simplified as far as colour cosmetics go! It sounded pretty darn awesome, so I was pretty excited to get a hold of these to play with. Each of these have different textures, including creamy (creamy finish with no shimmer but not matte), glitter (has specks of glitter), shimmering (has some fine shimmer but no visible glitter specks), glossy (like a lip gloss crayon), and matt (plain ol' matte finish).


Etude House Play 101 Pencils: Different finishes (creamy, glitter, shimmering, glossy and matt) and many different shades