THE CHOCOLATY ADDICT

Are you a chocolate lover like me? My favourite are the dark chocolates :D Which is why I can’t resist doing a CHOCOLATY look!

So how do you achieve a ‘healthy’ chocolaty look without looking like you got sun burnt? :P

7 steps to The Chocolaty Addict look

1. Makeup Base

To bring out the intensity of chocolate in this look, you can use bronzer all over your face & neck, just like what I did.

Try! “Bronzing Powder” or “Brilliance Powder” from Body Shop, “Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer” or “Soft Duo Bronzer (Matte)” from Estee Lauder, “Mat Bronze” from Make Up For Ever or “Shimmering Powder” from Laneige.

2. Eyeshadow

Find the right shade of dark brown eyeshadow that suits you. Test the shade on the back of your hands to check and  the swatches & avoid getting browns with red hues in it, because those tend to make your eyes look like you cried the whole night :(

Try! Eyeshadow N98 or N139 from Make Up For Ever, #32 Chocolate from The Body Shop, or  “Twiced Baked” Eyeshadow from Urban Decay

Can you spot the colour gradients of the eyeshadows? From dark chocolate to light chocolate brown… watch the colour fade into the highlights! Such blending is termed as smoky eyes as the colour is ‘smoked out’ :)

3. Eyeliner

Any black eyeliner will do the job for this look! Just make sure you smudge the dark brown eyeshadow on top of the eyeliner drawn to soften the effect.

Try! “24/7 eyeliner in Zero” from Urban Decay

4. Fake Lashes or/and Mascara

Every girl has their own preferred taste of fake lashes. And my personal take is the fake lashes that gives the best results are those soft, straight strands (made from animal hair, I believe) because they usually give a sophisticated effect. Just in case you are unaware, mascara can actually be applied over such lashes more smoothly, as compared to the hard synthetic fake lashes.

For lash glue, I prefer them to be from Lash Grip. It hardly fails me even when I am tearing due to irritation. You can purchase this from SASA or Guardian.

One coat of mascara is NEVER enough! Apply 2 coats on the top lashes (yours & the fake lashes) to ‘join’ them together. If you have long lower lashes, you can also apply 2 coats of mascara  on them to create more intense-looking eyes.

Try! “Blackout” in WTP from Christian Dior or “Aqua Smoky Lash” from Make Up For Ever.

5. Eyebrows

As you can tell, I prefer my brows to have a thick & natural feel. To tame my brows, I always use a brown natural mascara over my brows to keep the disobedient strays in place.

6. Blusher

Opt for brown-based blusher or bronzer; peachy-orange blusher will look great with this look too!

Try! “Brush On Bronze” from The Body Shop, “Afterglow Blush” in Score from Urban Decay“Blush Rush in Bare” from Smashbox or “Sculpting Blush” in N10 from Make Up For Ever.

7. Lips

Keep them NUDE to compliment this look!

Try! “Tinted Lipglass” in Lust or “Cremesheen Glass” in Just Superb from M.A.C  :)

And, presenting the final results after all that hard work…

Extra Bits & Pieces

Wanna smell like bars of chocolates? Then I’m sure you will love:

  • “Fantasy” perfume by Britney Spears, which contains the scent of white chocolate
  • “Covet” perfume by Sarah Jessica Parker, which emphasizes lavender and chocolate
  • “Sephora Spray” & “Wash and Scrub” in chocolate
  • Urban Decay Flavored Powder in Cocoa

Now, I’m really craving for dark chocolates! I think I’m going to make a trip to Vivo City for a box of Awfully Chocolate ice-cream soon ;) Who wants to join me?

Love,
JERA
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

SUMMER TREND REPORT: Denim is IN again!

Presenting to you one of the most popular looks from the runway this season… Military Inspiration!

Celine Spring 2010 RTW

Julien Macdonald Fall 2010 RTW

Fendi Fall 2010 RTW

Also, denim is widely used to exhibit the current fashion inclinations. The most fashionable jeans this Spring/Summer 2010 are those that are torn, skinny, three-quarters, of dirty khaki, gray, in blue or black colors. Double-denim combinations have also been spotted in many of the runway looks~

Rag&Bone Resort 2010 RTW

Emanuel Ungaro Resort 2010 RTW

D&G Spring 2010 RTW

Yigal Azrouël Resort 2010 RTW

Quirky Boyfriend jeans cutting, high waist denim pants, denim overalls etc can be found in street fashion globally. Each country with their own inspiration designs and interpretations definitely spiced up the most popular fashion spotlight of this season. We call it Denim Madness!!

All you have to do is to mix and match!

Look out for denim apparels that has studs, prints, zipper, chains or even patch pockets, because all of these were the spotted trends for Spring/Summer 2010 (which is like now). So, it’s time to dig out all your denim wardrobe and place them in your priority “to-wear” list now!

Match these apparels with big accessories and leather twisted belts… and not forgetting those high heels or boots to give you the height,  especially if you belong to the petite category of girls ;) You need to look tall in the midst of those baggy or heavy denim apparels.

And before I go, here’s some of my favourite wearable looks from the streets of New York :)

Credits: Elle, Style and Today’s Hot Trends

Love,
JERA
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

MAJOLICA & MAYBELLINE

A new subtle eye look for today: Brown eyeliner on the top + silver & yellow eyeliner on the bottom. Love my natural-looking lashes, although they are not really recognizable, ha!

WATSONS is having an INCREDIBLE SALE again & I couldn’t help but buy this glittery eyeshadow that I’ve been eyeing for so long from Majolica ;)   Don’t ask me what I need it for; I’m sure I’ll put it to use one day… at least buying it during a sale doesn’t make me feel so guilty for buying an item I don’t really need :)

And then I spotted Pulse Perfection by Maybelline on the shelves & got super excited about it… even though I have 10 mascaras, I just decided that I must get my hands on this because it’s a limited edition & it’s a vibrating mascara! I haven’t tried one before, so it’s a perfect excuse to get one to try… right? Go get one now!

Have been so busy lately that I’ve haven’t had many chances to try out all the new makeup I’m piling up in my drawer… Only thing is, I will only put on makeup when I’m in a darn good mood; when I have plenty of time to doll up, which is like 1 to 2 hours :P Although, I must say that having this blog is not just a super good excuse to buy more makeup, but also to use MORE makeup, which I am doing very diligently these days!

p/s. I aim to try the mascara this week!

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CREAM

Credits: Allure.com, Elle.com

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT YOUR EYES

Ladies, babes & girls, you know we use our eyes to captivate, communicate & fascinate, right? Unfortunately, one of the earliest signs of aging actually occurs around the eyes!  If you didn’t realize it, this area is super susceptible to fine lines & wrinkles because the skin is extremely delicate. So I’ve done my research to share with you on what you should know.

Dark circles, bags, puffiness, wrinkles, fine lines… you name it, all of these can make you look older, tired, & worn-out… even if the rest of your face is still wrinkle-free & radiant :( S0 sad, right? Do you also know that constant stretching & contracting of the area around our eyes as we talk, laugh or cry (especially during those K-Drama marathons!) make our eye areas even more prone to developing those horrid lines?

On top of that, as we age, our skin naturally produces less collagen & the loss of elasticity of the elastin fibres results in decreased suppleness. Losing the fat under our eyes give the appearance of ugly, hollowed-out eyes. Other aggressors  that add to this kind of damage would be the sun (again? yes!). They accelerate the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, also commonly known as “Crow’s Feet”.

And needless to say, the key reason why young girls (like us *ahem*) often lament about our puffiness, dark eye rings & eye bags are simply because of our late nights & hardcore partying.  Oh, how we hate those swelling & puffiness that makes our eyelids droop… & those dark circles – they just make us look so much older :(

So, all of these issues will continue to worsen as we age, unless action is taken to prevent the situation. Technically speaking, there is no way to stop or even reverse the aging process & the only favour you can do for yourself is to invest in a skin care regimen that includes taking care of your eyes… in which an anti-wrinkle eye cream is a must-have!

THE REMEDY

The truth is that if you don’t hydrate your eyes enough, the fragile skin area around our eyes will be so dry & tight,  they will stretch, crease & turn into permanent lines!

From Beauty View Points:

Eye creams have changed dramatically over the years. They have gone from stand alone formulations targeting one specific issue to formulations that targets a multitude of concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness in a single product. These technologically advanced, high quality eye creams contain ingredients designed to increase hydration, reduce wrinkles, lighten dark circles and diminish puffiness that will dramatically reduce the visible signs of aging.

Now, when you are out there shopping for an eye cream, there are a few things you should consider:

  • First, all eye creams should contain powerful moisturizers to keep skin hydrated & nourished. Moisturizers like hyaluronic acid can also reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles & make skin look & feel velvety smooth.
  • If you want to address problems like puffiness & bags, look out for eye creams that contains soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients.
  • For dark circles, eye creams that contain Vitamin K are good choices because this ingredient has proven to light dark under-eye skin.
  • Eye Products that contain Retinols (Vitamin A derivatives); anti-oxidants that have the ability to reduce wrinkles.
  • Peptides (acetyl hexapeptide, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7) that have clinically shown effectiveness in reducing wrinkle depth & stimulate collagen production.
  • Hyaluronic acid, considered as nature’s most powerful moisturizer that naturally plumps skin & diminishes fine lines & wrinkles.

With such a wide variety of choices for eye care products, are you in a dilemma on what to choose? While you shop looking for those ingredients backed by dermatologists & beauty researchers, make sure you are not allergic or sensitive to these ingredients too. And make sure you address your specific eye care needs – don’t bother asking beauty consultants too much about the ingredients because I doubt they will be able to tell you more than what I have shared; it’s like making them go through a Science test!

TIP FROM SAB: Don’t buy an eye cream that is meant for hydration & wonder why your eyes are still puffy – it doesn’t make sense. If you have more than 1 major issue, you can always buy 2 types of eye care products – 1 to use in the day & 1 to use at night!

Come next week, I will reveal my TOP 10 list of recommended eye care products, so stay tuned ;)

Love,
JERA
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

M.A.C GOODIES

Attended an event hosted by Harper’s Bazaar @ VOLVO showroom last week with my colleague, Melodie, and because we were one of the first few to arrive, we were both treated to a ‘Hair Makeover’ by the professionals from Toni & Guy :D

Check out Mel’s beautiful, bouncy curls, which everyone was raving about! Mine was pretty simple & straight, since they can’t do much with my length anyway ;)

Both of us have to admit that such curls are impossible to have everyday, unless there is someone to style it for us. And that’s why the celebrities always look so polished; this is how important styling is!

We were also presented with a makeup demo of the latest Spring & Summer 2010 colors by Beno Lim from M.A.C. They were conducting makeovers but because both Mel and I were already all dolled up (or so they say), we didn’t get to enjoy one.

There was also an impressive demonstration on how to wear scarves as a top or dress… WOW!

We had a pretty good time with the program and when I finally got home to check out the goodie bag, I was pleasantly surprised!

There were quite a few items (besides the magazine) itself: Hair voucher + designer scented candle + designer handphone strap + Volvo keychain + M.A.C cosmetics~

And of course, being the makeupaholic I am, I was simply delighted with the 3 new additions to my makeup & nails collection :D

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI