Lancome Miscellaneous GWP Palettes

I have so many of these miscellaneous Lancome GWP palettes I thought I might dedicate an entire post to them! Other than some skin care and lip products, I am not a big fan of Lancome cosmetic. Their face powder feels heavy and turns greasy on me after a while. And although the blushes are decently pigmented, they also feel chalky. Same with the eye shadows, of which the formula is very inconsistent! Some are smooth and silky, some are chalky, and some are just plain dusty and flaky! Ick!

The below 2 palettes are of Maquiriche Creme/Powder Eye Color. I'm not sure why they're called creme/powder because they don't feel creamy at all!
- Upper left, Gardenia: matte, very sheer, an off-white that only serves to highlight the brow bones, feels chalky though
- Upper right, Honeymoon: shimmer, very sheer, a gold with slight honey hue
- Lower left, Stellaire: matte, medium intensity, a grayish ink blue I use as a liner. The shadow can feel a bit crusty to the touch.
- Lower right, Angora: shimmer, low intensity, a pale blue that goes on with a touch of silver. This shade feels softest of the bunch!

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadows

I'm not really into Clinique eye shadows, but I got these Colour Surge Eye Shadows as GWP items. They are pretty decent, very soft and silky to the touch they feel like cream eye shadows!

- Sunburst Duo: shimmer, the peach shade is low intensity, the beige shade is very sheer
- Super Shimmer in Rum Spice: metallic, high intensity, a copper-toned brown with bronze shimmers. Best used as a liner


- Soft Shimmer in Buff: metallic, very sheer, an off-white that goes on a translucent veil of off-white sparkles. I love it alone on lazy days!

Victoria's Secret Silkwear Eye Shadow

Another good find from Victoria's Secret beauty. Again, these Silkwear Eye Shadows are now repackaged as "Very Sexy" makeup with the name Silky Eye Shadows. I don't know if the formula is still the same though, but the old formula were silky indeed! They feel very satiny and soft, just that the colors don't quite match my skin tone. Those that do don't have the finish I like. Still, I own several of them:

- In the Buff: matte, very sheer, an ivory powder shade that serves 1 and only 1 purpose - to highlight the brow bone! Seriously, it's so sheer it just brightens and nothing more!

EI Solutions SPF 15 Eye Shadow

Another somewhat lesser known brand EI Solutions, aka English Ideas. I have never heard of this brand before and still don't hear about it at all! My local department store just happened to have an EI counter, and although it's not there anymore, I did try 1 of their eye shadows. The shadow are not as finely milled, but it goes on silky and can be used wet or dry.

Esolis Eye Shadows

These are eye shadow duos that were given as GWP (see previous Esolis Lip Tint SPF 15 post). They are your average eye shadow, nothing worth noting, even a bit chalkier than drugstore brands. My sister and I have all three color combos, but I only have the Marine/Aqua duo with me.

- Marine: shimmer, high intensity, a similar color to the dark green liner shade in the T'estimo Layered Impact Eye Palette #3 only with foam green shimmers.
- Aqua: pearl, low intensity, a pretty foam green with lilac iridescent.

Esolis Lip Tint SPF 15

Back in early 2000's, Esolis was a short-lived brand of skin care and makeup targeting Asian women in North America. It was very strange, as the catalogue just showed up at my door step one day. Obviously, someone had been selling demographic information...and my address!!!! Anyways, I was very excited of course, because growing up, I've never known any makeup or skin care within the borders of North America that was geared towards Asian skin.

***Picture from design:timlink.

Victoria's Secret Eye Shadow Palette

Victoria's Secret is mostly, well, gimmicky. Sadly, it seems most of their budget is spent into - no joke - marketing their products rather than making them well! Don't get me wrong, some of their lingerie are nice, and some of their shoes are decent, but their clothing is sub par and their bath and body products are a waste of money. But here is the surprise - hidden underneath that mountain of the beauty junks are little gems waiting to be discovered. I happened to have found a few myself! Very few, I must say, but these few have stuck with me since college and I still can't part with them.

One of these gems is the Eye Palette Mosaic Storm. They used to be in a rounded compact with a mirror, but I believe they are now re-branded to "Very Sexy" makeup in a black square compact with mirror. I don't know about the formula, but I think the shades are the same, at least they look the same, and the newer version of this palette is called "Sultry."

FANCL Cheek Color

FANCL Cheek Color comes in a clear case, with the refill pan easily removable to be placed in a nicer compact case. They are available in 3 colors:

- 01 Pink
- 02 Peach
- 03 Pink Bronze

I started using 02 Peach recently. The color is more peachy bronze and goes on with even stronger bronze notes on my skin, but I must say the blush is really nice! It is not overly shimmery, and it gives me a nice glow like sunlight is shining through the window and is glistening off of my cheeks. However, because the color is more bronze on my skin, I have to be careful not to over do it or I will look baked!

T'estimo Gradually Eyes Part III

My third Gradually Eyes palette is #1 - Peach Brown:

- Canary yellow highlighter: metallic, low intensity
- Cloud pink base: metallic, very sheer, a very pale pink that goes on white with a slight metallic pink sheen
- Golden peach crease: metallic, low intensity
- Coppery brown liner: shimmer, medium intensity



You can see the coppery brown better with this picture.


See T'estimo Eye Palettes - Gradually Eyes Part II.
See T'estimo Eye Palettes - Gradually Eyes Part I.

T'estimo Layered Impact Eyes

T'estimo Layered Impact Eyes palette is my favorite out of all the palettes T'estimo makes. Not only the powder shadows are soft and smooth, they are very decently pigmented. I wear my makeup sheer so I don't mind the pigmentation so much, but I'm sure there are plenty others out there who appreciate a pigmented eye shadow. Oh, and they are very super sparkly, and that just can't go wrong with me :D 

There are 5 palettes available:

- 01 Brown

- 02 Grey

- 03 Beige

- 04 Blue

- 05 Rose

I am reviewing the 03 Beige today. All pictures taken indoor with flash, unless otherwise noted.

FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil

I finished my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil bottle and got started on this Mild Cleansing Oil recently. I must say, it is a milder cleansing oil indeed! It cleans just as well but doesn't dry out my skin like the DHC and the Shiseido (Ultimate Cleansing Oil) do. Just not sure how long that tiny bottle would last me as it's $22 a pop. Until then, this one's a keeper!


***Picture from FANCL International.

Canmake Glow Twin Colors

My first Canmake eye shadow! These Glow Twin Colors are very convenient as they aim to provide a quick application on the go for a very fresh and airy look. The Glow Twin Colors are available in 3 shades (bottom to top):

- 01 White Beige
- 02 Gold Pink
- 03 Camel Pink

Canmake Tokyo's website also provided instructions for application as below:

***Pictures from Canmake Tokyo.

Canmake Highlight Gradation

These are more generous presents from Yuki-chan! Thank you!

Similar to the Canmake Cheek Gradation, these Highlight Gradations are in a clear rectangular case with a small brush. They also have the 4 horizontal blocks each has a different shade. I have both the shades available:

- 01 White: this shade is designed to cut the red, or so I think. My face often gets red in the heat of the summer, so this is supposed to be a nice little highlighter that will tone my lobster scale down. It looks all white, but all 4 blocks actually have different shades. The top block has blue iridescent shimmers, 2nd from the top has green iridescent shimmers, 3rd from the top has gold shimmers, and the bottommost just has white shimmers.

Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize

Majolica Majorca has interesting product packaging, as you can see, these Cheek Customize blushes come in clear cases where you can pull on the rounded handle like a drawer. Neat concept! The powder is smooth and fine and is a great deal considering their small price and overall quality. I have 3 shades:

- OR322: an intense orange with coral undertones, and it actually turns coral on my cheeks. Very pigmented!

Majolica Majorca MJ Spice

The idea of loose powder makeup in a bottle sounds fun, so I got myself a few of these MJ Spice to satisfy my curiosity. Plus they were limited edition items, so it was worth collecting. Even better, these loose powders are multi-purpose: they can used as blushers, highlighters, and eye shadows. Also, you can dab the colored ones on top of clear gloss for a pretty sheen or the lighter ones on top of colored gloss for a shimmery effect. Mix away!!!

These "spices" come in 6 colors, from left to right:

- Sensual Spice (RD)
- Dolly Spice (PK)
- Active Spice (OR)


- Glamorous Spice (GD)
- Pure Spice (WT)
- Cool Spice (VI)
***Pictures from Gooddealer.com.

True Colors Original Loose Powder Mineral Makeup

As a teenager, probably 15 or 16, I first learned of True Colors Original Loose Powder Mineral Makeup from the kiosk at my local mall. In fact, True Colors Original was probably my very first makeup purchase as it won me over with its spectacular multi-purpose loose powders! While I can't guarantee the company's claim of using 100% pure color in its makeup, I can attest for the diverse use of its loose powders. These powders can be used wet or dry as:
- Highlighters, with a fluffy brush
- Blushes, with a blush brush
- Eye liners, dry for a sheer wash, wet for more intense color
- Eye shadows, dry for a sheer wash, wet for more intense color, layer for different prism effects
- Lip colors, on top of clear or translucent gloss, layer for different prism effects
- Nail colors, on top of clear or translucent polish, layer for different prism effects
- Body shimmers, sweep across collar bones, décolletage, shoulders, or down the shins
- Hair shimmers, mix with gel or mousse and style

I have the 8-stack Prism Powder - Opal Diamonds. Back then when I bought them, they came in different colors than they do now. From top to bottom, they were pearly shades of: white, silver, gold, beige, red, violet, blue, and green. Out of the entire stack, I could only use the white, silver, gold, beige, and red. The violet, blue, and green are too cool for me and I ended up giving them away to my sister, whose skin could tolerate much cooler colors. Also, I took my stack apart and store each color in individual pots because I just can't stand carrying around the entire stack.


Now, it looks like True Colors Original has changed the colors of the Prism Powder - Opal Diamonds set. It seems they come in a rainbow set of colors now and the descriptions on the website says nothing about white, silver, or gold pearl, which is really too bad in my opinion!


***Picture from True Colors Original.

Clinique Shimmering Tones

I don't know what triggered it, but I've been madly obsessed with anything that comes in a "gradation," stripes, checkered, or patterns of different colors. So when I saw the Shimmering Tones, even though I don't usually buy makeup items from Clinique, I just had to have at least one of these. Eventually, I ended up with 2: Shimmering Sweets and Bare Bronze.

Shimmering Sweets and Bare Bronze. Pictures taken indoor with flash.

US/European, Otherwise Non-Japanese Brands

Nothing adventurous here :P I never really ventured beyond the mid-end department store brands. For US/European brands, I mostly use skincare items and lip colors. Very few actual makeup items, so...

CURRENTLY USING (in conjunction with others)

Kinerase
I started using this line only recently. I had a generous sample lying around for months but never got around to using it. After everything else pretty much dries out my skin, I thought I'd give it a try...and then ended up buying the full size!

Gentle Daily Cleanser
Pros: A very gentle cleanser, good to use as a follow up after a cleansing oil. It is light in texture, foams well, and cleanse well and at the same time, isn't stripping. My face feels moist after rinsing.
Cons: Given it comes in a 200 mL bottle, it is also $30! Also, the instructions says to use 2-3 pumps but I find just 1 pump to be more than enough to foam and clean my face.

***Picture from Kinerase USA.

Clinique
I have a history with Clinique, a history of struggling, rather, since high school. I find some of their products works well with my skin, some don't do much, and some are just plain hellish. Also, my skin has changed over time, so some of the products that used to not work with my skin now do. Did I say it was a struggle? Yeah. Pretty much still is.

Mild Clarifying Lotion
Pros: Alcohol-free, the only toner so far that doesn't irritate my combination-dry skin. My face feels very refreshed and comfortable afterwards. I believe it helps with moisture absorption as well as I notice my moisturizer takes longer to sink in the morning when I don't use the toner. Very affordable.
Cons: Clinique only makes this toner is a smaller size bottle, so I have to restock every few months. A small inconvenience, but still is one.


Dramatically Different Lotion
Pros: Hydrates well without any allergic reaction, irritation, or clogged pores on my dry cheeks and chin. A bottle lasts a long time, 7-8 months for me!
Cons: Too oily for my forehead!

***Pictures from Clinique USA.

Lancome

Pure Focus Gel Cream
Pros: Moisturizing and matifying! It hydrates my oily forehead and nose and keeps them grease-free at the same time. Nice!
Cons: Dries out and irritates the hell out of my cheeks and chin. And while the jar lasts me a whole year, it's also $46! That's a bit much for a simple gel-cream moisturizer...


Aquafusion Lotion
Hubby uses the SPF 15 version of this lotion and I only use it every now and then when I'm lazy with my routine.
Pros: it is scented, but the fragrance is so fresh and clean, I love it! Hubby would smell like he was fresh out of the shower with it on.
Cons: unfortunately, the same fragrance also irritates my skin :(


HAVE USED IN THE PAST (in conjunction with others)

Clarins

UV Plus Protective Day Screen SPF 40
I used this before moving into the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++. I was amazed at the white runny and light texture, even thinner than the Shiseido lotion! Unfortunately though, it is not very substantive and a wipe is all it takes to get it off your skin. I guess it's not meant to be a sunscreen even though it has been made to believe it can be one. And it makes my face really really oily even though it's supposed to be oil free. Add in its itty bitty size for the price tag of $36 and I never turned back.

***Picture from Clarins USA.

Clinique

7 Day Scrub Cream
This scrub is very creamy and, therefore, is not as abrasive as some exfoliators can be. However, it is so creamy that it left behind greasy films and caused me some clogged pores.


Clarifying Lotion #2
This toner leaves a fresh tingling sensation, and I think it helped zapping my breakouts and kept my skin clear as well. It has alcohol though, and as much as it controlled excess oil on my forehead, it also wrung the rest of my face dry!

***Pictures from Clinique USA.

Lancome

Pure Focus
I used to use several items from this line during my early college years when my skin was still very oily. As with the Shiseido Pureness line, I wouldn't dream of going back to the Pure Focus Cleanser and Exfoliator now as they are even harsher than the cleanser and exfoliator from Shiseido Pureness.



Aquafusion Cream
I used both the non-SPF and the SPF 15 versions, and they used to work well on my skin. That is, until one day - poof! - my skin decides it doesn't like the fragrance (which I love) anymore! Gave the rest of my jars to hubby, but he likes the lighter texture of the lotion better.


Gel Clarte
3 Words: do not use. Even if you could fry an egg with the oil on your face, this cleanser is the equivalent of spraying your face with bleach and then scrubbing it with sand paper.


Estee Lauder
To be honest, this entire brand seems gimmicky to me. Other than a very few makeup items (blush, lipstick, and gloss), I dislike everything else they make. I tried their Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser, and while it is a bit more moisturizing than the Shiseido Benefiance Creamy Cleansing Foam, it's so loudly fragrance I might as well wash my face with perfume. Also, it stings even when I don't have a cut on my face!

Estee Lauder Tender Blush

I got Peach Nuance because I was convinced I'd get a beautiful sunset in a case with mirror. And I did! Goes on a soft peach with a note of coral, with few and fine gold shimmers that are visible only under direct light. Swiping it with a finger and you will find it matte. In addition to the blush being very silky and fine, I also find it well pigmented on my skin.

T'estimo Color Cheek Part II

Recent additions.

PK-18 is a muted blush pink that shows up as a sheer flush of color on my cheek. Good for a more natural look.


RD-18 is a pale tomato red with gold shimmers that looks mesmerizing in the pan. I thought I have found my perfect blush, but it goes on a golden orange instead, with more gold than orange. Oh well, it's still pretty, just not what I was hoping it would be.


See my previous T'estimo Color Cheek post.

Canmake Cheek Gradation

My first item from Canmake Tokyo! Cheek Gradation is in a clean and clear compact with a small brush and no mirrors. It is available in 4 shades:

- 01 Pink Stripes
- 02 Orange Stripes
- 03 Brown Stripes
- 04 Chocolate Stripes

Maquillage Shiny Design Powder

The Maquillage Shiny Design Powder is a summer 2007 limited edition bronzer. I honestly couldn't help but giggle when I first heard its name :D Maquillage has a way with names, I tell you.

T'estimo Gradually Eyes Part II

The second Gradually Eyes palette I got is #03 - Cool Beige:

- White highlighter: metallic, low intensity, goes on with a translucent but metallic sheen
- Ivory base: metallic, very sheer
- Champaign beige crease: metallic, low intensity, goes on champaign with a translucent but metallic sheen
- Chocolate brown liner: shimmer, medium intensity

Maquillage Precious Design Powder

This is Maquillage's updated version of the Design Face Color, the "Precious" Design Powder, obviously because in addition to it being a "design" powder, it is also very precious :D It is available in 2 shades:

- 10 Lucent White (Cool)
- 20 Natural Beige (Warm)

I have shade 20 - Natural Beige. The pan is hexagonal in shape, and the powder is divided into 4 triangles, well, kind of triangles...
- Yellow gold, shimmer
- Sandy beige, shimmer
- Peachy pink, matte
- Off-white, matte

Maquillage Design Face Color

Maquillage Design Face Color is a collection of blushes, highlighters, and contouring powders available in 6 shades with the first 4 being blushes and later 2 being highlighters:

- 10-OR
- 20-RD
- 30-PK
- 40-RS
- 50 Warm
- 60 Cool

T'estimo Mix Change Powder

T'estimo Mix Change Powder is a highlighter available in 2 shades:

- EX-01 Cool
- EX-02 Warm

Maquillage Lip Essence

Lip Essence is a lipstick base with SPF 11 released with the Maquillage Spring 2006 collection. Very lightly fragranced, it is a bright but translucent pearly pink liquid with hints of lilac iridescent that enhances your natural lip color. It is thin and light, goes on glossy yet not sticky, only it doesn't last as long as it should, being a lipstick base. That, or I just talk too much and nothing lasts on my lips :P

Maquillage Luminoustic(?) Rouge

Luminoustic(?) Rouge and Superior Rouge are two of Maquillage's lines of lipsticks, with Luminoustic(?) having shimmering/pearly finish and Superior satin. Before going home, I got Luminoustic(?) Rouge in OR257.

OR257 is a beautiful golden orange with hints of coral and intense gold shimmers. And unlike how it looks, it is actually very sheer and goes on a soft pearly veil of golden peach. Beautiful! Unfortunately, unlike other fans of the Maquillage Luminoustic(?) Rouge, I find its formula rather dry and waxy, not moisturizing at all! I wish it was a better lipstick and not the candle wax-stick it is because I absolutely adore the color. May be I will try a different color and see if it still feels the same? Hmph!

T'estimo Color Cheek

T'estimo Color Cheek, yep, another awkward sounding name. That's just the tip of the iceberg. It gets worse, I promise :) I got these in BE-14 and PK-19. It's hard to tell from the picture, but one is much lighter than the other.

BE-14, is, well, nothing close to beige. It is actually bronzy peach with gold shimmers, medium intensity (at least on my skin). It goes on more gold than peach and keeps its hint of bronze. A very summery blush - it could look a bit out of place in the winter.

T'estimo Artist Shade

T'estimo Artist Shade in BE-04 is a contouring powder also released in the Spring 2006 Collection. Similar to the Color Lighting, it has 4 shades of earthy bronze and is a mix of warm and cool undertones. The left 3 columns have some shimmer, but only a minimal amount of them.

How to Use (according to T'estimo's video tutorial)
Use a flat and angled blush brush:
- Swirl over all 4 colors a couple of times
- Sweep lightly in the hollows of the cheeks a couple times (to bring out the apples of the cheeks)
- Sweep lightly in the temples (to bring out the cheekbones)
- Sweep lightly on the 2 sides of the nose (to bring out the nose)
- Blend to soften!

T'estimo Color Lighting

T'estimo Color Lighting is a series of highlighters that consists of shades EX-07, EX-08, EX-09, EX-10, EX-11, and EX-12. T'estimo cheek colors are also in individual clear cases and are just twice the size of the eye shadow refills (1x2").

EX-12 was the newest shade, released in the Spring 2006 collection. After watching a tutorial video on T'estimo's website, I bought this one before I left Japan. It consists of 8 square blocks in 4 columns of colors. And although it looks matte in the picture, 3 out of the 4 columns are shimmery.



From left to right: all warm shades
- Pale canary yellow, high shimmers
- Pale feathery pink, some shimmers
- Cherub pink, very few shimmers
- Pale salmony pink, matte

How to Use (according to T'estimo's video tutorial)
Use a face brush:
- Swirl over all 4 colors a couple of times
- Sweep across forehead, closer to the brows than hairline
- Sweep down the nose ridge
- Sweep across the chin
- Swirl the brush over the powder a couple more times
- Sweep over the area underneath the eyes, above the cheek bones
- Blend to soften!