UNII Palettes

This is a major product rave post. I had ordered a UNII Palette about 10 days ago from their site, and it finally arrived today.

Let me tell you, this is no ordinary palette. It is so compact, heavy-duty and so gorgeous! I got mine in Coal (they come in 5 other colors). The packaging also comes with a sheet of magnet sticker, so you can customize your palette however you like.

The UNII Palette in Coal; a gorgeous black. This is with the clasp open.

They retail for $29 each, but they are on sale for $24 now!

Also, if you buy 5 or more, they are each $20!

I have placed my everyday items in my palette; this makes getting ready in the morning a lot faster. I don't have to open a bunch of cases. Did I mention this palette comes with a huge mirror that makes makeup application so easy?!

The back, with the logo and company's site.

I am in love with this palette. I can't wait to take it with me when I travel. Not only is it beautifully designed, but it also gives me a piece of mind; I don't have to worry about my palette exploding while traveling, and things moving around it in :)

I highly recommend this to anyone!! The UNII palettes kick MAC's butts! (my old MAC palette now collects dust somewhere in my collection)

Btw, what I have in my palette:

- Shiseido Maquillage Pressed Foundation
- MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe, Smoke & Diamonds, and Phloof!
- Shiseido Maquillage eyeshadow in RD734
- Cargo blush in Catalina (huge!! And took a beating after I depotted it from its original case; not recommended!)
- UNII thumb grip (provided with palette). This helps you hold onto the palette when you're applying makeup.

Haul from Japan!

Hi all :)

My best friend just recently came back from her trip to Japan. Here are a few items she picked out for me that I wanted to check out.

The Shiseido 131 brush. This is supposed to work great with either pressed or liquid foundation. It is not flimsy at all; quiet stiff and extremely soft! The bristles are 1.75cm in diameter; tiny but works well in small areas such as the under eyes.

Fiberwig set; including the original mascara and a tiny version ('tiny sniper' lol) of it for the lower lashes. I love fiberwig mascaras; they are easy to take off and waterproof.
The infamous Dollywink liquid eyeliner in Deep Black. I've heard great reviews on this. This type of brush has become my favourite way of applying eyeliner (replaced my usual Gel + Brush method). Did i mention how cute the packaging is?

Canmake Cheek Gradation in 05 (Peach). I already own this in 01 (Pink) and I absolutely love it! There is sparkles on the top but that's just on the surface; it eventually fades the more you use it :)

Shiseido Integrate Rainbow Grade Eyes in GY905. This comes with 4 shades of eyeshadow and the bottom purple shade is a "all over sparkle" that you use after you're done, for extra bling!

Shiseido Tsubaki Water, which is a leave in conditioner. You can spray this onto clean damp hair, or after you have styled your hair for extra shine. Can't wait to try this out!

Shiseido Tsubaki Treatment, which is a thick cream you leave onto clean damp hair and wrap your hair for about 30mins. But I like to keep mine on for an hour for extra work!! Then you simply wash it out :)

And lastly, my best friend got me this totally adorable planner for 2011; something I really needed! I absolutely love it!!!

That is all for now! Hope everyone is having a terrific start to 2011 :o)

Lancôme : Color Design Matte Lipstick (Pink Preview)

I had forgotten just how much I enjoy Lancome's lipsticks, until I picked up Pink Preview from their Color Design Matte collection. They retail for around $30 here in Canada, and I think they are worth every penny.

They claim, according to the site to:

Color Design, the expert in makeup artistry, is right on trend with brand new matte finishes expanding our range of sensational effects for your Lips. This new formula contains a revolutionary Color Seal Complex comprised of soft silicones and pigments that are combined with concentrated comfort agents to deliver optically diffused color that is feather-resistant and non-drying. Lips are stylishly matte and experience velvety comfort all day.
*The color being shown on the left is Pink Preview*


This group comes in 8 shades, and I definitely want to get a few more. Here are a few pictures of Pink Preview (a matte blue-based pink; gorgeous on fair-skinned girls).


Now, the only weird thing about this lipstick is that the above picture, the top is actually the bottom, if that makes any sense. So once you open it from the top, the lipstick is actually aiming south, not north. As a designer, this really gets to me :-(



Overall, I highly reccommend this line of matte lipsticks for everyone :) They just look so natural on, and they are so smooth and long lasting. You really don't need a lot. These are by-far the best matte lipsticks I have ever tried. Try them out next time you're out!! :)


<3 Lina

Maybelline

Maybe it's the recent explosion of drugstore videos on Youtube, more specifically for the Maybelline Eyestudio that has brainwashed me. Or their lovely packaging and nice range of colors. Either way, I've done some hauling lately!

Purple Icon:




Give Me Gold:




Sunset Seduction:



Taupe Temptress:



Overall, they're not bad! Sparkly, well pigmented, and definetly very cute to use. The packaging is quiet cute as well. I hope 4 is enough for me :x

I also picked up their Stylish Smokes in Natural Smokes (after watching this gorgeous video on it), and I am very impressed! I am wearing it right now actually and it is extremely pigmented. Although I had already tried another one of their Stylish Smokes in Natural Smokes, I wasn't all that impressed. The Natural Smokes is by-far better and I think it would look great on all skintones!

Stylish Smokes in Natural Smokes:



All this hauling, coming from a "high-end makeup" girl! I guess drugstores have turned up their game in the past couple of years :)

Haul

A few things I picked up this weekend :)

The Shu Uemura eyelash curler. Been meaning to get this for a while now. It really is amazing!!

My favourite mask of all time. Shiseido's purifying mask. Comes out white; you leave it on your skin for 5 minutes, then rinse it off. Helps get rid of excess sebum and any other dirt in your pores. Really works!!! I've been using this for years!!

Shiseido's Hydra-Balancing softner. Suppost to be a toner. Not gonna lie, I got it because I don't currently use a toner, and this looked like the safest bet from Shiseido. Dries nicely and doesn't leave any residue/greasiness after. We'll see in a few weeks if this really does anything positive to my skin.


And lastly! Some SPF. Yes, I know this is for kids, but I got it thanks to Fuzkittie's recoomendation a while back. She said this is quiet nice and non-greasy. So far, I like it!


That is all! :) Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Everyday Makeup (Lorraine "TheCurrentCustom" Stanick's Everyday Makeup Contest Entry)

Hi everyone :)

I was meaning to do a post on this, but I figure I'll do it now since the lovely Lorraine is doing a contest for it! Here is my everyday makeup :)


**usually takes 10-15mins**

Here goes!

I start off with a clean face, and SPF. I then move to.....

The goody bag...

Moisturize those lips!



Urban Decay Primer Potion (looks gross, I know. Depotted)


Conceal undereye circles, and anything else that needs help :)

Foundation time! My all-time favourite; Shiseido Maquillage Pressed Powder. Best thing ever!


Do you like the case?! It was a collaboration between Shiseido and Christopher Kane :)


Eyebrows. Shu Uemura makes the best eyebrow pencils ever!!


Blush is next. Desire (matte hot pink) from Nars. Always gotta look like a doll ;)


Everyday is a day for a smokey eyes. I love wearing gray eyeshadows. This is my favorite palette, and I use it almost everyday. Guerlain's Ombre Eclat in Perle D'Argent 480.


Time to line the eyes. I use Annabelle's SmoothLiner in Gunmetal. They are one of the best pencils I've ever used. Smooth, don't smudge. and $10 each.


If I'm not using the YSL Faux Cils, I usually grab the Maybelline Define-a-lash in black. Both do the job.


And the brushes I use daily :)
-MAC 116
-Italian Badger Face brush
- Eyebrow/Eyelash brush from EcoTools
-MAC 217
-Lise Watier concealer brush


That is all!! :)