January 31, 2011

Hubby and I started dating 8 years ago on this very same day. Even though we have also been married over 3 years, we still celebrate our dating anniversary as well the wedding one. We ended up going for a casual brunch date and then a stroll in the market yesterday. As I get older, I enjoy the simpler dates more and more. Here's some pictures of us throughout the years:


2003 - look how young we were!


2005 - engineering Ring ceremony


2007 - Our wedding


2009 - our best friends' wedding


Yesterday!

And the look I wore on our daytime outing:

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - Light
F&B foundation - N2
Sculpt
Prim n Proper blush
Shell Pearl bp

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Chanel Ombres Perlees - slate gray shade on lid
Chanel Ombres Perlees - white shade on inner lid
Copperplate e/s - crease and above
Print e/s - outer v
Solar White e/s - highlight
Blacktrack f/l - to line
Feline e/k - waterline
Lancome Hypnose mascara

Lips
Bubblegum l/s
Going Casual c/g







Hope you guys enjoyed these pics! Have a great Monday :)

January 29, 2011

This is the look I sported to work on Friday. I tend wear brighter shades on Friday though no one is really picky about my makeup except for myself, lol! One of the advantages of working in a male dominated field is definitely that, they don't notice makeup much so I do as I please, lol! Anyway, my tropics born hubby told me that this look reminded him of a Caribbean sunset and hence the name. Hope you guys like this.

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - Light
Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Nars Gilda blush
Shell Pearl bp

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base for above crease
MUFE #5 Aqua Cream - base for lid
Blonde's Gold p/m - inner lid
Saffron e/s - lid
MUFE #92 - crease
MUFE #5 - above crease
Inglot AMC #60 - inner crease
Vanilla p/m - highlight
UD Stash 24/7 liner - lower lashline
Smashbox Heartbreaker l/l - to line
Cargo 3 in 1 mascara

Lips
Mouth Off l/l
Nars Niagara l/s
Perennial High Style l/g

January 28, 2011

You cannot imagine how excited I am that it's finally Friday! This has been one of the worst weeks ever in terms of workload and being double booked all over the place. I'm just happy to go home and have a relaxing weekend with my hubby.

On my nails today I'm wearing Chanel Black Pearl which is a gray toned green. I'm not that great with shade description but that's how it looks like to me. It's almost metallic in finish and is quite unique in my stash. This shade was released with Chanel's spring collection and I'm pretty sure it's LE so run and get it if you like this types of shades.

Here's a two coater swatch for you guys:

January 27, 2011

Hey lovelies! I hadn't worn my bright pink lips in a while so I thought I contrast the golden warm shades on my eyes with cool bright pink a la MAC Show Orchid. I also used my MUFE #4 gold metal powder for the first time and OMG it is so gorgeous in action! I think I want to run to Sephora and get the other 3 gold shades as well (that is if they still have it).

Hope you guys enjoy this look. I'm still excited about my new hair :D

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - Light
F&B foundation - N2
Stark Naked bpb

Eyes
Cashflow p/p - base
UD Half Baked e/s - inner lid
MUFE Gold Metal Powder #4 - mid lid
The Family Crest p/m - outer lid
UD Darkhorse e/s - crease
UD Naked e/s - above crease
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
MUFE 7k e/l - lower lashline
UD Bourbon 24/7 - to line
Marcelle Power Volume mascara

Lips
MUFE 16C l/l
Show Orchid l/s

January 26, 2011

Hey lovelies! I did this look to test drive my new Chanel Ombres Perlees and so far I'm loving it. I have better luck applying this shades with the sponge applicator that it comes with though than my usual MAC 239. I still cannot get over how lovely the texture of this palette is; it looks so pearly, perfect name! Oh and I went back and also got Black Pearl nail polish. I obviously could not stop thinking about it and had to have it. Luckily for me my SA had put it on hold after seeing my hesitation. She knows me too well, hahaha!

Anyway, I enjoyed this burgundy and pearly look. Hope you guys like it too :)

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - light
Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Plum Attraction blush

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Chanel Ombres Perlees - peach shade on lid, white shade in tear duct
MUFE #49 - crease
Smoke Signal p/m - inner and outer crease
Later p/m - inner and outer v
Vanilla p/m - highlight
Chanel Cassis e/l - lower lashline
Blacktrack f/l - to line
Chanel Rouge Noir Inimitable mascara

Lips
Nars Afghan Red l/s

January 25, 2011

Hey guys! I went back and forth between a chocolate brown and a more red brown based on the results of the poll I had going on here. I finally settled for more red toned hair. I have natural red undertones to my skin so I figured I go with the redder shades for now. The red tones also bring out my eyes it seems. I also got some bangs, yey! I love having bangs in the winter and usually cut them around this time of the year.

Here are some pictures of the new do. I wish I had the patience to straighten my own hair, but sadly I don't. I do love them straight though:

January 25, 2011

I thought I do a compilation of the most commonly asked questions I get on the blog, Twitter and Formspring. These questions are pretty random ones, but they are the ones I get asked the most. Let's make this post even more random by adding this picture of me wearing my beloved straw hat, hahah:



1. What is your skintone? by far, this is the most popular question I get asked. Not really sure why. I'm light to light medium with neutral undertones, probably leaning cool. My foundation shades are MAC - NW25/MAC F&B - N2/MUFE HD - 118/MUFE F&B - #32/Nars sheer glow - Santa Fe/Diorskin Nude - #23/Smashbox HD - Light #3

2. What is/are your favourite foundations? I think my skin must look better in photos that it actually is as I always get asked about my foundation. I will be doing a full review of all the bottles of foundation I rotate in a few weeks but right now, my favourites are Nars Sheer Glow for daytime and MUFE HD for night time. I use either MAC F&B or MUFE F&B on the weekends and during the summer.

3. What is your ethnicity? Are you East European/Russian/Italian/Argentinian/Armenian...? I get mistaken for many ethnicites under the sun by ppl from the areas they think I'm also from. I very rarely get identified correctly though. I'm mostly Persian (85%) and have some Russian mixes in there.

4. Recommend me a red lipstick. Given all the red lipstick looks I do, I'm not surprised at this question. It's a bit hard though if I don't know your complexion. But both Chanel Rouge Allure in Audace and MAC Russian Red are very universally flattering. I can make better recommendation if I know what you look like.

5. Do you/will you work as a makeup artist? I've never worked as a makeup artist and I'm not planing on in the future. I like for makeup and my blog to remain a hobby. I love my job as an engineer and am fully satisfied with the fast paste environment of my industry.

6. Please share you hair care routine. How do you style your hair? I get many comments about my hair and my favourite products. I'm planing on doing a blog post very soon featuring my favourite products (so look out for that). But to answer quickly now, I was blessed with full and wavy hair. My hair is fine but I have a tone of it. I pretty much wash and go. I use my straightener and hair dryer probably three times a year.

7. Who is your beauty role model? My mom by far. She's the classiest and the most gorgeous woman ever. She's 51 yet doesn't look a day over 40. I look quite like so I hope I also inhertied her non-aging genes :D

8. What are some of your favourite TV shows? I don't watch a lot of TV. I think sometimes I go weeks without turning the TV on, lol! I do watch Dexter, True Blood and the Amazing Race though. I also catch up with Project Runway and BBC documentaries on occasion.

9. How long have you been married? How many kids do you have? I've been married for 3.5 years and have no kids as of now, lol!

10. Are your nails real? You have no idea how ppl ask me this. My nails are real and they are naturally long and strong. It's another thing I've inherited from my mom. I have never in my life even tried acrylic or any kind of fake nails.

If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask them here:
Ask me anything http://formspring.me/shadowyLady

January 24, 2011

How I adore thee MAC's Chez Chez Lame special reserve powder! You are the best highlighter ever made! I cannot stop using this powder. I was wearing on top of my blushes and bronzers before but on Saturday I tried it on its own and it still looks great. I think Chez Chez Lame is officially my favourite face product purchase of this fall/winter.

I paired my beloved highlight powder with green eyes for a dinner party we were hosting on Saturday. Hope you guys enjoy this look:

Face
F&B foundation - N2
Sculpt
Chez Chez Lame powder

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base for crease and above
MUFE #22 Aqua Cream - base for lid
MUFE #93 - lid
BioGreen e/s - crease
Rated R e/s - above crease
Crest the Wave e/s - inner lid
Solar White e/s - highlight
Smashbox Heartbraker l/l - to line
Cargo 3 in 1 mascara

Lips
Marquise D' l/s

January 24, 2011

I treated myself to some Chanel when I went shopping yesterday. I know I said I'm on a makeup no-buy till March but this haul was to reward myself on the newly acquired P.Eng status.



I looooved Chanel's Spring collection. I wanted to get more from it but I limited myself to the most unique piece, the new Ombres Perlees de Chanel. These shades are very pearly and wear semi opaque. I fell in love with the texture, they're just lovely on the skin. Look out for many FOTD's coming out featuring this palette:



Since I cannot go to a Chanel counter and not buy lipsticks, I also treated myself to a new rouge allure, Precious. It doesn't look like much in the tube but this shade totally transforms to a lovely raspberry red. Very lovely and brightening on my complexion:



Bought any Chanel lately? Please share in comments

January 22, 2011

Hey lovelies and happy Sunday! I have excellent news, though you might already know it if you follow me on Twitter. My Professional Engineering Application was accepted and I now officially have my professional designation. They will be sending me my certificate and stamp shortly. I'm soooo excited! After a tough 4 year university program and then another 4 years of hard work and learning a tone from my seniors (special thanks to my awesome boss), I am now a "big head", hahah! This is why I'm loving my late 20's much more than the early years. All the hard work is paying off. I'm going shopping with my friend soon to pick something for bestie's wedding but I might stop by Chanel and treat myself to something chic :D

Anyway, this look is from Friday and is on the neutral side. I do adore my Chanel Rouge Coco Orchidee. It's such a beautiful soft red coral and looks prefect for any occasion.

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - Light
F&B - N2
Bite of An Apple blush

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Jest e/s - inner lid
Woodwinked e/s - mid lid
Bronze e/s - outer lid
Embark e/s - outer v
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
BB Chocolate Shimmer g/l -to line
UD Stash 24/7 - lower lashline
Marcelle Power Volume mascara

Lips
Chanel RC Orchidee

January 20, 2011

Hey gals! I had his project in mind for a while and decided that this new year is a good time to finally start it. As cooking is one of my biggest passion (it ties with makeup on top, lol), I thought I share some of of my favourite recipes with you here on a weekly basis. I love to cook when I get home as it helps me de-stress from a long day. I cook for hubby and I every single day and just like with makeup, I tend to listen to music as I cook. I find the whole experience very soothing.

I'm going to try and post a recipe per week unless there's more demand for these. I will start by my favourite comfort food, Carbonara.



Carbonera is an easy yet tasty meal. My hubby always asks to have this dish, lol! This serves 4 people but you can obviously adjust it for a bigger party:

- cook some pasta (1lb), I like penne for this dish. Reserve a bit of the cooking water
- heat up some olive oil in a large pan
- fry up some pancetta (1/4lb)
- add chopped garlic (5-6 cloves) and hot pepper flakes (1 tsp)
- add white wine (1/4 cup), bring to boil and then simmer to reduce
- toss everything together, also add grated Romano cheese (1/2 cup), beaten egg yolks (2), the pasta reserved water and salt and pepper and parsley

Enjoy your simple and tasty meal!

January 20, 2011

Hey lovelies! This is today's look when I actually had some time in my hands yet didn't know what to do makeup wise. So I ended up going with the no brainer colour, purple. Purples are amazing as they are just bright enough and yet add a great wash of colour. I also quite love the latest pink lipstick addition to my stash, Vanity Fair Kissable Lip Colour. If you love lipsticks like Snob, Pink Nouveau or Saint Germain, you will also like Vanity Fair. It's also a bit warmer than those three so easier for everyone to wear.

Hope you guys enjoy this look :)

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio - Light
Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Sculpt
Nars Desire blush

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base for above crease
Artifact p/p - base for lid
Post Haste e/s - lid
Top Hat e/s - crease
Later p/m - outer v
Vanilla p/m - highlight
Ego e/s - inner lid
Inglot purple g/l - to line
Chanel Rouge Noir Inimiatable Mascara

Lips
Vanity Fair kissable lip colour

January 20, 2011

Welcome to another edition of Tried and True Series! Today I will introduce you to another one of the gems in my stash, Nars Sex Machine matte velvet pencil.



You have heard me go on and on previously on how I adore the velvet pencil formula. They are great because they apply easily (hello chubby pencil), are opaque in one layer, look matte yet feel satiny and non drying on lips. What else could I want in a lipstick?

This particular shade has been in my possession for about 2 years and what I love about it is how understated yet sexy this pink is. In fact I will call Sex Machine lingerie pink. This is the shade I would wear on a romantic date. But it's also simple enough to throw on with any makeup look. It looks not much in the tube but it's pure love on my lips. I have so many pink lipsticks; baby pinks, neon pinks, fuchsias,...but nothing as elegant yet sexy as this:




Nars Sex Machine on pigmented lips, NW25 skintone

Do you own Nars Sex Machine? What are some of your favourite neutral pink lipsticks?

January 19, 2011

Spectacle of Yourself is a red based bronze shade from MAC Pecocky collection and ended up being my favourite out of the products I purchased. If you have hazel eyes are amber eyes with more gold to them like mine definitely check out this shade. It'll make your eyes look brighter for sure. After playing with Peacocky collection for a bit, I must say that I like the new lipsticks better than the new eyeshadows. I'm wearing Exxxhibitionist in this look and love this red coral shade and the formula. Maybe it's coz I'm more of a lip person or maybe coz the eyeshadow shades are not unique enough.

Anyway, check out the FOTD and let me know what you think :)

Face
Lise Watier Portfolio
Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Nars Gilda blush
Shell Pearl bp

Eyes
Rubenesque p/p - base
Melon p/m - inner lid
Spectacle of Yourself e/s - lid
Saffron e/s - crease
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
MUFE 7k e/l - lower lashline
Dark Diversion f/l - to line
Chanel Rouge Noir Inimitable mascara

Lips
Temperature Risisng l/l
Exxxhibinionist kissable lip colour





Pics with flash

January 18, 2011

Hey lovelies! Hubby surprised me after my surgery with one of my most wished for items, Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in Coromandel. He hid it in the basement and got me to find it as a test to how good my eyes were now. I did find it in 10 minutes, even though we live in a bungalow so our basement is huge! Isn't this the most gorgeous warm red you've ever seen? I love it, if possible, even more than Chanel Dragon *gasps*




Rouge Allure Lacque in Coromandel on NW25 skintone

I wore this look last Sunday for a documentary premier one of our close friends was sponsoring. I wanted to keep the eyes totally neutral but couldn't help but put some eyeshadows + liner in there :D

Face
Face & Body foundation - N2
Prim n Proper blush
Shell Pear bp

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
MUFE #112 - lid
MUFE #15 - crease
Espresso e/s - outer v and lower lashline
Solar White e/s - highlight
BB Chocolate Shimmer g/l - to line
Stila Topaz k/l - waterline
Lancome Hypnose mascara

Lips
Inglot red l/l
Chanel Coromandel RA Laque





And casual Sunday outfit of the day is an olive tank (can't remember by whom), slim jean by DKNY, sweater by Bebe and boots by Aldo:



Have a fabulous Tuesday lovelies!

January 17, 2011

After the positive feedback of the first stash pics, in this post I will be showing you my Makeup Forever collection. Makeup Forever (MUFE) is one my top three makeup brands next to Nars and MAC. My love affair with this brand started with the famous #92 eyeshadow and once I discovered its awesomeness, I went back for more. As a lover of colour, I appreciate how opaque and long lasting everything is.

If you have any questions or require specific recommendations, please let me know.

1. Foundations

MUFE makes amazing foundations for every skin type out there. What I really like about their products is the wide range of shades they offer, especially for the HD foundation. I use all three of the foundations below regularly. Face & Body gets used on a daily basis in the summer, HD is my going out foundation and Duo Matte is the best powder foundation ever created. I take it with me when I travel.


Left to right: F&B (shade#32), Duo Matte (shade #205), HD (shade #118)

2. Eye Products:

I have accumulated more MUFE eyeshadows since the success with #92 back in early 2008. I think MUFE makes some of the best matte eyeshadows in the market and there are so many shades to chose from. I find their shimmery shades to be lacking in pigmentation comparatively though. I use #92 (needs no more praise, lol), #9, #5 (soft beautiul coral), #26 and #49 the most though I love them all. #15 and #112 are essential for a soft spring or bridal looks.


Left to right, top to bottom: #75, #83 (dupe for MAC Parrot), #93, #39, #18, #26, #9, #92, #192 and #18


Left to right: #15, #112, #49 and #183

I only have one MUFE eyeliner (in shade gold) but I love how long lasting this is. I also have one of their metal pigments (#4) and am very impressed. The pigmented is very finely milled and offers a true metallic finish. What's not to love?


Kohl pencil in 7K and metal pigment in #4

Aqua cream pots can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks depending on the colour. These are a bit like MAC paint pots except MUFE offers more colour options. I use them as coloured base on my eyes and they do not crease on me (I don't have oily lids though).


Aqua Cream #5 (peach) and #22 (emerald green)

3. Lip Products:

My favourite part is always the lip section! Though I must admit I never paid any attention to MUFE lipsticks (I only had two lip liners from them) until the release of the rouge intense artist formula. I am absolutely in love with these babies as I love me some opaque shades. Shade #37 was my summer go-to, #48 is the most amazing burgundy and if you want a true purple, look no further than #15.


Let to right: #15 (purple) #13 (berried red), #48 (burgundy), #43 (neutral red), #34 (watermelon), #37 (pinky coral)

MUFE lip liners follow the rest of the brands philosophy; they go on opaque and are super long lasting. I really need to pick up more of these:


Aqua Lip Liners in #12C and #16C

Hope you guys enjoyed this post. What are some of your favourite MUFE products?