Sharing: Golden Rose has reached our shores! Part 1

Woohoo! The third week of 2015! How has 2015 been treating you so far? I am jam-packed with worksheet preparation for my classes. Have to quickly find a way that saves time! 

Last month, I was invited by Joanne from Golden Rose Malaysia for a private viewing and testing of their new and upcoming make-up line from Turkey. Can I hear a WOOP WOOP from my Muslim readers?! :D 

I'm excited for you guys! Most of my close friends are Muslims and I can now confidently share awesome products with them. I love helping them look their best with minimal makeup, looking fresh and professional enough for work. To be honest, there aren't many halal products in the Malaysian market which is pretty disappointing. With that problem identified, CC Beauty Avenue decided to bring in Golden Rose to our Malaysian shores. No more Halal woes! 

As I was typing the post out, I realized that it was going to be a super lengthy one. Hence, for friendly-viewing purposes I divided this post into 3 parts. 

• Part 1 (Lips and Concealer Collection)
• Part 2 (Eyes Collection)
• Part 3 (Face and Nails Collection)

Who is Golden Rose?

Golden Rose has been around for 30 years in the European countries and they are one of the biggest few colour cosmetics manufacturer today with their very own production factory. According to a source, they are now available in more than 90 countries worldwide. Their products are basically 90% manufactured in Turkey, 10% from other Europe countries like Germany, C.Republic, etc. Hence, this brand is a much more safer option than products from China (pasar malam 'inspired/replica' branded makeup, I'm looking at you!).

Golden Rose is registered under their sister company, CC BEAUTY AVENUE, and they are the exclusive distributor in Malaysia. The products will be available in retail outlets by March/April 2015 and be rest assured they will be screened and approved by our Malaysian Health Ministry. 

For more information about the brand, you can read up here:

http://goldenrose.com.my/- prelaunching products only

http://www.goldenrose.com.tr/en/homepage - Official site @ Turkey

Do show them some love by following them on :

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goldenroseMY

Instagram : @goldenrosemalaysia

Lips Collection

Before we begin, I dare say I'll let the swatches do the talking. Their lipstick collection consists of breath-taking shades and amazing quality. The cherry on top of the cake, is their affordable pricing. So far, on their website they only have the Golden Rose Velvet Matte Lipstick but fret not, I'm sure there will be more selection coming soon this March/April 2015! The Velvet Matte Lipstick swatched beautifully with no tugging whatsoever. It glided on smoothly and required only one swipe to achieve full opacity. 

Golden Rose lipstick collection consists of :

• Ultra Rich Color Lipstick 
• Golden Rose Lipstick 
• Golden Rose Perfect Shine Lipstick 
• Golden Rose 2000 Lipstick
• Golden Rose Velvet Matte Lipstick
• GR Vision Lipstick 
• Golden Rose Ultra Diamonds Lipstick (not available in the picture)

I have listed them according to the picture below from top left to bottom right.

Some random swatches of the lipsticks above.

The entire range of Golden Rose Velvet Matte Lipstick. The variety of shades is simply mind-blowing!
There's something for everyone. 

Golden Rose Velvet Matte Lipstick swatches. Close to colour as much as possible.

Here I have two out of three lip pencils from Golden Rose, which are Golden Rose Dream Lips Lipliner and Golden Rose Waterproof Lipliner Pencil.  I am in love with the shades here. The third picture shows what's left of the lipliners after I have used a baby wet wipe to rub them off. They did not give in easily as I did rub hard. They really do stay and that's a good thing! The lipliners glided on smoothly without any hiccups and I personally love the Golden Rose Waterproof Lipliner Pencil because of its retractable feature. After years of using makeup, retractable pencils are my go-to items because it does not require sharpening to use them. 

Here are the two types of concealers from Golden Rose - Golden Rose Stick Concealer and Golden Rose Liquid Concealer. Golden Rose Stick Concealer's packaging strongly reminds me of Physicians Formula's Stick Concealer I once had. It is shaped like a lipstick and you'll need to twist up the product to use. The shade here is Shade 04 and I am very much aware with the fact that it is appears almost white and seem impossible to use. I had a mini heart-attack when I swatched it. I'm guessing this Shade 04 would be great for highlighting or contouring purposes unless you have a porcelain white skintone.

Whereas for the Golden Rose Liquid Concealer, it's application strongly reminds me of Loreal Paris Magic Lumi Highlighter Concealer Pen that I have. I love it's smooth, hydrating texture and forsee that this would be an excellent undereye concealer for non-serious dark circles. I'm personally looking out for this concealer when it hits the shelves because with my upcoming classes (yesh, I'll be pursuing my Masters this coming February!) I'm gonna need serious pick-me ups to look more human and less like a dead duck (no offense, Daffy.). 

If I were to compare it to the famous YSL Touche Eclat Concealer, I am not sure because I don't have one yet (#wishlist) but will let you know if this is a dupe! In addition to that, it's transparent plastic packaging reminds me more of ELF Essential Hypershine Lipgloss minus the brush applicator. Yes, when you use alot of products you'll realize that a lot of cosmetics have the same or similiar packaging. 

Now for the lipglosses! Here I have Golden Rose Luxury Lip Color Lipgloss, Golden Rose Color Sensation Lipgloss, and Golden Rose Ultimate Color Lipgloss. There are actually 10 types of lipgloss in GR's collection. TEN!! SEPULUH!! (O - O)''' That's alot. So, calling all lipgloss fiends! If you are looking to expand your lipgloss collection, go ahead and tweet/FB Golden Rose Malaysia and they might, I repeat, MIGHT hear your cravings out ;)

Because I love my readers, I shall list them down here :

• Golden Rose Luxury Lip Color Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Color Sensation Lipgloss *NEW*
• Golden Rose Ultimate Color Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Pearl Gloss Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Shimmer Gloss Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Beauty Ultra Diamonds Volume Lipgloss - that's a mouthful.
• Golden Rose Beauty Ultra Shine Volume Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Beauty Multicolor Diamonds Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Ultra Brilliant Tube Lipgloss
• Golden Rose Fruit Roll On Lipgloss

*phew* 

The Golden Rose Luxury Lip Color Lipgloss's packaging strongly resembles Makeup Revolution's Wow Lipgloss but texture-wise I am not sure as I don't own any MR Wow Lipgloss at the moment. I didn't find it sticky and it applied pretty well. I love the fact that it is pigmented for a lipgloss and personally, I cannot stand sheer lip products unless it states lipbalm or a clear/transparent lipgloss. I'm weird that way. For me, lip products besides lip balm or clear lipgloss should be pigmented enough to be seen when worn on the lips. Yeah, I think it's just me. 

Anyway, this Golden Rose Luxury Lip Color Lipgloss in shade 09 had me at hello. I fell in love immediately when I swatched it. Yep, swatch at first sight. The color is just right for anyone who wants color but not come off too strong. It gives that youthful, sweet, and happy vibe everytime I see it. Ah, can't wait to own you, little one! I won't be talking about the other two lipglosses as I can't remember much about them. I'll let the swatches do the talking. 

Well, that's all for Part 1. See you in Part 2! :D 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Sarah :)

Review : Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip Palette, Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liner, Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek

Happy New Year, everybody! :D

How's has 2015 been treating you so far? Bad? Good?

For me, it has been a super packed one. Not that I'm complaining but 2014 had been a sharp learning curve for me, I was initially planning to come up with a post to sum up 2014 but I had a hard time putting together what I want or can share with all of you. I still can't seem to open up on a personal level here. Ever since I started university, I learnt a lot about branding - especially self-branding, the importance of privacy, and filtering whatever you put online.

On a lighter note, allow me to get back my typing flow again. My writing/blogging skills are super rusty that I crumble inside everytime I start a post. The majority of the time, the post would end up in the drafts collecting 'dust'. 

Anyhooooo (anyhow).. Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on Shu Uemura's 2014 holiday collection. I was blessed with the opportunity to play around with Shu Uemura's 2014 Holiday Collection. I have been using the palette for the past month and it was my go-to palette for almost every look. You think, you name it. 

Shu Uemura Shupette has-it-all eye & lip palette - RM350

It fits in my palms purr-fectly.

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the box was
this soft, furry white pouch with dazzling blue stones as eyes. 

The back of the palette

This was too cute to ignore. I love you too, Shu Uemura!:)

There's this cute white paw prints on the protective film and again, too cute to ignore!

Close-up

Shupette has-it-all eye & lip palette comes in a white, sturdy plastic casing with a reflective, built-in mirror-like as its front cover. There's an animated picture of Shupette on the right side and the mirror-like front cover does get smudgy with fingerprints but no worries, it is easy to clean. Just give it a wipe down and it looks like new!

In this palette, there are a total of  8 eyeshadows and 6 lip colours. All of the eyeshadows has fine shimmer and the texture is buttery smooth. To be honest, I was expecting dry, dull, shimmer-packed eyeshadows. But boy, I was so wrong. The eyeshadows swatched beautifully and it seems to melt on your eyes making it look bright and youthful. I will let the swatches do the talking.

As for the lip colours, I was also expecting sticky and weak colours as I have experienced it in most palettes and again, I was proven wrong. They were a dream to apply and looked beautiful on the lips without needing to use a lip balm. On to the swatches!

Shu Uemura, you have outdone yourself this time ❤

Swatches of the left side of the palette.

As you can see, on the left side of the palette which consists of warmer, earthy colours that were meant to be use for daytime or for an everyday look. From the swatches, there are no tugging or powder residues for the eyeshadows - buttery smooth all the way. The lip colours, my favourite would be the red shade in the middle. See the white circle? That's the swatch of the pastel nude shade and I think it is meant to be semi-transparent. It is for those who doesn't want any lip colour but still want to achieve a glossy and plump finish for their lips.

Swatches on the left side of the palette

On the left side of the palette, the colours leans more towards cooler tones and dramatic shades for both eyeshadows and lip colours. This side of the palette is meant for night time or for occasion such as parties, etc. My favourite shades has to be the taupe-ish purple base eyeshadow and the pearly black eyeshadow. I was blown away by the pigmentation of the black eyeshadow. You can use it as an eyeliner if you prefer to travel light and it gives a softer look if compared to pen/pencil black eyeliner regardless of any formulas. The lip colours are.. AH-MAZING. 

If you love the attention, the pink lip colour is the colour for you. But if you are like me, who loves the dark, smoldery look - the berry red lip colour is our 'thang'. As for the last shade, it's meant for to be used especially if you have a super heavy eye makeup going on. It is best to stick to a nude or near to natural lip colour to even the look/face out. I know cakes are delicious and is the main attraction of a party but you wouldn't want to look like a birthday cake now, do you? 

Shu Uemura Shupette eye-need-shu liner - RM75

When it comes to pencil eyeliners, it is really hard to please me. I look for longevity, smudge-proof, sweat-proof, and water-proof in most of my eyeliners. Sounds like a big, pair of shoes to fill in, Shu Uemura's eyeliners seem to almost fit in. The shade of this eyeliner is called Midnight Black, and the shade does live up to its name. It's a gorgeous black eyeliner with an electrifying blue sheen to it when the light hits it. The only thing that gets me is that I find it a little dry to work with. Maybe there's a technique to it that I have not figured it out yet. I will share it with you when I have found a way to make it work for me.  

I haven't gotten the chance to create some crazy, statement eye makeup.. So here are some everyday "eye-makeup" I have created from the palette : 

I just love the warm, earthy tones that glows on my eyes! ❤

Shu Uemura Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek in Pink - RM100

Left : Unblended swatch of Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek
Right : Blended swatch of Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek

As a self-proclaimed makeup hoarder lover, I have come across powder, liquid, cream, and stick formulas for blushers but never have I seen a "cushion-like" formula. Ladies, meet Shu Uemura Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek in Pink. It's formula is described as "marshmallow-like" formula by Shu Uemura and I have to agree to that. Observe the first picture on its top right, I took an upclose picture to show you how soft the formula by leaving an imprint on the surface even when I gently pressed it. It's not powdery yet creamy. I can't seem to place my finger on it.

How and what did I use to apply this blush? That's a tough question. I tried using my fingers but that didn't work too well. I resorted to getting a cream blush brush from Zoeva (128 Cream Cheek Face Brush) and that.. let's just say I didn't achieve the look I wanted. My skin has been suffering from a major breakout of late and the surface is filled with imperfections. I found that this Silk Cushion Cheek emphasizes the imperfections on my face, hence I wouldn't recommend it if you have an uneven skin surface like me. But however, if you have a flawless skin, this blush would look lovely on you as it doesn't leave a flat, matte or powdery finish. Glow, girl, glow!

Conclusion

I don't get easily excited about a holiday collection or any makeup collection because I just can't seem to keep up with it. The only exceptions are, the MAC Cosmetics Archie Collection, Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Collection  and now, Shu Uemura's Shupette Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Collection. If you are a cat lover and a makeup lover, this holiday collection is a must have.  I kid you not. I regretted not taking back the Shupette life-size cardboards :(  

If you were to ask me which of these items I would recommend, it would be the Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip palette. I know it is pricey at RM350 but I'll leave it to you to do the calculation. If you only want certain colours of the eyeshadows or lip colours, you can get their Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Trio or Shupette Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio. Both of them are priced at RM120 each and it's available in 2 colours. 

As for the Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liner, it's priced at RM75 each and it's available in 2 colours : Midnight Black and Gala Brown. Do you need this? Yes, if you have ran out of eyeliners or you simply just love cats. You can't ignore those cute, printed paws on the eyeliner. Last but not least, the Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek priced at RM100 each and it's available in 2 shades : Orange and Pink. Do you need it? Yes, if you don't have a blusher or if you have flawless skin or if you want to achieve that Korean/Japanese glowy skin. 

Here are the price list for Shu Uemura's Shupette 2014 Hoilday Collection : 

• Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip Palette - RM350
• Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Trio - RM120
• Shupette Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio - RM120
• Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liner - RM75
• Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek - RM100
• Shupette My Precious Glitter Set - RM150
• Shupette Pampearl-me Face Powder - RM140
• Shupette Tsuya Skin UV Under Base Mousse - RM135
• Shupette Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil - RM360/450ml 
• Shupette Fabulous Cat Nail Enamel - RM60 
• Shupette Eye-Need-Shu False Eyelashes - RM100
• Shupette Furry Fantasy Premium False Eyelashes - RM250
• Shupette Flair Eyelash Curler - RM65
• Shupette With-Love-From-Paris Brush Set - RM240 
• Shupette Make-up Trunk - RM1,500

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Sarah :)

Disclaimer : These were gifts for reviewing purposes and it does not affect my thoughts or views of the products.  

Swatches & Review : Dark-coloured Lipsticks

I'm aware that Halloween has come and gone but dark lips are still in the rage. I have always been intrigue with dark lip colours since 15 years old, but I didn't know how to get my hands on a black coloured lipstick. At that time, I owned only a Silkygirl black eyeliner and pressed powder. I loved lining my eyes just like Avril Lavigne when she was my style model, the 'Sk8er Girl' before she turned.. 'Hello Kitty'. Oyvey. Yes, I did go through a phase where I wore everything black. Ah, those were the days. 

Anyway, allow me to present to you my beautiful collection of dark coloured lipsticks! 

First up, we have Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Mulberry. Now, this is my very first almost-black coloured lipstick I own. 

Source : google

As you can see, it looks almost black in the tube but when swatched, it has that red-purple (plum?) base to it. It isn't entirely pitch black. The given name, Mulberry is suitable for the shade as it may be inspired by the mulberry fruit. I'm glad to share that Mulberry glides on the lips quite effortlessly because I didn't experience any tugging even when I did not prep my lips. Mulberry has a sheen finish, hence the easy application but that's where the pigmentation is questionable. At the first layer of application, it seemed patchy but after layering it, it turned out fine. It's accessible at most online beauty stores such as Luxola, Colours Cosmetics Malaysia, and Mesmerize.

Next up, we have Wet n Wild Megalast Lipcolor Vamp It Up. Vamp It Up has a very obvious purple base to it which reminds me of black grapes. The finish is matte hence it does affect the application but nothing too serious to be peeved about. All you have to do is prep your lips well by exfoilating and moisturizing your lips before applying Vamp It Up. In the pigmentation department, there's no arguement as you can get a full colour in one swipe which means no layering is needed. 

If you are looking for a black-ish lipstick that's affordable, do look out for Make up Revolution Black Heart from Vamp Collection. It does not disappoint. Based on the swatch above, it looks black at a glance but if you look closely, it's not entirely jet black. It has purple - red undertones. To be honest, I was expecting it to be waxy or patchy when applied like MUA's but to my surprise, it glided on my lips beautifully without tugging. I didn't even have to use a lipbalm! The finish is in between a cream-sheen finish and it's pigmentation is amazing for it's price. I had always wanted pull off a vampy look and now, I'm able too! Just need to find the courage to work it out without freaking people out. 

The lightest among it's peers, MAC Matte Lipstick in Smoked Purple was a gift from a dear friend. I literally squealed with joy when she passed it to me. My second MAC lipstick that I own. As much as I love MAC's lipsticks, it is expensive for a student's budget. Funnily, the colour doesn't really match its name. I was expecting a gorgeous, dark purple but as you can see from the swatch above, it's undertone leans more towards reddish plum - quite similar to Sleek's Mulberry, don't you think? Since its a matte finish, as usual it somehow affects the application. It didn't go on smoothly but if compared with Wet n Wild's Vamp It Up, this applies better but layering it need to achieve a full, even colour.  

Another lipstick from Make up Revolution's Vamp Collection, Make up Revolution Lipstick in 100% Vamp is without a doubt - worth every penny. It has a strong purple undertone and it looks pretty similar to Wet n Wild's Vamp It Up but it is definitely much more moisturizing than Vamp It Up. I would say it has a cream-sheen finish and pigmentation is amazing. 

Last but not least, Make up Revolution Velvet Matte Lip Lacquer in Vamp. I haven't got the chance to try this out yet but based on the swatch, the colour looks so much better than it's Vamp lipstick peers. It is a beautiful plum colour that looks flattering and has a matte finish. No debate on the pigmentation but I have come across some reviews sharing that it has a tendency to crack throughout the day and it does not look pretty when it does. I haven't got a chance to confirm that yet for myself but will update here when I have tested it out. 

Before I sign off, there's one thing you have to know about applying dark lipsticks. Since the colours are dark, there's a high chance of mistakes being obvious. Here's some tips on how to tone down or avoid making lip-stakes (pun intended) :

1. Prep your lips. Exfoliate, moisturize, and prime. The lip primers I use are ELF Lip Lock Pencil and Sephora Universal Lip Liner Waterproof.
2. Try using a dark-based lip liner as close to your preferred lipstick. It will help reduce the chances of your lipstick feathering or bleeding. Sephora carries NYX has an affordable, wide range of lip liners in various colours at RM19 each. 
3. Like it or not, a good lip brush does come in handy when applying dark colours. The lip brushes I'm currently using are Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush, Stage Lip Brush, and Covo Magic 4 Stack Up Brush. 

Well, that's all for this post. There will be more post on lipsticks coming up. I hope this post has helped you in any way possible. Enjoy! 

Love, 

Sarah :)