Hello there.. I’ve been on hiatus for far too long 😝 *inserts work rambles*
But fret not, the wallet remained hard at work to feed my makeup addiction and keep the stash updated with the latest products. Scores of beauty collections might have come and gone during my absence from the blogosphere, but that doesn’t mean I am not allowed to talk about them! Plus, according to a recent poll I did on my Instagram, many of you don’t seem to mind reviews on past collections, so here goes 😁
Last September, The Walt Disney Company and ColourPop teamed up on limited-edition fairy tale-themed collection featuring some of the original Disney princesses in their Premiere Series forms (don’t know about you but I’m just not diggin’ this style 🤷♀️) gracing the packaging of their respective kits. The line-up consists of a 15-pan eye shadow palette (It’s a Princess Thing – seriously meh choice of shades), six Crème Lux Lipsticks (Belle / Ariel / Snow White / Tiana / Jasmine / Cinderella – each designed to match the skin tone of the featured princess), three Ultra Glossy Lips (Bibbidi / Boo / Bobbidi), six Super Shock Shadows and two Super Shock Highlighters (each with name inspired by the soundtrack of the movie in which the princess was starred).
ColourPop x Disney Designer (those scribbles on the tubes are actually the princesses’ autograph!)
ColourPop x Disney Designer
ColourPop x Disney Designer
ColourPop x Disney Designer
Due to popular demand, this collection was restocked several times and I only managed to get the lipsticks during its second run because procrastination happened 🙊
ColourPop Crème Lux Lipstick in Ariel (I’ve moved to a place that doesn’t allow me to have a workroom, so hopefully this explains the background 🤣)
ColourPop Crème Lux Lipstick in Ariel
Ariel is described as a peachy beige nude with a Crème finish. Unlike the swatches provided by ColourPop, this has more coral undertones than depicted (i.e. more orange than dusty rose) so I did not find it very flattering on my yellow skin tone. Otherwise, this hydrating, highly pigmented MLBB shade is perfect for daily wear – even without a full face of makeup – as it blends nicely into the lips while still intensifying the natural lip colour so as to draw attention to the lips. The formula, as with other Crème Lux Lipsticks, has a buttery smooth texture and has a nice slip when applied. However, it tends to bleed a little, and reapplication is definitely needed after a few hours of wear as it is not transfer-proof.
ColourPop Crème Lux Lipstick in Ariel (swatch comparison)
Belle is described as a rosy berry with a Crème finish. Despite the darker hue, this medium reddish mauve with brown undertones is extremely wearable in actual life and would look absolutely flattering on any skin tone. It is vibrant enough to make a subtle statement but when paired with bold looks, it totally screams rocker chic. Belle delivers full-coverage pigment with a creamy consistency and is lightly matte in appearance. It is slightly more long-lasting so it tends to be more drying (still bearable nonetheless) than the other shades.
Tiana is described as a deep oxblood red with a Crème finish. Silky smooth in application and soft and lightweight (akin to a lip balm!) in texture, this cool reddish purple (more red undertone than purple in my opinion) gives an amazing colour pay-off (the colour matches that of the bullet too!) that does not bleed into the fine lines. Tiana isn’t very dark from a neutral perspective and certainly complements any skin tone, but I must say it would look best on medium to dark ones. has an impressive staying power which is such a rarity for matte-ish deep berry shades like this (M.A.C, are you taking notes?). But once it does wear off (I’m talking about at least 6 hours of wear), it fades to an even pretty tint. I can’t recommend this beauty enough!
ColourPop Crème Lux Lipstick in Belle & Tiana (swatch comparison)
Despite the affordable prices, ColourPop has never been one to disappoint when it comes to quality, and I am glad that even after four years in the business and getting all that recognition, this hasn’t changed a bit. And this collection is just another example to add to the list. Psst.. I can’t wait to try their expanded line of eye products!
What do you think about this collaboration? Let me know your views in the comments below, or take a quick poll!
Thanks for reading!
ColourPop × Disney Designer is now available on ColourPop.com.
Forget expensive shipping costs (and *cough* traveller’s fees). Thanks to local drugstores like Watsons stocking up on foreign beauty essentials on the cheap, products that could only be purchased while abroad previously are becoming more accessible than ever! Joining the ranks of Florida-based Palladio and Japanese cult-favourite drugstore brand Canmake is CEZANNE, which has been sold at selected Watsons stores since the beginning of the year (yes, I know I am slow again).
Some of CEZANNE products
Established in 1964, CEZANNE was created with the intention to offer high quality yet affordable cosmetics to the Japanese beauty community through a three-pronged approach – being kind to the environment, skin and on your wallet.
A trendsetter in environmental sustainability, the brand adopts a refillable system which enables customers to reuse their cases. Additionally, metal pins are not used in the manufacturing of the packaging to allow for easy disposal, and packaging is also standardised to be simple and straightforward to reduce wastage and cost.
To minimise the probability of allergic reactions, patch tests are performed for all of their products (excluding nail polish remover) so those with skin concerns can use them in confidence!
Here are some CEZANNE products I was introduced to at their launch party in June! Please pardon my brief review (or lack thereof) on the face products – due to time constraints (damn early morning classes left me with very little prep time every day so I decided to skip out on the face makeup 😅) I couldn’t put them on long enough to form a fair judgement on their longevity and wear. But I will update this space once I’ve tried them all!
CEZANNE UV Clear Face Powder 01 – original state (right) & spread out (left)
Available in shades 01 (Light) and 02 (Natural), the UV Clear Face Powder provides the skin a silky smooth and semi-matte finish that helps to conceal minor blemishes and even out skin tone. Formulated with SPF28/PA+++ to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays, this face powder also doubles as a setting powder as it prevents makeup from melting by absorbing the excess sebum on the face. It also comes with a built-in mirror and a high-quality powder puff for targeted application.
A non-sticky primer to be used before foundation application, the Make Keep Base absorbs sebum and is formulated to be water- and sweat-resistant to reduce shine and slip, thereby helping with the longevity of the foundation. Apart from that, it also contains SPF28 PA++ for protection against the harshness of UV rays, as well as light-scattering ingredients to make pores appear less conspicuous. This supposedly fragrance-free (it actually smells like the bandung drink) primer yields a non-powdery finish, and yet is smooth to the touch but can be quite a pain to use due to its extremely runny texture.
To use, shake the bottle well and apply an appropriate amount of the Make Keep Base and spread it lightly and evenly on the entire face.
The Make Retouch Base provides shine control and can be used over and under makeup. It comes with a brush tip attached to the cap for a more precise application so you won’t have to worry about ruining your makeup with your fingers (although you would still have to pat with fingers after application).
There was a very faint craft glue smell when I first applied it on my hand, but it dissipated after a while, leaving with no smell at . Somewhat milky in texture at first, the product dried down to a slightly powdery but not exactly transparent (there was still some translucency) finish within seconds, giving the skin a soft-focus effect and smooth appearance.
Real-life wear test – not much change after more than 12 hours!
Small-eyed people would most likely agree with me that eyeliners are the single must-have beauty staple because these godsent stuff literally open up the eyes and add definition to the otherwise two-dimensional feature. But it can be a challenge finding one that offers fantastic opacity in one stroke and yet does not smudge in this blistering heat of Singapore without burning a hole in our pocket. Well.. ladies, the search is finally over.
Admit it, we’ve all had our fair share of disappointing eyeliners that should be sold at the watercolour pencil section instead, and we can’t complain much about it for the price we paid for (*cough* Thai brands I’m looking at you). But the Gokuboso Eyeliner proves that even drugstore eyeliners can be as solid as upscale ones. The opacity of the ink, for one, caught me by surprise because I was expecting a really light wash of black out of it. Despite the affordable price tag, application was incredibly smooth and the thickness of the product stayed consistent from start to finish. Most importantly, this ah-mazing eyeliner is highly resistant to smearing – it did not bleed or fade an inch even after more than 8 hours of wear!
CEZANNE Gokuboso Eyeliner R 10 – swatch comparison
CEZANNE Glamourlush Curl Mascara – AFTER application
CEZANNE Glamourlush Curl Mascara – BEFORE and AFTER
Available in black, the Glamourlush Curl Mascara is one of the four mascaras by CEZANNE specifically to add long-lasting curl and volume to lashes using a classic tubular wand that helps separate and lift each individual lash from the root, so every single strand is amplified to make the eyes the focus of attention. Clump-free and smudge-proof, this mascara is resistant to water (thus a great mascara to cry in) and rubbing (although I do not recommend you do this), and can be layered up for a more dramatic effect. Granted, the packaging does feel a little cheap, but the quality of the product is definitely up to the mark because my lashes did look fuller and a lot more balanced and uniformed after just two passes!
CEZANNE Nose Shadow Highlighter – BEFORE (left) and AFTER (right)
No matter how affluent we are, we have this innate desire for things that offer a bigger bang for our buck. That’s why we’re often drawn to palettes rather than singles despite knowing that less than half the selection would be utilised eventually, and suddenly it doesn’t seem like we’ve saved much after all. Do your wallet a favour and opt for this no-frills contour kit that features just two sculpting shades you’re bound to use – one of a fine-grained white pearl for highlighting purposes and another of a beige-brown that blends softly with any typical fair Asian skin (sorry, dark-skinned ladies 😞) for a more natural finish.
The darker shade, which I foresee myself hitting pan really soon since it takes up only a-third of the compact, adds dimension to the face (more specifically, the bridge of the nose, under the eyebrows and cheekbones) by emulating shadows. The pigmentation, however, isn’t as buildable as I’d like it to be so I felt there wasn’t a noticeable difference to my face even after three swipes.
Complementing it is the lighter shimmery shade, which is strangely given a lot more emphasis in this kit, as it helps to add glow (that turned out rather beautifully) to areas where light would naturally hit, such as the top of cheekbones, center of forehead, nose bridge, center of chin and top of cupid’s bow. The compact also conveniently includes a small dual-ended applicator (brush to apply the bronzer and sponge-tip to diffuse the highlight) to allow touch-ups on the go.
CEZANNE might have brought in a whole range of products, but at the end of the day nothing truly excites me more than a wide array of lipsticks, especially when they are packaged in such pretty Victorian-styled tubes! #suckerforprettypackaging
With more than 10 conventional shades to choose from, there is certainly one for each skin tone. I was gifted 402, a cool-toned medium red (surprisingly not as dark as it seems on the bullet) with a shot of luminous shine that applied like butter on the lips. The glossy finish was sheer at first but buildable to a semi-opaque coverage with 2-3 more passes without settling into the lines. The moisture of my lips was retained and throughout the wear I did not feel a hint of dryness or urge to lick my lips.
But much as I love how feminine this colour makes me look, this lipstick unfortunately does not live up to my expectations in the longevity department because it transfers and budges way too easily (a typical trade-off for moisture, so no surprise there).
CEZANNE Lasting Lip Color N 402 – opacity comparison
Based on what I’ve tried and tested so far, CEZANNE’s strength appears to lie in their eye products but seasoned users may disagree (their face products perform pretty well too according to most reviews I read online), so I suggest you head down to your nearest Watsons outlet and try their products out for yourselves!
What are your thoughts about CEZANNE and their products? Let me know your views in the comments below or simply take a quick poll!
Thanks for reading!
CEZANNE is now available on watsons.com.sg and in all local Watsons outlets.
Products were supplied by CEZANNE for my consideration but all opinions and expressed are my own.
My badly chapped lips have been protesting against my reluctance to drink adequate amounts of water every day so this week’s beauty review shall be pertaining to the face instead. How timely, because I have been meaning to talk about the Erborian products I had received to try out. Plus, my used-to-be trusty Benefit Big Easy BB Cream – which I had bought THREE tubes of (mind you!) from the U.S. site in anticipation of its complete demise – has started to fail me by oxidising on my skin (and this has never happened to me before so how is that possible? Someone enlighten me!) 😭 My desperation for a good replacement was real!
Thank you, Erborian Singapore! You’re a lifesaver 😩
Founded by scientist Hojung Lee and beauty expert Katalin Berenyi in 2007 and then acquired by L’Occitane International in 2012, Erborian – which name derived from “Herbs of the Orient” (how creative!) – is a premium skincare brand that combines Korean skincare expertise and French luxury to take you one step closer to achieving “baby skin”. Their unique formula contains natural ingredients and cutting edge technologies from Seoul, as well as fragrances from France.
I was sent the 15 ml version of the Pink Perfect Crème, BB Crème and CC Crème which are about three-quarter of my palm and hence small enough to fit into a typical travel toiletry bag. This trial size is also created with first-time users like myself in mind, so you can sample them before committing to the full 45 ml size that is available on their website. Very thoughtful of them 😌
Erborian Pink Perfect Crème (click to view in full)
All of the Erborian tubes come with this pointed opening
Erborian Pink Perfect Crème – straight from the tube
Erborian Pink Perfect Crème – blended out
Erborian Pink Perfect Crème – on the face
Erborian Pink Perfect Crème – on the face, blended out
Enriched with Diospyros Kaki Leaves (the dry leaves of persimmon) for its anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle properties, this lightweight pinkish cream (don’t worry, the pink dissipates when it is spread out) hydrates and refines the skin texture, forming a dewy second skin-like finish that blurs out pores and minimise the appearance of other imperfections once it melts into the surface. At the same time, the skin is rejuvenated with the Vitamin E and fatty acids from the Pumpkin Seed Oil in the creme to help skin fight the first signs of aging.
The cream has a muted Ginseng scent and may feel somewhat thick and greasy at first (in fact, that shouldn’t be the case if you just apply one dot of the cream to the main areas – a little goes a long way!) but it loses viscosity after a few swirls on the face, leaving only the right amount of shine to impart a radiant complexion and to prime the face for a smooth makeup application.
Available in two shades – Clair and Nude for fair and medium skin tones respectively (but somehow Sephora online only stocks Clair) – the number one bestselling BB (Blemish Balm) cream in Europe is a lightweight, multi-purpose foundation infused with SPF 20 (which quite honestly, isn’t something to write home about as it falls below the minimum SPF of 30 as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology for protection against skin cancer and sunburn, so don’t depend on it to save your skin from the sun!) and Ginseng Root to improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. On top of that, Ginseng Root also has antioxidants to boost skin immunity to fight against harsh environmental factors that contribute to skin aging.
Upon squeezing out the content from the tube, my nose caught the distinctive earthy smell of Ginseng which, fortunately, is still pretty pleasant. When worn on its own, it gives a moisturising and velvety (almost learning towards matte) finish that provides ample coverage without caking on, and conceals what the Pink Perfect Crème could not to a certain extent. But if applied on top of the Pink Perfect Crème, it leaves the skin glowing with luminosity that lasts for hours (to be precise, more than 8 hours on me). Usually, I would need to set my foundation with translucent powder to reduce the tackiness but with this BB cream, this step is no longer necessary. The consistency of the cream is slightly on the runny side which delivers an even coat when blended in with fingers (I’ve not applied it with a brush or beauty blender because the tube is so adorably tiny, I don’t want to risk wasting any of it 😂), and eight small dots are plenty for the whole face! Most importantly, this does not oxidise over time! 👏🏻
But much as I adore the BB Crème, I found the shade Clair to be a little too light for my skin tone, so much so that I have to always finish with some bronzer to avoid looking washed out. Hence, the claim that the two shades are complementary to all skin tones seems a bit far-fetched…
Erborian CC Crème – blended out (see how it changes colour?)
Erborian CC Crème – fully blended out
Erborian CC Crème – on the face
Erborian CC Crème – on the face, blended out
Side-by-side comparison, with and without Erborian products
Formulated with SPF 25 and Centella Asiatica for its powerful multifunctional properties (including anti-ageing, skin-rejuvenation and wound-healing), the CC (Colour Correcting) Crème has encapsulated pigments that instantly brighten the skin with Vitamin B3 to strengthen the skin barrier and Adenosine to improve skin elasticity. It has semi-sheer coverage (depending on the amount used) which helps conceal fine lines reasonably well while providing a healthy-looking complexion.
Similarly, the CC Crème has a slight Ginseng smell with a hint of floral notes. Also available in two shades Clair and Dorè for fair and medium (or universal on Sephora) skin tones respectively, it has been receiving rave reviews from the critics, as well as flying off Sephora’s virtual shelves in the U.S. Despite the limited shade selection, Erborian claims that they are enough to provide an even complexion for a diverse range of skin tones through its colour-matching capability. And as far as I’m concerned, this hews pretty close to the truth.
The cream, which emerges to be entirely white when it comes out of the tube (and, to be honest, it did freak me out a bit the first time I tried this), magically transforms into a shade that matches my skin tone (albeit not perfectly as it appears a bit darker) when I blended it out with my fingers. Naturally, my initial reaction to this was, “What kind of sorcery is this?!” but after combing through Google results, I found out that this could have been possible by reacting with the pH level of my skin, so the discrepancy in the colour of the CC cream could have been resulted from it adapting to the pH of my fingers 🧐 Hmmm.. perhaps using a silicone makeup sponge (as opposed to the traditional beauty blender which will soak up most of the product) would yield a much closer match to my skin tone? I will update this space if I ever get the chance to try this!
Best used on its own or before BB cream (or concealer) to even out the skin tone or neutralise redness, this CC cream has a luminous finish and feels comfortably lightweight, making it an ideal choice for a natural look. Although the shade is not stated anywhere on the packaging, I am quite sure what I’ve gotten is in shade Clair which, according to Erborian UK, is more suited for pink or beige skin tones. The other shade, Dorè, would probably complement those with slightly golden skin (i.e. orange undertones).
As this is my first-ever CC cream, I do not have any basis for comparison. If you’ve tried CC creams from other brands, feel free to share your experiences with me in the comments below 😊
No filter, no Photoshopping – this was how my face looked after applying Erborian Pink Perfect Creme, BB Creme and CC Creme!
With mostly positive experience gained from using these Erborian products, I guess it’s safe to say that they have met, if not surpassed, my expectations. They are my go-to on days when I want a more natural look, or when I feel absolutely lazy to work with my brushes since these blend as perfectly with the fingers! However, I must emphasise that these generally do not provide full coverage and hence would not do wonders on textured or severely blemished skin.
Now, I’m hoping to maximise the usage because this bride-to-be has invested most of her money in her future home and thus cannot afford to buy a $50/$60+ makeup right now 😂 But if the day ever comes when I have to repurchase these products (especially the BB cream), I would be sure to set aside some funds for them!
What are your thoughts about Erborian and their products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or simply take a quick poll!
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