REVIEW: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Birkin Brown & Very Victoria

Hello everyone!

These days, highly accomplished makeup artists do not simply stop at amassing a wall of accolades or an extensive list of celebrity clientele. Instead, they become entrepreneurs by starting their own makeup line which, owing to their unparalleled credentials and high profile statuses, blooms without a hitch into the talk of the town. From Laura Mercier to François Nars of NARS to Carol Shaw of LORAC (her name spelled backwards if you didn’t realise, because me neither 😂), beauty brands born out of many years of makeup artistry experience are now so common and popular, I bet you dollars to doughnuts that you have at least one in your makeup arsenal.

Now, how about adding another (by a renowned British makeup artist, no less) to your collection? This time, though, you may have to splurge a bit more because we are about to talk luxury, yo 😁

YAZZZ GURRRL

YAZZZ GURRRL ✨

Established in 2013, the Charlotte Tilbury brand is the namesake of its London-born founder, one of the world’s most in-demand makeup artist having worked with the likes of A-listers Cara Delevingne, Naomi Campbell, Amal Clooney and Natalie Portman, as well as respectable fashion and beauty publications such as Vogue. Despite being only officially sold in the U.K. and U.S., its popularity has spread globally ever since it was spotted on the lips of celebrity fans sashaying down red carpets, hence making it the fastest growing beauty brand.

“Wait, if Charlotte Tilbury is largely only available in the U.K., how am I supposed to buy anything without paying a bomb for shipping? Even the most affordable forwarder I know doesn’t ship from the U.K.!” ✋ Hakuna your tatas, ladies, for there is now an easy way. Thanks to online beauty retailers based in Singapore – like BlushBoss – that stocks up on brands not available in Singapore (such as Jeffree Star, Kylie Cosmetics, ABH and more) and at reasonable prices, laying your hands on these inaccessible brands has become pretty darn simple.

Matte Revolution Lipsticks by Charlotte Tilbury

Matte Revolution Lipsticks by Charlotte Tilbury

Through BlushBoss, I received my first pair of Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks in Birkin Brown and Very Victoria – the only two shades available on the website, unfortunately (hopefully there will be more choices in the future) – which each arrived in a classy and quaint, very Georgian-like style boxes with gold lettering set against deep maroon background.

The lipstick tube itself is shaped like that of majestic fluted pillars with a texture marked by grooves, perhaps also for better grip since the hard and metallic rose gold material can be quite weighty in the hand. The cap closes with a satisfyingly loud click too! I would say the packaging as a whole has an unmistakable British flavour to it which sets it apart from those pop-ish designs of mainstream U.S. brands.

Side-by-side comparison between Birkin Brown and Very Victoria

Side-by-side comparison between Birkin Brown and Very Victoria

With one of Hollywood’s most celebrated makeup artist helming the brand, naturally there would be a lot of buzz around these CT lipsticks (which was partly why I got them in the first place) even on some of the world’s most revered magazines. Furthermore, the limited availability of the brand also fuels the desire to own one of these prized CT makeup. But do these lipsticks live up to all the hype? Read on to find out!

#1 Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Birkin Brown

Practically every lipstick in the Matte Revolution line is inspired by a celebrity one way or another (which makes a brilliant marketing ploy to garner eyeballs and generate more hype, I must say) and here’s one that was created with fashion muses Naomi Campbell (who pioneered the dark brown lip look) and Jane Birkin (who the Hermès Birkin bag was named after) in mind.

Described as a soft chocolate cream, Birkin Brown glides on smooth and has a nice slip, but settles quickly into the lip lines. Hydrating and emollient with a creamy and slightly glossy finish, this lightweight lipstick leaves a soft and supple feeling while delighting your sense of smell with its sweet vanilla scent. It is, however, mostly sheer and only buildable to a certain degree. Even so, it still appears patchy with very noticeably uneven consistency after many passes, as if there isn’t enough pigment to deliver a strong colour. I had high hopes that this would apply true to the bullet colour but nay.. what a disappointment. This shade fades to a stain after a few hours.

You might also have noticed the uniquely shaped bullet which, according to the website, is angled to mimic the shape of a lip brush for precise application. Gotta trust the expert on this one – it works like a charm for me because application definitely felt a lot easier especially along the cupid’s bow. On the downside, though, I would be more reluctant to use the lipstick for fear of losing the original shape of the bullet.. 😅

Charlotte Tilbury Birkin Brown - swatch comparison with other browns I have

Charlotte Tilbury Birkin Brown – swatch comparison with other browns I have

#2 Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

If you’re a fan of Posh Spice, you wouldn’t want to miss this Victoria Beckham-inspired shade. Plus, it’s probably the only thing with her name on it that you can afford. Have you seen the prices of the products in her recent makeup collection with Estée Lauder? It’s CRAY!

Described as a suede taupe nude, Very Victoria is the perfect shade for everyday wear and best paired with subtle smokey eye. This comfortably hydrating formula applies like butter on the lips and leaves sheer but buildable finish with subtle rose gold shimmers. Although, similarly, it settles into my lip lines, the unevenness does not seem as pronounced as Birkin Brown due to its lighter tone and the fact that it is near-perfect match to my natural lip colour. I kinda like this more than Birkin Brown even though I’m usually not fond of light shades, because of it feels more matte. Also, it has better colour payoff.

Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria - swatch comparison with other muted browns/nudes I have

Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria – swatch comparison with other muted browns/nudes I have

All in all, these Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks fare very well in the comfort, luster and moisture categories – basically areas expected of luxury brands because I suppose these make the products feel and look expensive, and also to give a sense of glamour to the entire look. As one who values pigmentation (which, from my observation, luxury brands always fails to provide) more than anything else, I find these lipsticks way too sheer and creamy. They most likely need to be used with other products to achieve that degree of intensity shown on their models.

And most importantly, do I consider these matte? Certainly not 😐

What are your thoughts about these CT Matte Revolution lipsticks? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading!

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Very Victoria and Birkin Brown are available on BlushBoss.com.sg. Get yours from BlushBoss with free shipping (no minimum order required) today!

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Zap Those Unruly Upper Lip Hair with IPL by EXPRESSIONS

SPONSORED

Hey everyone!

No matter how nonchalant a lady is about her appearance, the last thing she would want to see in the mirror is a face marked by masculine features such as facial hair especially on the upper lip. Not only is it embarrassing for a female to have a moustache, it is also as socially unacceptable as women who don’t shave their armpits.

womoustache

photo credit: flickriver

Apart from aesthetic and hygiene reasons, I personally detest facial and androgenic (body) hair because they, especially pubic hair, prick the skin and cause it to itch! I count myself really lucky to have abnormally high tolerance for pain because that has enabled me to master the art of plucking and waxing at a tender age of 11. Believe it or not, I’ve been plucking my own armpit and pubic since puberty with my tweezers because I hated the aftermath feeling of shaving. Crudely put, I’ve been baby-smooth down there for as long as I can remember and the feeling of being hair-free is truly orgasmic. Perhaps I’m weird, but there’s a therapeutic quality to pubic hair plucking just like pimple popping 😉 (yes, in case you’re wondering, I’m a poppaholic too! *fist bumps*)

But of course, a lot of time has to be invested every week (not forgetting the tendency to get ingrown hairs) to ensure that they don’t strike back with a vengeance so it’s always good to have a time-efficient alternative that does an equally great job at removing unwanted hair.

Expressions (Orchard branch)

Expressions (Orchard branch)

I recently came to know about the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) hair removal programme at Expressions and was drawn to the fact that there’s even a portable device now that you can use at your convenience. Called My IPL, it comes in three different packages aimed at removing hair, clearing acne and rejuvenating the skin for as low as S$169! But being terrible at electronic gadgets myself (as I keep spoiling stuff), I opted for an in-house IPL session for hair removal because I heard that it’s more effective per session as compared to using the mobile IPL device too!

In-house IPL

In-house IPL

Expressions was kind enough to provide me a demo session, albeit an impromptu one done on the same day I had my weight assessed after undergoing the three-day detox juicing programme. Hence, I hadn’t allowed my armpit hair to grow out prior to my visit. The IPL treatment was carried out on my upper lip area because that was the only hairy spot I could think of 😆

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is the transmissions of highly-wave dependent light passing through the skin. These filtered bands of light consist of various wavelengths that penetrate deep into the skin and thereby effectively removing unwanted hair.

My eyes were shut the entire time because a sudden beam of light would be emitted from the device each time the button was pressed. The whole process was generally painless save for the slight tingling sensation which lasted for a split second upon every zap. They actually felt like static shocks so my body would kinda jerk a little every time a laser shot hit my skin. Lol, embarrassing much. But if it was the My IPL device, I would be able to choose the energy level of the shot according to my preference.

With cream applied

With cream applied

Following the treatment, a clear moisturising cream (Hair Inhibitor Essence) was applied on the affected area to sooth the skin and avoid irritation. The cream somehow accentuated the appearance of my upper lip hair (which otherwise would be unnoticeable) so I could still see some.

Post-IPL

Post-IPL

From what I understand, IPL is meant to weaken the roots and they will only be effectively eliminated after a few sessions. I would probably need to go for more sessions to see results in that case!

In-house IPL prices (image courtesy of Expressions)

In-house IPL prices (image courtesy of Expressions)

If you’re unable to find time to make an appointment with Expressions for an IPL session, remember, you can buy My IPL online for just S$169 (before discount – scroll down for 10% discount code)! The My IPL device offers up to 60,000 shots per cartridge which can be replaced with a new one (at S$80) once the shots have been depleted. On average, you would need 40-50 shots to remove hair on the arm completely. The device can be used practically anywhere on your body – your forehead, underarm, legs and even your bikini line if you’re too shy to do it in the salon.

So what are you waiting for? Get yours now and feel your baby-smooth skin once more! I guarantee you’ll not want to stop touching yourself after that LOL.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

In-House IPL (as low as S$48)
My IPL (S$169.00)

Click here to purchase individual or bundle mobile sets!
Enjoy 10% off all products on Expressions.co when you apply the code “GIVEME10” and quote “FIONASEAH” in the comments at checkout

Expressions (Orchard)
121 Penang Road #01-02 Regency House
Singapore 238464
Tel: 6235 9890
E-mail: orchard@expressions.co
Operating hours:
10:30 am – 8:30 pm (Mon – Fri)
10:00 am – 5:30 pm (Sat – Sun)

Expressions (Upper Thomson)
2 Sin Ming Road #01-06 Sin Ming Plaza
Singapore 575583
Tel: 6358 1555
thomson@expressions.co
Operating hours:
10:30 am – 8:00 pm (Mon – Fri)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Alternate Sat – Sun)

Liposonix at Rexults Clinic

SPONSORED

Hey everyone!

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I have been dealing with insecurities about my weight. Granted, I am not morbidly overweight but living in a world (or more specifically in Asia) where size matters greatly has undoubtedly given me undue pressure to be thin. Hence despite weighing a healthy 55kg by BMI standards, I am dissatisfied with my relatively bigger body frame, especially my upper arms which I have been trying all means and ways (without costing a fortune) to tone. I have used various slimming products (as you might have seen from the myriads of reviews I have done) and results were pretty much futile.

Seeing how my resolution to lose those jiggly arms has failed year after year, I almost wanted to give up.. until a beam of hope came knocking in the form of Rexults Clinic. Just a few days before the Lunar New Year, I was at the premier medical aesthetics clinic located at Orchard Road to try out their services. At that time I was so overwhelmingly occupied with my final-year project and work commitments that I had to be really selective in who I choose to work with (reviewing is a lot of work). Furthermore, past unsuccessful slimming attempts had lent me a slight sense of scepticism – I didn’t want to promise to promote something that may not do for me. But hopping over to their website, I was immensely impressed by their level of professionalism and transparency. Not only are the credentials of the doctors explicitly stated, but the prices (which many beauty companies I’ve worked with are very reluctant to publicise) for every treatment are listed there as well! The information certainly reassured me that I would be in good hands. Needless to say, their website was the deciding factor for me 😉

Rexults Clinic Patient Care Managers

Rexults Clinic Patient Care Managers provide excellent service that is extremely professional (photo credit: Rexults Clinic)

That professionalism stretches far beyond their website and into their spacious, spick-and-span clinic on the 17th storey of Tong Building. The ladies behind the front counter greeted me with much gusto when I entered and served me biscuits and a cup of hot tea at the waiting bay while I waited for the doctor. Probably noticing how hungry I was (had gone there without breakfast), they offered to replenish my biscuits and tea! Talk about awesome customer service!

Overseeing Takashimaya from where I was!

Overseeing Takashimaya from where I was!

Curtain around every table to protect the privacy of customers!

Curtain around every table to protect the privacy of customers!

Rexults Clinic (formerly known as EPW Laser + Medical Aesthetics Clinic) is the sweat and blood of Dr EP Wong who has more than 30 years of experience as a medical aesthetics doctor. Dr. Wong has built a following of patients from Singapore and around the region (Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei and Malaysia) due to his reputation for effective skin correction for 23 years – helping people to clear acne, oil bumps, pigmentation and address skin ageing. Many of his patients have continuously been seeing Dr. Wong since his foray into medical aesthetics in 1993.

Dr Melvin Tan

Dr Melvin Tan

Restoring the confidence of troubled patients alongside Dr Wong is Dr Melvin Tan who also happens to be my designated doctor. He is known for his individual tailored combination treatments for his patients because he doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, he customises treatments to cater to different pain threshold and downtime preference. When he learnt that I was more concerned about my flabby arms than my tummy, he recommended me to try Liposonix even though it’s more widely used for the latter.

Liposonix is one of the treatments offered under the clinic’s Body Perfecta Programme. It is a non-invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) procedure which breaks down fat cells instead of minimising them (which in that case may expand again once you stop watching your diet) and hence very suitable for patients with smaller, more stubborn areas of adipose tissue (fat) that will not shift with healthy eating and exercise (omg, that’s me). The ultrasound energy heats the deep fatty tissue and breaks it down, without damaging the surrounding and overlying tissue. 

After each treatment, a circumferential reduction of 2.5 cm at the waist can be expected after 90 days. This is approximately one dress size less in females, and one belt notch less in males.

NOTE: It is not suitable for those who have less than 1cm depth of fat in the area to be treated or have a BMI of more than 30. In addition, it is not suitable for those who are pregnant, have a blood clotting disorder, a history of cancer and related onditions or cardiovascular devices fitted – e.g. Pacemaker. [source]

I opted for the treatment to be done on the same day I had my consultation with Dr Tan so I didn’t have to make a second trip. Once changed into the clinic gown, I was brought into the resting room to fill my stomach with more biscuits and drinks before popping some pills meant to prevent any nausea.  All these were done two hours before the procedure were carried out on me to allow ample time for the medication to take effect. I wasn’t prepared to wait so I didn’t have anything to keep me busy in the meantime.

Resting room equipped with a TV and a nice, comfy couch. What's more, a nice view of Orchard Road!

Resting room equipped with a TV and a nice, comfy couch. What’s more, a nice view of Orchard Road! The colour scheme of this room is absolutely therapeutic too. May consider going for similar look and feel when I get my own house teehee!

On top of the clinic attire that I was required to change into, I also had to wear disposable bathroom slippers!

On top of the clinic attire that I was required to change into, I also had to wear disposable bathroom slippers!

Friendly clinic assistant running through the health screening questions with me

Friendly clinic assistant running through the health screening questions with me

Had a cuppa hot Milo and lemon puff biscuits before taking some pills

Had a cuppa hot Milo and lemon puff biscuits before taking some pills

More tea!

More tea!

To further illustrate the clinic’s professionalism, everything there is done in a very systematic manner and to top it all off, the rooms were also designed to serve a particular purpose. Apart from the usual consultation and treatment rooms, there is also a miniature photography studio (solely for photo-taking) where I had pictures of my arms taken for the clinic’s documentation purposes.

Where can I get that lighting equipment? They made my makeup look so good!

Where can I get that lighting equipment? They made my makeup look so good!

Adjacent to the photography studio is a massive treatment room surrounded by full-length tinted windows to cut out harsh light. The station where my weight and arm measurements were taken is tucked at a corner.

This room makes the claustrophobe in me so happy!

This room makes the claustrophobe in me so happy!

The station where my measurements were taken

The station where my measurements were taken

Weighing myself

Weighing myself

My dominant writing hand is thicker in circumference than the other

My dominant writing hand is thicker in circumference than the other

At Rexults Clinic, you can be assured that all procedures, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, are performed only by a qualified doctor. Prior to my Liposonix treatment, my arms were marked up and numbered in a grid pattern with a non-permanent marker pen to clearly indicate the targeted area. Dr Tan then proceeded to place the head of the Liposonix machine on each individual square, starting from the uppermost area of the arm. Each individual square was treated thrice during the procedure.

Liposonix system

Liposonix system

Getting ready to be "zapped"!

Getting ready to be “zapped”!

Arms marked up and numbered in a grid pattern with a non-permanent marker pen

Arms marked up and numbered in a grid pattern with a non-permanent marker pen

Liposonix procedure

Liposonix procedure

At a push of a button on the machine, energy is released into the surrounding tissue. Painless at first, the burning and prickly sensation intensified as the machine moved towards the end of the upper arm where there were lesser fats. The third zap usually hurt the most because the heat felt like it was penetrating into my bones! Thankfully the discomfort lasted barely for three seconds so it was still very bearable.

According to the studies on Liposonix, the destroyed fat cells at the treated area are reabsorbed by the body over the following 12 weeks after the treatment is completed. Maximum results are expected to be observed in 8 to 12 weeks and as long as additional weight is not gained (through healthy eating and regular exercise), the fat cells will not return to the treated area. Moreover, since only a small area of fat is being treated, the amount of fat being destroyed and liquefied will not be enough to create a sagging of the skin!

Despite being warned that my arms would look red and might feel tender with some swelling or bruising after the treatment, I experienced none of it, save for some slight tingling sensation akin to muscle aches during the next couple of days. I could still work out (although not advisable by the doctor) with no issue at all so I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry because that could also mean that the treatment didn’t work for me. But as time passed, my upper arms began to feel a lot tighter and even my boyfriend had noticed improvement in the size of my arms.

Right arm

Right arm

Left arm

Left arm

I went back to the clinic a few days ago (about a month after the treatment) for a quick review and indeed, my arms had shrunk according to the latest measurements. My left and right arms shed 1cm and 0.6cm of flab respectively. What a pleasant surprise! I had honestly thought the reverse would happen knowing that I had lost control of my diet during the Chinese New Year period 😆 Further, bearing in mind that the maximum effect of Liposonix can only be observed after 12 weeks, I really did not expect to see results after merely four weeks? Incredible!

Of course, Liposonix is just one of the many treatments and programmes available for the body at Rexults Clinic. If you would like to find out more about Liposonix or other aesthetic options and techniques, be sure to attend a free external educational talk by Dr EP Wong and Dr Melvin Tan, happening this April. Or, if you’ve been contemplating about getting an aesthetic procedure done to fix your skin or weight woes, here’s your once-in-a-blue-moon chance to consult not one, but two highly qualified doctors as they will also be taking questions from the audience.

Educational Talk:
“Be Your Best Self”

Customised aesthetic options and techniques.

Attend this talk by Medical Director, Dr. EP Wong and Associate Doctor, Dr. Melvin Tan (Rexults Clinic)

Date: 2 April 2016 (Saturday)
Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Venue: Rexults medSpa (302 Orchard Road #17-02 Tong Building Singapore 238862 ⋅ Beside Paragon)

Registration is required. To RSVP, call +65 6235 5533

Thanks for reading!

Rexults Clinic

302 Orchard Road ⋅ #17-01 ⋅ Tong Building ⋅ Singapore 238862
(Beside Paragon)
For appointments and enquiries, please call +65 6235 5533
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