Temporarily Out Of Service

As per topic. I've run out of steam to do makeup/skincare reviews because I haven't been experimenting in a long time, and have found products that work wonderfully for me (Dermalogica in general for skincare, and Chanel, particularly Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in 30 Naturel/Translucent 2 for makeup), so yeah :P I might revive this when I do get around to experimenting around more (Particularly eyeliner and mascara- my favourite makeup products). We shall see.

Right now my active journal/blog is my personal one- click here if you're interested :)

In the meantime, I'd like to extend my appreciation and thanks to those who have supported MotM during its brief stint :D

Holiday Hiatus

After some though, I've decided that I might be taking a semi-hiatus from my beauty blog until the end of the month.

Let's see. I might be going to Penang, I'm going to get my hair done, my bi-annual medical checkup is due and I am going to be a bit busy with the preparations for the Lunar New Year. Yes, it's on the 26th January 2009, but my family likes to get things started about a month early so yeah :P But who knows, maybe during spring cleaning I will unearth some old goodies I've hidden away and will review them!



Here's a picture of me during a recent trip to Genting Highlands, at the Chin Swee Temple. I only have on my Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder (Over my skincare + Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie) and gosh, I look pale and not tanned at all D:

In the meantime, I will be updating my personal blog whenever possible.

Be Right Back!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've been a very good girl and haven't been buying any new makeup/skincare products. Mainly because I've been quite busy with life- my Dad came down and so my family and me are busy spending time with him, my camera broke down (But I got a new one, details on which I will post on my personal blog :P), my sweetheart and me just celebrated our second anniversary and I've also been shopping for clothes for the Lunar New Year. I'm being quite picky this year in terms of clothes and haven't got as much as last year, but I got a silk yukata :D

That, and so far nothing interesting has really caught my eye for me to lust over and want to buy for me :( Plus, it's the festive season, so I'm feeling a bit lazy and want to relax. But I'll definitely be back with some reviews in a bit :)

Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder

I recently got the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder as an early Christmas present to myself... not that I really celebrate Christmas, but it was a good excuse to splurge! :P Plus I've been reading really good reviews about it and I decided why not? I went back to the Chanel store at 1 Utama to get this, and was again served by a very nice SA. I should really get into the habit of getting and remembering their names so I can look for them again... but then again it seems like their shifts always change!

She explained to me that I don't necessarily need a loose powder to set my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 foundation as it's designed to be an all-in-one foundation unless I'm going for a more heavy coverage or am attending more formal functions/dinners. She could have easily told me that yes I need a loose powder and get commissions form selling it to me, but she didn't :P She also told me that the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder can be used alone for a sheer, natural look, which is also a plus for me for days I want a more lighter coverage. She was very patient, answering my queries and all. It was actually a tie between this and the Chanel Purete Mat Anti-Shine Matifying Powder, but according to the SA the latter is more of a "touch-up" powder than a foundation finisher and not really used alone, so I didn't get that.

In the end after deliberating for a while I decided to get the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder, and was given this free sample of the Chanel White Essential Light Reflecting Whitening Compact Foundation SPF25/PA+++. I'm not really a fan of whitening products... since, well, if my face is "whitened", what about my body? D: It would look pretty mismatched in my opinion... so yeah :x Plus, I tan easily, so it's better for me to embrace my tan than to rectify it and be fair :P



It costs RM 152 for a huge 30g jar, and it's in an incredibly classy matte glass jar. OK, I'm not sure if it's really glass since it's quite light for glass but then again too heavy to be plastic. The lid is solid and embossed with the interlocking "Cs". Nevertheless- once again, luxurious packaging. No velvet pouch this time though, but then again I don't see why loose powders would need a velvet pouch :P



However, there is a powder puff included for application. To be honest, I've not tested and/or used it, so I can't really say much about it. That, and I prefer to use my Everyday Minerals Long-Handled Kabuki Brush to apply loose powders. I am completely sold by this product- so much so that it completely knocked the Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder and The Body Shop Loose Face Powder right out off my HG makeup list!

The powder is extremely finely milled and has a nice, soft fragrance- not the usual powdery foundation makeup smell which I really dislike. It also doesn't really irritate my nose when I apply it around and on my nose (I tend to sneeze a bit when I apply the Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder and The Body Shop Loose Face Powder).



I got it in 20 Clair/Translucent 1. The SA asked me if foundations/powder/makeup oxidised quickly on my face, and I answered yes. Now, don't get me wrong- I'm not saying that my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 oxidises, but it's a fact that if I have any foundation/powder/makeup on and I blot with a tissue, it comes off a bit (And darker) and shows slightly on the bridge of my nose despite using makeup primer and all. Pretty annoying. The SA then recommended me this shade as it's a light shade and even if it "oxidises" it wouldn't be too obvious. And since it's translucent, it doesn't really matter. The "white"-looking shade, 10 Limpide, is also translucent, but has more shimmers and is more for highlighting purposes.

I've used it alone- over sunblock and primer (After my usual cleanse-tone-moisturise routine) and it looks absolutely natural and gorgeous. My complexion looks even, glowy and the coverage is extremely light. And the best thing is, when I blotted (Although my skin didn't look very oily at all to be honest), nothing seemed to have came off! Great and perfect for those lazy days and when I feel like letting my skin "breathe", but still require some form of makeup to even out my skin tone. I love!

I've also used it over my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10, and it really does fix the foundation well and for oil control it's marvelous! No shinies at all for a longer period of time compared to when I fixed my foundation with the Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder and The Body Shop Loose Face Powder. For comparison I've used my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 alone (Over sunblock and primer though) without the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder or any loose powder after it, and although I also do still get a lovely, radiant, matte-yet-natural look (But obviously the coverage is more heavier than loose powder, being foundation) from the foundation, it holds up better, lasts longer, resists oiliness better and even actually made my foundation look more natural when fixed with the loose powder.

Surprisingly, my makeup didn't actually look much more "heavier" and "formal" with the foundation + loose powder though as compared to foundation alone- although when I blotted there were some traces of colour. Powder alone of course gave the lightest coverage of all and I really like that. I will be alternating between using my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 and Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder- both if I have the time and the occasion calls for it :) After these tests I don't think I'll be using my Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 alone much, although it is a good foundation, but honestly, I still am leaning more towards using just loose powder (I started off that way as well- using just loose powder) more often because it just looks so natural and light! :P

Traveling with the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder might pose a bit of a problem as the jar is huge! But I suppose I could always decant it into smaller jars for that purpose... hmm... or be like the Chanel counters and use a "shaker"-like container for it :D Which is kind of cute, really. Or I could get the Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte Natural Finish Pressed Powder... but is it as good as the loose powder? Hmm... I'd have to ask.

This is definitely my new HG loose powder and I would repurchase it if it runs out... which isn't so soon by the looks of it o.O

What Are Your Superpowers?

My Dad came down to spend some time with us, and therefore I might be a little bit busy! Plus it's my Mum's birthday and my sweetheart is staying over for the weekend for the holidays :3 Might even be going to Ipoh and will be going shopping at Petaling Street with a lecturer! What a busy week it will be.

Oh, and not to mention finals and the wrapping up of the semester for 2008. I won't be attending this year's prom because it's organised by the same people as last year... and it sucked terribly. So no prom looks this year although I really look forward to it :(

I also have the review for my latest Chanel buy- the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder pretty much written up- I just need a few more days to test it under several conditions before posting it up ;)

Anyway, here's a tag taken from Skin Deco.

What Are Your Superpowers?
For me, it'd be blowing out light bulbs. I'm serious. When I get really, really, really angry, a light bulb somewhere in my room will die. It didn't happen just once but many times over the course of my life. Thankfully it's not the "explosion" kind of blowing out and they're normally normal light bulbs. I think I inherited this "superpower" from my Dad- when he's in a really bad mood there's some appliance in the house that just refuses to work...

I don't know what superpower I'd wish to have though... hmm. There's just too much to mention! :P

Reviews In Progress

I'm such a bad blogger, but here are my reasons for my tardy reviews- finals are coming soon, I've been busy with a translating job, I need to arrange a suitable time/day to go shopping with a lecturer of mine within this week or next and my Dad is coming down which means less time online. For now I've recently gotten these and will be reviewing them once I've tried and tested them well enough and everything has settled down:

• Dermalogica Super Sensitive Faceblock SPF30
• Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in 20 Clair/Translucent 1 (Yes, I've succumbed to the allure of Chanel) T.T

Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10

Finally I am pretty much done with all my assignments for University, and the semester is coming to a close. That means I finally have the time to review my HG Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 foundation now ;)

As mentioned in my post here, this is my first foray into the world of Chanel. Usually I tend to "avoid" such high-end brands because they're quite intimidating to me- the SAs are always quite immaculately polished and their ranges looks very uptown and classy... not to mention potentially pricey. But I finally braved the Chanel store at 1 Utama.

I entered the shop with an intention to mainly browse at the foundations and the intriguing makeup range and perhaps ask a few questions. The SA that attended me was quite nice. Quite elderly, and definitely knows her stuff. For some reason I am more comfortable with more "elderly" SAs because I feel/think they have more experience, and the reason I chose the Chanel store instead of a counter is because I personally feel that the SAs there would also be more experienced and know about their products more compared to department stores such as Jusco and Metrojaya. Just a personal opinion, though and doesn't necessarily apply to all SAs :P There are some young, department store SAs that are really nice, like the one at the Shiseido counter at Jusco in 1 Utama.



I came out with this. To be honest I was actually looking for Chanel Teint Controle Extreme Extreme UV Protection Control Powder Foundation SPF25, but according to the SA it's already being discontinued and those that are available in the counters at department stores are the last stocks. I was looking at foundations from Chanel mainly because I felt that my Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation shade wasn't a good match for me. Their shades were either too light or too dark for my (now) tanned skin sadly :( I decided to give Chanel a look-see and maybe try instead, and I'm glad I did!



According to the official Chanel website, there are 11 shades (As shown above, I took a screenshot), but here in Malaysia we only get 5 if I'm not mistaken- 10 Lumiere, 30 Aurore, 40 Sable, 50 Poudre and 60 Secret. I was matched with 30 Aurore, which is actually more brown-based but is the second lightest shade in the spectrum. The yellow-based foundations are 40 Sable and 50 Poudre but are actually darker than 30 Aurore. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the shade- will it match?



When I first applied it on my own the next day after my cleansing regime and prepping my face for makeup, I actually panicked a little because it went on quite light and was worried that I might have to get a shade darker. However, I learned not to be shocked because after a while the foundation actually BLENDS into your skin and matches with your skin tone! Amazing! It really impressed me. Coverage wise it's not as thick as Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, but it's buildable. I love Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 because it actually makes my skin look flawlessly matte without looking too thick, cakey or dull, but instead radiant and naturally glowy! And it lasts for quite some time too, I had it on past 12 hours and it still looks good, although I needed to blot once or twice within that time span.

The embossed interlocking "Cs" in the foundation also looks very good, and to be honest, I really dislike foundations/powders that have embossed patterns on them, because I can't bear to run over it :( I've been using the Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 since I bought it, and the interlocking "Cs" have sunk in a little now, but it's still obvious. I've not used the sponge provided because I'm using my QVS Rubicell Foundation Sponge but it does feel nice and of good quality.



The packaging is pure luxury. The compact case is flatter and larger than Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, with its signature black and the white interlocking "Cs" embossed on it, and the mirror is huge! The feel of the compact case is nice, steady and light, but the hinges feel a bit fragile to me though. Overall the packaging to me just screams out decadence in true Chanel style. It even comes with its own velvet pouch as pictured! If that's not luxurious, I don't know what is :P The compact case smudges though (As seen in first photo), but that's nothing a good wipe won't fix.

The whole set costs RM 175, which actually works out to be slightly cheaper than Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, which totals to be RM 177, RM 2 more :P The refill for Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 is priced at RM 115 whilst the refill for Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation costs RM 129. That, and Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 actually has 3g more of foundation. Yes, I checked and compared that.

My only gripe with the Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 is that it has only SPF10! Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation has SPF25. And since I have to walk under the sun quite often for University, I needed more sun protection :( The other gripe I have with it is that the foundation cake might be too small for normal foundation sponges. As mentioned I am not using the sponge provided, so some foundation might smear on the sides of the cake and needs to be wiped off. But that's not a big problem to me :P

To combat the SPF problem I have gotten Dermalogica Super Sensitive Faceblock SPF30, but that's another review for another day...