Pretty Please: Get fresh with latest spring collections
Three new collections to look out for
The release of new make-up sets always makes me tingly and happy - the true mark of a beauty junkie. As brands flood beauty counters with myriad spring products, three collections caught my eye.
BECCA X KHLOÉKARDASHIAN & MALIKA HAQQ BFFS COLLECTION
Available: Sephora
I am not really a Kardashian fan, and so I have no idea who Malika Haqq is (they are apparently real-life best friends), but I am impressed with the idea behind this collection from the US cosmetics brand whose parent company is Estee Lauder.
The two women each designed products to suit their skin tones - cool for Haqq and warm for Kardashian.
Lipstick
Price: $36
The Ultimate Lipstick Love nude shades - Kardashian's Cupid's Kiss and Haqq's Yours Truly - are absolutely stunning.
Maybe Kardashian really does know something about warm skin tones as her shade is perfect - possibly my favourite nude lip, and I have tried many.
Plus, the formula - made with hyaluronic acid and avocado oil - is comfortable to wear and leaves my lips feeling more moisturised than even the average lip balm.
Glow Letters
Price: $28
I really dislike cardboard packaging for make-up, especially if it does not have a clasp to keep it closed - it feels cheap and is impossible to carry around without risking a mess in my purse.
The mini highlighter pieces in the box, comprising dark and light bits, allow for customisation and work well as a natural-looking highlighter for different skin tones.
I used the lighter shades for under my browbones and the darker shades as an all-over-the-lid "eyeshadow".
Now if only I could actually slip the product into my bag.
Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette
Price: $66
As with the lipsticks, there are two palettes with four shades in each - one highlighter, one bronzer and two blushes - Kardashian's version was my favourite and left my skin looking naturally glowy and healthy.
The formula is soft and blends beautifully. It is buildable and not too orange or muddy-looking.
TARTE
Available: Sephora
The US cosmetic brand's 2019 spring releases include 11 products, but these are the ones that stand out.
Sting Zing Plumping Lip Serum
Price: $37
Lip plumping products have been all the rage recently, with many brands boasting their own (I like Too Faced's Lip Injection too).
This one is a solid contender. Containing hot pepper extract and hyaluronic acid, it leaves lips looking naturally plump and hydrated, and it enhances your natural lip colour too.
But the tingling, spicy feeling can be quite uncomfortable, and while it does not last long, it may be a turn-off for some.
PRO REMIX Amazonian Clay Palette
Price: $76
I am obsessed with Tarte's Amazonian Clay series - particularly the foundation and eyeshadows.
Tacky-looking packaging aside, this new palette does not disappoint, featuring a creamy, ultra pigmented and blendable formula.
While many shades are adventurous, there are also matte cream, brown and black, and a good mix of everyday hues such as pink and gold mixed with the bolder blue, purple and iridescent - allowing you to have fun playing with and trying more creative looks.
Double Take Eyeliner in Bronze and White Gold
Price: $37
Out of all the new releases, this one in white gold impressed me most.
It is a simple product actually - a liquid black eyeliner on one end and a metallic gel pencil on the other, but done so well.
The Tarteist eyeliners were one of the first liquid liners I really fell in love with. I can cry, work out and party with it on - the formula is that budge-proof.
But having that highly pigmented, high-shine, long-wearing gel liner on the other end is a game-changer.
I use it to line my waterline and highlight the inner corner, and it makes me look so much more awake.
THREE COSMETICS
Available: Tangs at Tang Plaza, Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Typically wearable and rather reliable, the Japanese brand has rolled out its spring/summer 2019 collection that includes two ranges of lipsticks - one matte and one glossy - and six single cream eyeshadows.
Daring Voyager
Price: $50
The generally neutral, earthy shades of these eyeshadows are enhanced by little flecks of glitter dispersed throughout the products, providing a subtle glow to the lids without being too in-your-face.
The formula is smooth, creamy and easy to apply whether you use a brush or your fingers. However, it is unlikely to become a mainstay in my routine, simply because the single-eyeshadow-in-pot packaging, while pretty, is quite impractical for me at least.
Daringly Distinct and Daringly Demure lipsticks
Price: $53
These two ranges of nine lipsticks come in various shades of pink and red (Distinct is matte while Demure has a shinier finish).
Both are equally light and hydrating, and stay on for a long time. The matte formula even survived a greasy meal.
Formulated with ingredients such as sea buckthorn fruit extract, evening primrose oil and rosehip oil, it left my lips feeling nourished. My only gripe? I wish the colours were more adventurous.
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