Makeup Wishlist

For the last few months, I’ve been watching lots of makeup videos by the gurus on Youtube and it has rekindled my love for eyeshadows and makeup in general. I have compiled a list of items that I will be hunting down in 2011. Some of the colors may be repetitive or are similar but who cares!

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette
Mixture of matte and slightly shimmered warm tones. Great for smokey eyes. Tons of looks that can be recreated with just this one palette.

Here are some looks recreated using this palette:
- MUG Kim Kardashian
- MUG Jennifer Love Hewitt
- Kandee Johnson’s tutorial
- TiffanyD’s tutorial

2. M.A.C Paint pots
I’ve swatched them before at the M.A.C counter and it was as if I had a superglue for an eyeshadow primer. I really don’t think you’d need a primer when you’re using this! The only problem is I can’t decide what colors I want to purchase – I love them all!

3. M.A.C Eyeshadows
I have a M.A.C Pro palette that can store 25 shadows. The only problem is I’ve only filled up a fifth of it. I have some colors in mind like Electra, Print, Silver Ring, Carbon/ Black Tied, Sumptuous  Olive, All That Glitters, Naked Lunch, something on the purple family etc.

There’s alot of M.A.C going around in this post but what can I say, it’s not that cheap and yet it’s not that expensive either. It just so happens that the price is right and the quality is good!

I have found cheaper alternatives to M.A.C eyeshadows that claim similar color payoff and intensity like NYX and Coastal Scents. Aside from the fact that they are cheap, I find that they are nowhere to becoming even close to M.A.C’s quality. The quality of these other eyeshadows are shoddy at best and not as pigmented as they claim to be. One reason I think this is so is because the “cheaper” alternatives that I have are probably knock-offs from China – hence the shoddy quality. The fallout from these shadows are comparable to snow storms, I tell ya! They  also fail my eyeshadow smudge test, i.e. swatch them on the back of my hand and then wipe it off. If it’s gone after one wipe, it’s got no staying power. If I need a ton of product for the color to appear, its not as pigmented as it claims to be.

Even after purchasing the NYX and Coastal Scents palettes (albeit knockoffs), I still reach for my limited number of M.A.C eyeshadows. Since the color range is limited cos I tend to stick to the same and safe color family, my go-to-look is silver smokey every time, which frankly, I’m getting sick of.  I need more colors but I will stop short from looking like a Benetton ad.

4. Brushes
Brushes are the key to makeup application. I haven’t decided what brand to purchase yet. The deciding factor is probably the price point. At this point, I must qualify that I’m a sucker for knockoff makeup items. Having purchased a so-called “2nd-grade authentic M.A.C brush set” (which we know is really no grade at all), I shall now stick to originals. Although it’s pricey, at least I know what I’m paying for.

5. Eyeliner
Next up on the list is eyeliner. I’ve found my holy grail of eyeliners, which is Bourjois Clubbing Waterproof. This formula is off the charts! I used to have a another HG eyeliner from Bourjois but they discontinued that range so I tried this on for size last year. It claims to be waterporof and what not. I was skeptical at first cos it didn’t pass my initial smudge tests. The salesperson was persistent so I caved. And I caved again and again. This formula works for me! I have tried countless of eyeliners that are the blackest of black but they smudge on the eyelids and waterlines. This eyeliner, however, does the trick, even with sweat while I run and during shower. It is only removed when I say it’s time. I sure hope they don’t decide to discontinue this in the future.

5. Mascara
My holy grail of mascara is Maybelline’s Collosal Volum’ Express. Again, I was skeptical when it was first launched but I tried it anyways and I was blown away by the ‘collosal-ness’ of it. So much so that I’m on my 5th tube and I have 3 more for backup. This is the mascara that I wear daily and along with the Bourjois eyeliner, it can withstand the sweat from my runs and after shower.

I also have a premium mascara that I use for special occasions when I want that extra extra va-va-voom. It’s Lancome Hypnose. I was first introduced to this in 2008 during a Lancome makeover that I went. I was stuck on this ever since. Before the Collosal from Maybelline came out early this year, this was my daily mascara. Unfortunately, this caused a deep hole in my pocket as I would run out of it within 3 months! It costs a blasted $49 but all worth it!

I was on Youtube the other day and one of my gurus had just reviewed a new mascara from Lancome from the same range. While watching the before and after comparison, I was speechless and blown away. I kept telling myself that “I NEED ME ONE OF THOSE!”. I called all the Lancome counters here but none of them have started to carry it. Please, bring it in soon! It’s called Lancome Hypnose Drama. One would usually steer away from drama but this is the kind of drama that a girl needs in her life.

Check out the video that blew me away here and I verified it with another video here and here.

6. Foundation
I have a love-hate relationship with the foundations that I have now – M.A.C’s Studio Fix Fluid NC40 and M.U.F.E Mat Velvet + No. 50. I spent good money on the latter ($68, I believe) but I always felt that the color was not right. After about 8 months of exile, I decided to try it out today and I was surprised at the outcome. A good surprise!

Another foundation that I’ve been trying to get my hands on is the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. Unfortunately, NARS is not found here and Sephora does not carry that range…yet. I inclined to purchase it online through sprees and on eBay but I have the habit of purchasing items and going back to exchange them or buying the wrong shade.

7. Concealor
Currently, I’m on Bobbi Brown’s award-winning and top rated Creamy Concealor kit and Corrector. There’s millions of rave reviews on it but it hasn’t sat well with me as well. While I’m still using this combo, I’ve my eyes set on Benefit’s Erase Paste and/or Lemon Aid. I’m not sure which is for which cos I think they work about the same way. I’m looking to camouflage my ultra dark circles. Although I know enough sleep will do the trick but I need a quick fix in the meantime.

8. Blush
I have found my holy grail of blushers – NARS Orgasm. One of my colleagues recommended it to me in June and I’ve stuck to this. Since this is not available here, she helped me purchase it in Thailand’s Duty Free airport. Youtube gurus also swear by this blush although its on the pricey side. The catch is that this lasts forever! Also, I just saw some interesting colors on their website like Mata Hari and Dolce Vita.

But what’s the catch, yo?!

The only catch is I can’t get ahead of myself – it could lead to disastrous results if I end up buying all of it at one go. I’ve did the math – maximum of $80 per month on makeup. The UD Palette sets me back around $75 so that’s all I can expend for that month. Which is quite a steal if you think about it – you get 12 colors! M.A.C eyeshadows run at $27/pot or $21/refill. So that makes about 3-4 eyeshadows a month. I hope I can stick to this budget!

We girls can never have enough makeup!

Advertisement