LookFantastic Beauty Box March 2016 Review

LookFantastic Beauty Box March 2016 Review

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, March 17, 2016

March 2016's LookFantastic Beauty Box is the #LFExplorer edition. It includes products from London, Paris and New York.
Some people seem to have received this month's Elle magazine with the box - I did not. Possibly because international subscriptions are exempt? I got a magazine last month, though. I have emailed them to find out why.
This month's box has a vibrant Spring-appropriate design. I do hope they do a Glossybox and have a different design for the box each month.

Scroll down for the contents of the March 2016 LookFantastic Beauty Box.

Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer review

Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer review

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Being an oily- and uneven-skinned person, a primer is a must for me whenever I put on makeup (Read: venture outside). I am always looking for new primers to try out, though I will admit to having my favourites. You can read reviews of some of the primers I have tried here.
My friend Shivani got me the Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer a few months ago. I have been on the lookout for a good budget primer for sometime now. While Benefit Porefessional is the best I have used, I tend to forgo it sometimes, in order to "save" it for special occasions or long hauls, despite hoarding three full-sized tubes and two minis - and counting. So each time I come across a new primer, I tend to wonder if it can replace Porefessional.

Here is my review of the Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer.

First blogoversary special: Vintage makeup advertisements from 1920s-1950s magazines

First blogoversary special: Vintage makeup advertisements from 1920s-1950s magazines

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, January 16, 2014

My Beauty Junction is one year old today! I am so thrilled! I never dreamt that auditing my stash by writing about it would turn into a blog I am passionate about, and become a way of meeting some lovely people - thank you all for coming over and reading my blather!
Anyway, I'm sharing something very special and nostalgic to mark this anniversary - a collection of vintage makeup and skin care advertisements hoarded from my maternal great-grandmother's time. The daughter of a landlord (and later a school headmaster's wife), she bought early copies of Good Housekeeping, launched in 1922, and kept every single one. After her time, her magazines went to her youngest daughter - Gran - who was younger than great-gran's eldest grandchildren. Gran in turn hoarded the Girls' Own Paper and Heiress magazines into the 1950s during her teens and my Mum added a few Women's Own magazines to the pile in the 70s.
Being a nerd whose immediate family all collect antiques, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed doing this post.

Here are some lovely vintage advertisements of makeup and beauty products from the 1920s to the 1950s from various magazines.

EOTD: Peacock eyes

EOTD: Peacock eyes

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, April 26, 2013

I've been obsessed with the purple-and-green combo lately, so I tried out this combination on the eyes. Both eyeshadow colours are from the MUA Glamour Days palette. The eyeliners used are Bourjois Duochrome Vert Dore and Revlon Colorstay in Mauve Spark. Mascara is Max Factor Masterpiece. I rubbed the Vert Dore all over the MUA teal shadow lightly. Here are pics of both eyes, open and closed:

War-time supplies: A make-up hoarder confesses

War-time supplies: A make-up hoarder confesses

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, March 12, 2013

War is coming. 
If you look at my make-up hoard, you may be forgiven for getting that impression.
I decided to go through the top-most shelf in my dressing-table cupboard and was shocked to find quite a few items I've repurchased time and again, despite already having enough of the product. So this is another rather shameful yet honest post about my weirdness and how I've hoarded stuff.
Here is Benefit Porefessional. My all-time favourite primer. I'm using one tube for special occasions (more on my daily primer later), and I had a vague idea that I had another full tube somewhere inside. Turns out I have two more.
I like Benefit Dr Feelgood, though it's not an everyday item for me. I haven't even scraped the top layer off the first tin, and I seem to have bought another.
Chanel Rouge Double Intensite in Rose Garnet turned up six times. I love this colour and it is my all-time favourite lippy. I keep a tube in my bag and one for travel, but what are the other four doing???

Four items answered to the name of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Duo in Mega Mauve. I can't even remember buying this lippy more than two times.
I also have three YSL Touche Eclats. It is my all-time favourite concealer, and I'm only using the first one. And why do I have so many refills of Shiseido's Sheer Mattifying Compact and Sun Protection Compact? These are in addition to the ones in two compact cases - one in my daily make-up bag and one for travel.

So you think I only hoard high-end products? Here are four Revlon Colorstay Ultimate lippies - all in shade 75. And I don't even like the shade or the formula!
I cannot, for the life of me, tell you why I've gone and bought three of these L'Oreal Smoothing Serums. They're okay for pre-styling use, though I prefer John Frieda. Still, three full-size bottles?

I also found three anti-dandruff shampoos which I no longer use, thanks to Lush Snake Oil. By the way, these are all from the top-most shelf. I haven't dared to look at the other shelves, bags or drawers.
I have just taken a solemn oath, by all make-up ever known to humans, not to buy any more of these products until I'm on the last tube or case of each. Does anyone else hoard like this?

EOTD: Bourjois Smoky Eyes in Mordore Chic

EOTD: Bourjois Smoky Eyes in Mordore Chic

Revlon Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, February 09, 2013

Played around with some oldies I found in my stash. The EOTD has Bourjois Smoky Eyes palette in Mordore Chic, Revlon Magic Eyeliner Pencil in Copper, Revlon Colorstay liquid eyeliner in brown and Estee Lauder's Projectionist mascara.
I used the medium eyeshadow for most part, the highlighter colour in the inner corner and browbone, and the deepest shade along the lash line. But something possessed me to use brown liquid eyeliner above it, and worse, to blend all the shadows, so it didn't really come out clearly. Nor did the quick, single coat of mascara.