As a hardened beauty blogger and crazed make-up addict, it’s not often that I find a product that totally takes me my surprise. Yet bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment is just that!
Pure Transformation Night Treatment is a sleep mask… in powder form. Weird, right?! Even weirder – I think it actually might work!
DUOCHROME ALERT! DUOCHROME ALERT!
Today, I have one of the most beautiful nail polishes ever to show you – MAC’s Mean & Green. Originally released with their Disney Venomous Villains Collection, and promptly selling out quicker than you can say ‘Mirror mirror on the wall’, this beauty was one of MAC’s most highly coveted polishes, much-duped and much swindled for on eBay after it was consigned to the deep dark depths of the MAC vault.
But rejoice! MAC have just launched a permanent nail polish line of thirty lacquers, bringing back many of their much-loved favourites to sit on the stands full-time… and Mean & Green is one of them! That’s right, this iconic duochrome is now available permanently for your purchasing pleasure (a pleasant change from cosmetics companies discontinuing items for them never to see the light of day again) – so suck on that, eBay hawkers!
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, cosmetics, Disney Venomous Villains Collection, duochrome, M.A.C, Mac, MAC nail polish, make-up, Mean & Green, Mean And Green, nail lacquer, nail polish, nail varnish, review, swatch
There are a couple of colours that I think you all know I’m obsessed with. Turquoise. Purple. Glitter (oh wait… glitter isn’t a colour?!). However, there is one minor obsession that I had managed to keep under the carpet – until now! Step forward, coral!
Coral is my unsung hero. I wear it nearly every day in the form of Benefit’s pale peachy and sadly discontinued Georgia blusher, a little box of powder that takes me from rough to radiant in a matter of seconds. I have worn it occasionally on my nails (see here… and here). And over summer, I wore the hell out of it on my lips (reviews for which will filter through eventually, but basically MAC’s Watch Me Simmer = WIN). So I think it’s finally time to give coral some love on my blog with this all coral look, courtesy of MAC’s Stay By Me Pro Longwear Blush and Coral Bliss Cremesheen Lipstick.
Nail polish by non-nail polish specialists (other than Chanel, of course!) is rarely worth bothering with. Easily dupe-able colours but at insane prices means that the big brand lacquers are usually worth bypassing… but then in comes Estée Lauder, ready to destroy my theory!
For Fall 2012, Estée’s creative make-up director Tom Pecheux has unleashed an awesome array of new nail varnishes inspired by Paris’ classy but dazzling night lights. The result? Annoyingly unmissable nail polishes that are a hell of a lot more expensive than the ones procured during my Cher2 trips!
Nouveau Riche is an absolutely stunning bronze-gold, with a duochrome shift that takes it to rosy pink, champagne gold and even a hint of olive-green thrown in there too! Again, it has that awesome glowing metallic finish made up of lots of teeny-tiny glittering gold flecks and flakes but that is resolutely not a glitter (think Chanel Graphite or Butter London Wallis); seriously, this finish is totally rocking my world right now, it’s just the perfect look for a really refined sophisticated metallic, but which still has enough complex shimmer to shake a sock at.
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, best metallic nail polishes, cosmetics, Estée Lauder, gold, make-up, Metal Mania Collection, nail lacquer, nail polish, nail varnish, Nouveau Riche, review, swatch
Lots of exciting beauty stuff crosses my path far too frequently for my wallet’s liking! Here’s a few of the things that have me excited this month (plus the fact that I have finally learned how to use Instagram ha)…
I’m never one for following the seasons with my nail polish (I mean… have you seen how often I wear glittery “holiday” colours?!), but if you’re looking for a perfect fall colour, you can’t go far wrong with Butter London Wallis.
This beauty made its way to me thanks to my lovely make-up mule Justine after many months of lusting – but it was definitely worth the wait. Generally, I don’t lose too many sleeps over Butter London’s limited (and stupidly expensive) availability in Hong Kong as their colours aren’t really that special (their British slang names which have been confusing American bloggers for years with hilarious consequences, are pretty priceless though), but Wallis is definitely one of their smash hits and unique enough to warrant pursuing across the oceans!
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, Butter London, cosmetics, gold, make-up, metallic, nail lacquer, nail polish, nail varnish, review, swatch, Wallis
When it comes to my make-up miracles, Clinique already has two in the bag (their Cream Eyeliner and their Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam). Last year, their Chubby Stick lippies joined the hall of fame – and now they’ve unleashed a series of fantastic brand new shades (and they really are fantastic), my love has only lifted higher and hiiiigher!
Although I love Clinique (I know I sound like a broken record but: stringently allergy tested, 100% fragrance-free, dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested i.e. a GODSEND sensitive skin), their make-up can be a little… whisper it… boring. Work-safe colours, neutral shades, workmanlike branding – their cosmetics very rarely got the pulse racing, even if they worked wonders. The first round of Chubby Sticks in Hong Kong were lovely, pretty, perfect everyday colours – but this latest set of shades really pack a gorgeous punch.
Even the names – Two Ton Tomato, Mighty Mimosa, Pudgy Peony – have me sort of salivating. You just know they’re going to be as fun, colourful and cute as the name “Chubby Stick” deserves.
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, best lip balms, Clinique, Clinique Chubby Sticks, cosmetics, make-up, Mighty Mimosa, my lips but better, photos, Pudgy Peony, review, swatch, tinted lip balms, Two Ton Tomato
When did bareMinerals get all fun?! Last I remembered, they were a rather holier than thou company extolling the virtues of mineral make-up back in the day when no one else really cared. Well now, everyone cares… and bareMinerals is coming of age at just the right time.
Their packaging and products have had a bit of a makeover (love their hot pink bags) and top of my to-try list were the bareMinerals READY eyeshadows. I can’t be doing with messy loose pigments on the daily basis, which is what bareMinerals were predominantly famous for, but these new eyeshadows are solid pressed babies in duo or quad palettes rather reminiscent of *cough*Nars*cough*.
Cometh summer, cometh turquoise. I’m actually obsessed with turquoise all of the time anyway (see here for proof), yet as soon as the sun starts shining, my world turns totally aqua – so Deborah Lippmann’s Just Dance, part of her Holiday 2011 Dance Music mini trio set, seemed perfect for my turquoise turn!
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, cosmetics, Dance Music mini trio, Deborah Lippmann, glitter, Holiday 2011 Collection, Just Dance, make-up, nail lacquer, nail polish, nail varnish, review, swatch, turquoise
A Tale of Two Blues…
Yup, you’re getting two reviews for the price of one here! Now you know me… my usual philosophy is why write 100 words when 500 would do… but the reason behind this package deal is that NARS Koliary and Deborah Lippmann On The Beach are basically the same colour. Admittedly, a very gorgeous bright primary ocean blue, but the same colour nonetheless – and I imagine you’d enjoy reading two identical reviews as much as I’d enjoy writing them!
It’s a simple colour, but both brands execute it stunningly. Pure bright creamy mid-tone blue. No turquoise or green or purple hints hiding beneath the surface, no shimmer or glitter or special effects – just straight-up primary blue on a platter. It’s a delicious palate cleanser of a polish and one that always gets me compliments whenever I wear it.
Posted in Beauty
Tagged Beauty, best blue nail polishes, blue, cosmetics, Deborah Lippmann, Koliary, make-up, nail lacquer, nail polish, nail varnish, Nars, Nars Thakoon collection, On The Beach, review, swatch
I'm Rachel Read, a Hong Kong-based freelance writer and editor, make-up addict and general layabout. I'm powered by bacon, cupcakes, nail polish and the needs of two cute Yorkies.
All products/meals were paid for by me, unless otherwise stated.
Contact me at
rachelmread+ttlg@gmail.com
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© Rachel Mary Read and Through The Looking Glass, 2010-20.
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Through The Looking Glass 