Happy Chinese New Year

Hello all. Apologies for the silence. I just moved to a new place this weekend and amidst the scramble of making it liveable, I left my laptop charger in my boyfriend's bag and to my chagrin, only found out as his Boston-bound bus was pulling out of the sidewalk. I considered purchasing a replacement, but $70+ can be put to much better use (like, um, buying makeup), especially if I only needed to wait till Tuesday to get said charger back.

So while I gnaw my fingernails (figuratively. Never bite your nails!) in anticipation of repossessing my now-defunct laptop, let's talk. I want to know what everyone thinks of the Spring collections at counters now. My damage is very minimal for this season. I only acquired three items: Dior Rosy Glow, the Waterlily polish, and Guerlain Cruel Gardenia. As ever, and especially due to the daily braving of biting cold, I am now looking forward to Summer.

Also, Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Ellis Faas Mascara

There are some reviews I hesitate to do, like foundation, skincare, and well, mascara, just because those items belong in such subjective territory (and if I were to be completely honest, because those are hard to photograph too. I tried taking a million before/after pictures when it comes to foundation but it looks the same). Nevertheless, consider this a shaky first step into expanding product reviews to a broader range.  

Along with the lip products, Ellis Faas sent me some eye products as well, which includes a mascara. I was surprised then because I didn't know the comapny made mascara (or blush, the packaging gave me the impression that it was strictly a lip/eye/skin thing). The Ellis Faas Mascara is said to do three things: coat, lengthen, and separate. It is housed in the same bullet-type packaging, but it's the most "normal" of all its products in that you screw the top open to find a regular mascara wand waiting to make an impact on your lashes.

Top-bottom: Bare Lashes, One Coat, Two Coats

As far as its coating and separating and lengthening qualities, all is well. I mean, this is mascara. If it gets the job done on my straight nonexistent Asian lashes (seriously. did you see that first picture?), I'm happy. I prefer using this mascara on top of another, like one with a volumizing formula, to get the best use out of it.

Without EF Mascara

With EF Mascara

I know this mascara comes at a shocking price, but the one thing that justifies it for me is at the end of a long day, my lashes remain curled as if it just went through a round of pinching. 'tis a novel feeling, that.

Ellis Faas Mascara retails for $34 and is available at ellisfaas.com, sephora.com, and Space NK.

The product in this post was sent from the company for review purposes.

P.S: I've picked a winner for the Lancome Erika F giveaway!

Gloss d'Armani #400

Back to the grind (or not, Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everybody). I had a wonderful trip back home and my few short days in London was nothing short of perfect. I don't think I've ever been so happy for a full entire month. I also obtained a few covetable items from London that I cannot wait to show you, but jetlag and cleaning and certain preparations for my first day back of school necessitates new pictures to take a step back. 

Some digging through the folder of unused pictures ensued and I stumbled upon these of Gloss d'Armani #400. With Chinese New Year coming up in a week, it felt like the ideal item to feature.

L-R: Rouge d'Armani #400, Gloss d'Armani #400

Longtime readers might recognize this eye look from the Rouge d'Armani #400 feature from two months ago. I used Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill #13 (black) as my liner, then placed Burberry Midnight Brown on the lid and blended it into the liner. Continued with Burberry Rosewood in the crease, blended that into the lid color, and finished off with Burberry Trench as my brow highlighter. It was very gradient-y and involved much blending.

As for the gloss, it's the longest wearing gloss I've tried in my life. The Gloss d'Armani formula is one of my favorites: the applicator is squishy in a super fun way (you have to try it to understand what I mean), the gloss itself is long-lasting, super comfortable, and (very important) doesn't dry out my lips like some glosses do. The only downside is it smells like ink.

Gloss d'Armani #400 retails for $28 and is available at giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.

P.S: Nine hours left to join my Lancome Erika F giveaway!

Giveaway: Lancome Erika F

Update: I picked a winner and she responded in record time. Congratulations Kayla (whose tweet as @Officially_Kay nabbed her the prize) for winning your very own Lancome Erika F. Thank you to all for participating in this giveaway!

The last time I came back home I gave out the Hong Kong exclusive Les Tendres de Chanel in Les Roses. This time, a lucky reader will stand a chance to win one Euro/Asia exclusive Lancome Erika F. 

Here's to hoping that my first foray into Rafflecopter is a smashing success. Just follow the instructions as laid out by the widget below to enter the contest. You'll have to comment on this post to be eligible for the giveaway, but you can earn additional entries by following me on Twitter or Facebook or GFC, and tweeting about the giveaway. Since this is an Asia/Euro exclusive, the giveaway will only be open to readers from the US and Canada.

UPDATE: Of course I made a mistake - my twitter handle is @xiaoo (i inputted the wrong name sigh).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Makeup You Want But Cannot Have: Lancome Erika F

This hello is accompanied by a bashful wave. I know I haven't been on my regular posting schedule, but I will be soon! My holiday's almost over. I'll be flying for the next few days and back to the States on the 15th. I have the most exciting semester ahead of me, and though my heart (and my body heat) does not want to leave home, I really can't wait to get back into the grind.

Today's feature is the infamous Lancome Erika F, a shimmery green-gray eyeshadow that has reached cult status among beauty bloggers and makeup users alike. It is unfortunately a Euro/Asia exclusive, and I thank my lucky stars that I chanced upon it during my transit in Rome.

The way some bloggers describe this, it might as well be a candy-making unicorn leaping above a rainbow. And well, it really is. The swatch is pretty but no one prepared me for how it will look on the eyes. The pictures below do not do it justice. You know how certain types of books always has a heroine with a glimmer in her eyes (which doesn't make sense in real life)? Well, this is that mysterious abstract glimmer on the eyelids, and a multi-dimensional one at that.

I've been wearing it alone on my lid as I find that the color stands well on its own. On occasion, I might add a deeper shade in the crease, but I actually prefer it by itself. 

They're not kidding about Erika F. I'd tell you to run out and get it but I know most of my readers are from the US and don't have access to it. Luckily, I have a way for you to get your hands on a piece of this magic, but more on that tomorrow (yes, I'm dangling that carrot).

Several readers have asked what's on my lips and I'm abashed to say (ah, laziness showing through) it's actually the same lip from the most recent Lipstick Bandits post.

P.S.: Messy Wands is now on Facebook! It's not a robust page by any means yet, but it'll be a better medium for me to share links (especially those with pictures) compared to Twitter. I hope to see you there!

Chanel Rouge Coco Baroque

Figured I should blog about this before it's gone. If memory serves me, Rouge Coco Baroque was introduced as an online exclusive to celebrate the release of the (then) new Rouge Coco formula. This dark brick red is such a good winter shade, it would be a waste to let the season go by without pulling it out for a spin.

As Rouge Cocos go (awesomeness does vary from shade to shade), Baroque is one of the good ones. It stays put and fades evenly and I'm trying to be objective about this review but that color just absolutely slays me. Apparently I die for brick reds. 

Rouge Coco Baroque retails for $32.50 (price hike? sigh) at Chanel.com.

Makeup You Want But Cannot Have: Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Blue Ribbons #214

I didn't know this palette existed till a chance browse. I was urging my mother to try a new lipstick formula and I brought her to the Dior counter in a bid to hook her on to Rouge Dior, which was where I met the most insulting SA I've ever encountered in my life. I almost missed out on purchasing this palette because I loathed the idea that she would receive a commission for such rude manners.

But makeup prevails, especially since according to Joeyspace, Dior Blue Ribbons is an Asia exclusive.

I've been on a frosty eyeshadow kick lately. Anything with a good amount of shimmer or sheen I'll gobble up in a jiffy. Dior quints are some of my favorite eyeshadow palettes around, and Blue Ribbons doesn't make me change my stance. I think Dior has been on an amazing run lately (though, what does everyone think about the Spring Collection? The more I see it the less I want it, for some reason).

I'm not sure why the blue shadow looks more green to my eye in the pictures below. Maybe it mixed with my yellow skin and turned green? Or maybe I layered it over the peach and placed some of the black over it? Oh I don't remember. But I know it's pretty!

When I muster up some energy for some eye shots - yes, I do live like a fat slug when I'm back home - there will be more of Makeup You Want But Cannot(?) Have on Messy Wands. I haven't decided if it is glee or trepidation that accompanies my writing these posts (what if you hurl carrots at me for showing you things that are impossible to get?), but they'll (the posts, pray not the carrots) come either way.