Makeup trends that I would totally jump on the bandwagon for in a heartbeat run far and few between. While I’d term myself a self-proclaimed skincare junkie who would review any skincare trend in a flash (and the flesh!), makeup trends are trickier to pull off as I’m always a sucker for looks and colour tones that are both timeless and chic. Not to mention, I’m not the most adventurous when it comes to wild colours and varied textures.
Read: I’m probably too chicken to try these crimson contact lenses or even full-on glitter-fied looks as such. That said, I would settle for a swipe of glitter on my eyelids, preferably in the smaller speckles as opposed to chunkier particles. But getting stuck in a comfort zone isn’t always a good thing, so when I received these interesting makeup products that beget a load of swatches, I figured—why not dip my toes (or fingers, in this case) in a few makeup trends while I’m at it?
Trend #1: Coloured liner
I used: Marc Jacobs Beauty Ultra-Skinny Gel Eye Crayon in (Grape)Vine
My take: A HG eyeliner in my books is hard to come by—I am in possession of the oiliest lids that I know of, and no amount of waterproof, smudge-proof, grease-proof, everything-proof gel or crayon eyeliner can stay put on my lids without smudging onto my hooded lids.
Naturally, I’m very grateful for eye primers, powder shadows and the like. Reviewing this gel liner meant that I needed to prime the heck outta my lids and below my eye area, and instead of wearing it in my usual cat-eye flick, I opted to tight-line my upper lash line for a very subtle pop of colour and smudge it gently.
Would I try this again?: To my own surprise, yes. I’ve been tight-lining my eyes with this eyeliner every other day for this past two weeks and I love how it makes my peepers look rounder and wider. Plus, the purple hue didn’t make my eyes look as harsh as a regular black liner would.
The only downside? It doesn’t glide on as smoothly as I had expected, although the grape-y shade translated beautifully when smudged. Also, it stayed on pretty well throughout the day with minimal transferring.
Tip: Using an angled brush, I pressed on a layer of neutral brown shadow on my lash line (over the liner) to keep it smudge-proof all day long.
Trend #2: Coloured mascara
I used: Shiseido ControlledChaos MascaraInk in 03 Violet Vibe
My take: My initial apprehension with this trend was: “What eye/lip/face makeup should complement my lashes? Will I look too OTT?” But the great thing about Shiseido’s new mascara is that it’s made for coloured lash newbies who want their eyelashes to stand out without stealing too much of the attention.
Out of the four shades, my favourite is 03 Violet Vibe—it’s the most muted purple-toned mascara I’ve come across, if I had to describe it in a few words. I wore this with the abovementioned liner for a matchy look, although it resembled more of a deep brown/charcoal black from certain angles.
Would I try this again?: My lashes are stick straight and hate to hold a curl, which (sadly) the ControlledChaos MascaraInk didn’t do enough to help in that aspect. But if you’re looking for a volumising mascara that doesn’t flake or smudge, this is your new go-to.
Colour-wise, if you peer closely enough at my eyes, you might be able to glean streaks of violet on my lashes. 04 Emerald Energy fared better in offering a more obvious hint of colour.
Tip: Wipe off excess product from the mascara wand before application—this packs a punch in delivering a lot of formula, and it might look clumpy if you don’t angle the wand right. Use the curved side to separate lashes and build additional volume.
Trend #3: One complexion palette for my entire face
I used: Benefit Cosmetics The Cheekleaders Cheek Palette
My take: Bronzer isn’t always on my list of makeup must-dos before I leave the house. I typically rely on a good cream/powder highlighter and blush for a natural glow, but I was keen to try out this all-in-one palette. It has five shades you need to highlight, contour and bronze, plus it comes with a full-sized brush for on-the-go touch ups.
I’m a few shades too fair for the bronzers, so my trick to working them was to use it as neutral eyeshadow bases. It glides on super smoothly—you can even use this with your fingers because the buttery-rich formula blends out amazingly well. I blended both the Coralista and Gold Rush blush hues on the apples of my cheeks and a swip of the new Cookie highlighter on my cheekbones. Sharp facial angles to blind people from afar—check.
Would I try this again?: The Cheekleaders Cheek Palette is pretty much my mainstay in my makeup bag now. I love how each product translates on my skin (given its propensity for eczema) and also have I mentioned how lovely they smell? A few compliments on my complexion came my way when I wore this out one fine day, so I have no choice but to keep it now.
Tip: The Hoola Caramel works brilliantly as a contour shade for the sides of the nose and beneath the jawline.
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