Flashing Rainbows

I haven't been genuinely excited about a nail polish for a while, but my newest discovery has been a revelation. Models Own Northern Lights was another impulse buy that was part of my Luxola order. I was looking for something relatively inexpensive that would qualify me for free shipping, and naturally gravitated toward nail polishes and the Models Own page. The only other Models Own nail polish I had was the exquisite Indian Ocean, so I was hoping to find something equally unique and visually arresting.

I don't have any purely holographic polishes despite a strong interest in them, though I have a few glitter polishes that partially contain holographic glitter. Northern Lights is a dusty, blush pink glitter polish in a clear base, where the individual glitter particles have a strong holographic effect. It's quite a dense glitter polish and two coats sufficed to provide opaque coverage. I first used two coats of Savvy by DB Nude to provide a neutral, tinted base, followed with three coats of Northern Lights, then sealed everything with my trusty Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat. It's been six days and still not a chip in sight — a seriously impressive feat given glitter polishes are notorious for chipping quickly.

Northern Lights is absolutely dazzling in direct sunlight but still powerfully holographic under artificial or indirect light. Despite that, it doesn't seem gaudy or OTT, mainly due to the muted pink base and the small, uniform glitter particles. If it were made of chunky, differently sized glitter, and there was a stronger contrast between the holographic effect and the base colour, the whole character of the polish would change. Northern Lights manages to pull off a rare thing: elegance in a party varnish.

Dark Flair

Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Arabian Nights was a complete impulse buy. I was freshly showered, in bed and casually browsing social media on my iPad before planning to nod off, when I saw a 30% off coupon at Luxola. Having never heard of the site before, I followed the link, looked through the brands they stocked, and the rest is history. I was debating between Arabian Nights and Garden of Eden and for a moment had both in my cart, but in the end, online swatches of Arabian Nights edged out Garden of Eden, which had about 3 too many green shades for my liking.

Top row: Scheherazade's Tale, Gold Souk, Aladdin's Lamp, Sultan's Garden, Hocus Pocus, Simbad's Seas

Bottom row: Genie, Black Magic, Stallion, Sorcerer, Valley of Diamonds, 1001 Nights

Scheherazade's Tale is a pink/peach shimmery highlight. Gold Souk is chunky foil gold. Aladdin's Lamp is a taupey dark bronze with a pewter undertone. Sultan's Garden is a patchy moss green with goldish emerald sparkles. Hocus Pocus is a vibrant, gleaming, jewel-tone emerald. Simbad's Seas is a concentrated, jewel-tone ultramarine/sapphire blue.

Genie is a cool-tone, dark bronze with purplish sparkles. Black Magic is a dark greenish gunmetal. Stallion is a deep matte aubergine. Sorcerer is a metallic dark moss green. Valley of Diamonds is a dark royal purple with a sprinkling of copper glitter. 1001 Nights is a blackish hunter green.

The quality of Arabian Nights is on par with previous Sleek eyeshadow palettes I've reviewed, including Storm, Bad Girl and Oh So Special, which is to say there's always 2-3 relatively underwhelming shades and 1-2 standouts. In Arabian Nights, Sultan's Garden is quite sheer and Gold Souk was surprisingly difficult to pick up pigment-wise, despite both being shimmery shades that Sleek generally excel at. The only matte shadow in the palette, Stallion, was slightly dry and chalky, but had good colour payoff. Hocus Pocus and Simbad's Seas, two intense, eye-catching shades that wouldn't look out of place in the Tom Ford Emerald Lust quad, are the stars of the palette. It's debatable how much wear I'd get out of them though, considering I rarely stray from the safety zone of my beloved neutrals.

The main selling point of these i-Divine Eyeshadow Palettes is how affordable they are (generally under $20 at full price) and the sheer variety of interesting, original shades on offer that would otherwise be difficult to track down in comparable palettes or as single eyeshadows. Even if I might not reach for them with any regularity, as an eyeshadow enthusiast, I like having the option there should I ever be in a more creative or experimental mood, or simply want to play around with colours and looks. The shade selection of Arabian Nights might not be the most daytime appropriate or office friendly, but it's precisely the dramatic and exotic character of the palette that drew me in. (Being limited edition never hurts either.) Having said that, given how close in appearance dark shades are when applied on the lid, and the fact I've basically never touched my Bad Girl palette which also consists mostly of intense, deep shades, it's debatable whether Arabian Nights really adds all that much to my existing options.

Is the SUQQU Cheek Brush Worth It?

Well, is it?

Before purchasing it, the most I'd spent on a brush was the Too Faced Powder Pouf for $35. The majority of my brushes are from Real Techniques or Ecotools and I had no complaints about their quality or performance. I certainly didn't feel like my collection was lacking and I didn't have any particular desire to venture into the world of premium makeup brushes.

But what set the SUQQU Cheek Brush apart was how darn frequently it appeared in my Queen Lisa Eldridge's makeup tutorials (she affectionately dubs it her "kitten paw" brush). Over the course of nearly three years, my position on the grey squirrel hair brush moved from "pffftt, I don't need anything that fancy or expensive", to "oh God, I really want it ... but admit me to a psychiatric ward should I seriously contemplate purchasing it" to "YOLO, I'm at a SUQQU counter in Japan, just take my $160".

Yes, it's soft. The top candidate for the softest brush that's made contact with my skin.

It manages to diffuse very pigmented blushes (like Sleek Rose Gold or Illamasqua Naked Rose) that ordinarily would be a challenge to apply, and sheer them out so they're actually wearable. In that sense, it does serve a useful and unique purpose.

Having said that, I find the softness and floppiness of it, and the fact it gives way when you press it into your skin, makes it harder to control if you want more pinpoint placement or strong colour payoff straight away, without having to build up the pigmentation in layers. The SUQQU gives a softened, well blended look, but I find myself reaching for a more firm, dense brush like the Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Blush Brush if I want a more pronounced, contoured effect with a blush/bronze hybrid like NARS Luster.

For the price, it's about the same as the degustation menu at a nice restaurant or good tickets to a concert. If you're willing to part with your pennies, the SUQQU Cheek Brush may be a worthwhile investment. It's a well made, luxuriously soft brush that will effortlessly diffuse, soften and blend out your blushes (especially highly pigmented ones), highlighters and bronzers, and give you a subtle, natural flush. Otherwise, if the splurge still seems daunting, I don't feel this is a must-have or absolute game-changer. While undoubtedly nice to have, cheaper brushes will still do the trick.

Dim Light in a Foundation

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation SPF25 PA++ is a timely reminder of the importance of not buying a new foundation in a rush and without any prior research. It was my last day in Japan and I had some cash to burn, so when I stumbled across a Koh Gen Do stand at some pharmacy looking shop, I immediately decided to buy one of their foundations. I'd heard of the brand before but didn't really have any detailed concept of their products or ethos, except that their foundations appeared to be well-received by beauty bloggers/vloggers, on the pricier side and not widely available. While there were testers available, it was next to impossible to accurately gauge what my colour match was in the shop, so I opted for the seemingly least problematic shade, 013.

l-r: NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in 013, Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in 118

The main issue I have with Maifanshi Aqua Foundation is entirely my fault: I picked the wrong shade. As you can see in the above swatch, my two other most frequently used foundations, NARS Sheer Glow and Make Up For Ever HD Foundation, are considerably more yellow-toned. I would say that the MUFE is the best match for my skin tone (it has more neutral/beige undertones), while the NARS is close but sometimes too yellow and slightly dark. The Koh Gen Do in comparison, leans pink which is completely at odds with the natural undertone of my skin. Reading reviews after I'd already purchased the foundation, I think I should have picked 213. I did actually try 213 as well as 113 in the shop, but 113 seemed noticeably too light for me (though apparently it's meant to be the same lightness as 013, but just yellow-toned), and 213, although yellow-leaning, seemed a touch too dark.

Wearing NARS Luster blush

The first few times I tried Maifanshi Aqua Foundation, I applied it with my fingers and used at least 1.5-2 pumps, and I wasn't impressed with the result at all. Maybe it was because I'd just stepped off a plane (though I had washed my face and moisturised with a rich cream to prep), but contrary to claims of it being soft-focus and blurring imperfections, it seemed to accentuate every dry patch I had. The colour was also grotesquely off, much to my deep dismay. My face looked like I'd applied a liberal layer of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light. It was that exact same undesired effect that I complained about when I reviewed Dim Light, in that my whole complexion seemed darker, warmer, more tan and peach/pink-toned. I wanted a foundation that matched my skin colour, gave me good coverage, provided a natural but illuminating finish and that made me look fresher and more alive. This foundation just made me stare in the mirror critically examining what a flop decision I'd made in purchasing it.

The only way I can make Aqua Foundation work is if I apply a very light layer (one pump or less for the whole face) with a fluffy brush like the Real Techniques Multi Task Brush on properly exfoliated/moisturised skin, and then spend time patiently concealing any marks, blemishes or areas of redness with my NARS Creamy Concealer in Custard. This method is a bit of a pain in the ass since I'd much rather have a foundation that already gives me adequate coverage rather than having to go in with a concealer to finish the job, but it's the only way to get around the unwanted pinkness.

The foundation itself has a light, watery texture and is scant on coverage unless built up, which I wouldn't recommend (at least if you're like me and have purchased the wrong shade). Somewhat ironically, a light-handed application gives me a more dewy, softly luminous finish than if I apply the foundation any heavier. Staying power is ordinary (it's definitely considerably faded by the end of the day, especially if not worn with a primer or set with a powder in the morning), and I found nothing of particular note in terms of oil control or how transfer-proof it is.

Another puzzling aspect of this foundation is that I can't seem to find any information about it being SPF25. The Sephora website and other US stockists list it as SPF15 but the packaging seems identical. I don't know if it's some geographical discrepancy or newer formulation, but some clarification on the issue would be helpful.

Overall, I'm not enthused with Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation despite high expectations (i.e. my brain attributing a general elevated quality standard to any cosmetic product made in Japan). I will continue to use it purely because it was expensive and it seems like a waste to neglect it entirely, and because it's an acceptable daily foundation so long as my skin's behaving and I can bothered to conceal afterwards. The whole experience has reinforced to me that buying the wrong shade foundation is akin to throwing your money in the bin.