From The Straits Times    |
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We are pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to makeup options. Everything is available to us from the drugstore deals and steals, to the plethora of Sephora offerings, and also the high-end luxe cosmetics.

And being borderline obsessive makeup enthusiasts, don’t we just love it all?

So when it comes to trying new or under-the-radar brands, we’re always ready. Recently, two makeup brands have wowed me. Here’s what went down.

 

Zoeva

 

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This brand isn’t new-new. It arrived in Singapore’s Sephora stores in late 2016 and is most-known for its superb quality synthetic makeup brushes and eyeshadow palettes.

I tried: Zoeva The Basic Moment Blush Palette, $26; Naturally Yours Palette eyeshadow, $39; Zoeva Rose Golden Vol. 2 Luxury Set, $130.

The lowdown:

The Basic Moment Blush Palette is perfect for a beginner who’s trying out highlighter-contour for the first time. It has a flattering peach blusher colour, a medium tone bronzer in a good non-shimmer finish, and a beige-tone highlighter to fake a believable glow. The colours are not super intense, so it’s easier to control, plus you can build up the intensity easily.

The Naturally yours Palette Eyeshadow houses beautiful 10 neutral tones for the eyes. It is one of the best eyeshadow palettes to create a natural, soft smoky eye and to give depth and dimension to your peepers. The powders blend silkily on the skin without too much pigment so it’s not so easy to mess up.

The Rose Golden Vol.2 Luxury brush set is a collection of 8 brushes with everything for the face, eyes and lips. The brushes are super soft with synthetic (cruelty-free) fibres and fits well in the nooks of your face as they should. For example, the blusher brush has the perfect dome shape to contour the apples of your cheeks and the eyeshadow brushes pick up the right amount of eyeshadow and deposits it nicely on the eyelid without much fall-out.

Available at Sephora.

 

ALSO READ: Review: 9 lipsticks that leave a pretty stain on your lips so they never look faded

 

FTV Cosmetics

 

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The brand arrived in Singapore with a standalone store in 313 Somerset just end last year (2017). It is housed under the Fashion TV brand and is inspired by the glamorous world of fashion and models’ beauty secrets.

I tried: FTV Cosmetics One & Only Primer, $140; FTV Selfie Liquid Foundation, $130 and FTV Cosmetics Chubby Lipstick

The lowdown:

The One & Only Primer has a soft pink hue and feels velvety soft and weightless on the skin. Once you blend it onto skin, it leaves a silky layer and brightens the complexion so that dark spots and dullness looks less obvious. Foundation glides on well and there’s less oxidation and darkening over the day. Just a point to note, a little goes a long way with this product. If you apply too much, you might find that your foundation may become flakey.

The Selfie Liquid Foundation has a wonderfully easy-to-spread texture. One of the most blendable liquid foundies I’ve tried. The coverage is medium to high so a little goes a long way and it even covers blemishes well. It does smudge if you touch your face so be sure to set it with a loose powder too.

The Chubby Lipstick glides onto lips and has intense colour. I like that the tip of the lipstick is just the right size to contour as well as to fill in the colour. The colour payoff is incredible and has great staying power. One application tip  draw onto clean lips, blot off the excess then reapply and blot again. The colour does transfer but it also lasts on the lips all day if you don’t purposefully wipe it off.

Available at #B1-20/21/22, 313@Somerset