Like almost everyone in this country, the Monday engine has not started, so I was just having idle chatter with a colleague earlier.
Me: “How was your weekend?”
Her: -stunned silence for a good 5 seconds- “What weekend?”
My sentiments exactlyyyyy.
I’m always so torn between spending my weekends fruitfully lazing and recuperating at home, or fruitfully going out, hanging out with friends and creating good memories. This past weekend, I managed to drag my carcass out, and decided to also put in some extra effort in the makeup (think: highlighting and contour, not so much of strobing heh).
Etude House Play 101 Stick Contour Duo – S$24
I say…
The Packaging: It’s a simple and very convenient retractable stick/pencil format. The caps are click-on types (and are the same for both sides).
The Scent: Nil.
The Texture: It glides on very smoothly (semi-cream), but settles into a powdery-matte finish. It’s easily blended, and thankfully doesn’t cake or get patchy even when applied over your existing makeup.
The Application: Based on what I learned from makeup maestro Clarence Lee during the launch event (how-to videos available here!), I used the same methods.
- For highlighting the nose bridge: Draw 5-7 dots down the nose bridge (for makeup noobs) or draw a straight line down your nose bridge (for seasoned makeup pros). Blend gently with a fingertip.
- For shading/contouring the sides of the nose: As before, draw 2-3 tiny dots / draw several short straight lines along the sides of your nose and blend it in. Now make sure you go easy on this and don’t apply too much at one shot, as you might end up looking like a drag queen.
The Verdict: Now as you guys can tell from my eyeliner, I can be pretty heavy handed when it comes to makeup, which means the probability of me looking draggy is about as high as the MRT breakdown frequency. Thankfully, I love that this contour duo has a medium pigmentation – the vibrancy for one layer is visible (but not too much), and is buildable. The highlighter portion isn’t overly shimmery (a very subtle pearly sheen but nothing too shiny nor reflective), while the contour/shading portion is a light-medium hazelnut brown that isn’t too dark and harsh on the skin. This means that all makeup noobs can have a go at trying to contour and highlight without worrying about ruining your existing makeup. Plus, it’s super convenient in its retractable stick format, thus doing away with the need for brushes, or having to worry about fall-out powder flakes. What’s more, it’s got a relatively affordable pricing (compared with other brands, or when you consider having to buy two separate highlighter and contour/shading pacts). Me likey this item, and methinks you will like it too!
