The first stories I ever read were fairy tales. My mother would always buy these little books for me, books about frog princes and warty witches and hapless goodhearted princesses. I grew up loving fairy tales and oh, what I won't give to be a princess myself! And then I got hold of a copy of Grimms' Fairy Tales when I was seven or eight. That one was a shocker for someone who had Disney stamped on her forehead.

Well, I still love princess stories no matter how sordid or saccharine they may get. :) Anyway today I will be reviewing the Etude House Etoinette Special Kit, the brand's princess-themed collection which was released last December if I'm not mistaken. It was inspired by the baroque extravagance of Marie Antoinette.

The set contains a blush, lipstick, kabuki brush, and mirror, all in pretty pastel pink packaging with elaborate dull gold flounces. It rather treads the fine line between looking classy and looking like a toy, but I'm inclined to think that it was all done tastefully. They bring a special brand of cuteness to any vanity!

The products themselves do not disappoint. Well the kabuki brush could be softer I suppose but otherwise I am loving the lipstick, mirror, and blush. Check out the swatches and how the makeup looks like when worn.

You know what, I've never done an all-out pink makeup before. I just didn't think that pink looked good on my eyes, or maybe I just haven't found the right combination of pinks for my skin tone. The latter was actually the correct assumption, once I found these In2It eyeshadow palettes (my review of which is super overdue).

Anyway, I actually built this whole look around the new Clinique Lid Smoothie in Pinkgo Biloba since I wanted to try it out as an eyeshadow base. It's a pretty simple look (just three eyeshadow shades), but I was really pleased by how the pinks flattered my skin and made it look fresh - at least, to my mind. Hehe. I enjoyed this look so I'll definitely wear it again.

If you want to try it out for yourself, the trick is to get the right shades of pink for your skin tone. Fair women can pull off most pinks, medium-toned girls can go for warm peachy-pinks with golden shimmer, while those who are dark-toned will look good in deeper, heavier pinks. Still, this isn't a hard and fast rule, so feel free to experiment!

Face: Jane Iredale Dream Tint, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup, Guerlain Meteorites

One of the most beautiful lipsticks I own is this Paul & Joe Lipstick C in Afternoon Delight. What an apt name! The cardboard packaging features a beautiful floral print in grays and fuchsias while the lipstick tube itself has Paul & Joe's iconic chrysanthemum engraving.

As with all Paul & Joe products that I've tried, this lipstick has a superb formula. It feels like lip balm, very thin and moisturizing. The finish is a hybrid of satin and gloss which makes lips look more supple. As for the color - it's cute!