Lavenderlilac Dream

Swatches: Butter London Branwen's Feather

2012-02-01T01:17:00.001-05:00

These pictures were edited and sat in my photobucket account for a long time now. I almost forgot about them until I finally had the time to double check my photos over the winter break. Sorry!! >___<;;;

After not wearing nailpolish for the entire summer, the first shade I really wanted to wear again was this (Butter London's Branwen's Feather). Maybe I wasn't use to how dark it was or my hands were just unusually dry, looked more wrinkly, and stiff that it felt weird having such a dark polish on my nails. But if this is the first color I want to wear it must mean something right? :P I still haven't worn this out yet this season. Instead, I've opted for the lighter colors. I'll wear this again...possibly soon!

This is the very first expensive nail polish I bought. I stumbled upon it when I was at Ricky's in Soho. I don't know what made me actually fork out the money for this polish, but I'm glad I tried at least one of butter london's polishes.

Taken in artificial lighting

I can't say for their other shades, but this particular one applies and dries very quickly! Especially if I put a thinner layer. Then, I just put another coat and it is usually opaque enough and with no streakiness. However, if I'm lazy, I can get away with one slightly thicker coat of this polish. To what I can remember, I didn't have any indent incidents with this polish at all.

The polish looks pretty much the same (to me at least) as it does in the bottle. I have yet to come across one that isn't...But, under certain types of lighting the polish will either look like a purple to dark purple or black with slightly purple hues.

I also like the fact that they are a 3-free company. I wasn't very much away of those 3 "bad chemicals" in nail polishes until I read about it on a nail blog about it. It's always nice to be on the cautious side.

Overall, if there is a particular shade I feel I absolutely cannot live without it and I happen to come across it in a store OR if I had a job and extra cash to spend I would definitely want to purchase a few more butter london polishes. However, these are way out of my budget range for polishes as of right now =X I can only dream of the next time I could try another one of their shades hehe ...

Taken under natural lighting

Branwen's Feathwe with Essie Matte Top Coat on ringer finger

This occasion I wore Branwen's Feather, I was also experimenting with the Essie Matte Top Coat. I think in the end I put the Essie Matte Top Coat onto the others as well. It felt a bit weird to me...I still haven't gotten use to the matte look. With the Matte top coat, the polish actually just looks like a lightened black with some shimmers. The top coat actually wears away after a few days.

Has anyone tried expensive polishes before? Which one(s)? What did you think of them compared to others like OPI, Essie, and drugstore polishes?

Cute Blog Award

2012-01-27T00:27:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Kar Yi from AngelicBetrayal. Thank you sooo much!! & Visit her blog!! Who'd have thought my blog would get a cute blog award :P I didn't...especially when I don't even update often hehe...=X

For this award you:
1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the award questions.
3. Tell something about yourself you haven't told anyone on your blog yet.
4. Award as many blogs that you think are worthy of this award.
5. Make sure you let those you gave the award to know that you awarded them.

Award Questions:

1. What is your go to makeup product?
I tend to wear very minimal makeup on a day to day basis. Enough that not many people even realize I wear makeup at all xD I tend to reach for a illuminating base (from Beauty Credit) and powder (usually I wear my MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural but I've been recently trying out my new Canmake compact for the past few days) if I wear any products at all.

2. What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?

To be honest, I don't follow the fashion trends. When I shop I wear whatever I feel most comfortable in (hoodies, T-shirts, & jeans). I don't know what the fashion trends of 2011 were but I really liked the sheer blouse look...that I sadly cannot wear with my chubby figure =\

3. What is your favorite dessert?

I LOVE desserts! But have to stay away from them now for the better of my health ^__^ I really like cakes/cupcakes. My ultimate favorite desserts are probably anything with red bean in it, particularly 紅豆沙 hong dou sa...wiki calls it red bean soup. Any other red bean lovers? ^__^ Apparently it runs in the family! My cousins from my dad's side also loves red bean! I didn't believe in such things before until they mentioned it.

4. Favorite color?
PURPLE!! I hope someone noticed from my blog name hehe Although I tend to wear pretty plain colors (black, white, grey, navy...very boring!) I'm not a risky person >__>

5. What is your middle name?

I don't have a middle name.

6. What was the last song you listened to?

The very last song I 'listened' to was something that was playing at the gym & I don't remember what it was because I wasn't paying attention. So I'll share the last song that played on my phone (I use it as a music player, multi-purpose :D)...Everyday by Hwanhee (환희)

Something about myself:

I think I've only told this to one (or two) people in the blogging world...I'm a HUGE k-pop and korean dramas fan/lover/follower! I think it started when I was in middle school? Either I stumbled upon it while reading fan-fictions with k-pop idol characters or bestie brought me into it with Super Junior and DBSK. Whichever way, now I can't seem to get out of it =X 2NE1, Big Bang, WonderGirls, 2PM, 2AM, SNSD, IU, City Hunter, Secret Garden, The Greatest Love, Running Man and many many more...I listen to them all. Not too much of the newer and younger ones though (I'm jealous...and they are getting too young!) xD Since college started, I can't follow dramas and the new song releases as much but it's a great way (for me) to relieve stress! Although I've got to say...I'm not updated as bestie! She's always very informed at what is happened in that department :P What I would do to be able to visit Korea...!! *Embarrassed hehe

I will tag...
*SPARKLE♡APPLE*
Make Peace with Yourself :)
epued ♥ panda
Lifeandlensofbeauty
Shop N' Chomp
LittoMokaa's

Do check out their blogs! There are many others but I think they may already be tagged?

New Home, New Year, & New Storage

2012-01-23T02:02:00.004-05:00

Happy Lunar New Year Everyone!!!

So exciting! This year is the first year I do not have school/class on lunar new year. No more being stuck in school when a majority of the people celebrating are home!

新年快樂 & 恭喜發財 ^___^

Sun nin faai lok/Xin nian kuai le & Gung hei faat choi/Gong xi fa cai

Hope everyone, who still gets red envelopes, get lots of them :P

--------------------

I thought that this topic seems appropriate for a new year, don't you think?

Fresh start. Everything is cleaned and organized and ready for the new year :] Let's just hope everything stays this neat and tidy for a long time!

I'm sorry there aren't any celebration related photos today! I didn't want to repost any old photos I've taken during previous lunar new years or use ones from Google image. So here are some pictures of my new storage system.

If I am able to get any photos tomorrow (well this morning to be exact), I will definitely share them with everyone :]

I am being very picky with my furniture. Even after moving in for over a month now I still haven't had the time to find a computer table that suits what I wanted =.=

Therefore, my nightstand has to serve a different purpose for now hehe

If anyone is interested the night stand is from West Elm (Narrow-Leg End Table) and this bookcase/storage unit is from Ikea (Expedit Shelving Unit).

I actually really like the Ikea Shelving Unit. I didn't even know they even made these drawers! When I saw this on the website I thought I'd just use it as a bookcase or buy the fabric lined or plastic containers. Although the material isn't very sturdy it can hold light stuff pretty well. I hope/plan to buy a few more of the drawers in the future to store other stuff :D

Top drawer of the 2 smaller ones - Face

Holds my pressed powders, loose powders, blushers, bronzers, concealers, highlighters, a couple lip/cheek tints, and an eye palette/trio or two.

Bottom drawer of the two smaller ones - Eyes & Lips

Holds my eye makeup and lip products and a few N.Y.C. creme sticks.

Those dividers are from The Container Store. I first saw them in one of fuzkittie's makeup collection/storage video and thought they were very cool. I think that these work pretty well to divide products without having to buy different sectional containers (which usually cost more). However, you must remember to buy a minimum of 2 packages of these because even for such a small drawer I didn't have enough to section off everything. Hence, trying to be frugal and cheap, I had to use make-shift dividers using the leftover short pieces.

Bigger drawer - Misc.

Has all my new products that I haven't used, masks, tubes/bottles of product that I do not want to leave on top to collect dust. Since I took this picture, this drawer has been completely filled :X

My side of the bathroom :P ... Never thought I'd be able to say that yet!

I finally have enough space on the counter top to place all/most of my skincare items! Now I can put all the good stuff I buy on my face right after I wash. A big problem I had before I moved was my face being dried out by the time I walked from the bathroom to my bedroom. I've heard bloggers/youtubers said that it is best to put serum/moisturizer/etc. on when your face is still a bit moist or damp.

First drawer by the sink

Some bits and bobs of skincare that didn't fit on the counter top basket.

Second drawer by the sink

All my bases, primers, foundations, BB Creams, some highlighters, and my NAKED palette.

I have a big base makeup problem! I think I need to go on an base makeup ban =.=

A lot of my BB Creams are getting old :X

My ever growing box of samples. I should really get to using these! :O

Compared to my last makeup collection from 2010(!), it has grown quite a lot. I have to admit my problem now that I'm looking at one set of photos next to the other >___< Maybe for the first few months of this year I should just focus on using these products only and buy as few products (best would be no products) as possible!

Anyone else feel the same way? Why do things have to be always easier said than done :(

**Just incase the gov't people are still being strict about these things...Items shown were either bought by me or by my parents for me. I am not sponsored or affiliated by any of these companies. Although it would be nice if I was LOL...I do not get anything from the links available in the post, they are just posted to make it easier for readers and to help readers who are interested in the product.**

More 2011 Empties

2012-01-19T12:36:00.002-05:00

Look what I found when I was unpacking my things!! More empties...YAY ^__^

Most of them are not completely finished because they're either really old and needs to be thrown out or I know definitely expired (this sounds repetitive but you'll understand when you read further down :P)

Anyway...I guess I did 'finish' more products in 2011 than I remembered!

1. Laneige Star White Multi-Protector SPF40 PA+++

I actually bought this second-hand from a seller on Soompi. I really wanted to try it but couldn't go to the store or order a new one from online. At the time I completely forgot to ask when she purchased it. It's already been over a year maybe even two since I bought it from the seller so I feel it's time to toss it out.

I thought this product was okay. Nothing to scream about. It's very liquidy and easy to blend. I liked the consistency of it the most. But I think it was a rather tacky/sticky product. This product seems to be discontinued anyway (with the Star White line) so it's a good thing I didn't end up loving it :P

2. Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Treatment

I've used this acne treatment for a very...very...long time. I never really liked it. It stung a lot! Especially if I happened to have an open wound. The product would also take a long time to dry down and when it did it would leave a dry/tight spot on my face. I don't know how I would be able to apply it multiple times through the day (as suggested) if I wore makeup or even sunscreen for the matter. Maybe it's just my skin, but I didn't see very extraordinary results from this product :\

3. Lush Grease Lightning

I requested this in a giveaway I won from LaBelleMel a long time ago. At the time a few youtubers/bloggers mentioned how much they liked it. After trying it...I didn't get the same results as them! Sucks when this happens. In fact I didn't have any results ._. When I applied it, it didn't have any stinging like other acne treatments I've tried. But it would dry and leave some sort of a clear film on my face. Once it cracks and it'll start to flake off. Is that normal? I also didn't get to finish this product because it has an expiration date since Lush doesn't use preservatives/use very little amount of preservatives.

4. H20+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment (oil-free)

I received this sample from Lil Lady's Life's giveaway package. I've reviewed the full-sized product here.

5. MAC Cosmetics Fix+

This bottle lasted me quite some time. I only used this after I applied my makeup to give me the dewy look or to look less powdery. I really liked this product. I can't put how I feel about it in words (I know this sounds ridiculous...I should be able to tell you why I like a product but it's just one of those that just is products hehe) =.= Fix+ made me look very natural whenever I had makeup on...I'd probably repurchase this after I finish a few of my mists that I currently have.

August - December 2011 Collective Haul

2012-01-16T17:50:00.001-05:00

This post is a bit late, but better late than never! :]

I think I did a pretty good job controlling myself in the later part of 2011, compared to the earlier half. No? In past I've bought this many products in one-two months alone heh :X

Let's see if I can control myself better in 2012. Must try to use my stash!!

Onward with my haulage ~~

*Picture heavy!!*

Maybelline Fit Me line haul

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 210 Sandy Beige and 220 Natural Beige

Swatches of Maybelline Fit Me Foundations

L to R: 210 Sandy Beige, 220 Natural Beige

I have since returned shade 220 because it seemed a bit too dark for me. Even 210 doesn't exactly fit my skintone but I have many BB Creams that are too light for me so I justified keeping one so I could mix products.

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 220 Natural Beige

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment

I got this after a few bloggers recommended it, especially because of Lil Lady's Life. I've tried a few acne treatments before and they all stung or made my face very feel dry/tight wherever I placed it. Also I never saw a lot of results from those. However, this one didn't have any of those problems! Maybe it's because it doesn't contain salycic acid like the other acne treatments I've tried. This isn't a miracle product for me (yet) because it does take some time for the product to do its job. But I can't ask for too much from a product :P I just wish it wasn't so expensive for one tube.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

After trying a few pencil & liquid liners and not having much luck with either, I decided to venture into gel liners. I've only used this a handful of times. It felt strange applying liner with a brush. Probably need to practice more heh...I don't quite remember if this also smudged on me or not. Will try to report back on it later on!

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm in Sheer Peach Tint and Sheer Pink Tint

Again, I got these after reading reviews on it. I'm always looking for lip balms, tinted lip products that are sheer. This seemed to fit my criteria. I used these a few times (but not when my lips were very dry so I cannot say how well it hydrates). For someone like me who doesn't wear much lip product & is self-conscious whenever I do where colored lip products, I think these do a good job in providing just a little color. A small step to get myself more comfortable with wearing lipstick/gloss xD

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Temptress & Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Temptress

I got these when CVS had their Extrabucks deal on Revlon lip products a while ago. This was probably the first time that I actually went to CVS trying to get products for Extrabucks. It wasn't a pleasant experience though. I went in thinking all the lipstick/gloss shades were a part of the deal but in reality only a few were. It wasn't marked or anything and the only way was to check the price (which I didn't do). I ended up buying I think one of the two at full price and realized I didn't get the Extrabucks...so I returned and bought some one that was a part of the deal and repurchased my return =.=Ahh...incident #1 of me spending more money that I probably should have. A great example of me impulse buying.

Anyone want to share their money saving tips with me? hehe :P

Target Sample Bag #2

Target samples

When Nouveau Cheap posted about the Target sample bag a while back I rushed to fill the form out. It was very hectic. I didn't even think I would receive anything because the site didn't say my form went through.

The makeup bag's design is very...interesting...heh. Definitely not something I would purchase, not my cup of tea xD But I shouldn't complain too much since it was free. This bag, if I remember correctly, is actually a little bigger than the last one (blue, purple, and white one).

My first Sephora online purchase during the Friends and Family sale

I was so surprised to see all the paper that was in the box!

I think they probably could have just used a smaller box :P

Clarisonic Replacement Brush Heads 2pk - Sensitive

Bestfriend and I split this particular item. I've mentioned before that we got our Mia's at the same time, so we needed replacements around the same time. The brush heads are pretty expensive so I waited for some kind of sale before I bought a replacement.

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40+

After using up my Shiseido sunscreen and trying a Japanese milk sunscreen for a while, I really wanted to purchase a new sun protection product. I've been eyeing this particular one for a long time because of it's size and since it is a natural sunscreen (my personal preference). I've been using it more lately during my break and I'm not sure if it's the Genie in the Bottle serum...my moisturizer...or this SPF, but my skin feels very soft lately! Makes me want to try the Argan Oil as well hehe Maybe in the future...

The samples that I picked. I haven't tried them yet though.

Has anyone used/tried these products before? If so...how are they?

Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid

I realized I have been purchasing a lot of products that Lil Lady's Life recommends xD The strange thing is most have worked pretty well for me too. I bought this when I was running low on my Hada Labo Arbutin Milky Lotion. I've recently started to use this exclusively to see how it faired. Although I don't like the immediate feel (tight) after some time when my skin fully absorbs it, my face is very soft and doesn't feel as dry. The best part is it isn't too expensive!

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42 PA+++ in No.27 Honey Beige

I think this is a new shade, correct me if I'm wrong. I actually got this for 'free' during their labor day (?) promotion. The reason for 'free' is because I had to pay for shipping which was around $9-10. I had some trouble with this order because I didn't receive any confirmation from Missha. I thought I was just unlucky and it wouldn't come! But to my surprise it arrived. No.27 is more yellow/golden undertone than 23. It also doesn't have much gray either, which is always good. However, it is a bit dark for me so I use it to mix with my lighter BB Creams. I never formally compared this shade with the other darker BB Creams I own but I think it is similar to the Hadalabo BB Moist Emulsion SPF50+ PA+++ in Natural Ochre or Nanoce BB Moist Cream...I'll try to post swatches soon!!

Sephora Haul

Sephora Pro Foundatio Airbrush #55

This purchase came about because of the Beauty Insider's giftcard I received (through e-mail) a couple of months ago. I just couldn't pass it up =X I went into the store with one list and walked out with a bag of different products! How often does this happen to everyone else?

Clinique Chubby Stick in Woppin' Watermelon

I wasn't expecting to find this at Sephora but after I spotted it I couldn't resist. I have a soft spot for sheer lip products :X I can't comment too much on it's lip balm properties because I haven't used it enough or consistently to see the effects. I probably wouldn't purchase more until I use most of this one or if I have another gift card from Sephora.

Jack Black Lip Balm SPF25 in Black Tea & Black Berry

My lip balm collection just keeps growing! I decided I should probably take care of my lips with SPF products since I do so with my face already. Picking a flavor was a little overwhelming. I wanted to have all of them but I realized it was a bit much, therefore I only got one (for now xD). I must say it works well and the flavor isn't bad. The plus is it doesn't have any mint in it! However I did notice that the sunscreen ingredients it used was Octinoxate, which if I remember correctly is a chemical sunscreen that could cause some sort of bad effect (but don't quote me on that...I should do more research on this!).

Sephora Glass Nail File

The American Apparel warehouse sale came to New York in mid December. I went twice the first week it opened. I didn't pick up many pieces because the prices of the prettier items were still out of my preferred price range. I ended up purchasing only two hoodies, two pairs of leggings, and a tank, & of course these three polishes. Many of the polishes available weren't very well mixed. These were considered the few good ones. You could see in Factory Grey and Peacock that there are two colors in them.

I purchased this at a nail supply store. I've been searching for a spatula like product. I don't know the real purpose for this item but it works well as a spatula so I have no complains :P

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat

At the nail supply store I also purchase this base coat. I was actually looking for a top coat but hastily said "What is a good base coat?" instead *smacks head* I didn't realize it until I came home that night. *sigh* Well I'm set for a base coat for the next year or two! hehe

Any recommendations for a top coat? Besides Seche Vite and Essie Good to Go?

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser

Yet another purchase made after reading Lil Lady's Life's blog! I was running out of my Hada Labo cleansers and wanted one that had some acne fighting ingredients in it. I must say this cleanser is drying! But the smell is nice, just like grapefruit. I don't know how I feel on this product yet...must use it longer to see how it does for my acne.

Empties from the last half of 2011

2012-01-04T18:57:00.001-05:00

So many other bloggers shared their amazing finished products lists for the last couple of days. It reminded me of all the empties that I had in comparison...haha. My collection is very modest, embarrassingly to say. For the last 6 months, I was only able to complete 10 products. Many that I have currently are on the verge of being finished as I type this, but I tend to leave them hanging because I think I'll get to reviewing it soon so I'll need to revisit the product...My bad procrastinating habit get the best of me. *sigh*

What I was able to finish:

1. Garnier Fructis Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream

I got this, I believe, shortly after it came out and many people started to review the product. I thought it was okay while it lasted. It was nothing to run and scream about. It made my skin nice and soft after I applied it, but didn't do much for my flakiness during the winter months that I used it. Also, if I remember correctly, it contained alcohol (?) of some sort which made the product dry down ("soak in") quickly but I'm pretty sure it's not good in the long run...I will not repurchase this because I like something better :] and this was just an average product for me.

2. H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

I've reviewed it already. Click to see review!

3. H2O+ Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator

Same as No.2 :]

4. H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water

Click click click! ^^

5. Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

This was my first lip scrub and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. It smelled and tasted nice...since it was basically just sugar and some oils, I assume, put together. But it didn't really do anything in the exfoliating department. I would rub and rub until my fingers were sore and the chapped skin on my lips just wouldn't come off. I had better luck rubbing my lips with my fingers =X Also...maybe it was just this particular version...but the product had a lot of stages. First the texture felt nice and fine. As I finished the top most layer it started to I guess dry out and become rather chunky and difficult to use. When I dumped that layer out it became the slightly emollient texture it was originally. I think for the price, I could have just used sugar I had around my house and it may have worked as well...However, I am considering trying the Bon Bon lip scrub just out of curiosity heh =]

6. Crabtree & Evelyn Citron, Honey, & Coriander Skin Quenching Body Lotion (mini-size)

I found a few of these lotions hanging around and decided to give it a try as a hand lotion. And I LOVE how it soaks in without leaving a film of any sort!! This rarely happens for me with lotions (I wonder why...). The only negative is it's not a one time use and bye bye dryness sort of product. I have to keep remembering to reapply to keep my hands nice and soft. However, layering doesn't seem to leave a film either so it's alright (for me)! Also...Crabtree & Evelyn are on the expensive side so I am a little more hesitant on buying the full sized. I probably will though despite that fact. Right now I'm just deciding on whether or not to try a different version since I have some more of the Citron ones at home. Any recommendations?

7. Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum

I finally got around to start using this serum when the Fall season kicked in. Although the weather was oddly warm for the past couple of months, my skin still suffered (in addition to using an anti-spot treatment again). I went through one of the four bottles that came in the set and I can say that I like it. It helps keep my face moisturized, but it isn't deep moisturizing. Because after I wash my face and such it would be dry again =.= But whenever I put it on, my skin feels very soft and supple. But just for the fact that it has a low price for 4 30ml bottles of serum I would considering repurchasing. My one complain is after I opened the second bottle, I actually had to pour the product into the empty bottle because the dropper wouldn't fit into the new container. If I was rash and threw the empty bottle away I wouldn't have any way to keep the new one closed.

8. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick

This was one lip product that I really liked. If I remember correctly, I kept my lips very soft and moisturized without drying it out. Due to the size of the swivel stick, I found it hard to finish completely because the product wouldn't completely swivel back down and I had to forcibly close the cap to prevent it from drying. It create quite a mess. I do not know if it's because mine was faulty or not but that was the only unpleasant part of this product. There may be a smaller lip balm version of the product but I'm not too sure if it's still around. I may repurchase this if I come across it (it was difficult to find!) but not soon since I have a gazillion other lip balms to finish up.

9. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream for Face SPF55 PA+++

Sunscreen takes forever for me to complete. I was very glad I finished this one! Not because it was bad but because I was tired of it and wanted to try something new =X I really think this product worked because while I was using this my face stayed pretty light throughout the summer and my doctor kept saying I was Vitamin D deficient. The only thing really bad about this product was the white cast it could leave behind if not blended well. After I apply this my face does look rather white...but that could also be because I tend to apply it heavy handed. I may go back to this product. Depending on if I come across something I like better or not.

10. Hada Labo Tamagohada Daily Face Wash

A cleanser that I really liked! I was very sad when it got to its end...I've had many good skin days with this product. Although it didn't give me the hard-boiled egg skin that I was hoping for haha It also doesn't completely stop me from breaking out but my skin felt very clean and fresh whenever I used it. The main winning point was it did not dry my skin out. This is also rare when I use cleansers =.= I just wish it was easier to get and the price isn't so jacked up. *sigh*

11. Laneige Pore Trouble Cleanser

Click!!! :D

It isn't shown in the picture because I cut it open to get the last bits of it...but my mom thought it was garbage after a couple of days =.=

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-25T22:05:00.008-05:00

First...Happy Holidays!! ^___^

My family doesn't celebrate much but this year we put up our fake tree again heh A little holiday spirit going on...xD

Second...I'm so sorry I was MIA for sooo long. School got the best of me. I was moving to a new house. Everything was just so stressful. Now that I'm settled into a new place and it's winter break, hopefully I'll be able to post regularly again.

Third...Thank you to everyone who stayed with me and all the new followers!! I lost some and gained some during this time period...it was a little upsetting but I definitely understand so no worries! :] Like I said, I'm aiming to post more so everyone won't be too disappointed in me.

I hope everyone had a great time today celebrating whichever holiday you observe! Or just had a great day for those who don't celebrate at all like me :P

Review: Laneige Pore Trouble Cleanser

2011-09-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

Laneige Pore Trouble Cleanser

You can see the blue beads in there.
There are also small white particles that the picture doesn't show clearly.

Product Description (pamphlet found in box):
-Extracts of water lily, orris and witch hazel effectively eliminate make-up remainders, harmful factors of environmental pollution and wastes in skin pores and purify skin.
-Triclosan and willow bark extracts, which are effective against skin trouble, make clear skin and control skin pore troubles.
-Breakable white scrubbers smoothly eliminate wastes in skin pores. The vitamin E in the blue capsules is absorbed into the skin and makes skin silky and healthy.

Ingredients:
Cannot find them.

Directions:
From pamphlet: Wet a 3cm in diameter amount with a little water, lather with finger-tips and gently massage, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Foam from lathering by hand.

Packaging:
The cleanser comes in a squeeze tube and has 180ml of product. I love that it transparent so I can see how much product is left inside. It got difficult to get the product out as there was less inside, especially since the consistency of the cleanser is pretty thick. But after I cut the tube open, I found there was less product left in there than I thought. I didn’t get to use every little bit up because my mom thought it was garbage since it was cut up =X

Price:
Gmarket; Amore stores

180ml for less than USD$20 (if I remember correctly..I bought this a long time ago). I’m sure it’ll be less or more expensive depending on where you buy it. But that is around the price tag that I paid for mine.

**It seems that Laneige doesn’t carry this specific one anymore. According to their website, they have another pore cleanser called Pore Deep Clearing Foam. The package seems to be the same but I’m not sure if the product itself is as well.**

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I was able to use this cleanser on and off for about a year or so. At some points during the year, I would use this only in the mornings or only at night. Other times I would use it both. So even though it is a bit pricey, the amount I needed and got out of the product was worth it.

However, product wise…I’m not sure I can’t say it was the best there is (for me at least). This was one of those cleansers that made my skin feel squeaky clean afterwards. This could be a good and bad thing. The good, my skin did feel overall pretty smooth but not unclogged (if that makes sense). The bad, of course, being that it stripes the skin of everything. I can’t say that it cleared my skin or pores like it claims to because I still had a lot of acne and blocked pores when I used this. But it definitely didn’t break me out either because I’ve had good skin while using this cleanser as well. After I used this cleanser, if I don’t moisturizer etc right away, my skin does feel a bit tight and depending on the time of year a bit dry as well.

The product has blue beads in them, that I didn’t know until I read the pamphlet after using much of the product that it has vitamin E inside. I thought they were for exfoliating properties so in the beginning I would dot the product around my face, then wet my hands and massage the foam around my face. I do not recommend this because I think my skin felt drier when I did this. After I started to foam the product before cleanser it felt less tight/dry but not completely none. After I started to use a foaming net, the tightness/dryness decreased again. Which is something I can’t explain but it encourages me to use my foaming net more hehe. This cleanser also foams very well…Especially with a foaming net. And the foam isn’t wimpy/floppy foam, it is very dense. Even after you massage it around your face, it doesn’t really disintegrate into a flat foam (I hope that makes sense..heh).

Foam from lathering by foaming net.

Foam from lathering by foaming net after my brother played around with it.
The foam still looks pretty dense/stiff & hasn't flattened yet.

Positives:
-Foams really well (especially if you can use the nets)
-Cleanses well and gives a squeaky clean feeling
-Depending on how moisturized my skin is, sometimes it is dried out (visible dry patches) after using this.
-Lasts for a really long time (I’ve used mine mostly in the mornings but had a period of time where I used it day and night … one tube lasted for a little over a year)
-Doesn't break me out

Negatives:
-Not locally available
-Can be expensive if purchased outside of Korea
-I always feel tightness about 5-7 minutes after washing my face. But when I use a foaming net my face isn't as dry and tight after I wash my face with the cleanser.
-Not as deep pore cleansing as I thought/hoped it would be. But it isn’t a bad cleanser.

Repurchase?:
No. I’ve found another cleanser that I like more (but not quite HG). Also, I think this has been discontinued anyway.

Rating:
3.5/5

Recommend?:
No. It was a good product. Just didn’t wow me enough to recommend. And again, I think it’s discontinued. For the price, there might be less expensive products that might work better.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

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Is the new wordy/extensive opinions addition okay? Or should I go back to only the short Pros/Cons lists?

Mail from some time ago

2011-09-23T00:48:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm going to try to slowly work myself into a more consistent posting.
To start off, here are some older packages that I received maybe in June(?) that I edited and everything yet somehow forgot to post it up.

I was so happy when I received an email from Stephanie of beauty and garden or jujujewelry saying I won her Sigma giveaway. To be honest, I forgot all about enter such a giveaway because there were quite a few at the time that I entered and I didn't think I would win any of them haha

Once the package came I got really excited. Practically everyone who used it raved all about it.

It is soft and dense. It has a big head/brush area compared to the other flat top brushes that I have. I've used it maybe a handful (or two) times and I really like it. I can't say I absolutely love it yet though...it could be getting there =P

Like all my brushes it is a bit difficult to get all the sudsy soap out of the brush when I wash it (anyone have recommendations on that?).

------------------------------

After mentioning that I keep having a problem with my pencil liners smudging on me, Frances of theprettibrowneyes offered to send me her miniature Urban Decay 24/7 liner. I couldn't get over how nice she was in even thinking about offering to send it to me! I felt/still feel really bad =X I was going to send her something back until I realized it was too late (since she moved...).

Sorry Frances!! Good luck in school ^___^ & Thank you again!!!

I haven't worn this out yet. But I tried it on once or twice at home (without primer) and sad to say...I don't think these work for me either. However, I'm going to give it a fair shot soon and actually get the courage to wear it out =D The only thing stopping me is having racoon/panda eyes while I'm at school/out and about with no access to a bathroom *eekk!*

2011-09-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

It feels great to have internet back!

Sorry I haven't been updating as regularly as everyone hoped I would. I will try to do better in the future!

I'm still trying to get use to my new college life/schedule (it's very different...*sigh)
And there probably won't be as many hauls in the near future because of college expenses and such..
But this will probably mean more review posts and other randomness in my life to come (if anyone is interested haha).

I can't believe within (was it a week?) I've experienced things in NYC that I thought I'd never be able to say I've experienced..ever
The minor earthquake and Hurricane Irene.
Thankfully no one I know was effected (anyone on blogger?).

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!!
Good luck to anyone else who started school ^___^

Review: H2O+ Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator

2011-08-25T21:15:00.000-04:00

H2O+ Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator

Product Description (from website):
- Powerful formula eliminates impurities that slow down cell metabolism, accelerating cellular respiration that accelerates the repair of tired skin
- Crithmum Maritumum, a marine botanical, supplies oxygen-rich nourishment to refresh tired, dull complexions
- Scientifically formulated with marine-sourced nutrients to minimize the look of fine lines and stimulate healthy cell growth

Ingredients (from website):
Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Chloride, PEG-18/18 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Laminaria Cloustoni Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Methylparaben, Hydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract, Sea Salt (Maris Sal), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Linalool, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phospholipids, Propylene Glycol, Ulva Lactuca Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Retinyl Palmitate

Directions:
From website & jar: After cleansing, massage into face and neck.
What I did: Similar to the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, I like to get the product and dab it around my face. Then I would pat it in and let sink it into my skin by itself.

Packaging:
Comes in a square jar. However, the product is only contained in a small portion of the square jar itself so it wastes a lot of extra packaging. It has 1.7fl oz or 50mL of product. Like what I’ve said about other jarred products, it doesn’t bother me that it’s in a jar so much because of germs but more because I don’t like getting products under my nails. But nothing Q-tips doesn’t solve. =P

Price:
H2O+ website or store
1.7 fl oz / 50 mL for USD$36

Prositives:
-Absorbs quickly (I like to pat it in)
-Feels light
-Helped me through the harsh winter winds and allergy season
-Didn't break me out
-Lasted me quite some time (a few months using it nightly). Unlike the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment this Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator was of a thicker consistency..similar to cream but more gel like, if that makes sense. So I didn’t grab as much product as I did with thinner consistency gel moisturizers.

Negatives:
-Can be difficult to get for some. There aren’t too many store locations.
-On the pricey side.
-Like other H2O+ products, the scent needs a bit getting use to. Smells very sea-watery.
-Leaves a bit of a residue on my hands after applying (But I find with a lot of other products so I’m probably just being too picky =X Nothing tissues or water can’t take care of). But on the face once this sinks it I couldn’t even tell I had anything on my face.
-It is called night oasis so I assume it’s for night use only. This didn't bother me much since I bought it in a gift set and there was another moisturizer I could use for mornings. But for those tight on money and such and want a moisturizer for morning and night I’m not sure if this is alright to use in the morning.
-Has silicones and parabens
-Has salt and sea salt in it o_O;; This might not be too good for dry skin? I’m not sure if there’s enough salt in here to dry skin out though…It didn’t for me so just a heads-up for others.

Note:
I’m not sure how well the minimizing fine lines part work because I don't those yet (I hope..)
Also I didn’t particularly pay much attention to the anti-dullness and tiredness properties it claims because I was more interested in its moisturizing abilities =X So I can’t vouch for those specific claims!

Repurchase?:
Maybe. It is only a night time product so unless I don’t find anything better this coming winter and my skin is in desperate need I will go to this since I know it worked for me before.

Rating:
4/5

Recommend?:
Maybe. I did like this product. However, I wasn’t really aware of the salt that it contained. I think it might be a problem for some skin types but I’m not too sure. It worked pretty well for me but everyone’s skin is different. Unless you Google more about salt in skincare (I haven’t heard much about it yet..) before you make the purchase it might be safer to stay away from it just in case since it isn’t a particularly low-priced product.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

Korea Day 2011 at Central Park

2011-08-22T19:16:00.000-04:00

After I saw some food bloggers' sharing their Korea Day experiences last year and hearing it would become an annual event I was very excited for it to come again this year. I bookmarked it to leave a note and actually forgot about it since..until I saw allkpop's notice for the event last month. This was my first excuse all summer to go out into the city with my friends hehe :X Finally after it being postponed due to the heat last month, it was finally held last Monday. Thankfully it didn't rain like the forecast said it would!

It was really fun. And probably like everyone else I enjoyed the food they had. The only thing I regret is not being able to stay for the performances. Unfortunately, bestfriend had to leave early and my other friend that came with us had a bad foot and didn't want to stay too long either. So we left just before the performances. After seeing the youtube clips, they didn't seem too bad. It would have been entertaining to see and great to enjoy the atmosphere it brought. Congrats to the winner!

I didn't take too many pictures and they're not of great quality since their from my phone (I brought along my DSLR and I forgot my batteries..hah)..Sorry! Here are the few that I did manage to get though :]

Mixing of the gigantic bibimbap!

Making dduk!! We got some to taste too not only for show :D
It was interesting see the rice turn into the sticky dduk!
The hammer/mallet must have been very heavy..a couple of girls went up to try and they seemed to have a hard time swinging and hitting the dduk. But kudos to them for trying!

The winners of the first round of mandu making contest.
The little boy was so adorable! :P

I forgot what the name for this was but they were popping the rice.
It looks just like popcorn but the color is much lighter and the it taste much sweeter than popcorn.
Everytime this mechanism went off it startled everyone. It gave a loud boom and let out a big poof of smoke!
Even though I must have heard it a handful of times since I got to the event it still scared me xD I mentioned this to my dad when I got home and he seemed to know what I was talking about..maybe it's not just a korean thing?

A cute dog that we saw walking around with his owner at the event.
He/she reminded me of Spudgy from eatyourkimchi :P

July 2011 Collective Purchase

2011-08-13T19:35:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the late post! =X

This may be the smallest haul (if it even is considered a haul hah..) yet..probably ever to appear on my blog. I didn't go out much last month so I didn't end up buying much of anything all month. Even this purchase was placed in June, it just happened to arrive in July. I must say I'm very proud of myself for not spending a lot last month. Hopefully this will last a while! Must shop my stash for a few months hehe xD

When bestfriend noticed that Sasa FINALLY stocked up on the essential hair masks in June, we hurriedly asked our friend who was also ordering from Sasa (coincidentally) to add our lemmings on. I've been wanting to try these out for so long but no other store (in-store or online) seemed to stock these except for Sasa..

It finally came after I think a couple weeks..much slower since the order didn't rack up enough for expedited delivery like last time :P

L to R:Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Rich Premier Hair Mask and Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Nuance Airy Hair mask

I've only tried the nuance airy version a couple of times and I'm really liking it so far. It's a bit messy and I'm not use to hair masks (my first ones!) but I can handle it.

Has anyone tried either or both? Which one do you like better? I still haven't figured out what the difference really is between the two..hehe

Review: H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

2011-08-11T23:20:00.001-04:00

H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

Product Description (from website):
- Rapidly plumps and restores depleted skin, helping to distribute vital daily moisture
- Scientifically formulated oil free moisturizer with marine-sourced nutrients to minimize the look of fine lines and stimulate healthy cell growth
- Sea-derived essential minerals work synergistically with Sea Mineral Complex, scientifically advanced delivery system to ensure vital nutrients are rapidly absorbed at the cellular level

Ingredients (from website):
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-7, Glycosaminoglycans, Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phospholipids, Panthenol, Fragrance (Parfum), Trisodium EDTA, Zinc PCA, Benzophenone-4, Linalool, Sea Salt (Maris Sal), Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Ulva Lactuca Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Methylchlorisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Algae Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Directions:
From website: After cleansing, massage gently into damp face and neck. For dryer skin, spread a thin layer over face, like a mask, and allow 5 minutes to absorb. Massage in excess.
From bottle: As a moisturizer: Apply to cleansed skin A.M./P.M.
As a mask: Spread a thin layer over face and neck. Allow to absorb 5 minutes. Massage in excess.
What I did: I lik to get the product and dab it around my face. Then I would pat it in and let sink it by itself.

Packaging:
Comes in a frosted plastic(?) jar. It has 1.7fl oz or 50mL of product. It doesn’t really bother me that it comes in a jar instead of a pump bottle or tube. I’ve read somewhere that there is probably a reason why the companies put it into jars or something similar. The only gripe I had was I wish they provided some kind of spatula or such. When the jar was fuller I was able to get it out with my fingers without getting anything under my nails but as I was getting towards the end that was inevitable and I had to start using Q-tips.

Price:
H2O+ website or store
1.7 fl oz / 50 mL for USD$34

Prositives:
-Light
-Moisturizes/hydrates (?) well. It helped my skin a lot through the winter and allergy season. I would usually have a lot of dry spots and such throughout the day but my skin was actually pretty normal when I used it.
-Has mutiple uses as a moisturizer and as a mask (though I've never applied enough for it to be a mask).
-Can be used day and night.
-Didn't break me out.
-Doesn't make me any more oily than I already am.

Negatives:
-Can be difficult to get for some. There aren’t too many store locations.
-On the pricey side. But I’d say this is mid-ranged since there are a ton of other brands that are more expensive.
-Scent needs a bit getting use to. I think like with the other H2O+ products I've tried, they try to give it the sea water smell.
-Leaves a bit of a residue on my hands after applying (But I find with a lot of other products so I’m probably just being too picky =X Nothing tissues or water can’t take care of)
-I found that I used a lot more of this product at each application because of how light it is. But that's just how I am. With thicker products I use less and with lighter products I use more. But if you could control yourself better than I do, it'll probably last a lot longer than it did for me.
-Takes a little longer than other moisturizers to sink in (but then again I pat rather than massage it in)
-Has silicones and fragrance (for those who are sensitive/allergic)

Note:
I’m not sure how well the minimizing fine lines part work because I don't those yet (I hope..)

Repurchase?:
Yes but not right now. If I my skin doesn’t work well with whatever I am trying next winter or allergy season and I will probably buy this to use since I know it works. But as of right now I would like to continue to try new products and search for a HQ :]

Rating:
4/5

Recommend?:
Yes. It is a bit pricey but it does work well (for me at least). I just hope to find a product that does what this does and maybe a bit more natural and less –cones and fragrances and such. If such a product exists =P

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

Commitment

2011-08-07T21:40:00.001-04:00

As 2011 began and probably even in 2010 there were quite a few bloggers and youtubers that I followed who were talking about weight loss and working out and such. Some were giving their tid bits on how they kept fit while others were sharing how they were really trying to shed those pounds.

When summer came around I decided to try my best to not lose interest in working out and trying to lose the weight that I've accumulated over the years.
I must say it wasn't extremely successful nor a complete failure.
I did end up going to the gym more than usual but whatever I did..I never seemed to be able to get the same soreness I felt before. I was probably going too easy on myself and just making an excuse to work less since I made the effort to go to the gym. (terrible yes but saying and doing are so difference and the latter being very difficult..especially committing)

Once it came that time of the month, working out went out the window =.=

But while I was watching dramas (hehe..I'm a drama addict :X) I became motivated again. Specifically in three of them.
One where a girl lost a lot of weight through dieting and working out, jumping rope.
One where a stunt woman trained/worked out through also jumping rope. and
One where there was just a lot of action scenes in general.

They're strange influences. But I'm the type of person who gets inspired quite a lot by watching others :P

So in the last two days I've been trying to jump rope again. I didn't count exactly how many I did but I did quite a few sets of 100 or so jumps. It isn't much but I'm hoping I can build up and improve my stamina and such (I can't run on the treadmill for longer than 5mins hehe..>__>;;)

For the first time in a while my calves and legs actually felt a bit sore. It doesn't feel great but it's awesome to know that it is working..right?

With the nagging of my younger brother I also played the Wii (my lazy person's excuse for moving around :X). Maybe because I don't usually use my arms often but afterwards they were very very sore. Does this happen to anyone else? Could doing a few of those Wii Sports games everyday help me on my journey? Or is that hoping for too much out of a gaming system? Nevertheless..it did make me break out quite a sweat haha :D

With the rest of the month, as the title of this post says..
I'm going to try to commit towards these little exercises and with going to the gym.
I just hope I don't make more excuses too soon.

I'm not confident enough to share any numbers yet but believe me..they need working on :X

How does everyone else stay fit? Please do share.
Exercise wise, eating wise, I'm open for anything. ^__^

Yummm~~

2011-07-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry for neglecting to post when I really have no excuses keeping me from posting. I guess I've been enjoying/taking advantage of my free time a little too much hehe

I hope I could roll along some posts since I have so many drafts written.

Let's start things off with a random food post ^__^
*I didn't have these all at once. A lot of these were multiple visits to the stores.

Mini choco cupcakes. So fluffy and soft!

Egg Tart 蛋撻

Crispy Taro Puff 蛋撻

Zongzi 粽子 (I just call it Zong 粽) made by my grandma especially for me because I'm a picky eater :P
I love the sticky rice kind..According to wiki it's called Jianshui Zong 碱水粽 ?

Kimchi Fried Rice - Kimchi Bokumbap 김치복음밥
My first time eating this from Woorijip. It was a lot spicier/hotter than I thought but I managed to eat it all. I haven't had it before so I can't compare but if I remember correctly it was very sticky rice (my favorite!).

Kimbap 김밥 from E-Mo

Kimbap 김밥 from Food Gallery 32

Jajangmyun 자장면 from Food Gallery 32
First time having korean styled jajangmyun. It tasted similar to Chapaghetti but a lot better of course. I was use to the salty level from the Chapghetti so it tasted pretty good to me but bestfriend didn't like it that much. I would love to eat it again though. Mixing it was fun :D

Tonkatsu and Omurice Combo from Food Gallery 32
First time eating these two at once. The portion was enormous. So I definitely recommend sharing this with someone. I thought it would be smaller and boy did I regret it xD But nonetheless it tasted great. A little too much sauce though but ehh. I might try the omurice again but with a different choice for the filling (I think they had different options...)

I think...this was...Chicken and Spinach Savory Crepe
My first crepe experience. It wasn't bad but I didn't really like it either. Maybe because I'm not too fond of spinach cooked in that style?

PB&J Sweet Crepe
I'm very biased when it came to this one because I'm not fond of peanut butter..Good thing I was sharing with friends hehe.

We also had a Nutella and Banana Sweet Crepe that I liked much more but bestfriend finished that one off :P
Anyone have better crepe places recommendations?

Green Tea Froyo from Red Mango from Food Gallery 32
I love how it's self service at the Food Gallery! My first froyo experience was very fail because I ordered plain froyo with no toppings because I never had the experience of picking toppings and such and I was too embarrassed/shy to ask LOL And boy was I shocked by the tangy/tart froyo kick. Good thing I got to try froyo a second time or else I would be missing out on a lot! But I wish the green tea flavor was there more often.

A little different..not edible this time. Well it is but I didn't want to risk eating wax haha
My lovely teacher (probably one of my most favorite teachers during my high school career) made Easter Eggs (with candle wax) for one of her colleagues. She offered to give half to me ^___^ Even though they were still raw eggs =X I think my mom have since thrown them out. They were beautiful! And smelled lovely (hehe Ms.C used scented candles..)

June 2011 Collective Haul

2011-07-01T16:25:00.000-04:00

Yet another gigantic collective haul to share with everyone! Hopefully this will be one of the last big hauls for the next couple of months because I have bought way too much for the past half a year. If I end up buying as much as 'normal' during these two months of summer vacation...I need to check in to a professional because I would really have a problem then since I have no excuse to go into the city now that I don't have my student Metrocard (for public transportation in NYC).

Onward to my haul! Enjoy ^__^

yeppeunsonyuh purchases

The site is run by a seller that I frequently purchase off of on Soompi. This is the same seller that lives pretty close to me so I get to save on shipping :P She was nice enough to tell me when the concealer came back in stock since at the time that I wanted it (in May) she only had shade 1 available.

Canmake Cover & Stretch Waterproof Concealer UV - Shade 2

I remember hearing a few bloggers rave about this concealer. At the time I bought it my face was breaking out a lot and my acne scars seemed like they were never ending. I've tried some potted concealers and such but not many liquid ones. However this month was mainly focused on taking picture after picture I kind of put this concealer off to the side because of the UV aspect. But I will play with it soon now that all the picture taking is over.

Canmake Cream Cheek - 03 Strawberry Whip

The seller only had this shade available and I didn't want to bother her about personally ordering a specific shade for me (even though she did offer to). Since I only wanted to try the product out, especially after all the raves everyone has for it, the shade didn't really matter. I really love how light and easily blendable this product is! Definitely not a hard cream product which makes it a lot easier to use a brush with it. However it seems like there is very little product in there =X

Samples from yeppeunsonyuh :]

The seller is always generous with her samples (for me at least I can't vouch for others since I don't know many around me that also order from her to compare with lol).

L to R: Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeshadow Collection - Blue Had Me at Hello & Petal Pusher

Another purchase that I made in preparation for prom. After reading the suggestions I received a while back on what kind of look I could wear with my dress I thought that these two would be a nice choice to play around with. Many color options and inexpensive. However I didn't end up using this palette because 1. after playing with the colors beforehand I didn't feel comfortable enough wearing the bold blues and I don't think I'm skilled enough to wear the purples (it made me look like I was punched =X) 2. I found a better palette =P

Crystal Body Deodorant Stick

I was running low on my previous deodorant/antiperspirant and I heard a youtuber mention this more natural deodorant and was very intrigued. I haven't used this yet though. Has anyone else used this or something similar? How well does it work?

L to R: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hour Foundation - 200 Soft Beige & Essence of Beauty Wedges

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hour Foundation - 200 Soft Beige

I saw a few bloggers and youtubers recommend this foundation especially since it's drugstore and has no SPF so I would be best for photography. However after trying it out I really did not like the way it sat on my skin. It didn't feel natural..me..at all IMO. I know there are tons of people who like it and I hate how something relatively inexpensive didn't work for me :[ I have since returned this. Luckily CVS has a great return policy!

Target E.L.F. purchases
2 E.L.F. Eyeshadow Brushes, E.L.F. Studio Line Contour Brush, E.L.F. Eyelid Primer

On the same day that I returned the Rimmel foundation, I was on my way to the city to also return the UDPP I got and to try an get a sample of a foundation to try from Macy's before deciding on whether or not to commit to a full bottle. Before going to the city, I dropped by Target to see if I would strike some luck and see if they had the eye primer in stock (which they did..but only the normal version and not the mineral version). I decided to take the risk and got it since it was only a dollar. No harm to my wallet even if it doesn't work. I also saw that they had a ton of other E.L.F. products in stock but I had to limit myself to only those three brushes since I was in need of eye brushes because my friends left me with the task of doing their makeup for prom as well (pressure on a newbie like me =X)

T to B: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese and Black Bean

A lot of people have recommended these to use as bases and such so I thought I'd give it a try. They do offer a nice base although they are a bit hard to blend..Or maybe it's just mine? Does anyone else have this problem? How do you fix it?

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Eyeliner - Carbon Black

After even when priming my lids with UDPP prior to wearing pencil liner failed on me, I decided to try an inexpensive liquid liner. A lot of gurus compared this to the Lancome one so I thought it must be alright. But this turns very flakey quickly and smudges easily on me. Maybe it's just a problem that I have :\ Eye products don't seem to like my eyelids very much...I have also returned this as well. I felt bad that I was returning so many used cosmetics back to CVS =X

Sasa Haul!!!

The much awaited Sasa haul that I've been dreaming about since May! The friend that helped me order from Imomoko and Adambeauty offered to order from here since she was going to as well. Luckily a majority of the products that I wanted came back into stock (although there are still some that I want to try). These will last me FOREVER...literally. Now I must remind myself to stop internet window shopping haha.

Hada Labo Tamagohada Daily Face Wash

I've been wanting to try this for such a long time. Skin like a hard boiled egg is VERY tempting no? :P

My Scheming Crystal Hydrating Eye Mask

My Scheming Crystal Whitening Brightening Eye Mask

I don't remember where I heard about these masks but I really wanted to try it. I haven't tried the hydrating one but I did try the whitening brightening one. I loved the gel texture of the mask, very squishy and comfortable :] I wasn't paying much attention to the whitening and brightening short term effects though =X Will keep note of it next time! Sorry..hehe.
I also can't wait to try the DIY eye masks that BEAUTYQQ mentioned with the tray these masks come with. Has anyone tried that?

Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray

I've been really into sprays and mists lately. I didn't know Genie in a Bottle had a spray until I browsed their sasa page. I thought this would be great for both summer and winter. And it wasn't expensive at all. I think it was less than USD$10? But I'm not sure if it's still available because of sasa's terrible rate of restocking their OOS items.

L to R: Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum & Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Spray

After xppinkx posted about her huge sasa haul a while back and how lovely the Genie in a Bottle serums were I really wanted to try them (note how often I say I really want to try something LOL). Sadly the whitening serum was OOS but these hyaluronic ones weren't. I may save these for the winter time mainly because I tend to be drier then. I love how inexpensive it is and that it comes with 3 bottles instead of just 1 :D
Again..I wanted to try almost ALL the Naruko lines after Fuzkittie and SumMei talked about them months ago. But it is so difficult to get (well not anymore a few stores in NYC are selling them now and there is even an official store in Flushing, of course the prices aren't as good as they are online from the Taiwan site). Since Sasa didn't have too many of their gellies in stock at the time and I was on a spray/mist kick, I decided to order the spray. I'm not in need of firming but the brightening aspect sounds great ^__^

BeautyMate Bright Up Nano Eye Masks

Bestfriend also ordered tons from sasa, including these eye masks. So I asked if we could trade. I haven't tried these out yet but I can't wait to since Bubz raved about them a long while back.

T to B: Urban Decay Naked Palette & Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner - 13

Ooo Pretty!! ^__^
Bestfriend and I got Naked together hehe (No wrong images xD)
Pwuahaha I felt a surge of happiness when I saw these babies at the Soho Sephora location. There were only three of these left and bestfriend and I both took one. Evilness :D I knew I shouldn't have made such an impulse but the feeling of having something so coveted was intoxicating! Of course this was a great purchase none-the-less. I can always wear a palette with natural colors comfortably. The only gripe was I wished it still had the double sided pencil :[
This was the palette that I used for prom instead!

MUFE Aqua Liner - 13

When it was first launched Temptalia gave a great review on how long this lasted and I think she gave it an A or A+ (which I've noticed isn't given too often). So I thought this would be a great choice of a liner to use. And when I swatched it at Sephora and rubbed it, it didn't smudge! But..that can't be sad for when it's actually on my eyes *sigh* I think my eyes hate makeup! Although this does last great. I cannot rub or touch my eyes at all or else it would come right off =X Maybe it was because I didn't wear a primer? Will try again soon. The applicator is also difficult to get use to after using the brush applicators of the Physician's Formula liquid liner. I may give the asian liners (K-Palette and Dolly Wink) a try next after I finish this one.

E.L.F. Studio Line Fan Brush

Bestfriend and I made another stop to Target one day and I saw this baby there. I've been wanting to get a fan brush for some time now but they were all pretty expensive. This wasn't in stock the last time I went to Target though. I have yet to try it but I heard it's great for natural flush (which is my ideal cheek look)!

OPI Silver Shatter

Bestfriend helped me get this at the nail supply store. Was very surprised that even they weren't selling it at wholesale price like other OPIs usually are sold there. But I guess even though they that these shatters are very popular and should gain the post they can? :P I've tried this once and I like the effect but can't say I love it just yet. Maybe it'll be one of those polishes that'll grow on me?

What have you bought last month? Anything similar :P

Review: H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water

2011-06-16T22:35:00.002-04:00

H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water

Hard to see but it's the cleansing water. Very hard to take the picture when it was just creeping through all the cracks and crevices of my brother's hand.

How it comes out of the pump bottle as it's near the end. I had to pump a bajillion times to get this amount of foam though. I don't recommend it xD Just pour it out!

How it lathers if you do it prior to rubbing your face.

Product Description (from website):
-Technologically advanced, oil-free foaming liquid effectively breaks down make-up and dulling impurities without irritation, restoring skin's natural radiance
-Hydrating marine botanicals nourish and protect skin's moisture balance so it feels refreshed and revitalized
-Sea-derived essential minerals work synergistically with Sea Mineral Complex, scientifically advanced delivery system to ensure vital nutrients are rapidly absorbed at the cellular level

Ingredients (from website):
Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Polyaspartate, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Allantoin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sea Salt (Maris Sal), Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Lecithin, Methylisothiazolinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Ulva Lactuca Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit Extract

Directions:
From website: Pump a small amount into palm. Add water and work into a lather. Massage over damp face and neck. Rinse.
From bottle: Apply to dry face and neck, add water and massage into milky lather, Remove with washcloth or rinse.
What I did: I sometimes followed bottle's directions. Other times I'd forget I needed to have dry hands and wet my hands prior to pumping the product out. But either works fine. In fact I think have wet hands helps create a better lather than trying to do it when it's already on your face. Also I had to pump at least 3 pumps sometimes 4 before I felt I had enough to rub/lather enough on my face.

Packaging:
Comes in a plastic bottle with a pretty short pump. It has 8.25 fl oz or 243 mL of product. It seems like a lot of product but it really isn't when you start to use it. It might be a bit messy at first when you pump the product out because it is water so it'll spurt out pretty far (further than what I anticipated the first few times I used it). But you should get the hang of it. I can't complain much about the packaging for this specific product because I really can't think of another way to hold a cleansing water either than in a toner like bottle with a spout nub (I don't know what they're called so I'm going to call it a spout nub =]). Also as I got towards the end of the bottle, it was difficult getting any water to squirt out. Instead it came out as a very weak fluffy foam that wasn't enough to use to wash my face. So I ended up having to twist off the pump and pouring the product in my hand. Which was very difficult because the water would always end up dripping out of my hand.

Price:

H2O+ website or store
8.25 fl oz / 243 mL for USD$24
16 fl oz / 474 mL for USD$28 (jumbo size. I'm not completely sure if this is LE or not)

Prositives:
-Gentle
-Doesn't break me out
-Makes my skin feel soft
-No residue left over
-Doesn't sting
-Oil-free

Negatives:
-Difficult to use since it's just water. A lot of it falls off my hands before I can even use it >__<;; But then again I have very small hands..
-Scent may bother some people. I think they made it to smell like sea/ocean water...but it's a little too fragranced IMO
-My face is a little tight after it dries but definitely not as drying as some other cleansers I've tried.
-Not as hydrating as it claims to be IMO
-A bit expensive for what it is. If I actually used this night and day I would probably have finished this within 1 - 2 months tops.

Note:
I'm not sure how well it removes makeup. I never tried it because I only used this in the morning as a gentle cleanser.
Also the site says you could use this to clean brushes and sponges but I didn't know that until after I finished the bottle so I can't test this claim anymore.

Repurchase?:
Nope. I use it up way too quickly and the price doesn't really help either =X I'm sure there are other gentle cleansers that are probably cheaper that can do the job..

Rating:
3.5/5
To me it's just average. Nothing too special.

Recommend?:
Probably not. Unless it comes in a gift set that isn't too expensive.
-edit-
Maybe to those who want a gentler cleanser than foaming ones.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

May 2011 Collective Haul

2011-06-04T22:52:00.003-04:00

Finally my purchases of May.

I'm warning everyone beforehand that I did a lot of damage last month. A lot of it was because my friend offered to order from Sasa (but because most of the items I wanted went OOS) I went a little crazy on Imomoko and Adambeauty trying to satisfy my lemmings. The stuff I bought will probably last me a while..so I hope I won't have the urge to buy more in the next couple of months. The rest of the items were bought in preparation for prom. (I only have a couple of other things in mind but those are drugstore items. After that I definitely need to stop and save for college!) All these purchases already made up for the month of April where I purchased close to nothing xD

On with the haulage!!

Picture & text heavy!!!~

Origins Haul
L to R: GinZing, Modern Friction Face Scrub, VitaZing SPF15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer

I'm a little upset that Origins is promoting a set that has all three of the products that I wanted to try a month after I made my purchase :(

Origins GinZing

Origins Modern Friction Face Scrub & Origins VitaZing SPF15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer

1st Imomoko Haul!!

Items came very fast. But they sent me the wrong foot pack yet charged me for the other one (which was $2 more than the one they sent). Mistakes happen & they were nice about it and allowed me to return it for an exchange. Shipping was also very quick. Which is strange because my friends who ordered had mixed shipping lengths from them. =T

Kao Essential Damage Care Nuance Airy Treatment

I really wanted to try the hair mask that so many people were raving about. But Sasa has been OOS of that particular item, especially after Bubz recommended it. So I thought this might be similar. I've tried it once during my busy month last month. It made my hair feel very soft but I don't know if I'm just not use to using these types of products or such but I felt my hair turning oily slightly faster. But then again..it could have been that I was touching my hair a lot more because it felt that soft =P Will try it again and try not to touch my hair and share my findings again!

Hada Labo Gokujun Cleansing Oil

I thought I should find a cleansing oil before my Origins one runs out (even though I still have more than enough to last me maybe this entire month). I cannot wait to try this and see if it's moisturizing or not. I do not know if it claims to or not because I do not read/understand Japanese but coming from Hada Labo I think it should/might be moisturizing..right?

Hada Labo Shirojun Arbutin Whitening Set (Lotion & Milky Lotion)

I was running out of my H2O+ moisturizer and slowly using up my Hada Labo SHA Lotion AND saw this awesome set on Imomoko so I wanted to give it a try. I haven't started it yet but hope to soon! Hopefully it'll help brighten my skin and maybe lighten my neck *cross fingers*!

1st Adambeauty Haul!!
L to R: Mentholatum Skin Aqua UV bihaku Milk WHITE, Hadalabo BB Moist Emulsion SPF 50+ PA+++ - Natural Ochre, Hadalabo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Face Wash

Baby Foot East Pack (Size M)

This was the foot pack that I originally ordered. I really wanted to try it after seeing it on LotusPalace's blog. It sounded really interested and I wanted to pamper/splurge on myself for prom and graduation. (I don't take care of my feet! So I must do so now, especially for the summer haha)

Benefit Feelin' Cheeky Set

Been meaning to get this since April. I planned to get this when Sephora had the 15% off but when I went to the Sephora I went to I didn't see any of the other items that I also wanted so I put it off and lost the chance to save some $$. =( I've only tried the Benetint so far and I really love it. It isn't as bold as my TonyMoly tints and aren't as quick drying. It's also very sheer unlike the TonyMoly tints so it's much easier to build up to desired intensity (maybe I haven't tried) whereas the TonyMoly ones come out very opague the first layer you apply. Especially since TonyMoly's is a doefoot applicator and Benetint is a brush. Really like! I might even buy a full sized when..if I ever run out =D

Nanoce BB Set

Bought from the beauty store I previously ranted about. This time she was busy on the phone the majority of the time and didn't stare me down or even bothered to talk to me and bestfriend until we asked her for price and such. Maybe she sensed we were buying? Haha. Actually I wasn't even intending to purchase this because I thought she only had the BB Cream alone. But I saw the set and it was only a few extra dollars (from her BB Cream price) and I was swayed. Bestfriend can attest to my vulnerability LOL She witnessed it firsthand.

Nanoce BB Moist Cream No.2 Healthy Ochre

I really wanted to try this after how many bloggers said this was a better match for slightly darker than the usual korean BB Creams AND after seeing how beautifully Nic Nic looked in her face shots when she wore her's. I've been wearing this for the past week and I really like it! Hasn't broken me out. I don't think it clogged my pores. It didn't make me look uber pale or white-faced. Although..sometimes when it's especially hot and my makeup wears off a little faster than usual my normal face color starts to show up and makes it look slightly off but no biggie. I even got a compliment one day from a male friend that usually doesn't compliment me LOL It was surprising and might not have had anything to do with wearing this but I want to give it some credit. I do not know if it was a joke but it felt nice Haha

Nanoce BB Mineral Powder

I haven't tried this. But the powder jar is much smaller than what I expected. And much pinker than I expected as well. I hope it isn't light for me. Will try soon but want to use up some of my current powders before I open this one.

Koji Eyelash Curler No.73

I bought this mainly for prom. I decided to purchase this after scouring around the beauty shops of Chinatown. The particular store that I went in had the wider curve and standard curve. The shop owner (I think or SA) allowed me to take out the curlers to try in store which I thought was nice of her..wasn't expecting it! I was surprised that my eyes fell under the wide eyes range! I've used this a few times and it doesn't pinch my eyelids like the Kirkland one did (that came with the brush set I purchased a year or two ago). However, I think it is a little too curved for me because the curler never gets the inner corner lashes. I may try the new Shiseido ones which has a bit flatter/straighter curve. I don't know though. I'm not in need of it. One is enough LOL

Sephora Haul :D

I purchased these while waiting for my mom to get off work one Saturday. We were taking a trip to Queens to search for some things for our new house (YAY!). I was only thinking of purchasing the primer and the Jack Black lip balm duo but saw the Benefit set and changed my mind. Hehe It's very rare for me to see Online Only items in stores and I wanted to try these products! (Excuses I know..don't judge! lol)

Mini Benefit Erase Paste No.2

It looks very pink/salmony. Definitely doesn't look like it would fit my skintone but you never know. I haven't tried it out yet since I have so many undereye concealers that I wanted/need to use. Maybe I'll give it a try next week.

Mini Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in R.S.V.P.

Been wanting to try this. I'm a little disappointed though because it isn't as pigmented as I thought it would be but it's still a nice wash of slight color and shimmer for a person who prefers less eye makeup.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

After some suggestions and based on my budget and resources...I decided to get this primer. The only reason why I didn't get the ELF primer even though it is 1/6 of the price of UDPP was because I'm pretty sure the Target I go to does not have it and I didn't want to go through the trouble of purchasing a $3 item and paying for the shipping. Also I thought if UDPP didn't work I'd return it to try the NARS primer instead since Sephora has a great return policy. I've tried it a few times. Once with just the Milani liner and I'm sad to say it didn't help with that. I'm going to try this again soon with just shadow to see if it helps that though *cross fingers*!

This or That?

2011-06-03T23:41:00.002-04:00

Dilemma...!

Hopefully I'll get enough responses before I go shopping tomorrow to exchange the ones that I ordered. ^___^

I was shopping for shoes to wear with my dress on Memorial's Day and I thought I finally found something. But unfortunately the store didn't have my size and when I received the order in the size that I thought would fit it didn't...(if only they had half-sizes!). Plus my pinkie toe is too short and falls right out of the gaps!

Credits to Call it Spring

So now I'm going to exchange or return the shoes for another pair but I'm in need of opinions. Who better to go to than the blogging community :D

Here's a picture for reference!

Credits to Aldo

Credits to Call it Spring

Credits to Call it Spring

I think the sandals go better with the dress but I'd probably wear the pumps more often in the future than sandals =T

So hard to choose!!

Love Package from Coco

2011-06-01T20:10:00.000-04:00

Yet another late post!

I apologize (especially to Coco if she's reading this) for forgetting to share this lovely package with everyone. I really did have the intentions to but was so caught up with school. (Should definitely stop saying this already lol).

The package came over close to two months ago! Even though she already posted the prizes on her giveaway post, I was still shocked when I opened it.So many goodies!!

I'm surprised she used EMS! It must have been so expensive :O

Everything all neatly packed.

Postcard!!
Maybe I should start a collection..^__^

I love her handwriting! So neat!
I still can't believe she spent HOURS reading my old entries (hopefully there were improvements? lol). I do the same thing when I find a nice blog :P

All the goodies out of the Etude House baggies.

Lots of samples. Especially BB Cream. Can't wait to try them.
*Note to self: don't forget to use samples lol

Stars of the package.

Extra Thailand goodies.
I was a bit confused by how to use them but she was explained it to me.
I can't wait to use it whenever I'm in need of relaxation :D

Etude House Juicy Pop Tube #01 Pink Cherryade

Missha The Style 4D Mascara & Etude House Model Face Color #2 Model Shade

Etude House Hello Kitty Mini Lip Balm in Mini Pink

Etude House Golden Ratio Face Glam - Pink

Etude House LUCIDarling Fantastic Gradation Eyes - #06 Golden Brown

Etude House LUCIDarling Fantastic Rouge - 10 Million Pixel Lavender

April 2011 Purchases + Empties update + Inquiries

2011-05-26T20:20:00.000-04:00

I'm so ashamed to say this, especially when it's already close to the end of May..

April was a very boring and slow month for me purchasing-wise and beauty-wise. I thought I would finish soo many products but I only came close. Even when the Sephora 15% off coupon came and gone, I didn't buy anything like I planned to! Shocking..I know =X

Seawon Glove Towel

I bought this while I was in the area (KTown in Manhattan) to look at dresses. I decided to finally take care of my body more especially since I have to wear a dress as opposed to comfortable hoodie and jeans (ahh :D). And I'm in desperate desire to get rid of my terrible farmer's tan that I STILL have on my arms (from 2 years ago) and my knee area (from last summer). Any suggestions?

Pink With a Splash Sweet & Flirty All-Over Body Mist

I had the special card from Victoria Secret that had the mystery amount for you to spend during the month of April. I forgot about it all month until the 29th and grabbed this since I wasn't as lucky and only got $10 to spend. I love the scent of this one! & It's purple ^__^

Even though I only bought two beauty related products, I still ended up spending quite a lot when I added up my total spendings. The main reason being: my prom dress. Ekk! Who knew dresses were so expensive (definitely not me a month ago lol). It wasn't what I imagined and looked at online, but of the ones that I saw in stores and of what could fit my figure..it's not bad. I think I'll live :P

I still need to shop for shoes..maybe accessories..a small bag..maybe makeup since most of my current bases are either too light or will cause flashback. Ah..so much money! I hope prom is fun so it'll make up for my current despair :P

Just looking for some suggestions,
What kind of eye makeup look/colors should I use? What will go well with this particular color?
Would black or silver shoes look better?

How were your prom experiences? :]

First EOTD (from yesterday)

2011-05-22T08:06:00.002-04:00

Some of you may or may not already know this but I very rarely wear any eye makeup. The closest makeup product that goes by the eye area that I'll confidently leave on all day is concealer/corrector. Yup..no eyeliner, no mascara, not even curled eyelashes.

But since prom is only a month away (mine is very late!), I decided to experiment especially since I really have no more excuses now that I'm not going to be as busy on weekends. Must leave my comfort zone!!

I'm very glad and thankful that I won some palettes from previous giveaways so I have something to start with. Today I chose to use the Etude House LuciDarling palette that I received from coco about a month ago (post coming up soon! sorry!). I had some idea of what I was doing since I do spend a lot of time watching videos and tutorials & there is a drawing/guide on the palette itself. But essentially I was just winging it because I've never actually applied eyeshadow and such on myself.

No harsh comments please & thank you! But suggestions and criticism are welcomed :]

Etude House LUCIDarling Fantastic Gradation Eyes - #06 Golden Brown (Colors A, B, and D)
Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil - Brown
Missha The Style 4D Mascara

I didn't curl my lashes. So that's why they're so straight. Not the mascara's fault! (I will try them again when I do curl my lashes and see how well that goes.)

Excuse my eyebrows! I don't normally fill in my brows & I recently tried to pluck out what I thought were 'stray' hairs and I think I made them look funny =X I'm regretting my rashness...

I nearly poked my eyes out trying to tight line and put on mascara! lol *Sigh* I'm such a newbie..

A few hours in when I was walking around CVS, I noticed that the shadow transfered/smudged onto my lower lashes area. I'm thinking this problem is easily fixed with primer right? What are some good ones? I think my eyelids are oily..

Review: Laneige Pore Trouble Skin Refiner

2011-05-21T17:01:00.003-04:00

Laneige Pore Trouble Skin Refiner

Product Description (from packaging):
-The Trouble Care Skin Toner is specially formulated for strengthening skin pore health. When applied, it leaves a smooth and fresh feeling without any stickiness.
-Removes excessive corneous skin dead cells and prevents keratinization, resulting in a smoother and cleaner skin.
-Contains salicylic acid and triclosan, which help prevent skin problems by removing excessive sebum and corneous skin dead cells, thus cleansing the skin pores.
-Contains tea tree oil, licorice extract, raspberry extract, clove extract and parsley extract, which help suppress and relieve skin problems.
-Contains natural Lactobacillus extract which helps balance PH values and strength immune system of skin pores, thus improving adult skin problems caused by factors such as hormone imbalance and air pollution.

Directions:
-From packaging: Pour about the size of a gingko nut (about 1.8cm in diameter) on to a cotton ball, and wipe the skin with it after washing the face in the morning and in the evening before going to sleep.
-What I did: Poured it onto my cotton round/pad twice. I felt that this was enough for me.

Packaging: It is a glass bottle with a twisting style cap with 160ML or 5.4 fl oz of product. *Some may not like glass bottles but I think they look prettier :D And it gives it a bit more weight so I won't easily knock it over* The cap twists off and on very easily. I actually prefer their cap because of how smoothly it opens. I can just give it a quick twist and it'll turn around until it reaches the top (provided you put enough effort that it turns more than a little yet still doesn't fly off the bottle lol). Unlike some other toner bottles where you have to keep turning the bottle and the cap before it completely comes off. There a small opening in the plastic stopper that allows you to pour the toner onto a cotton round/pad/ball. It isn't too big or too small of an opening..just right!

Price:
-Yesstyle: USD$42
-Evecare: USD$27
-Amore stores (I got mine for USD$27)

Positivies:
-Refreshes skin
-Cleans any remaining dirt that cleanser didn't pick up
-Doesn't break me out
-No bad reactions
-Doesn't sting my face
-No sticky feeling
-Herbally scent?
-No more oily-ness after using it
-No parabens
-Lasted me a pretty long time (close to a year!..with some on and off weeks when I was sick)
-Is a little hydrating..It does soften some of the dry patches on my face after I cleanse so I don't end up having a ton of flakes when I go to put on moisturizer.

Negatives:
-Not locally available
-Alcohol is the second ingredient (strange..I didn't feel any stinging or my skin drying out when I used it)
-Price outside of Korea is pretty expensive
-Doesn't particularly help with acne or pores
-Scent may be a bit overpowering for some people
-Might be discontinued (Don't quote me on this...I've tried to search for it on Gmarket and the Laneige site but don't see it anymore..)

Repurchase?: Not any time soon. I want to try many other toners. I did like this and it didn't make my skin worse in anyway. But it also didn't make many improvements either. In addition to the price..and the fact that it might be discontinued.. If I do not find any toners I like in the future, there might be a chance that I will repurchase this though.

Rating: 3.5 maybe 4/5

Recommend?: Ehh..toughy. Maybe. If you can get it for close to retail price or if you're in Korea maybe. But if you have to pay for anywhere IMO over $30 you could probably try cheaper ones to first. But if price isn't a problem then sure go ahead and try it because it felt pretty gentle/nice and my skin did feel a little bit smoother when I did use it. Maybe you'll get better results than I did :P

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you.

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This will the first of many extremely overdue posts! School work should start to dwindle down within the next month and hopefully I'll be able to blog much more over the summer and when college comes around :] Hope everyone enjoys!!

Swatches: China Glaze Sea Spray

2011-05-14T02:30:00.001-04:00

This was the small purchase that I made a couple of months ago during the Lunar New Year parade. It was definitely not planned but Sea Spray was definitely on my wishlist. Especially after a few bloggers compared it to Chanel's Riva (which is a very beautiful color that I can only dream of getting right now lol). Believe it or not..this is the second China Glaze polish in my collection. I've got to say, I prefer OPI's wide brush applicator versus China Glaze's narrow rounded brush applicator. Especially difficult to apply if the polish thickens.

Sea spray is a great baby blue with very fine shimmer that you can't see unless you bring your hands really close to your eyes..or unless you have super vision :P I wish it was a bit more visible though. Visible yet subtle is a great way to go for this type of blue IMO. To my surprise, this blue didn't clash with my hands' skintone like OPI's What's the the Cattitude? I haven't been able to bring myself to wear the latter alone because it looks strange on my hands. I shall do a swatch in the future to show everyone how it looks though because it is a great sky blue creme polish.

I do not remember exactly how long this particular polish/shade lasted before chipping because this is a very overdue post (SORRY!! =X). However, I will definitely update this post when I wear it again! I think this might have been either a one thick coater or 2 medium coats. Again, I will update this later!

Base Coat + Polish + Top Coat
Take with flash and under artificial lighting

Base Coat + Polish + Top Coat
Take with flash and under artificial lighting

****Small Update****

I'm still alive! But some of you probably already know that because I leave comments here and there. I didn't expect the rest of April and pretty much probably all of May to be consumed by school. The former seniors, now alums, of my school never mentioned this.. I feel just as stressed as I have always been. Whatever happened to having senioritis? *sigh* I guess it's a good thing. Still keeping my game up :] Hopefully after my last big exam next Thursday my teachers will feel considerate enough towards us seniors that we won't have too many major projects and homeworks to complete without the last (I think less than 40 days) full days of school. I can't wait got the end of June to come!! Congrats to all/most college students who I think already finished their school year ^__^ College..coming so fast!

On a non-school related note: Is anyone else suffering from terrible allergies this spring season as well?

Swatches: Orly Galaxy Girl

2011-04-17T12:02:00.001-04:00

I was so excited when I saw this at my local CVS. Many people have said that this is a close dupe of MAC's Formidable! I do not own that one because I felt it was too expensive at the time and when I saw comparisons I thought that I'd just get this instead when I find it. I believe this came out even before MAC's Disney collection so my CVS is very very slow at release out new products like this. Thankfully I discovered this early because I went back a week or so later and didn't see that many polishes in the collection, Cosmic FX.

Excuse my terrible cuticles. I'm too afraid to push them myself =X

Base Coat + One Layer of polish
Take with flash and under artificial lighting

Base Coat + 2 Layers of polish + Top Coat
Take with flash and under artificial lighting

Base Coat + 2 Layers of polish + Top Coat
Take with flash and under artificial lighting

Base Coat + 2 Layers of polish + Top Coat
Take with no flash and under artificial lighting

The colors are pretty true to how it is in real life. I was a little disappointed that it came out to look more like a dark red/blood/wine color because I really liked the purple duochrome shade it was in the bottle. But it is very pretty none-the-less. This polish is definitely on the sheer side and requires 2 thick coats or 3 medium coats otherwise you'll have a lot of streakiness like the first picture has. I don't remember how long this particular nailpolish lasted on me because I wore this about a month ago =X I'll update on this detail when I wear Galaxy Girl again.

First Step Forward

2011-04-15T19:05:00.002-04:00

I'm always interested in BB Creams. In fact, they are the main reason why I became so interested in makeup and beauty. But I have yet to find THE one for me (mainly because of my different colored face and neck shades..) They always sounded so perfect and the product that seemed most reasonable to enter the makeup world with no? All in one product that claims to do almost everything?

I was going through my Dashboard a couple of hours ago and saw Dr.Jart+ but didn't pay much attention to the blog name. When I got to the page I realized that it was Sephora's blog..I was shocked and excited. Is BB Cream finally making it's way into the American market? I know Missha has their American ONLINE store and a specially made shade for darker skin, there is always ebay etc to buy BB Creams, and big companies like MAC/Bobbi Brown/Dior/etc have made BB Creams but were Asia exclusives..but for a store in American to distribute BB Cream is definitely a first (at least for me). The prices seem about the same as what I've seen online if not maybe even cheaper? But the price is definitely up there when compared to brands like Skinfood/Etude House/etc. As of right now Sephora only carries 2 products from the company and these are the only BB Creams (I wonder if they'll have a separate BB Cream category from now on if they decide to bring more BB Creams under their wings..)

The only thing that I see noticeable difference that I see is that Sephora/Dr.Jart calls these Beauty Balms rather than Blemish Balms. IDK Maybe they're the same just chose to market it differently? The packaging looks very similar to the Blemish Balms that they already have out (such as the ones seen at ebay and sasa).

Disclaimer: I am definitely not affiliated with/paid by either Dr.Jart+ or Sephora. I just thought it was interesting find and wanted to share. Links are just normal links..no money received whatsoever. Feel free to click :]

Target Goodies

2011-04-15T12:34:00.001-04:00

I signed up for this in I think February? And forgot all about it until Nouveau Cheap posted about it. I honestly thought Target forgot or couldn't send enough for everyone until I saw this in my room when I came home (about a month ago). It isn't much but I'm excited to try the products out :D

My package came opened? Hence the rubber band. But nothing inside was touched..Maybe my neighbor who also has the same name as me opened it by accident?

The bag is really nice! I love the colors although if I saw this at Target and was looking for a makeup bag it probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd consider lol

Another lipbalm..! Geez I think I have enough to last me for years xD
I haven't tried this yet but did take a sniff at it. If I'm correct there is mint in there and that is one product that I really prefer my lip products to NOT have..Maybe it'll be a good enough product for me to not mind. I don't know yet..

Did anyone else sign up and get their target sample bag yet?

Love Package from BEAUTIFUL CANVAS

2011-04-12T10:03:00.002-04:00

No..I didn't win another giveaway. This is a different love package.

About a month ago, I emailed a blogger than I followed, BEAUTIFUL CANVAS (do check out her blog! Most of her reviews are short and to the point. Great for those days where you still want your blog fix but don't necessarily have the time and patience to read long reviews lol) and asked if she would be interested in swapping an item that I saw she was selling on her blog sale. I wasn't expecting much since I was just a stranger but she replied a while later and said she'd love to. So I thought why not since our products don't work well for us..maybe it would work better for the other person.

Keep in mind, I have never swapped anything before so this was a lovely new experience. My package to her did get there a lot later than expected which caused a lot of worrying but it did reach its destination, YAY! ^__^

The main point of the whole swap was this foundation. I bought it in shade Yellow Ocher 01 and I thought that it would work for my face pretty well but of course my neck is at least 2-3 shades darker and is so stubborn and won't lose its tan so I couldn't possibly wear it. When I saw that she had Natural Ocher 02 I asked her on a whim. I haven't tried it yet but hopefully it'll be dark enough to match my neck. If not lets hope I can lighten my neck shade so I can still give this product much love :P

Birthday Presents!!~

2011-04-08T12:58:00.001-04:00

Another year older! And I am of legal age :]
But it doesn't feel much different LOL *Sigh*

My birthday (both Gregorian calendar and lunar calendar..what a coincidence) was actually last month. I only officially celebrated one with my family though because all my friends' have very busy lives (unlike me..which reminds me I need to find a job ASAP before college). But no fret we did celebrate and I had a great time :] Most of my friends aren't the giving presents type as we decide to just hang out instead. But bestfriend is of course bestfriend and we've always gave presents to each other (at least as far as I can remember we have). This year was a bit more special since our interests have expanded a lot since we've both delved further in the beauty world (me more-so than her), so there were more options for present choices. When she gave me the bag with these two wrapped boxes I was 99% sure what they were. And I loved them even more when I did open it :D You'll see why!

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First..I went ahead to Sephora and got my birthday present/product. I must say I'd choose this over last year's choice any day..I haven't used it yet but it sounds delicious!

From Bestfriend:

So cute!! :D

Hehe my card has been purple every single year. Not that I'm complaining..purple is my favorite color! I wonder if she's going to run out of purple cards to give me LOL Of course it had a lovely message inside but that's a bit too personal for blog sharing :X

TADAAA! My Beauty Diary MASKS!!
Bird's Nest and the LE/SE Alice in Wonderland themed set
I already have the Bird's Nest but really do like it so I of course do not mind having another one :]

So cute right?!

Could anyone translate? I can't read Chinese =X

I think all the masks that come in this set are new, correct me if I'm wrong. I also have never seen these being sold in its own individual box nor have I heard of them (other than on Blair's blog). I'm excited to try them all, especially the Arbutin Whitening and Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Masks.

March 2011 Collective Haul

2011-04-05T11:38:00.001-04:00

This month..well technically last month since it's already April..I tried really hard to not buy as much as I usually do. And I guess to some extent I did control myself. But instead of buying skincare and makeup products, I ended up buying quite a lot of nailpolishes =X Mostly because a lot of them were highly sought after and I felt I MUST have them. Anyone else have this *ahem* problem? >__> I tend to buy a lot of things because of this..hehe But in reality when I added up my spendings for this month, compared to January and February I spend considerably less. Hopefully now that I have a lot polishes that have been on my wishlist and am trying to spend less makeup and skincare-wise I'll continue to purchase less monthly? *crosses my fingers*

Onto my haulage for March! :D

Daisan Mekuru Cotton

I actually bought this in February and somehow forgot to include it with that post so here it is! I've seen a video of a Japanese woman (forgot her name..) that used something similar for a DIY mask and thought it was rather interesting so when I saw that the beauty stores in Chinatown carry these, I got a bit overexicted and purchased a box to try. I haven't used them yet but do plan to use it with my Hada Labo SHA Lotion :] When I do I'll try to post about it.

OPI Last Friday Night & OPI Teenage Dream

AHH The glittery gems of the month! :D I actually purchased these from necessary★nails. I actually know her in real life (not boasting..lol). I really wanted to try these because they looked very pretty despite how sheer everyone said they were. I have only tried Last Friday Night and must say it is pretty BUT you'll definitely need to pair it up with a base color. Like most glitters it is a pain in the butt to take off. These were also the first around retail/full priced OPIs that I've purchased in a VERY long time. I tend to get my polishes from nail supply stores for a fraction of the price =X

Essie Matte About You

Bestfriend and I got this particular one together. I've been wanting to try a matte topcoat/polish for soo long but never really looked for them because a lot of stores didn't seem to sell them. I did find it once at a store called Ricky's but it was overpriced IMO. When bestfriend told me that a drugstore (Walgreens..or Riteaid..I don't remember) by our school had this I was determined to get it. However.....I tried it a few times and I gotta say I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. Bummer. It looked nice but I think it looks a bit strange on me. Makes my hand look more mature (if that makes any sense lol).

Steve Madden Oxford Flats in Cognac

My first DSW purchase! That place is a shoe heaven. ^__^ I would love to thank my bestfriend (hehe shopping buddy) for giving me her discount!! I've wanted these for a really long time (and another pair of oxford flats also by steve madden) but felt it was too expensive. Since the DSW I went to didn't have the size in the color that I wanted in the other style I got these instead. They are so pretty! But a bit painful to walk in right now because the heel area is a bit too stiff since it is very new..hopefully nothing a good break-in can't fix :D

Victoria Secret Smooth FX Lip Scrub & Balm

After hearing Fuzkittie praises on this product and since I was running low on my Lush lip scrub, I decided to purchase this. I know and you probably all know from my past hauls that I definitely do not need another lipbalm but another one doesn't hurt? Right? ^^; I haven't tried this yet because I want to finish my Lush lip scrub first (which I don't particularly like..sad to say). But judging by the look of its consistency, I MIGHT like this lip scrub much better. Has anyone else tried this product?

Revlon Perplex & Orly Galaxy Girl

More polishes! *looks away in shame* I couldn't help myself. I found Revlon Perplex out of sheer coincidence at my local CVS and couldn't pass the chance up. And!! It was BOGO 50%..I know, those are just ways to get people to buy more than what they really need but I'm a sucker for those kind of things. I haven't tried Perplex yet but it looks very pretty! On the other hand I did try out Galaxy Girl because I found that I love applying polishes that look similar (with lots of find shimmer but not huge glitter chunks). It wasn't what I imagined it to be but it's very nice. I will be posting swatches for this soon actually! Haven't done that in a while now have I? :P

Oh another item that I purchased partially because of "It's LE! I MUST HAVE IT!" syndrome and partially because I LOVE this particular group (one of many actually lol but thats another story that I may or may not talk about lol) is...UNIQLO's ... Big Bang ... Gray Hoodie. ^__^ I'm very thankful for living in a city where there is a Uniqlo store. And thanks to bestfriend, again, for alerting me that this collection was being sold here...I went ahead and purchased this (as did bestfriend). By the time we got there it had already been close to a week since it was first shelved and sold so not too many sizes were available (since it a men's line). But who cares? IMO I love hoodies & I've always wanted a high collar/scuba neck (not sure its exact name) styled hoodie. I love Big Bang. I don't mind wearing "made with a male in mind" hoodie :D Maybe it's just me? H
I'm sorry that I don't have a picture for this one because I don't like to model clothes (too self-conscious :X) and I forgot to take a picture of it when it was all new. Maybe in the future? If you guys are curious..please make use of Google Images, it'll be your bestfriend! :P

Alright enough of my fan girl moment..

Overall it wasn't that bad..right? :]
What kind of things did you purchase last month..if any?

More Empties! - MAR `11

2011-04-02T19:45:00.003-04:00

I'm proud to say that I was able to finish more than 3 products this month. (It should have really been only 2 because one of the products I left a little behind so I could see if I would miss using the product for a while lol.) Although the other two products however lasted me quite some time so I'm very happy to be able to finally finish them. This means that I could try new products! Yay ^__^

I will post reviews on these, hopefully within the month. I've had them drafted for a long time but never got around to turning them into posts =X

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This lasted me close to a year. But lets be fair..I did use this only at night time for about half a year because at the time that I got this the weather was warm and this moisturizer was pretty thick. Then late fall and throughout a majority if not all of winter I used this day and night. It worked very well at keeping my skin moisturized throughout the day but I didn't really see much changes on my pores or spots. Maybe it's because it's targeted towards adult acne? So I will not be repurchasing this but it was a great product nonetheless.

This was one of those I don't love it but I don't hate it products. It was nice and refreshing and I felt that it did clean some left over residue sometimes after I cleansed but I didn't particularly notice any significant changes towards my pores and acne like it is target to. However, like I said for the emulsion, it might be because this line is for adult acne but I don't quote me on that because I'm not sure how different teenage and adult acne are. This lasted me almost a year and I used this both day and night. But only 2 shakes/drops each time which I found was just enough for my face. I will probably not repurchase this either since there are so many other products to try out.

I must say I really liked this product. It kept my skin moisturized and made it feel soft when I used it. But when I had a really parched(?) nose from having the sniffles for a period of time and rubbing it constantly with tissues it did almost nothing for it. So this would probably work a lot better for me personally during the summer and when I do not have allergies. I most likely won't be repurchasing this even though it was a pretty good product.

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See a lot more progress than last month! :P But these products were already towards its end in February so I do not know if I'll be able to finish anything next month lol

Did anyone else finish products this month?
Have you tried any of these products?

Empties of February 2011

2011-03-02T17:00:00.003-05:00

I've always loved and envied other bloggers' posts of the products they finish each month. I did initially want to update everyone on what I finish as well but I realized how pathetic my list would be (usually only 1 product a month..sometimes not even). I guess it's a good and bad thing. I get to use my products for a long time but I don't get to try as many new products as often as I'd like to. Hmm we'll see. At least it's another reason for me to update my blog more! :P

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The only finished product I have for February. The lonely soul, St. Ives Green Tea Cleanser. I did a review of it here. I'm glad I finished it but probably won't be repurchasing since there are SOO many other cleanser out there that I have yet to try. I'm sure (I hope) I'll find one better.

However, I think next month will be a bit more exciting since I'm close to finishing a couple of products already and it is only the beginning of March!

How often do you completely finish products? Do they tend to be more makeup or skincare products?

Tagged: 2010 Beauty Favorites

2011-03-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

I was tag in January by LittoMokaa to do the 2010 Beauty Favorites tag and I forgot all about it until now. Ahh! I'm so sorry it took me sooo long to do this tag! Better late than never? Heh.. =X

Questions:

Which lipstick/lipgloss did you use most often in 2010?
Ehh I don’t usually wear lipstick or lipgloss. But I did use the Lioele Blooming Pop Pinky Tint most often color product wise.

What was your favorite eyeshadow this year?
I don’t wear eyeshadows much either =X

What product for complexion (foundation, blush, etc.) did you use the most?
MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural – Light Medium

Your favorite nail polish color of 2010?
OPI Rumple’s Wiggin’

Which skincare product would you not give up under any circumstances?
Moisturizers that could double as a mask/pack or sleeping pack. (Laneige/H2O+)

What is your favorite personal care product?
Likas Papaya Soap. I didn’t get to see the whitening effect because I only used 1 bar but I loved how it exfoliated my dead skin! Unlike other soaps that I have used before. If only I could get it more easily in the US.

Your usually worn fragrance in 2010?
I usually use a mist if I remember. I really love the Bath &Body Works Sweet Pea mist scent :]

What was your personal favorite jewelry piece?
A pair of angel wings from H&M.

What have you discovered in 2010 that is new for you (new products, inspirations, blogs, hobbies, etc.)?
Tons of blogs. Discovered (or maybe rediscovered) my interest for photography.

Do you have resolutions for 2011? If so, what are they?
Lose weight =X Spend less or more sensibly. Procrastinate less. Sleep more (beauty rest not napping lol)

Tag other people:
I won't tag anything since it is already so late into 2011. But if you would still like to do this tag feel free to do so!

February 2011 Collective Haul

2011-02-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

China Glaze Sea Spray

Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Day & Night Lash Boosting Serum

I got these when CVS had $3 off $10 Physician's Formula purchase :P

Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Deep Brown 7366

I also got this during the $3 off $10 at CVS. But since my grandma and my mom had cards I got two =X

Soompi Korean Skincare Haul

L to R: Skinfood Omija Whitening Serum and Skinfood Facial Water Vita-C (Mist)

The skin on my face is already rather light. But I have a lot of acne scarring and uneven skintone that I wanted to try to fix. However I won't be using this soon only because I want to target one problem at a time. I've been on a facial mist kick lately. If only I had more funds I'd want to try so many lol. However, facial mists not in aerosol cans are a little difficult to find (I heard from gossmakeupartist that the nitrogen in the aerosols aren't so good for the skin). I have a few on mind to get after I finish this one already! ^__^

Samples the seller included!

Bag from Gmarket.

I've been wanting a small bag/purse to carry around when I go out. (This is my first small bag can you believe it?) I love the long chain handles..perfect for using on one shoulder or cross body! I thought it would be a softer material and less reptile skin like. But it's nice for the price none-the-less.

Hat from Gmarket.

I think I chose to buy a hat too late into the winter season. Although it is still cold I think it might turn spring soon! =X I haven't worn a hat in a longg time! I'm more of a hoodie person lol But it just hasn't been enough recently..I wore it once on a relatively cold day and it kept my head and ears pretty warm :]

Philosophy Purity Made Simple

I went shopping with bestfriend a few days ago in Soho. We both wanted to try out this cleanser (especially with our new Clarisonics). But neither of us really wanted pay the price for it since it is quite expensive. So we chose the best value for our money, the biggest size 24 fl oz for $40 at Sephora, and halved it. She wanted to keep the bottle (so did I but a pump is great too lol) so we went to Muji's and I got the latter.

My Beauty Diary - Bird's Nest Mask

I got this at one of the small beauty stores in Chinatown. The one that I got it at sold MBD at one of the lowest prices that around in Chinatown (there's one other store but I was closer to this one at the time). HOWEVER..I do not recommend going to this particular one for the costumer service. Product wise it's great. They have a lot of brands that NONE other beauty store I've seen has. But the lady that works/owns the place...is very rude IMO and some what annoying. I've been in that particular store on three occasions and each time she would eye me like I'm going to steal something. Maybe she knows that I might not purchase something but who ever said a person is required to buy when they walk in. Not only but once I had my headphones in and couldn't hear her asking me for help and she tapped on me and said "Can I help you?" I replied "No just looking" and she had the nerve to say "Well why didn't you answer me? I've been calling you for a long time now." Does that sound a bit ridiculous or maybe it was just me? Then during this recent occasion I went in walk around..browsing through her selection of products. I swatched a BB Cream I was interested in and she came over staring at me like I wasn't suppose to (but the ones I chose were obviously testers..). So I told her I was just looking around. Then a little while lately, she came over again and kept asking me "Are you looking for something? Are you looking for something? Do you need help? I'll help you look for it." Even though I specifically said I'm just looking around. She continued to say "Are you looking for makeup? BB Cream? Masks? etc etc." I got really annoyed and frustrated at this lady. When I told her "masks" just to get her off my back, and picked this box up and asked "What is this one for?" Her answer was "Masks. You put this on your face" as if I didn't know what they were for..So I clarified and said "No like what is it targeted for?" She just gave me short responses like I was asking the obvious "Brightening" (or maybe she said whitening..I don't remember too clearly now =X). "Are you going to buy it?" That was it..I was very annoyed at this point but just to I guess prove her wrong I bought them. *Sigh* Impulse buy much? lol But I really did want to try these.. My plan for whenever I want to purchase something that only she has now will be to bring only that much money and be positive that is the only thing I want to purchase so I can go in, pick up, make purchase, and walk OUT.

Do you think I was just being too sensitive or was this lady really out of lines as a seller/owner of a store? Maybe she sensed that I was only a looker and not a buyer...

I'm very sorry if this rant bothered you! If anyone is planning to go purchase from these beauty stores in NYC and would like to avoid this lady...email me :P

Has anyone had bad shopping experiences before? :P

Baby No. 3

2011-02-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

I recently jumped on the Clarisonic bandwagon!

I told myself I'd control my spendings, but bestfriend was buying one and she found a pretty good deal. So I got mine a bit earlier than expected. I guess it'll be my birthday present for myself (hopefully my only one..unless I can't control myself =X).

I've been wanting one since the whole wave of raves (lol) that were coming out last year for it. I really wanted to see how well it would fair on my very acne prone and extremely combination skin (especially right now in the winter). I did try a regular facial brush before from The Body Shop after hearing how they could be similar to the Clarisonic but that just left my face feeling very raw..eek!

I am hoping I could update often with the progression of my skin condition. Maybe weekly or every couple of weeks? I hope I don't go through the purging process that some users went through but if that'll lead to a better complexion..bring it on! :D

Of course I had to get it in purple! ^__^

Baby No.2 hasn't faced the blogging world yet but it's kiddies have been on here for quite some time now. Maybe I'll do a separate post later on dedicated to it :P

Has anyone else tried/want to try the Clarisonic cleansing system? If yes what kind of results did you have?

I'm not a loser! :]

2011-02-25T19:47:00.002-05:00

Hehe Corny Title..I know :P

It's always so exciting to get things in the mail! A couple of weeks ago I won BirkinBagBeauty's Valentine Giveaway. Like all the other times I was expecting much. And I misread and thought I was just getting one of the items she showed but I actually won all of them (silly me!).

I'm very happy I have these since they're probably things I wouldn't buy (as of right now) because I haven't gravitated my interests towards red polishes and eyeshadows yet. More products for me to play with ^__^

Thank you again for the lovely giveaway & the extras you included!!

Wonder Woman!!

2011-02-11T22:26:00.002-05:00

I didn’t grow up watching/reading Wonder Woman but she is nonetheless a classic heroine. Wonder Woman + MAC + oversized jumbo products = EXCITEMENT :] But I have to admit..I definitely have a problem if no one realized already =X I think I’m going to limit my MAC/high end purchases until I actually used a lot of the products that I currently have or until April when this certain MAC collection comes out with mineralized blushes. Don’t judge me..! *Looks away*

The products that I purchased were all limited edition and twice the sizes of normal products. This is the only reason why I allowed myself to purchase these items. They’re twice the size but not double in price. I’m in denial. I can’t control myself! Making up excuses all the time for my spendings..

I was actually able to get these a day before the official release at the MAC pop-up store in Soho. I’m not sure if it’s a permanent store or not because MAC Soho’s original location (literally 2 store away from this pop-up location) was already being renovated for something else. The pop-up store was completely decorated with the Wonder Woman theme. I wonder if they’re going to be changing it once this collection fades out?

What pretty packaging!
I already keep the boxes of most of the products I purchase, but when I do decide to throw those away..this will not be one of them :P

Inside of the boxes. So patriotic!

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo – Back of box

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo Packaging
It looks a little cheap IMO But it is pretty sturdy plastic.

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo Packaging

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo – Taken with flash under a light

MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo – Taken with with no flash under light
I think this one is more true to the color in the pan.

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish – Back of box

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish Packaging

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish – Taken with flash under light
If only it had a mirror...

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish – Taken with flash under light

MAC Pink Power Mineralized Skinfinish – Taken with no flash under light
This one is closer to the true color. It might be a smidgen darker though.

Did anyone find this collection captivating? Who else couldn't pass up on the jumbo products?
I was also interested in a lipgloss but decided against it since I don't even wear lip products often.

I'll try to post comparison photos to show you just how jumbo these products are soon! ^__^ You'll be very surprised if you haven't already seen it.

Chinese New Year Parade @ 8th Avenue

2011-02-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the day of the annual CNY parade on 8th avenue, hosted by the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association. And recently (last few years), it's become a tradition(?)/habit for my family to go down there and just absorb the festive atmosphere.

It does get redundant after going for so many years. But this year I was excited to take photos with my DSLR. I didn't get to take as many AMAZING photos as I wanted but it was fun nonetheless. My first adventure with my new camera :] I hope to do this more often around the city in the upcoming months ^__^

I did take much more photos. Many were very random..just for fun shots while others had people in them. I don't think those people would like to see photos of themselves online without permission. =X

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On our way back to the car I saw this lovely little fella (or gal idk which one lol). It was just sitting there. Wonder what it was waiting for? I felt so sorry for it after my horrible brother threw snow at it =.=;; I hope it's alright!

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Our choice for lunch. Usually when we're at 8th avenue as a family we either go yum cha or eat Vietnamese food. I wanted to try something different for once, especially since my brother never likes to try new foods (he's missing out!). This is my second or third time eating Malaysian food..ever (that I can remember). It was yummmyy! ^__^

Roti Canai

Hainanese Chicken with Rice

Hainanese Chicken with Rice (Chicken Broth Rice)

Penang Char Kueh Teow

Clay Pot Pearl Noodles Soup

Clay Pot Pearl Noodles Soup
My favorite!!! My mom thinks it's because apparently she made similar type noodles often when I was younger...No wonder why they looked familiar! lol

Review: St. Ives Green Tea Cleanser

2011-02-04T23:57:00.003-05:00

St. Ives Green Tea Cleanser

It is very runny/liquidy! Very different from the foaming cleanser I usually used.
*Please excuse my brother’s dry hands =X

If you only rub your hands lightly you’ll get very light foamage. Not very dense/thick.

This is what you would get if you rubbed your hands for a bit longer. There is significantly more foam, but it’s still not very dense. Be careful if you’re wearing clothing with sleeves because it might get wet since it is runny.

Price:
From Walgreens/CVS/RiteAid USD$6-7
I don’t remember how much I got mine for but drugstores have tons of sales/coupons etc. so you don’t necessarily have to buy it for their retail price. And most of the time prices from one drugstore to another also differs.

Package: Pump bottle with 200ml. I use 1 pump each time I wash my face. However, I do not know if my bottle was a bad one or not but product use to come out from the pump’s sides. It eventually clogged itself because I didn’t bother to clean it off and stopped oozing out whenever I pumped the bottle. When it got to the very last few pumps, the product didn't want to come out when I pumped it. I ended up twisting off the cap and pouring it out =.=

Positives:
-Not expensive
-Hasn't broken me out
-Clean but no squeaky clean feeling
-My face always feels soft afterward (especially after rinsing when face is still wet). I think it did help a little with the texture of my skin (if that makes any sense xD)
-The company doesn't test on animals
-It doesn't contain parabens or phthalates

Negatives:
-After a couple of minutes there is tightness
-Sometimes there is dryness and I can see patches of dry skin >__<
-Not sure whether it removes makeup like it is advertised
-I don't think it did too much for my skin at all other than cleaning it...
-Doesn't reduce all redness from my face (if anything..it only slightly reduces the redness on my cheeks and it's temporary)
-Does contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate (maybe that is what is making my skin feel dry and tight?)

Repurchase?: No. I like it enough as a quick cleanser since it's easy to foam up and work with since it's a light foam (good for mornings when I don't want to spend too much time on just creating a lather to use). But it makes my skin feel so tight! And I really didn't see enough results at all. Also I still want to try other cleansers so even if I were to consider repurchasing..it'll be a long long way from now. I'm glad it didn't cause a terrible reaction like some had but it never gave me amazing results that others raved about.

Rating: 3/5
It is only average IMO..

Recommend?: Maybe. It is inexpensive and won't break your wallet. There are very different reviews out there for this particular cleanser. Enough for me to think it might be worth trying to see if it will give you good results.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you >__<;;

Happy Lunar New Year!

2011-02-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to say

Happy Lunar New Year!

Hope everyone has a prosperous and healthy year ^__^
Eat well & Hope everyone receive lots of love and red envelopes :P

January 2011 Collective Haul

2011-01-31T14:15:00.001-05:00

Yet another haul post. I’m so sorry! I promise the next one will definitely not be a haul post >__<;; But please bear with it for now. These are easier/faster write than reviews/swatches lol

Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey Natural Defense & Soothing Lip Care and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Speed Dry Drop

I think the cold weather has really gotten to me. I’ve been wanting to try a lot of lip balms lately. And all those reviews/raves for this one especially doesn’t help my self-control :X

These speed dry drops are soo difficult to find! I think the company switched it all over to the brush version. Surprisingly they both have different ingredients lists…I’m hoping that these’ll work nicely so I don’t have to go back to Seche Vite.

Wet & Wild Fastdry Nail Color Blue Wants to be a Millionaire & Gray’s Anatomy and Garnier Nutrioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle-Roller in Sheet Tint

TOP: Lush Each Peach Massage Bar & Sugar Babe Scrub
BOTTOM: Lush Mange Too Massage Bar

Wind, snow, coldness…It’s all taking a toll on my skin. I don’t usually take care of my body but it’ll probably take a toll later on. After hearing some good reviews I made a trip to the Lush store. The SA’s there were nice. They offered to try things on me etc. But of course..I felt bad :X So instead of going in with 1 item in mind..I came out with 3 LOL *Sigh* I have problems! =.=

Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer – Vernis in Branwen’s Feather

My first splurge/expensive nail polish. The color was just too pretty…I tried it already. I love how it only took 1 slightly thicker coat to get a nice opaque color, 2 to get full coverage of the nail. BUT..IDK..mine chipped without a day. I think I’m going to try again using Seche Vite and see how that goes. Has anyone else who used Butter London polishes experienced this?

Benefit Highbeam To Go, Sample of Philosophy Purity Cleanser, Hello Kitty Nail Polish in Blueberry

I was so happy to find the Highbeam To Go in Sephora. Been wanting to try it, but didn’t want to purchase the full sized. I know it works out to be more worth my money if I bought the full sized but I think this one will last me a while..

And how could I pass on the Hello Kitty collection?!?! I had to get at least 1 item..After swatching almost all the colors they had, I ended up liking how Blueberry came out post. If applied nicely you could even wear 1 sheer layer! 2 layers is already full coverage..opaque goodness :D

Sephora Samples

Can’t wait to try these out. I think I need to take better care of my eye area even though I’m not even in my 20s yet. I tend to rub them a lot =.=

Forever21 Necklace

Wasn’t expecting this now were you? :P I think I’m going to start including items like these as well. I’ve only purchased a few jewelry pieces so there isn’t much to share now. But I can see myself buying more, especially when they’re so cheap and cute at F21!

TOP: MUJI Cotton
TOP: MUJI Facial Net

I've only been using MUJI cotton for the last...half a year (maybe longer?). It is much better and less expensive than drugstore ones IMO. Will definitely continue to buy these :] And NYC MUJI FINALLY has the facial net in store!! I remembering seeing someone mention purchasing it (but they're from another country) and I went to check a few months ago and they didn't have. I hope this will be easier to use than the version that I bought before. Will definitely try to post about this and compare after I try it :D

Gray and Beige/Cream Circle Scarves

Another non-beauty related item I wanted to share :] The weather has been so strange. Sometimes it’s bearable cold and others it’s freezing..I didn’t hear about circle/infinity scarves until recently and I really like how versatile they are! I especially love how there are no ends so I don’t have to worry about one blowing off my shoulder and touching the nasty ground (with all the slushy dirty left over mess from the snow disasters..don’t get me wrong snow when untouched is beautiful, but when there are so many people walking and driving on it..it is a horrendous sight!)

Divina Non Acetone Nail Polish Remover

I can’t believe I finished a whole bottle of nail polish remover by myself LOL I can only imagine how bad my nails must be. Must give them a rest soon! xD But until then, I needed to replace the one I was using (Sally Hansen Extra Strength Polish Remover) because even though it removed polish fast I despised the cold feeling acetone gave. I intended to buy the Sephora one because I loved how quickly it removed my polish when I tried it at the store, but didn’t really want to spend $9 dollars for a relatively small bottle. I found Divina at my local beauty supply store when I was searching for a haircutting razor LOL Will try it out and see how it works soon! Hopefully it’ll be as good as the other two ^__^

First Drugstore Purchases of 2011

2011-01-10T07:30:00.005-05:00

Many of you probably already know of the big sale that CVS is having for their beauty products. I found out about it on New Year’s Eve (very late at night) while I was on a college application break lol thanks to Nouveau Cheap’s blog. I’ve seen those 50% and 75% off stickers before when I wasn’t as into MU but now I realize what a great deal they are. Each product could come to less than $5 each! Even though Nouveau Cheap listed so many products that were on sale, it really does vary by store. I went to 2 CVS’s and some products on sale at one store weren’t at the other. There were also products that I was anticipating on getting but didn’t see a sticker on. I did use the red machine to price check, but sadly..it wasn’t discounted. Now the beauty section of CVS has a lot of empty spaces lol I guess it’s a good thing since I heard that they use these sales to clear out space for new products! I’ve seen some temporary displays for new products as well. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us ^__^

Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer in 002 Light Medium and Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Beige Medium 0-2.5

This was my first purchase of the new year. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these two concealers and decided to buy them even though I have so many because they were discounted so much. Thank goodness I picked the correct shade for the Revlon one but I was overly excited about the sale that I forgot to double check the shade for the Maybelline one (it was placed in the Cream section when it was Beige..I hate it when this happens. I always find myself putting it back into the correct places lol). In the end I had to exchange it because it was WAY too dark for my face. Maybe if my neck shade and face shade were the same it would have matched but if I just wanted to wear concealer and powder..this wouldn’t do.

Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer in 002 Light Medium

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Beige 0-2.5

Physician’s Formula Health Wear SPF50 Powder Foundation in Cream Beige and Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Ivory Light 2-3.5

Literally the next day I walked more than 1 mile to go to the two CVS’s in order to exchange the Maybelline concealer. Good exercise though lol. I was looking for Cream but neither store at it (or it wasn’t on sale). So I opted for Ivory hoping it would be a good match and it was, surprisingly! I purchased the Physician’s Formula foundation because I’ve been really into powders lately even though it’s winter time. I took a chance with this shade (it was the only one on sale) and it wasn’t very dark. In fact, it is pretty light being the darkest shade in the range.

Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear SPF50 Powder Foundation in Creamy Beige

The packaging felt a bit cheap IMO and the bright neon colors aren’t my thing. But since I don’t carry makeup around and only use it before I go out, it isn’t too big of a problem. Even the sponge it came with is pink!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Ivory Light 2-3.5

Top: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Beige Medium 0-2.5
Bottom: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Ivory Light 2-3.5

L’oreal Magic Smooth Soufflé Makeup Sample

I didn’t see the new collection displays until I was about ready to leave CVS. Of all the displays of this foundation that I saw (Rite-Aid, Walgreens, CVS), this was the first I saw with the sample packets that everyone talked about. It doesn’t have an indication of a shade, but I’m still curious about how a soufflé foundation is.

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A few days ago while waiting for my mom to go to an appointment I had, I went to the nearby Rite-Aid. I saw they had Revlon brushes and got a little excited. Revlon brushes are almost impossible to find! I’ve only seen them at select Rite-Aids. I picked up one thing.

Revlon Blush Brush

Although I like the Ecotools blush brush, sometimes I think it doesn’t work too well with certain blushes. I wanted a more rounded brush than the tapered style that the Ecotools brush had. I was willing to pay the retail price that was on the sticker ($12.99), but luckily when I went to check out and the cashier told me it was $3.24 I was very surprised. I didn’t even know it was on sale! After I made the purchase I was very tempted to see if the powder brush was also on sale, but really..how many brushes does a person need? I’m probably going to regret it later, but I’m glad I was able to show some control xD The blush brush is very soft! I washed it and haven’t been able to try it yet. Will update on how it is later on!

Did any of you make use of the great sales going on? What did you buy? ^__^

December 2010 Collective Haul

2011-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! This is a late collective haul for December 2010, better late than never! It seemed like yesterday was January 1st. But it was actually last week! How time flies by..

I didn’t make many shopping trips, but I did a lot of damage for one particular purchase (which you’ll see soon =P).

Warning!! This post, like all my haul posts, is VERY image-heavy. I’m so sorry if this makes your computer slow and laggy >__<;;

Missha M Cover B.B Balm [Pact Type] No.23 and Etude House AC Clinic Set

Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser, Q-Tips, Etude House AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot

I bought this from a Soompi seller that I frequently purchase from. Since she lives relatively close to me, I was able to save on shipping. In addition she was having a discount, so double savings! ^__^ I’ve tried the Etude House set a couple of times and it’s pretty good. I don’t want to say too much until I use it for a little longer.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Warm Sand, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Peach, and Sephora Mineral Powder Brush

I bought this with the Sephora Gift card I received through email over the holidays. I originally wanted to purchase the Benefit Some Beauty to Love set. But after going to several Sephoras throughout the city and not seeing it, I just settled for the corrector and brush. I’ve been using both regularly since I purchased them and I really like it! Although..I think the corrector is a bit light for its corrector job, it seems to be an alright shade as a concealer shade (even though that isn’t what it’s supposed to do). So I don’t need to put another layer of concealer over it because the shade isn’t too different from flesh tone. (I didn’t pick this shade out, I had a MUA/SA at Sephora help me)

Beautymate Pure White Nano Mask

After using a few of the Beautymate masks my aunt gave me, I wanted to try the other ones as well. I saw these at the pharmacy that I normally go to and asked my mom if we could exchange our prescription receipts for this (that pharmacy allows their customers to use the receipts to ‘buy’ stuff non-prescribed..one receipt=$1, I guess it makes customers want to buy more things lol).

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I’ve noticed that my fingers and cuticles are very dry and look disgusting. Even when my hands are relatively soft, my cuticles never seem to have the same moisture level as the rest of my hand. After hearing Makeup and Beauty Blog’s review on it, I got sucked in. Plus it wasn’t too expensive. After using it for a couple of weeks, I really like this as well. However, you have to be very diligent because it’ll make your nail area and cuticles look soft yes but if you watch your hands a couple of times..bye bye soft moisturized looking cuticles. But I don’t think any product will last even after being washed away lol

H2O+ Ultimate Hydration System
Tadaaa! The big purchase I made!!

H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water

H2O+ Hand and Nail Cream

I’ve used this a couple of times. It makes my hands feel nice and soft. But the smell is a big strange..Has anyone else used this and also disliked the scent?

H2O+ Dual Action Eye Makeup Remover

H2O+ Marine Toner

H2O+ Night Oasis Overnight Eye Complex

My second eye-cream. First one from H2O+. I’ve been using this only at night because it says night oasis (I wonder if I could use it in the morning as well..). It leaves my eye area feeling very hydrated in the mornings and I find it not as dry throughout the day as when I didn’t use it. I was thinking of purchasing something to treat my eyes better because I’ve neglected it this whole time I’ve been into makeup and skincare =X

H2O+ Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator

H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

I was most excited about this product. I really liked the sample I got from the giveaway prize I got from Lil Lady’s Life. I can’t wait to start using this after I finish my Garnier gel moisturizer (which I should put a review of soon lol).

I finally found some time to travel into the city and explore to find the H2O+ store. It wasn’t very big but the store front stands out a lot so if you’re on the street, it is very difficult to miss it. I was debating on this set or a small set that contained only a couple full-sized items and a few smaller sized items. I decided on this one because it seemed a better deal. I had no idea that ALL the products were FULL-SIZED. It was a $175 value priced at $115 a week or so before I purchased it. Then it was dropped to $85. I couldn’t resist. But luckily, these items should last be a pretty long time. So 7 items for $85 (which brings each product to be ~12.15 ish) isn’t TOO bad…right? If my mom saw the receipt, I’m sure I’d be lectured for even if I purchased this with my internship money lol

Top Row: MBD Southern France Apricot Mask & Aloe Mask
Bottom Row: MBD Q10 Rejuvenating Mask & Japanese Cherry Blossom Mask

The same day I went exploring, my lovely aunt went masks shopping. She told me that she was haggling prices and got these for a little cheaper (but obviously not as cheap as if she was to purchase from HK/Taiwan). I was amazed by all the masks she had..10 for each flavor(?) and she had I think 5-6 types. Wow..! She let me take some (again lol) to try. I believe these are the newer version where the mask sheet is thinner.

Left Mask: Newer and Right Mask: Older

I realized I still had a Japanese Cherry Blossom Mask from a while back and compared the two. I usually check MBD whenever I get them because apparently there are a lot of fakes out there. After comparing them to the information online, the newer masks seemed real. But the back of the package was different compared to the older ones. I was just wondering if it is the same for all of the new MBD masks. Because this is the first time I’ve seen English ingredients on the back of these masks..

EOS Lip Balm with SPF15 in Lemon Drop

I’ve wanted to the EOS lip balms for a while but was never able to find any of the non-mint flavored ones. I got this even though I have a couple of lip balms I can use because of the extra SPF. I’ve heard that lips needed sun protection too! It smells like lemon cookies…yum!

MAC Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle

My aunt and I braved the snow and heavy winds the day of the big storm because we had plans for me to use the facial giftcard she received when she purchased one of Shiseido’s skincare sets. I didn’t get to do the facial because the lady my eye purchased from wasn’t there that day. Oh well. It wasn’t a total waste of a trip though. This was the same day that MAC Cham Pale and Stylishly Yours collections were released. I was eyeing the cream colour bases since I saw the promotional images. I have a thing for cream blushes over powdered blushes. They just look more natural and easier to use IMO. I wanted all the colors but obviously couldn’t get because that’ll just be too much. I think that I might go back to purchase either Movie Star Red or Madly Magenta soon. They’re both so pretty and a color that I definitely do NOT have. What do you think? Which would you prefer?

Love Package from LaBelleMel

2011-01-08T02:45:00.000-05:00

A little over a week ago, I was thinking “I haven’t won a giveaway in a while. My luck must be running out lol.” Then, the next day while I’m reading new entries off my blogger dashboard I saw my name on Labellemel’s site. I was so excited and couldn’t believe that I won her big giveaway. So I went to the giveaway post and searched to see if I was the only Mandy H :X What a great start to the New Year!

Since it wasn’t a set prize for specific winners and we got to choose what we'd be sent. I didn’t think I would be the first one to pick out my prize. It was hard picking between two of the sets. But I’ll explain why I chose the one I did later on.

L to R: Lush Grease Lightning and Emjoi Epilator
The main prizes.

Let’s make it clear..I did not pick this prize because it seemed the most expensive. I was actually on the fence between this one and the Lioele set. But since this was such a great opportunity to try out something I would probably never have the guts to buy, I figured why not? My pain tolerance level is VERY low. So justifying to buy an epilator when I’m afraid to use it is hard. However, now that I have this I can take my time getting use to the pain (hopefully) without having the pressure to return it. Let’s see how this goes when I muster up enough courage to use it xD

This has been my next To-Buy from Lush. I was waiting to finish up other acne/spot treatments before buying it. Can’t wait to see how it goes..I've been breaking out a lot lately. I know that Lush’s bath products are really great but my tub isn’t in the best condition to use for bathing lol

Of course. Everyone is always so nice with their packages and LaBelleMel was no exception. She included a ton of samples. I can’t wait to try them!

**Thank you LaBelleMel!!**

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T00:22:00.002-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can't believe it's already 2011!
So many things have happened:
I was drawn into the makeup/skincare world,
I made my first BIG purchase with my hard earned money from my internship for a DSLR (yay)!
I had many restless nights thinking about my future..
And this is only the beginning.

In 6 months I'll be graduating high school.
In 8-9 months I'll hopefully (knock on wood) attend college.
Time sure has gone by fast lately..

Sorry I've always been MIA!
I will try to start posting more starting...next week?
I have a few more college applications to finish and then it'll be ALL OVER ^__^
(I have a terrible habit of procrastinating that I need to kick..don't judge me please! =X)

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous new year!

November 2010 Collective Haul

2010-11-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

Yay! I did significantly less damage this month :] A main part of it was because I’ve been so busy (hmm I said that last month lol I guess I was super busy this month). I only bought three things and the rest were either samples/gifts/exchange. I hope I can continue not spending this much lol

The Face Shop Peeling Day Honey Black Sugar

My aunt went to The Face Shop in Koreatown (Manhattan) to buy some masks for her friend and used my points to purchase this for me. (She thought that my points would expire? I don’t really know how their system works since I go once in a blue moon :X)

Lancome Teinte Miracle in 2W and 7W

*Sigh* The troubles my face and neck shades bring me..I can’t get foundations matched correctly. The MUA there told me I was 2W (she matched it to my face) and I asked what it would be matched to my neck and she said 7W. She was really nice and filled up the whole sample container with product. Now I just need to try them out a couple of times first. I think 7W might fit me more because of my tanned neck area. Has anyone else tried the new Lancome foundation?

MAC My Highland Honey – photographing this was very difficult! A majority of them came out pink/coral. The third is the closest IMO to the actual color.

Everyone’s posts about this blush made me really tempted to buy this. It’s such a lovely color. Very different for me since I’ve been really into pink shades. When the MUA tried it on me, she applied it pretty heavily, and I had to go yum cha and eat dim sum with my mom and her friends afterwards (was very self-conscious that they’d notice I was wearing makeup). But nothing my fingers couldn’t fix lol When my mom’s friends saw me they even said my face was slimmer/narrower. I don’t know if it’s because of the way the blush was or because of shadows in the restaurant, but it made me nice ^__^

MAC Face & Body in C2

I was finally able to exchange for a darker shade (suggested by the MUA) the day I went to pick up My Highland Honey. I think it might be a smidgen too light, but if I am able to lose my neck’s tan I don’t think it’ll be a problem. I’ve been wearing it for a few days and I don’t think the difference is ghastly.

Ecotools Blush Brush

I’ve also wanted this for a while now. Lil Lady’s Life and many other bloggers said they recommended this blush brush and I can’t agree more ^__^

L to R: Beautymate Purifying and Hydrating Nano Mask & Shiseido gift from my aunt

My lovely aunt, who also started me on my whole skincare journey lol, bought the Shiseido Benefiance set from Macy’s and gave me the softener/toner to try. And since she’s soo nice, she also let me have the samples since I’ve wanting to try the White Lucent line but it is just too expensive. Not only that, shared a whole box of Beautymate masks with me. Ahh..I feel guilty!

St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Moisturizing Body Wash – travel size

The cold/windy weather that’s been in NYC has taken its toll on my skin..now it’s all dry, itchy, patchy, etc. Very disgusting looking! I didn’t want to commit to a full bottle because my family would nag me for wasting money if I didn’t use it. Hopefully this will work if not..lotion here I come!

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I didn't get to go shopping on Black Friday, but that's alright. Can't wait to hear about everyone else's purchases lol.

One Lovely Blog Award

2010-11-26T15:14:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry to anyone who gave me a blog award/tagged me before and I didn't see/accept/do them! I've been very busy and only have a little time this weekend since it's Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. I hope everyone understands & there are no harsh feelings! :X

And..Thank you Frances for this blog award! I started this just for myself and never really expected people to read and follow my blog, but here everyone is..whether you read silently or leave comments. I appreciate it a lot ^__^

To accept this award, simply pass it to 15 other lovely bloggers.

These aren't in any particular order so don't be offended lol

1. Frances
2. Jennifer
3. Tammy
4. Dina
5. Lil Lady's Life
6. Karen
7. Blair
8. Katherine
9. Nic Nic
10. Bitten Before
11. Katrina
12. Makeup and Life
13. Lovin' From the Oven
14. The Hungry Asian
15. Angelic Betrayal

October 2010 Collective Haul

2010-11-02T13:05:00.007-04:00

Hehe I’m always late on sharing my monthly hauls. Sorry! I’ve been very busy with school lately and the whole college process (very stressful…can’t wait for it to be over). Surprisingly enough, even though I’m so busy I still manage to buy quite a lot :X

O.P.I. Pink of Hearts & Essie Good to Go!

I went to the nail supply store to search for a new topcoat that did not have the Big 3 Toxic Chemicals (Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde, and Toluene) that are supposedly very harmful. I really liked the Seche Vite I bought earlier but I saw that it had Toluene in it and got scared :X I’ve tried the Essie one a few times and I like it too. It doesn’t dry as quick as Seche Vite, but quick enough where I won’t destroy my nail polish applications even after 5 minutes.
I bought O.P.I. Pink of Hearts on a whim. Didn’t even expect the store to have it and I wasn’t looking for it. But when I saw it, I really like the sparkly pink and I can justify my purchase a little because I don’t have many sparkly pinks ^__^

For more information about the Big 3 toxic chemicals click here

Milani Liquif’eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Brown & Milani HD Advanced Concealer in 02 Medium

Sadly my Dolly Wink Pencil Eyeliner smudges on me. But I’ve heard many people talk about the Milani eyeliner and Nic Nic of bang bang she shoots suggested I practice/start off with drugstore eyeliners. I went to CVS and saw they had a BOFO 50% off deal. I didn’t want to get two eyeliners and have both not work and I was interested in trying their concealer so I bought one of each :] I think the concealer is a bit too dark/pink (not sure which one lol) for my face, but when I use a little amount for my eyes it’s not as apparent.

MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1
I’ve been wanting to try this for the longest time. Even though I suffer from acne and have a lot of scars, etc. I still like light/natural coverage. Weird I know but maybe it’s because I’m self conscious of people knowing that I wear makeup? Anyways, I went to MAC with my BFF (it was her first time going!). We approached a MUA and BFF got what she wanted and I asked her to match me for the F&B foundation. I told her that my neck and my face are very different colors but she didn’t think so. I thought…oh ok maybe it’s the lighting or maybe she is right and I just over think it. The MUA told me I was a N1. I went in there thinking “I’m probably C3” based on researching and googling online.I was shocked because 1) I know almost positively that I’m yellow undertoned and 2) I didn’t know my face looked that light. Ekk! It looked like an alright match for my face, a bit pink. I told her and she tried C1 on me. It looked slightly better but I still saw a difference from my neck and face. At that point, I was a bit annoyed at my skintone for being two different colors and I was embarrassed because I didn’t want to ‘correct’ the MUA again :X

Long story short..I’m going to exchange it for a different shade.

2 bags of Muji Cotton; Package of tooks to help transfer products (plastic scooper/spatula, funnel, and a dropper); 30ml Pump bottle

I love the Muji cottons that I got in June. But I think I bought the wrong ones this time. These are a lot thinner than the other one. I need to look more closely next time! I bought the pump bottle and the little kit to put the MAC Face and Body foundation into it. But will have to put that off until I exchange it for a darker shade.

On a random note, Muji should bring their skincare line to their USA stores :]

Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil; Origins Flatiron Have a Nice Day Face Cream SPF15 (sample); Origins Never a Dull Moment Cleanser (GWP/freebie); pump for the cleansing oil

I had the intentions of going to Chinatown after visiting a college in the city to buy a cleansing oil from one of the beauty stores/Asian markets. But I saw the Origins store close to the train station that I was going to take and went in to take a look. The people working there were very nice. A SA answered my questions and even asked if I wanted samples (I didn’t know they gave samples out..should have asked for the GinZing eye cream too lol). I bought the cleansing oil from them because it supposedly formulated without all the bad ingredients (parabens, fragrance, etc.) and the cost was just a couple dollars more than some of the cleansing oils I found in Chinatown. So far I like it but I need to use it for a while longer before I can give my definite opinions because cleansing oils always work nicely in the beginning and then starts to dry out my skin. I really hope this doesn’t happen again.

Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream

I needed a new morning moisturizer that was light and well moisturizing for the winter. Plus I had a $1 coupon for this new line from coupons.com. I’ve used this a couple of times but cannot say much about it just yet. Hopefully I’ll get around to reviewing it soon/in the future.

Mark Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation in Buff & Mark MU Bag (freebie/GWP)

BFF was ordering from Avon and asked if I wanted something. Since I planned to get the MAC Face and Body foundation in a couple of days (she ordered the products before I went to MAC and I got the products after I went to MAC..hope that isn’t too confusing) I didn’t ask for the tinted moisturizer. I’ve heard some people compare this with the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation(?) and I like to use powders in the mornings anyway. Ordering online is very difficult, I haven’t tried it yet but I hope the shade matches me!

Double Ended Dotting Tool and China Glaze in Fairy Dust

My friends introduced me to two new nail supply stores that are a little bit further away from my house but still accessible by public transportation. The Essie and OPI’s there are not only cheaper than what I usually get them for, but they also have China Glazes! I’ve been wanting to try them for the longest time but wasn’t able to locate an actual store that sold them. Fairy Dust is very pretty! I used it over the weekend on top of an American Apparel’s Office and it looked great. I think I’m going to go too happy using this one in the future lol!

Essie Marshmallow and Essie Mademoiselle
This last purchase is technically suppose to be part of the November haul, but since I bought this only 1 day after October I’ll make the exception just this once :P
I remember i love nail polish say that her favorite French manicure polishes were Marshmallow and Mademoiselle so I bought it to try out her dolly wink tutorial. I don’t have time to try it out right now but I definitely will once the college process frenzy is over!

Giveaway alert!

2010-10-18T00:02:00.002-04:00

Allure of CF Beauty's:
200th Followers Giveaway!

(click on image to go to her blog)

Giveaway rules:

(2 points) Must be a public follower of her blog and post about this giveaway in your blog. A few lines about the giveaway along with the photo provided (below) will suffice. Leave her the blog link in a comment.

Additional points:

(1 point) Follow her sister blog on animal welfare issues (if you are already, simply mention in your comment to her post!). http://cfcorner.blogspot.com/

(1 point) Tweet about this giveaway by simply copying and pasting the passage: "RT: Win MAC VV "Bite of an Apple" blush and "Bad Fairy" nail lacquer by entering @CFbeauty giveaway here: http://tinyurl.com/2b668y7"

Giveaway will end on November 17, 2010 midnight PST

Swatches: OPI Pink of Hearts

2010-10-10T22:35:00.005-04:00

Another nail polish swatch! ^__^

I was able to relax (finally) on Friday (so I wouldn’t be stressed on SAT day)..SO I did my nails :]

I was looking for the Essie Good to Go top coat and I saw that the store where I usually get my nail polishes had the OPI’s nail polish for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it was a pretty sparkly pink. I couldn’t resist (my self control is worse than I thought..LOL)!

OPI describes it as a “pale pink with a shimmer of hope – and an uplifting sparkle”.

I used 3 coats because it looked a bit streaky with less than that (or it could be that I'm not use to applying sparkly polishes..)

**For base coat I used Seche Clear and top coat I used Essie Good to Go**

Taken with natural light & flash

Taken with artificial light & no flash

Taken with artificial light & flash

Taken with artificial light & no flash

--------------------
I don’t know if anyone will notice, but the image quality should be better than before (I got a new camera) ^__^

September 2010 Collective Haul

2010-10-01T23:30:00.002-04:00

It’s already October! Days ago by fast when you’re super busy (is that a bad or good thing?) :P
Time to share my hauls again! Hope no one is bored of these yet hehe

L to R: Dabo Aloe Essence Mask Pack, Dabo Green Tea Essence Mask Pack, Dabo Cucumber Essence Mask Pack, Hemius Q10 Mask Pack, Hemius Wine Mask Pack

My aunt bought a lot of masks from The Face Shop in the city and let me take some to try.
I admit..I was being greedy, just a little…lol :X

TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

I tried it a couple of times and I think I like Batiste more..
After using it my hair still looks/feels pretty oily.
Will use it more before I confirm that I dislike the product. I was hoping it would work since it’s cheaper than Batiste.

L to R: Kracie Purenavi 3 Das Trial Kit (Cleansing Oil) & Foaming Net

Kay from cosmeddicted talked about using a foaming net before and I was really intrigued. Maybe it’s just me but I think my acne has been a lot better since using it. Also…the cleansers that I thought were really drying out my face before didn’t anymore after started using the net to create a lather! Big shocker…! But I really wish I can find the version without the three little balls inside them, it makes it slightly harder to create a lather since they are in the way.

Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion

No secret that I got this since I already blogged about it earlier. The price I paid was pretty expensive (USD$19) but then again I bought it at a store and most beauty stores in Chinatown jack up there prices. (Only place I can purchase since I can't order online)

L to R: Essie Chinchilly & Seche Clear

Again I got too excited and posted about Chinchilly before my haul post lol
I’ve used Seche Clear a couple of times and I really like it’s consistency and it dries very quickly..I like! And unlike Seche Vite it doesn’t have any of the Big3 bad chemicals (wonder why it varies from products..)
I think I might purchase the Seche Natural to help strengthen my nails (if it doesn’t have any of the Big3 in it of course).

Parian Spirit Brush Cleanser

I like (maybe love) this! It spot cleans pretty well..unlike some *cough Sephora’s cough*
Great for busy/lazy weeks when I don’t have time to deep clean & it leaves a citrus smell. It might be a little too strong for some, but I find it pleasant. Now I wonder how the Cinema Secret one smells like..I heard some say it has a vanilla after scent, yum!

Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer in Light Buff & Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear in Bisque 4W

I stopped by a couple of Sephora’s to see if they had Lancome Teint Miracle on shelves (they didn’t) so I asked some for other samples instead.

Swatches: Essie Chinchilly

2010-09-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

My first nail polish that is out of my comfort zone color (purples..pinks..)!

It’s described on the Essie site as “a sleek granite gray”.

To me it looks a bit like gray, brown, and a little bit of purple mixed together.

Taken with natural light & flash

Taken with natural light & no flash

Taken with artificial light & flash

Taken with artificial light & no flash

Love Package from Lil Lady's Life

2010-09-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve been very lucky on blogspot! (I wish I was this lucky in life lol)
I’m very thankful for all the bloggers :] Always so nice ^__^

& I’m very sorry that I can’t also give back to everyone with giveaways (hope you understand!)
Anyways…lol

A little while ago I won Lil Lady’s Life’s giveaway…I’m always excited about receiving prizes but this time I was jumping out of my seat with joy! :D

Why..? Because the prizes included the MAC Stereo Rose MSF (ahh!!) & Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus = Double the happiness :]

And she was so sweet and included a lot of samples (great for me since I’m still trying to find things that work best for me)^__^

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

*Message to Lil Lady’s Life: Thank YOU for the giveaway and blogging :] And the MSF came in one piece!*

Nothing special about the package…BUT wait for the contents that were inside :]

So many samples! My collection of samples just keeps growing :P

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus.
I can’t wait to try this out. But I’m going to have to look around for how others take it off since I heard it is very very hard to remove it >__<

Guess what’s inside…!

Tada!! (lol excuse my expressions if you think it’s too corny :X)

H20+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment (Oil-Free), Bad Gal Plum, B&BW Midnight Pomegranate Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Gel, & MAC Stereo Rose MSF

Thank you a bunches (again lol)!!! ^__^

I’ve only tried the H20+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment and I think it’s been really helping with my dry patches. Must go and find the H20+ store in NYC!

Is it fake?

2010-09-19T17:00:00.002-04:00

Help! Help! Help!

Yesterday I had the time to make a trip to Chinatown to walk around the beauty shops.
I remembered seeing some of the Hada Labo range at one of the shops I usually browse around and decided to get it.

I usually don’t doubt the authenticity of products (even though it is always better to be on the safe side), I went ahead and googled pictures to compare the labels on the ones other bloggers posted and the one I had.

And…they’re different!! Ahh >__< There is Japanese the label, but there is also quite a lot of Chinese. It didn’t click to me when the SA at the store was reading it off to me in Chinese :X

I hope it is because it’s from Hong Kong (at least I think it is…), whereas most bloggers who blogged about the product were from Singapore/Malaysia.

If anyone has seen packaging like the one that I have, please let me know so I can calm myself and use this product happily :[

Maybe I'm just over thinking this?...What do you guys think?

This is the one that I got.

The only one that is closest to mine that I’ve seen.

The one that is most similar to the ones other bloggers have.

Here are the differences.

Review: Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Kose Softymo Speeding Cleansing Oil

Can anyone read what it says (especially the ingredients)? I would like to know if it has mineral oil or any other ingredient that might be harmful, thank you!

That’s a little less than half a pump. You can’t see the consistency but it’s pretty liquidy, not thick at all.

Price:
From ebay ~USD$11(not including shipping);
From Sasa ~USD$12.70 (Bottle with product + Refill);
I bought mine from a beauty store in Chinatown for ~USD$10.

Package: Pump bottle with 230ml. I use 1-1.5 pumps when I’m only wearing powder, blush, concealer. And ~2 pumps if I’m wearing BB Cream/foundation/tinted moisturizer.

Positives:
-Leaves my face pretty clean.
-Doesn’t have a fragrance, but the smell isn’t exactly pleasant (I can’t really describe it though, definitely isn’t a vulgar scent..)
-Can be found in some beauty stores/pharmacies in Chinatown in NYC
-Inexpensive
-Did NOT break me out!
-Can buy refills if you do like it (the beauty store that I got this from did not sell refills, but it is available online)

Negatives:
-Not available locally for some
-Might be over priced compared to prices in Asia
-My vision becomes a bit cloudy afterwards especially if I massage the cleansing oil around my under-eye area to dissolve(I think that’s how cleansing oil work..? lol) my concealer
-Made my skin feel very tight and dry after washing it off

Repurchase?: No. Like I said, it made my skin feel tight afterwards and I had dry patches. I don’t like the feeling of my face being so dry and stripped of moisture :[ I usually take off my makeup before I shower and then wash my face with a cleanser a couple of hours later after I brush my teeth (complicated but it makes sense to me lol). Moisturizing will probably help but then I’d be moisturizing 3x a day..too much for my combination skin IMO

Rating: 3/5
It’s an average cleansing oil. I like it because it is not expensive, but my skin just feels soo dry after using it. I can’t say too much for eye makeup/waterproof makeup because I don’t own/use any. It may work well for you, but everyone is different so I can say.

Recommend?: Maybe. If you can find it and would like to give it a try, sure. It is not expensive so it won’t leave a hole in your wallet, but I’m sure there are better ones out there…Again, it might work for some people. I guess I’m just not fortunate enough to find a cheap cleansing oil that doesn’t dry my skin out :\

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you >__<;; After I finish this or close to finishing it, I will be looking for another cleansing oil. Anyone have suggestions? I have a few in mind & will be walking around to compare prices when I have time! lol

Upside down Kabuki?

2010-09-09T20:18:00.004-04:00

Ahh, holidays = no school!

But, what a boring day today was. I just stayed home and did practically nothing! So unprotective I know..time is precious and I didn’t make good use of it. Even though I should have been very busy, I of course procrastinated >__<

I did, however, find time to deep clean my brushes today! :] I usually just lay them on a paper towel and let it dry overnight…but laying a kabuki down isn’t really the best idea.

A couple hours early, when I was browsing through youtube videos, I found a great tip from Enkore. It’s a really great way to dry your kabuki brush (or any other dense brush, you could probably just tie the rubber band closer to the ferule part and suspend it that way, if you don’t want to lay it down).

Click here to go to the video.

This is the cup that I usually keep the brushes that I use in. Since all my brushes are laying out to dry, it was empty. It’s a lot shorter than the cup that Enkore used, so I had to twist and turn my paper clips a bit weird in order for the bristle to not touch the cup lol :P

Just thought it would be a fun tip to share with those who didn’t know about Enkore or completely missed it like I did. ^__^

First Day of Senior Year + Products I Used

2010-09-08T20:23:00.004-04:00

First day of school was today! How exciting…! My last year of high school. To be honest, it didn’t feel particularly different. I think a lot of the underclassmen disguise themselves very well! At least the ones that don’t look very young blend in well…
What a stressful Fall/Winter it is going to be. Who remembers going through the college process? Fun wasn’t it ^__^
*Does anyone get very annoyed when your school changes a lot of things the last year you're in the school?! Make us suffer! Lol
**Happy 4-day weekend to those you have vacation for the Jewish holidays! How lucky/strange to have only 1 day of school the whole week..Very smart NY education system!**

I’ve never done these before but I felt like sharing what I used today for school today. For those that are interested and for myself to look back to in later years :P

Last year during this time I did not wear makeup yet so I had nothing to worry about (I woke up, brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, and left the door). This year I actually got ready and “prettied myself up”, sorta…It isn’t much since I’m still in the learning process and like the natural look. Sorry there won’t be a FOTD picture to go along. I'm still self-conscious about showing my face :X

L to R: MAC Mineralize Blush in Pet Me, MAC MSF Natural in Light Medium, & sample of Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude

L to R: Everyday Minerals Long Handle Kabuki, MAC 182, Studio Tools Dual Finish Brush (from target)

Oh wow I didn’t even realize that the brushes correlate with the product I used it with LOL what a coincidence :P
A very minimal look. I wasn’t looking for a lot of coverage, just enough to cover the most of the redness on my cheeks and from various acne scars. This will most likely be more and less the same for now since it doesn't require too much time. ^__^

What kind of products do you use for school/work?

August 2010 Collective Haul

2010-08-31T21:04:00.000-04:00

First off, thank you soo much for those that gave me tips in my last post! I’m definitely going to be trying them over the next few weekends and practice before I actually wear it out/to school :]

------------------------------

Now..onto my monthly hauls!
Believe me when I tell you this, this haul is going to scare some of you :X
I bought quite a few expensive things that I normally do not buy.
But!! It shouldn’t be as bad once school starts next week (hopefully) hehe

L to R: Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15 in Natural Beige & Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream For Face SPF55 PA+++
I was running low on my Lioele sunscreen so I got this one after hearing so many good things from bloggers and youtubers. I’ve been using it alternately with the remaining Lioele sunscreen that I have left and it’s pretty good. Don’t want to say too much until I use it for a longer period of time.

L to R: Dolly Wink Pencil Eyeliner in Black, Dolce&Gabbana l’eau the one, Amore Pacific Natural Protector SPF30/PA+++, Givenchy Hot Couture, Etude House Collagen Moistful Trial Kit (Didn’t notice that it was upside down..sorry!)
The first pencil eyeliner that I purchased! I thought it would be very hard but it isn’t = no tugging! The rest were freebie samples that the soompi seller included for me. I LOVE buying from that seller. She lives within walking distance from me so I could save on shipping :P

L to R: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover & Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
I would say this was an impulse buy, but it only half true. I wanted to get an eye makeup remover so I could start practicing using the pencil eyeliner. But CVS was having a BOGO 50% off and I felt if I didn’t buy a second item it wouldn’t be worth it (terrible I know because I only needed 1) >__< Who else has this weakness? lol

L to R: MAC 182, Rimmel Eyeshadow Trio in 624 Lynx, some sponge tip applicators
My first MAC brush :] I had been eyeing the brush for the longest time! It is the special/limited edition version with the cube-like bottom. It is sooo soft!!!! Ahh! (Despicable me moment :P) And the best part is, I got it for $28 from a soompi seller. She included the freebies. More makeup to play with!

L to R: MAC Mineralize Blush in Utterly Game & MAC Mineralize Blush in Pet Me
My first MAC blushes/mineralized blush. When pictures of these came out I was debating whether to get them or not. But after I read the description I really wanted them. I missed out on Stereo Rose MSF, Petticoat MSF, and By Candlelight MSF, but these are really pretty and smooth too. It isn’t as glitterly-shimmery as I thought (which is a good thing because I like the natural look). Anyone recommend any specific brush to use with these and isn’t expensive (keep in mind I’m only a student with no income of my own). I even called in the morning to ask them to hold these for me..very nerve-wracking because it was my first time calling a store let only about holding MU for me in the morning :X

L to R: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude & Sephora Professional Slim Pencil Sharpener
I’ve gotten a sample of the tinted moisturizer before but I think in Sand(?) and it was too orange for me. The sharpener of course is for my pencil eyeliner!

Tips?

2010-08-21T17:45:00.003-04:00

No tips from me lol I'm a MU newbie.

Any one have any tips for a first time pencil eyeliner user? ^__^

I've been wanting to try using pencil liner and finally got one (will be in the next haul post).

But I find it hard to line my eyes. I can line my left eye better than my right eye.

I was trying for the first time today and I found that when I brought the pencil liner towards my right eye it would twitch. Also...I can't keep my right eye closed while my left one is open (but I can vice versa)

Note: I am aiming for natural lined look & bigger eyes. Not really winged out. Just the top lined? And no tight lining yet because I'm too afraid of poking my eye :X

Thank you in advance! I have no one to ask for help. So what better place to get tips than here? ^__^

Oh no!

2010-08-17T18:18:00.006-04:00

It finally happened..

My Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink (thank you Blair for reminding me i forgot the name :X)that broke by itself a couple of weeks ago, fell on the floor >__<

I can’t even salvage it if I wanted to..

How did it even break? I don’t twist it up all the way when I use it since its brand new..

Hello Riteaid/Duane Reade, here I come! :P

I really liked this shade, thankfully it isn’t LE (at least to my knowledge it isn’t).

When blended out it gives nice glow, if layered a little bit more it’ll give a pretty flush. Pretty natural so = I like (possible love hehe).

It looks like a corally-pink (I’m pretty terrible at describing colors sorry!).

Both are done with a pretty heavy hand. Top=blended & Bottom=unblended

Depending on the weather and what activities I’m doing, it can last pretty long or not very long. I don’t carry makeup around so I do not touch up, but you can if you want to.

I’m not sure how this would look on darker skin types, and it doesn’t really hurt to try since at most drugstores that I’ve been to it is USD$3.99 (it might be different depending on where you live and from store to store)

Has anyone else tried it? What do you think about it? ^__^

Did anyone else’s come apart like that?

Disclaimer: I bought this product with my own money and these are my honest opinions based on the experience I've had with the product. I'm not affiliated with the company.

Review: Lioele Fresh Sun Screen SPF45/PA++

2010-08-05T22:27:00.009-04:00

So here goes everybody…after a year of sporadic blog posting *drum roll please! :]*
My FIRST review post! Yay!! *clap clap ^^;*
It isn’t something that anybody asked for a review for, nor is it something I’ve posted a haul for on this blog.
But I’m about almost done with it and I’ve come to really like this product so I thought I’d share my love with others.

It is the Lioele Fresh Sun Screen with SPF45 PA++
(will post pictures first)

I’ve used it quite a lot! Almost finished ^__^

Here’s the back in case anyone understands Korean and would like to know what it says :P

The ingredients are on the box in English (a major plus for anyone who is cautious of the ingredients in their products and a big YAY for a Korean company with English on their package!)

This is all that I use for my whole face (just enough for face, I use a liquidier one for my neck).

Isn’t liquidy but also isn’t super duper thick and hard to spread either..so somewhere in between. Don’t really need to tug at your face and have patchy sunscreen. I apply by patting it around so it covers the area I want it to then lightly spread.

Half blended

Fully blended

Price:
From ebay ~USD$14.95-$19.95 (not including shipping);
From Gmarket ~￦11,500(on sale)-￦23,000 (not on sale);
From Pretty & Cute USD$28.
I bought mine from a seller on soompi in a set with the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream for ~USD$30 shipping if I remember correctly. I found the same exactly set on Gmarket for ￦25,000.

Package: Squeeze tube. Pretty hygienic. But when it gets to the very end, it is kind of hard to get every last of the product out. But with this kind of formula, it would be pretty hard getting the product out of a pump bottle unless it was an airless pump bottle anyways.

Positives:
-Leaves a matte finish
-My face feels pretty soft after it sinks in a bit (or maybe because of the silicones…)
-No white case
-High SPF
-Has PA++ (blocks UVA & UVB rays)
-Has 80ml
-Slight sunscreen scent but not as strong as others and it is more of a fresh scent (sorry hehe I can’t really describe scents that well :X)
-Lasted for a long time (with daily usage…a little more than a year and it hasn’t gone bad)
-Is a physical sunscreen
-Wore to beach and my face did NOT tan, whereas my other body parts without it (such as my neck, chest, arms, legs, etc) did get darker
-Did NOT break me out!!

Negatives:
-Not available locally
-Can be pricey if you can’t find a good deal for it
-Is ever so slightly greasy (nothing a little powder can’t fix..or just leave it alone for a while to sink it and no more greasy feeling)
-Have to wash your hands after applying (it leaves a slight residue..but it could also be me because a lot of products that I use leaves a residue on my hands after I apply them)
-Has parabens, silicones, talc (the parabens and talc scare me a bit now that I know what it can do but I didn’t know about them when I bought a little over a year ago >__<)

Repurchase?: Maybe. Since this was my first sunscreen that I used daily for my face…I’d still like to try others that are out there. Even though I like it a lot…after googling about parabens & talc I got a bit scared >__<

Rating: 4/5
1 point all together for not being available locally and the parabens/talc situation. Before I googled it I was ready to give it a 4.5 lol :X

Recommend?: If you aren’t bothered by the parabens and talc & can order online, do try it. If you have already tried it let me know how you liked it ^__^

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you >__<;;

Question to other bloggers who do reviews...is that all I need to write for the disclaimer? I don't want to get in trouble ><;; Do I need a disclaimer if I bought the product myself? (This is one of the reviews that put me off reviewing products...don't want to get into any legal troubles :|)

So..after all that, how was it? My first review? Please critique all you want! I will toughen up and use it to get improve ^^;

July 2010 Collective Haul

2010-08-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

I’m proud of myself this month. I spent less and my haul post this month is considerable smaller ^__^ I hope that stays that way for a while..

American Apparel Nail Lacquer in Office

L to R: Lioele Blooming Pop in Pinky Tint & Lioele Essential Donut Glo-Stick in Milk Pink
I’ve been looking for an easy to blend lip & cheek tint and I think I’ve found it. I really like the gel consistency (must easier to use then my Tony Moly lip tints). And a lot of bloggers/youtubers had been talking about the Donut Glo-Stick so I got one to try.

N.Y.C. Blushable Crème Stick in Wild Berry

I finally found one of the LE colors for this range! And I love it ^__^ I tried it out over the weekend. It looks scary in the tube but when blended it gives a nice pink flush, very natural (I blend it out with the ELF Flat Top Powder brush so it makes it not as harsh/bright looking). Also…I don’t know what others are talking about when they say that these last only a couple of hours but mine lasts 6+ hours >__> Maybe different people and climates react differently to it…

I’m still on the hunt for Pink Flash. The bright colors looks so pretty now…ahh!

Giveaway alert!

2010-08-01T20:20:00.002-04:00

Jen's:
500+ Followers Giveaway!

(click on image to go to her blog)

The winners will be selected randomly and privately contacted. Giveaway ends August 16, 2010 11:59 PM PST. Open to international followers. In order to enter, please follow a few simple rules. Invalid entries will not be accepted. She will not accept entries from blogs that were created solely to enter giveaways. (She will be checking.)

Giveaway rules:
- Must be a follower of her blog. Please leave a comment in her post telling her which upcoming makeup collection you're looking forward to. Don't forget to leave your email address as well. (1 entry)

Additional entries:
- Post about this giveaway in a blog post or on the sidelink of your blog. Must link to her giveaway post. Your post must include grand prize picture (the one with MAC prizes). (4 entries)
- Follow her on Twitter and tweet about her giveaway. (2 extra entries)

Giveaway alert!

2010-07-31T09:38:00.001-04:00

Lil Lady's Life:
100+ Followers Giveaway!

(click on image to go to her blog)

RULES
1. Must be a follower of her blog

2. On the bottom of her post please post a comment stating one summer make up, or skin essential you swear by
1 entry

*The first 103 followers on her blog get 2 entries automatically if entering for being amongst the first followers*

3. Post a link of her give away on your blog, and link back on to her post -1 additional entry

She will be choosing a winner randomly to make this fair using random.org

Give away ends on August 30th 12:00am Eastern Time

World Wide, anyone can enter

My MU Stash as of July 2010

2010-07-29T20:29:00.000-04:00

A blogger friend, Jennifer, asked to see my MU stash a while ago (sorry I didn’t post it until now :X). I took the pictures, edited, and even uploaded it and forgot all about them LOL…shame on me.
It’s probably not a lot compared to others, but for me…a student with no income and doesn’t wear MU often…it is a lot. As I started to follow more and more blogs, and subscribe to more and more youtubers…I get more and more interested in MU. Call me vain but…inside I want to look pretty too :] (I’ve never been an attractive girl appearance-wise..nope…and yes my self confidence and self esteem are pretty low) It’s my secret from my friends, since (except maybe a couple) none of them are interested in MU/skincare, and family (my mom isn’t even into skincare >__<

Skincare Products that I keep in the bathroom
Nothing much has changed here.

Miscellaneous products sitting on my bookshelf.
I believe the container is from target (purple=love!)
Nothing much has changed here.

Top drawer of a 3-tier storage system. Sits on my writing desk.
Very sad draw LOL The only fake lashes that I own and a brush that came in a product but I don’t use it.
Now it also has my extra bag of MUJI cotton in there.

Middle drawer of a 3-tier storage system. Sits on my writing desk.
Some makeup samples/foundations/lip products/eye products that I don’t reach for as much.
My Hiaruronsan Hyaluronic Acid Gel is also sitting in there waiting for the winter time :]

Bottom drawer of a 3-tier storage system. Sits on my writing desk.
My lotions from B&BW. I use to be obsessed with their lotions until I realized I couldn’t use up the ones I have so I stopped. Pretty proud of myself…haven’t bought anything unnecessary from there in a long time! And the lush soap that I haven’t brought myself to use yet…but might use it soon since I have a very bad tan and I’m hoping the grainy bits can help me exfoliate my tan away.
**This storage system is from target.

Brushes. Some skincare. and Miscellaneous items that I used often in the morning and nighttime.
It’s on a 6-tier storage system (it has wheels! lol)
This is from Staples if anyone was wondering :]

First drawer (from top). Full of bb creams/foundations/primers/concealers/powders/blushes.

Fourth drawer (from top). My masks drawer and brushes drawer.

Last drawer. Miscellaneous drawer (I have a lot of these drawers LOL)

Last but not least…my samples box :]
Maybe it’s my most prized possession hehe because I made it all by myself (with a little help from my woodshop teacher of course).

Giveaway alert!

2010-07-26T22:58:00.001-04:00

Pretty as Peaches:
125 Followers Giveaway!

(click on image to go to her blog)

Rules: You must be a subscriber to enter. This is NOT open to blogs made for the sake of entering giveaways. She will delete your entry if this is the case. The winner will be chosen using random.org and notified via email.

There are four ways to win:

1. Mandatory (1 entry)- Leave her a comment on her post letting her know what is your favorite cleanser or moisturizer for your face. Let her know in the comments what option you chose to follow Pretty as Peaches Blog. (example: I follow via Google Friend, Blogger, Google Reader, Bloglovin’, Feedburner, etc or I subscribe via email). Don’t forget to leave a valid email address.

2. Optional (4 entries)- Make a blog post about her competition (please link her to your blog post in the comments).

3. Optional (2 entries)- Link her giveaway in your sidebar (please link her to your blog sidebar post in the comments) .

4. Optional (1 entry)- Follow her on Twitter and RT the following message (please link her to your RT in the comments):
Follow @prettypeachblog and RT to win MAC's Stereo Rose MSF http://bit.ly/cTW5Bf

The winner will be picked at random amongst the people who entered by 16th August 2010, 11:59 PM PST

Open worldwide. Not responsible for lost or stolen goods. Good luck to everyone!

Swatches: American Apparel Nail Lacquer Office

2010-07-26T11:19:00.003-04:00

I got this a few Saturdays ago when best friend and I went to Soho for a shopping day :]

I haven’t posted the haul post yet but I couldn’t wait to try it.

It’s very different from what I usually wear and a lot of people had been trying out these minty/jadey nail colors. I got sucked in :X

If best friend didn’t say she wanted to go to American Apparel to look for nailpolishes, I would have never known they even had lol So this was a pretty impulse buy.

When we went they sold for $6 each (if I remember correctly) and 3 for $15. So the prices are about the same as Essie and OPI if you can get them at nail/beauty supply store prices.

The color I got is in Office. I only saw a couple of the names and they are pretty…unique? I wonder why they chose office for this color.

It is a pretty thick yet slightly liquidy and opague formula. I believe I only put 1 coat of this on and it turned out pretty well. With this sort of formula I like to apply it towards the center and leave some space from the outer edges so it makes my nails look slimmer lol

Anyways…no more babbling. Swatches down below! ^__^

Taken with natural light & flash

Taken with natural light & no flash

Taken with artificial light & flash

Giveaway alert!

2010-07-26T10:03:00.001-04:00

bang bang she shoots:
Apopofkawaii.com x Facebook x Twitter First Giveaway

(click on image to go to her blog)

There will be 3 winners in this giveaway..

First prize - KOSE Esprique Precious Palette in F-2 and Lunasol Full Glamour Lipgloss in 05 Tender Beige and Lavshuca Mix Color Cheeks in OR-1

2nd prize - Dolly Wink Pencil Liner in Black, Coffret D'or Aqua Rouge Lipstick in PK247 and Heroine Make Essence in BB cream (one shade)

3rd prize - Shiseido Integrate Dramatic Deep Eye palette in PK-741 and Visee (new) Lash Wide Impact mascara in BR300

Simple Rules:
1. Join her Apopofkawaii.com's facebook page by clicking "Like"and join the giveway event (will check)
2. Join her Apopofkawaii.com's Twitter by following her (will check)
3. Re-tweet about this give away on Twitter OR Share on your Facebook status OR Blog about this
4. Leave your entry on Apopofkawaii.com's Facebook EVENT wall: "Count me in Giveway", state your twitter screen name and your re-tweet link OR Facebook status (screen shot preferable if your FB is private) OR blog post link.

*Winners will be chosen randomly by her husband!*
*One person per entry*
**Giveaway closes on 15th August 11.59pm Japan time.**
PLEASE NOTE: Any entries left in the comment will not be counted in the giveaway.
Of course, this is one of may giveaways her will be holding in the future.
**By joining her sites you'll get a full update of products, sales and giveaways**
Thank you and Good luck!!

Love Package from Lotus Palace

2010-07-11T17:18:00.000-04:00

About a month ago I entered LotusPalace’s giveaway.
Now we all know how popular Lotus Palace is :P So I wasn’t expecting anything.
But lo and behold a couple of weeks ago…she posted that I won! ^__^
I received her package yesterday and thought it’d be nice to share what I got :]

Front of the package

Back of the package
Her packages are always so pretty and cute! :P

Look it gets better!
Put into a nice baggie. Hehe I get easily amused ^__^

Top L to R (extras): Cosline Herb Essence Mask & Cosline Tomato Essence Mask
Bottom L to R (actual prizes): Hiaruronsan Hyaluronic Acid Gel & Covercom Stick Foundation - Shade 01

Swatches: OPI Rumples Wiggin'

2010-07-06T23:16:00.004-04:00

I think this has become one of my favorite nail polishes ^__^
Although it applied a bit streaky, after the 2nd coat it is pretty opaque and you can't really see strokes. Still have to be careful when applying it. Have to work quickly! And the top coat helped to even it out (a little bit) so no worries.
It's a really pretty color. If you can get your hands on it, try it :]

Left one is OPI Rumples Wiggin'

One coat only (Taken when I was applying)

Two coats with top coat w/ Flash (Taken couple of days after, excuse the chipping :X)

Two coats with top coat w/out Flash (Taken couple of days after, excuse the chipping :X)