Fanatic Obsession

Sephora Friends and Family Sale 2011 Haul!

2011-11-15T22:21:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

So I know this post is a bit late but here is my haul from Sephora's Friends and Family Sale! The Sale was from October 20th - November 2nd and everything was 20% off at Sephora's website if you had the special friends and family code (plus I got 4% cash back with ebates!)

Unfortunately, the sale was madness. Most of the things I wanted went out of stock pretty quickly (including a gift for my sister) and still continues to be out of stock... ARGH!

Everything I got from the sale!

But I did pick up quite a few great items! I wanted to use this opportunity to try out new brands that I had heard so much about and also focus on items that I don't have too much of (i.e. no more eyeshadow although I was SO tempted and continue to be tempted by many of the holiday palettes.)

This is just a pure haul post so I won't be swatching or reviewing anything (mainly because I haven't had the courage to touch anything yet) but I will hopefully review some of these items at a later date. So here is everything I picked up:

All the items unboxed (except for the benefit big 10)

I am going with my family to Hawaii for Christmas so I was interested in the idea of waterproof makeup. I really loved Make Up For Ever's aqua liner (they really are SUPER waterproof) so I decided to get some more of the aqua creams too. These creams can be used for eyes, lips, and cheeks! I am still having a hard time applying these creams but hopefully I will have perfected the technique by Christmas.

Make Up For Ever items

I got the Aqua creams in #9: Coral (Top) and #12: Golden Cooper (bottom.) I though that it would be a really great eyeshadow and blush combination. I also got a gel luminizer, Uplight in #23: Pearly Golden Flesh. The luminzer is not waterproof though!

Going with the idea of trying new brands, I got two value sets. This is a great way to try many different products from a brand at a low(er) cost. For the price of one of two individual products, you can try multiple full size or travel size products!

the two sets compared to my Iphone 3

Although the boxes and products look huge online, in actuality the boxes are pretty small. You can see how they are only a bit bigger than my Iphone 3. Regardless, the samples will last pretty long and give me a chance to see what I like!

Benefit The Big 10

The first set I got was Benefit's The Big 10. This set is benefits 10 bestselling items in deluxe travel sizes. The items included in this set are:

Dandelion (soft pink): Blush
Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium: Concealer
Benetint (rose): Cheek and Lip Tint/ Stain
High Beam (luminous pink): Liquid Highlighter/ Luminizer
Posietint (poppy pink): Cheek and Lip Tint/ Stain
Ooh La Lift: Eye Brightener/ Primer
Stay Don't Stray: Eye Primer
That Gal: Brightening Face Primer
The Porefessional: Primer that Minimizes Pores
Bella Bamba (watermelon pink): Blush

This set sells on Sephora for $32 and with the discount, I got it for $25.60-- and with ebates it was cheaper still. I think it was definitely worth it since the mini blushes and concealer will last a long time. I think high beam will probably also last quite long since a little goes a long way!

Radiant & Rested: Volume II Universal Complexion & Color Collection + 2 Full Size Blushes

I also got Tarte's Radiant & Rested: Volume II Universal Complexion & Color Collection as well as two Full Size Amazonian Clay 12 hour blushes. I had bought a concealer from Tarte before which I didn't like (and they also stopped selling it in Sephora so I guess it really wasn't so good) but after hearing so many good reviews on the Amazonian Clay 12 hour blushes and the LipSurgences, I though it was time to try again. This set came with:

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Glisten (golden peachy pink with gold shimmer)

Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder in Champagne (golden champagne sheen)

Smooth Operator™ Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum

LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Sweet (golden pink)

The Bright Side Double-Ended Eye Brightener (day - shimmering champagne/ night - shimmering pink)

This set had two full size products. The LipSurgence ($24) and The Bright Side Double-Ended Eye Brightener (not sold separately.) Everything else was a deluxe sample size, including the blush, (much to many reviewer's disappointment.) The set retails on the site for $42 and I got it for $33.60.

Full Size Tarte Blush (Blissful) compared to Sample Size (Glisten) from the set

I think the price is quite steep and unless you definitely want to try more than 2 items, I would probably not pay full price for this. That being said, I wanted to try 4 of the items (wasn't too crazy about the Eye Brightener) and it was a great way for me to try out Tarte's products.

I haven't tried any item but the LipSurgence yet but I have to say the Lipsurgence is quite amazing! Will have to get that holiday set and review them for you!

The two full size Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour blushes I got (pictured above) were Blissful (warm peach) and Exposed (Nude.) These blushes retail for $25 each but with the sale I got them for $20. I am absolutely excited for these since blush never tends to stay on me for more than a couple hours and I had very few blushes to begin with. The problem is, they are so pretty I am afraid to touch them!

I hope you guys enjoyed my haul and I would love to hear about any recent makeup purchases you guys did! Hopefully I will get to review these items soon-- if there is a specific items you would liked to be review asap, let me know or else I may be slow as a turtle to review them... yeah I haven't reviewed any items from IMATS yet ;)

Affordable Cosmetic Tip + Haul/ Review: Nordstrom Rack!

2011-11-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

Time for another post... I am just cranking them out! To go along with my previous post about budget cosmetics, I said previously there are way to shop smartly to get high end quality makeup for drugstore price. This is another perfect example! Make up tip: They sell high end cosmetics for ridiculously cheap at Nordstrom Rack! A lot of people may not know this since when you think of Nordstrom Rack, you usually think of clothes, shoes, and bags... but yes, they do sell cosmetics! Case in point, my recent Nordstrom Rack haul!

So I was at Nordstrom Rack this weekend and saw that they were selling products from Stila, Too Faced, Smashbox, Philosophy, etc The prices were just too go to pass up! Here is a review of what I got:

Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance Policy High Impact Eye Shadow Collection for $14.97 (Originally $35: $55 value)

Stila Collectible Red Carpet Palette No. 2 Glamour Goddess for $9.97 (Originally $25: $107 value)

YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT! I spent around $25 for both palettes not including tax! You might be thinking, well of course it is so cheap, it is all the bad palettes no one wanted to buy... not true! Let's look at the palettes one by one to analyze the quality and value!

First up, The Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance Policy High Impact Eye Shadow Collection! What makes this palette an insane deal is that it included a FULL SIZE Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye shadow primer which normally retails for $18. But for $14.97, I got the full size primer and 6 beautiful, highly pigmented eyeshadows! I was especially excited because I heard this primer is best to use with the Make Up forever Aqua creams!

The palettes includes both neutral colors and bright colors. The eyshadows come in a very generous size... a little bigger than MAC eyeshadows. As I mentioned before, they are absolutely beautiful and are highly pigmented. To give you an idea of how pigmented they are... my swatches are without primer!

Full Frontal, Glamazon, Socialite, Boy Toy, Skinny Dip, Lucky Charms

Next up, the Stila collectible Red Carpet Palette No. 2 Glamour Goddess. This palette is an amazing deal because the FULL SIZE Waterproof Smudge Stick alone is $22 on sephora. Not only that but the Full Size Kitten Shimmer Powder (which is very very similar to the eyeshadow ) is valued at $18 alone. In addition, in this palette you get 6 eyeshadows and a convertible color which can be used as a cream blush or lip color. This palette was already a great deal at $25 but I got it fro $9.97 from Nordstrom Rack!

The eyeshadows in this palette are similar to Stila's single eyeshadows not like the cheap versions that are normally in Stila palettes. They are pigmented, soft, buttery... yummmmmm.

The neutral colors are perfect for everyday wear. There are four shimmery shadows and two matte shadows. I was really impressed with the convertible color. This was my first time trying any and it definitely doesn't feel greasy or anything; it gave me a very nice natural blush.

I have been wanting to try the Kitten eyeshadow and the smudge stick waterproof eyeliner for a while and couldn't pass of this great deal. The shimmer powder is the slightest bit different than Kitten eyeshadow because it is just a hint more golden than pink but this works better for my skin tone. Plus, with the frost of the eyeshadow, on the skin they look almost exactly the same.

Glitz, On the List, Golden, Flash, Fabulous, Star, Kitten, Glamour

This palette is also great for travel since it comes with a mirror and also simple instructions for a simple everyday look.

So I ended up getting multiple of each palette to give as Christmas gifts. These palettes are definitely amazing quality and a great value!

Moral of the Story: Be a smart shopper! You can find some great deals if you look! Check out Nordstrom Rack next time for some amazing cosmetic deals! Also, in case anyone is interested, Cherry Culture is currently having a 40% off sale for NYX, a company I have reviewed before and absolutely recommend. If you are interested, you can check it out Here

Budget Cosmetic Review: E.L.F.

2011-11-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Elf Haul

Hello all! While I wait for my Sephora Friends and Family haul to arrive I thought I would write a review on the budget cosmetic brand Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F.) I had previously purchased from elf back in 2008 but was completely unimpressed. I felt that the cosmetics was horribly cheap quality (despite it getting a lot of praise from bloggers.) Although I do believe that a lower price can definitely make a lower quality product more worth it-- if the quality is really horrible then even if it was a dollar, it is still a dollar wasted.

However, when I saw that they were having a 40% off their higher end Studio items ($3 per item instead of $1) I thought, why not give it another shot! I ended up buying 9 items with a total of $22.35 (including shipping.) After a lot of research and reading many blogs, I bought 3 blushes (blushing rose, candid coral, and mellow mauve), 2 bronzers (warm and cool), 1 complexion perfection palette, 2 brushes (studio small angled and concealer brush), and one shimmering facial whip (golden peach.) in So did I waste my money? Well let review each item one by one!

I want to apologize ahead of time for the horrible photos; my apartment has the worst lighting ever.So it might be a better idea to check out swatches on a different site if you are interested in buying anything.

Blushing Rose, Candid Coral, Mellow Mauve

BLUSHES:
So first, I will review the blushes! Almost all of the reviews I read gave an approving nod to Elf's Studio Blushes so that is what I decided to get first. I got 3 colors, Blushing Rose, Candid Coral, and Mellow Mauve for $1.80 each on sale (usually $3 each.) My first impression of the blushes is that they definitely are a bit on the sheer side but mostly build up nicely (unlike some blushes in palettes that just never build up and you wonder why they even bother to put them in there... I am looking at you Lancome.) For the price, the pigmentation is definitely worth giving an approving nod to.The blushes do also seem to have pretty good staying power. The one I am wearing today (mellow mauve) is still on my face 3 hours later and doesn't seem to have faded at all so far.

That being said, some colors just DO NOT show up on my NC40 (MUFE HD 123, Bare Mineral's Medium Tan) skin!!! A clear example is Candid Coral. If you look at the swatches below you can barely see the heave swatch (the one on the left) and you definitely can't see the blended brush swatch (on the right.) All you see on my skin is a bit of shimmeriness and NOTHING. Therefore, if you are medium- medium tan like me be warned that Candid Coral will do absolutely nothing for you (waste of money!) The other two, blushing rose and mellow mauve do show up with a couple of brush strokes.

(Top) no flash, (Bottom) flash, (Left) heavy swatches, (Right) Light brush swatches

Fallout from Mellow Mauve after one use

Another complaint I have (with all of the ELF products I got this haul) is that they are incredibly chalky... the fallout is absolutely horrible! It really reminds me of cheap drugstore makeup. I think it is probably very easy to hit the pan in these products since the pigmentation is a bit sheer and the fallout is so bad. Despite this complaint though, I think the blush is worth checking out if you are interested. They are very beautiful and affordable but I don't think they are necessarily a must have. If you do decide to get one just make sure that it is a color that will show up on your skin.

BRONZERS:
Next up, bronzers ($3 Original Price)! I only own one bronzer (Nars Casino.) So since I only have one and the elf bronzers were highly recommended, I decided to get two. Elf sells three different bronzers: Warm, Golden, and Cool. Both the Warm and the Golden are shimmery and the Cool is matte. I decided to get Warm since swatches online showed that it was darker than the Golden and I bought the Cool because I prefer matte to contour. So how were these?

Warm Bronzer: Individual swatches on the left, mixed together on the right

Warm Bronzer

First up, the warm bronzer. On my medium skin, this bronzer is NOT a bronzer. It is more of a highlighter. That was a bit disappointing since this is suppose to be the "darker" bronzer. LAME. You can see from the swatches that individually, the two of the four colors barely show up (this is swatched over foundation not primer) and together they disappear.

Again the fallout is horrible as you can tell from this picture. I am not so sure I would recommend the warm bronzer unless you are fair skin or you want a natural looking highlighter (but there are quite a few good highlighters out there.) I think I am going to try and use this as a highlighter and use the individual colors as neutral eyeshadows.

Cool Bronzer

Now on to the Cool bronzer! The cool bronzer is matte which makes it more useful for contouring (shininess all over your forehead and jawbone = not a natural look.) It actually shows up on my skin! It is a bit more sheer but can be built up. This is a good thing since you definitely don't want heavy bronzer to muddle up your face.

Again the powder is chalky. Also, the color turns out a little more reddish on my skin but that is easily avoided by not mixing in the red color. All in all, I do like this bronzer and think it will get used quite a bit. Again, the staying power is quite good as it continues to remain on my skin since applying it around 3 hours ago.

Cool Bronzer: Individual swatches on the left, mixed together on the right

Shimmering facial whip: Golden Peach

SHIMMERING FACIAL WHIP:
Next up, shimmering facial whip in golden peach... meh. I got this for $1 so it was cheap but I don't think it was brightening or did anything. From the heavy swatch, it looks pretty promising but when it is blended out (on the right) you barely can see any sheen.

However, there is glitter and that is all you can see. The point of an illuminizer/ luminizer is to add sheen/ shimmer not glitter! So this was a waste of money in my opinion. The only other way I can think of using it is to use it as a base for my highlighter. This might make my highlighter pop a bit more. In general though.... meh.

Complexion Perfection Powder

COMPLEXION PERFECTION:
This product was one of the items I was most excited for-- the complexion perfection also known as the elf studio tone correcting powder ($3 Original Price.) The colors are very sheer but when applied over concealer, really helps cancel out blemishes.

On the elf website they explain, "Blue neutralizes orange, the Green neutralizes red, the Pink neutralizes grey and the Yellow brightens and neutralizes red." For example, to cover up any red blemishes I may have, I first up on my cream concealer and then apply the green powder to cancel the red and also set the concealer. It is also recommended that you swirl all for colors together and use that as a setting powder that also improved your overall complexion.

When you mix all the colors together, I found that even though it is suppose to make a translucent powder, the powder isn't as translucent as I would have liked. It does give me a bit of a white cast which I don't like. Individually though, the colors are great at enhancing my concealer. My only qualm is that the powder doesn't seem to have great staying power... regardless, I still think it is worth checking out.

Elf Studio Brushes

BRUSHES:
Lastly, the elf studio brushes ($3 per brush.) This is probably the only thing out of my whole haul that I would whole hearty say BUY BUY BUY. For $3 these brushes are fantastic quality. Very soft, fairly dense, super cheap. These are definitely great for travel when you don't want to wreck your more expensive brushes and will definitely get the job done.

Final Thoughts:
So in summary, definitely check out the brushes, probably check out the complexion perfection, maybe on the blush and bronzers, and pass on the shimmering facial whip.

All in all, I think elf is ok. I mean, sure it is super cheap (again, everything here for $23 including shipping and handle with the coupon-- and they always have coupons going on) but I don't think it is much better than drugstore brands (although it is cheaper than drugstore brands.) If you are really looking for quality on a budge though, I think I would still recommend saving a bit more and buying from NYX, Coastal Scents, or Inglot-- these are brands with drugstore price and high end quality.

My Top 5 Beauty Products of All Time!

2011-10-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have been on a massive beauty shopping crazy splurge thing these past few days. Just got those bdellium travel brush set, some elf studio products, and sephora friends and family spree. So, while I wait for all of these items to come in the mail, I wanted to do a post of my top 5 beauty product of all time (in no particular order)! Let's get started!

1) Urban Decay Primer Potion

Primers make a world of difference in eyeshadow vibrancy and staying power. Before I used primers, I used my concealer as a base... yeah that just didn't cut it. Since then, I have tried MAC paint pots, MAC paint tubes, NYX Jumbo eye pencils and Urban Decay's Primer continues to be my number one. I always use it when I am doing make up and it is a really great product. I will say that I haven't tried Too Faced's Shadow Insurance which is also suppose to be really good so I can't really compare.

2) DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

I am not going to lie, the thought of putting oil on my face makes me cringe... in fact, even though I have been using this for a few months now, my natural involuntary response to this has always involved some stomach turning. That being said-- cleansing oil, where have you been all my life??? THIS STUFF IS AMAZING!

Before using this, I was using Lancome Bi-facial eye makeup remover or those makeup wipes. Both left either oily or sticky residue and the makeup wipes would irritate my eyes. Plus, I don't think I was really getting everything off my face with the wipes.

Although this deep cleansing oil does have the consistency (and smell) of olive oil when you first put it on, once you rinse it with water, everything emulsifies and leaves you a perfect, residue free, clean skin! This oil completely removed makeup, sunscreen, and dirt, while hydrating your face. My face felt so much cleaner and softer after using this and I will never go back to any other face wash again!

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil on DHC website

3) Oshima Tsubaki Oil

I was dying my hair all last year and this year which really damaged my fine hair. I started getting huge chunks of dry, unmanageable hair. Oshima Tsubaki Oil was the answer to all of my hair problems.

This product is 100% pure camellia japonica seed oil. Just one or two drops on my damp hair (focusing on the roots) left my hair silky smooth and tangle/ frizz free without feeling the least bit oily. My friends who have very thick, volume hair find that this really helps with the crazy poofiness of their hair. It can also be used for hot oil treatments and as a moisturizer.

I find that this 100% oil is better than most hair products out there that are filled with all sorts of unnatural fillers silicone or alcohol. It doesn't weight down hair and it naturally and effectively provide your hair with moisture. I really can't recommend this product enough! The only thing is, online it is around $19 but if you leave near a Japanese convenience store, you can get this for around $15 or less (Nijiya, Mistuwa, etc)

4) Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners

I have only been using my matte black aqua liner for a few weeks and I can already tell that this will be my HG eyeliner from now on. It really really REALLY doesn't smudge, budge, etc NO RACCOON EYES EVER AGAIN! This is especially important to be since I always squint involuntarily a lot to readjust my contacts (stupid astigmatism) which means I am a chronic sufferer of raccoon eyes.

I have tried a lot of eyeliners (revlon colorstay, UD 24/7, Anna Sui, and MAC pen ultimate) and although they are alright, none of them were 100% smudge proof. Aqua liners really are generally 100% smudge proof.

Although I will say, the liner is give a very strong, harsh line. It's great for the dramatic look but for a more natural look, it will probably need to be soften up with eyeshadow. Also, I did once cry non stop for a few hours , rubbed and tissued my eyes with the liner on and the inner corners of my eyes did flake a bit (but considering, I think that is understandable and it was only a very very small amount in the inner corner where no one can see anyway.) Under normal conditions, this will definitely last.

5) M.A.C. Mineralize Skin Finish in REFINED

One of my all time favorite things ever! M.A.C.'s mineralize skinfinish in Refined. This MSF was part of the 2009 sugar sweet collection and is described as Tan/peach/coral melange. I have completely finished using one already (and makeup addicts know how hard it is to finish using a single product while there are so many new products out there to tempt us with.)

The reason why this particular skinfinish is so amazing is that unlike most mineralize skinfinish from MAC, it isn't too frost nor does it have glitter... in other words, it doesn't enlarge pores! It is subtle enough that it brightens up my face (I use it as a highlight) without looking over the top. Also, it is the absolute perfect match for my skintone! I have tried to look for a replacement for this MSF and picked up Gold deposit from this year's mineralize collection but again.... massive glitter. It's just not... refined :D

I would love to hear what your top 5 items are and would also be happy to answer any of your questions; just shoot me a comment below!

P.S. All these pictures are pictures from the companies (I didn't take them.) Also, new layout YAY!

Bdellium Brush Sale!

2011-10-25T03:24:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write a quick post about a sale that is going on over at Bdellium Tools. They are currently offering their 7 piece travel set for a ridiculous $9.99 (+ 4.99 S&H) as well as their duel fiber finishing brush for $4.99 (+ 1.99 S&H.)

If you read my earlier post, I had mentioned that I had gotten 4 brushes from this company during IMATS and I have been using them since. The quality + affordability of these brushes are absolutely perfect and if you are interested in trying them, this would be a great opportunity! I should mention also, unlike other companies *cough MAC cough* the travel sets are not lower quality than their regular line, it is just a shorter handle.

Anyway, I ordered both the travel set and the finishing brush (which I already had and LOVE.) I am excited for them to arrive!

P.S. Sephora's Friend and Family sale is going on now! Having a hard time controlling myself but also, can't decide what I want :D

Bdellium's Main Website (you can buy the brushes from here or amazon)
Amazon link to the travel set

Sorry Everyone!

2011-07-12T23:43:00.001-07:00

So I just realized that people had been leaving me comments on my previous post but since I forgot to set comments to be emailed to me, I never knew about it! Actually, I thought no one read this blog and I was writing to the darkness >_> But I have SO happy to receive your comments and have now set it up so I can reply to them ASAP. I am sorry everyone that has asked me questions or made comments... I don't mean to ignore you! I love you all and I am inspired to post more frequently :D

IMATS Pasadena 2011 review and haul!

2011-06-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

IMATS 2011, the International Makeup Artist Tradeshow, was just this past weekend in Pasadena and it was a hectic but amazing experience! For those who have not heard of IMATS, it is a makeup convention where professional makeup artist teach classes and exhibitors offer great show discounts, usually from 20%-50% off! I only got the exhibit ticket so I didn't get to attend any of the classes but it was definitely makeup heaven in there!

The day before IMATs, My friend and I mapped out a game plan of all of the items that we wanted and the order in which we would go to the booths. We went to Sephora and Inglot to test out the makeup and made a list of everything. This helped so much!! It really made braving IMATS much better!

So the convention started at 8:30 and so I arrived at 8:00 am. When I got there the line was already around the block to get in! I waited for over an hour to get in to the convention. As we were nearing the front of the registration table, all the sudden people who just arrived around 9:30 started to cut us in line... everyone one who had been waiting was so mad! Who knew that this would just be a taste of the chaos at IMATS!

After getting into the convention, the we went directly to Make Up For Ever. They had all of their regular products available on discount. Unfortunately, even though the previous years MUFE was 40% off, this year it was only 20% for regular folks (like me!) and 40% for Makeup Professionals. LAME! Nevertheless I braved the 1:30 hour line to get some Make up For Ever items... I never tried any of their products before so I am excited!

While we were in line, we went by the Blinc booth and ended up buying some Blinc products while we were still in line for MUFE. Blinc products were around 50% off! I was able to get the heated lash curler and tubular mascara for only $26! The Mascara is suppose to put a tube over your lashes instead of coating them with paint so they are suppose to be smudge proof and amazing! I wonder if they weigh your lashes down though... I suppose I will have to see!

One great thing I got at the convention as well is the Unii Palette. It is SO beautiful! It is great to carry your makeup when you travel and although it is regularly $29... at the convention it was only $17!! Ridiculous! Sadly I only got one (in white) and definitely regretted not getting more! I should have gotten the purple or the blue! Sad!Next year, I am definitely going to be getting more of these palettes!

I also got new brushes while I was at IMATS. There were over 5 brush companies there and of course crown brushes got some much attention since Youtube gurus were at the booth (Enkore, Pursebuzz, and JulieG.) Sadly, although the crown brushes gets a lot of press... when I felt them, I didn't think they were that soft... and compared to some of the other brush companies, they were pretty expensive! So I ended up not getting any crown brushes... but I was able to see the youtube gurus do they work!

I did buy brushes though; I bought a Kabuki brush from Royal and langnickel. The Kabuki brush was only $7!! This brush is natural hairs and is SUPER soft! Much better than the Bare Essentuals Kabuki brush! When I bought it home, however, I realized that the brush does shed. Hopefully after a few uses the brush will stop shedding.

The softest, affordable brush company that I saw was Bdellium tools (the brushes with the yellow handles). The brushes were 50% off and soooooooo nice! Plus they have antibacterial coating to ensure that the brushes (and your makeup) stay uncontaminated! I bought the small duo fiber brush 953 for $7 and it is very very comparable to the MAC's 188 which I bought (and will return!) for $40! I wish I bought more brushes from Bdellium and will definitely visit them again next year! I'll do a more comprehensive review of these brushes once I have a chance to use them!

I was also able to check out Inglot which is a polish cosmetic company that youtube gurus have been gushing about. I was rally excited to be able to get some products since there are only 7 stores in the US and none in San Francisco. The products are very pigmented and their freedom palettes are beautiful and ingenious! Plus everything was 30% off! However, the lines for Inglot were chaotic so I wasn't able to check them out until around the end of the day when I was already tight on cash so I didn't get as much as I would have liked. All 5 eyeshadow (which are significantly larger than MAC shadows) and the amazingly cute palette cost me merely $25! Ridiculous! This is definitely another booth that will be on my list for next year!

Finally, I was able to also get pressed powder and concealer from Eve Pearl which I have been hearing a lot about for 30% off. Although the salmon concealer does hide my dark circles better than any other concealer I have ever used, at least on the day of IMATS, the concealer settled in my creases. I will have to try the concealer again though and see if I still have that problem. I was also able to get an eyeshadow from Stilla for 40% off (everything from them was 40% off) as well as some brush cleaner for $5.

All in All IMATS was an amazing experience! The lines were ridiculous but the deals were amazing!! I am already looking forward to next year... more palettes! more brushes! more eyeshadows! If you have a chance to make it to an IMATS... definitely check it out!

Review: The Face Shop Smile Foot Peeling

2011-06-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

BEWARE: IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH ABOUT FEET DO NOT READ!

I realized that the past few posts have been mainly haul blogs and I haven't done a review in awhile. I know I always say I will review things but at the end of the day, I never get around to actually doing it! So I thought I would do a review before I do my IMATS haul (oh yes, I am going to IMATS, the Interntional Makeup Artist Trade Show!)

When I went to Korea, peeling was all the rage. Most of the products were face peeling products (for exfoliation.) I made a post about the peeling products before; you rub your face with this product until little "skin" comes peeling off. Even though my skin does get softer, upon closer inspection, these "skin" don't look like dead skin at all and so I am completely skeptical of these peeling gels.

So when I saw foot peeling masks, I was expecting it to be very much the same. You soak your foot and the rub fake skin off... what's the harm is trying?! So I bought one foot peeling mask from The Face Shop for a little less than $7.

The Face Shop foot peeling mask.

So when I got back to the hotel, I made my sister do one foot and I did one foot so that I could compare with my unpeeled foot to see if there was any difference. I can't read Korean but from the instructions, I could tell that we are suppose to soak our feet for 60-90 minutes. Then, I thought that we were suppose to wash it off and the skin would "peel" off.

The liquid smelled super alcoholic and probably isn't good for feet. It stung when I put my foot in it. After soaking for 90 minutes, my sister and I proceeded to wash our feet off and.... nothing happened. I was like WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY! I went back to the store and found a store clerk who spoke Chinese and demanded to know why nothing happened (well not really demanded, just asked politely.) She informed me that my foot should start peeling in three to four days later. Yeah... right I thought.

So then I returned back to the US and told my mom about the foot peeling, she said, "I bet they said three to four days because they knew you were probably leaving soon and so you can't go and complain that nothing happened." I agreed, what a waste of money i thought! Until four days later...

I started to notice after I showered that my foot started looking like it was diseased... then it all started. My skin started to peel off like CRAZY. The WHOLE bottom of my foot just peeled profusely and the dead skin would just fall off as I walked. I found dead skin in my bed, in my shoe, on my sofa... you get the idea... IT WAS NASTY! This continued for AT LEAST 7 days... 7 DAYS of dead skin in my bed.

Compare left and right food. I did the peeling on the right foot.

Up close of the nasttyyy.

Yeah, I think these pictures speak for themselves. I will have to say, my foot did soften significantly after the peeling process was done. Even now, a month later, I can still feel the difference. That being said, it didn't soften my foot as much as I thought it would. Although during the peeling process the new soft skin was revealed, that skin started turning more tough almost instantly. This could be because my feet were ridiculously dry/ cracked so maybe I have to do the mask a few more times. I still have two of the masks, however, I am not sure if I would be willing to suffer through that experience again :P I can say definitively though, your foot will peel! So if you are interested in peeling away your old foot skin, this product might be for you (but be careful as I don't know what sort of chemicals are in it!)

Korean Skincare Haul!!!

2011-06-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Edit

Korean Skincare Haul!!!

by Jocelyn Koo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 5:09pm

So I went to Korea a few weeks ago and the experience was amazing!! My friends had told me to check out the skincare products because apparently Korean Skincare products like bb cream have been all the rage in youtube. To my surprise, the skincare is actually pretty inexpensive too! Here are all the things I got :D

I mainly bought things from Tony Moly, Etude House, and The Face Shop.

I ended up getting 6 different types of bb creams... now I have bb creams coming out of my ears!

Apparently all the rage in Korea is now SNAIL CREAM! It is the mucus left behind by snails as they walk. The snail cream has amazing moisturizing properties as well as healing and repair properties.

One thing I love... LOVE about the skincare brands are all of the free samples!! I am such a SUCKER for free samples! I got sooooooo much samples it makes so super happy :)

I hope to review everyone as I used them so hopefully there will be massive amounts of Korean Skincare reviews soon!

Kindle Case: Casephile Review

2011-01-11T23:20:00.001-08:00

Hello All! So as you all know (or don't know!) I received a Amazon Kindle for Christmas from my lovely older sister! So I have been looking for a case for my Kindle so it could be protected as I carry it and read from it. On Amazon, they sold cases that have their new "patent pending" hooks but after reading the reviews, it seems like these hooks can cause the kindle to malfunction!

So I asked my sister where she got her case and she told me that it was from a etsy seller named casephile. Casephile offers handmade Kindle, Nooks, or E-reader cases for $32. Although she offers many different fabrics, I had my own fabric that I wanted to use and so she told me that I could mail my fabric in and she would make my case at a discounted price. She received my fabric on Saturday and sent out the finish case on the same day. I received my finish case on Monday! Ridiculous efficiency!!

The case is absolutely beautiful as you can see from my photos. It is hardcover but has padding so that it is soft to hold. The leather straps keep my kindle in place. In general, this case is everything I could have ever asked for! So if you are interested in getting a case for your kindle (or future kindle) I highly recommend Casephile!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CasePhile?page=1

Mini Obsession: Handmade soap!

2011-01-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

I have been having a minor obsession with handmade soap recently. I feel like handmade soap has such a natural look to it and I like the fact that handmade soaps tend to have less chemicals than commercial soap. They usually have little or no preservatives and very few ingredients. Also, many handmade soaps are organic and sustainable! However, handmade soaps are much more pricey than store bought soaps. Since they have less chemicals in them, they also have a tendency to melt much faster.

I am hoping to review specific companies once I get around to using their soap. So far I have soap from coastal soapworks, Lush, and Etta Billie (on etsy). Here are some pictures of the beautiful soap!

Christmas Presents 2010: Thank you!

2010-12-28T01:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Thank you everyone for the amazing gifts I received this year! Yes, I just had to facebook blog to brag about how great my family & friends are as well as thank everyone for their thoughtful and ridiculously sweet gifts.

First off, I received this gorgeous coach leather satchel from my sister as well as the coach wallet and ring. Yes, having a sister that works at coach is the best!

Since my photography skills don't do this bag justice, here is the official picture of this bag. It is Coach's Kristen Leather Satchel.

For Genki, I got a coach umbrella (so great since it has been raining), a SUPER FREAKIN' CUTE cat scarf (that was handmade and sold at a crafts fair, and a wool buddy. He also decorated the box it such a cute way!

This year Santa gave me everything I wanted on my list (sans the beauty products I asked for). I finally got my own Mahjong set, a tempuredic eyemask, and Sims 3 Late Night expansion.

From my other sister, I received a kindle which will literally CHANGE MY LIFE as I had been wanting a kindle for awhile now. I also got a sand dollar necklace from Genki's mother. The necklace was one that I had seen when I was out with her and genki that I had liked. She was so thoughtful to remember that I had liked it and give it to me for Christmas.

I received this super cute card from Allison along with a letter, stickers from my little sister, a sephora giftcard from my brother, and a picture frame, makeup, and ornament from my uncle, aunt, and cousins.

The ornament is very unique because it has my name on it even though it is normally impossible to find anything with my name on it!

All in all Christmas was amazing. Thank you everyone for spoiling me this year and most importantly, thank you for being part of my life!

Black Friday Maddness!

2010-11-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

So Thanksgiving weekend has come to an end and now I am happily at home with all of my Black Friday loot. This year was the first time I went to the outlets for Black Friday and the deals were amazing! Although Genki and I didn't go until 3 pm, there were still a lot of good things to splurge on. Here are some of my best purchases :)

Both Juicy Couture pants at the outlet were 50% off department store prices!

Designer sunglasses were buy 1 get 1 free at sunglasses hut outlet so Genki got D&G sunglasses and then I got the burberry sunglasses for free! Although we agreed to split the cost for the sunglasses.

Everything at the Banana Outlet was 50% off so I got two long sleeve dress shirts for less then $20 each!

The Lancome outlet has an additional 25% off the outlet prices on everything! So I was able to get Bienfait Multi-vital Moisturizing Cream (reg. $45) for $28.69 and Primordial Night Cream (reg. $68.50) for $43.67!

Even though this wasn't on sale, I couldn't resist this Santa costume at Target. It is suppose to be for dogs but I just had to get it for Maru! Isn't he adorable?!

Peeling Gels: An Experiment!

2010-11-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCTION

During my shopping adventures, I happened upon a cute little family owned Japanese store which was about the size of a walk in closet but was packed with all sorts of interesting Asian things. After walking in, I started talking to the woman at the front and told her I was looking for a good exfoliator and she recommended Sana’s Salon de Porejo Peeling Gel. Although I don't normally trust Asian skincare products, I felt adventurous and bought this peeling gel.

I have noticed that peeling gels have become extremely popular amongst Asian brands. They claim to exfoliate so well that you can see the dead skin and "debris" just sloughs off as you use it. Although I did notice that my skin was softer and smoother after using the peeling gel. I was very skeptical that the "debris" coming off my skin was really dead skin.

For one thing, the "dead skin" that came off was white and had a styrofoam texture and in my experiences, dead skin usually is more grayish and not so styrofoamy. Second, so much skin came off it was ridiculous, even after using it once, if I used it again right after there would still be "skin." Third, if there was such an innovative exfoliants out there in the Asian markets, why haven't we seen them in western brands?Therefore, I had come to the conclusion that, although these peeling gels do exfoliate (because my skin did become smoother and brighter) the dead skin coming off was all a ploy and caused by some chemical reaction.

METHODS

So prove my hypothesis, I devised a very unscientific experiment. I was convinced that either the mixing of the red dots in the gel or heat caused a chemical reaction to happen that created these dead skin mimics. So I put on a latex free, powder free glove and put a dab of the peeling gel into my palm. I figured, if heat was necessary, my body warmth would transfer through the glove causing the reaction to happen. Then if "dead skin" started to form, I would know it was all a ploy since there is no skin contact through the glove!

RESULTS

And so, I began my experiment. With both my hands covered in gloves, I began mixing the peeling gel in my palm. I saw all the red dots disintegrate and held my hands together to add warmth. Then I continued mixing, mixing, mixing. To my surprise, no dead skin formed! Even after mixing for quite awhile, there was no "dead skin!"

Then, to make sure my gel wasn't defective, I put the same gel that had been in the gloves onto my arm. Sure enough, almost instantaneously, those "dead skins" started to form! I was quite awestruck!

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, this experiment disproved my hypothesis. It seems that these peeling gels may actually be removing dead skin after all! Of course, there are many other factors not accounted for in my experiment; for example, maybe it has something to do with oil in our skin. However, I am definitely more of a believer now then I was before. Either way, I know that after using Sana’s Salon de Porejo Peeling Gel, my skin looks refreshed and soft and perhaps, that is all that really matters.

the dead skin that came off my face after using the peeling gel

My skin looks so fresh and renewed after using Sana's peeling gel

P.S. Did you guys have my Scientific Paper format?

~♥✩♫ DECO DEN COMPACT ♫ ✩ ♥~

2010-11-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

So I have always been really interested in the way Japanese girls decorate cellphones, cameras, etc and I always wanted to try it myself! So I splurged on some deco den equipment and bought charms and gems online. I then got a rectangle compact from Daiso for $1.50. So here is my first attempt at deco!

My first attempt at deco!

Here are the decorative things I had to use:

Gems and Charms from Yukiumi, Flowers and pearls from Jo-Ann, Storage container and Compact from Daiso

Here are the tools I needed to make it happen:

Brush and Tweezers from Daiso, Gem picker upper and glue from Jo-Ann

I first used double sided tape to plan out what I wanted to do so this is the result of my trial attempt. After putting on all of the gems and showing a friend, my friend told me that she didn't like the channel symbols.

This is my actually attempt in progress. I laid the border first and then the big pieces second. This was to give the border that nice shape. Then I filled the gaps with the gems.

My final product! I am really proud of how this turned out. As you can see, I didn't used the channel symbol but instead used a butterfly charm for that space. I am so proud of my compact :) Hurray!

Skin Care Haul!

2010-11-11T21:56:00.001-08:00

I have been kind of on a skin care craze recently and so I have been buying all sorts of skincare products. I thought I would share what I have gotten recently! At some point I hope to review some of these items but for now, pictures!

These was my random Daiso, Ichiban kan, and Sakura splurge day! I got all of these items for super super cheap (most under $5), except some of the facial masks that I got from my mom for free! They were given to my mom as a gift from her friend who went to Korean.

A close up of the facial masks. The ones in boxes I got from Daiso for $4 and the ones in bags are from my mother. I

These are charcoal face cleansers and soaps. Apparently charcoal is super good at absorbing dirt and impurities.

Some of the American things I have bought recently and also some free samples my dad had.

Anyway, hurray for splurging!

Cherry Culture Sale!

2010-01-19T23:09:00.001-08:00

In my last post, I wrote about NYX and how the brand had great quality and was extremely affordable. Well I just wanted to let everyone know that Cherry Culture is currently have a major sale on their clearance items and that includes NYX! A lot of their great products are offered at low LOW prices so check it out and stock up on this great product!

Cherry Culture Sale!

Budget Cosmetics Review: NYX!

2009-12-13T02:39:00.001-08:00

So YAY for my traditional finals procrastinating note :D I started writing this note during finals but I never got to finish it until now. So anyway! I know I often write about these expensive brand name cosmetics but seriously, there are also great affordable alternatives out there! Awhile ago I posted a review of the coastal scents and 120 palette and so I started looking into different budget cosmetics. A Friend then told me about a cheap but good cosmetic company called NYX and let me know that they were having a huge sale so I decided to get some stuff just to see what NYX is all about. NYX can usually be found at outlet fragrance stores, ULTA, the NYX website, and even that Japanese store at the UTC. So anyway, let's get to the review!

So this is everything I got during the sale. Everything was half off so :D. Even though it looks like a lot of stuff, I got everything for under $30 and there was free shipping too! I didn't get any of their traditional eyeshadows because I already had the palettes and I didn't need anymore eyeshadow. However, apparently their traditional eyeshadows are amazing and also they have a lot of MAC dupes!

LtoR: Geisha, Princess, Queen, Pearl, Nude, Mink, and Space over the Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Milk.

These were the eyeshadows I got. Three are chrome eyeshadows and four are the loose pearl eyeshadows. They are basically lose pigments and have really nice color! I was really impressed by how pigmented they were, I think definitely comparable to the high end brands. Also, at $5 per Chrome eyeshadow and $2 per pearl eyeshadow, their price can't be beat! Especially since I was able to get them for $2.50 and $1 respectively! The Pigment jars are really annoying to use though so I transfered them to 5g jars that I bought.

LtoR: White, Hot Pink, Plush Red, Nude, deep Red, Snow White, Louisiana, Tea Rose, Indian Pink, and Milk

Another thing I got was Lip Liners and Lip Sticks. I never wore lip sticks before because I always thought that my lips were too big for lipstick. However, for $3.50 per lipstick, I decided that it didn't hurt to try! The white ones are white eyeliner and eyeshadow (for base.) The lip sticks are really really creamy and go on very well! Some of the colors I got didn't really suite my face but they are still really great!! I think these lipsticks are one of the best products from NYX. But make sure you get the round lipsticks! These are the best!

Here are some examples of how the shadows look on me:

Chrome Eyeshadows

Loose Pearl Pigments

Although the blue pigments looked great when I first put it on, after a bit of blending, it started to look pretty dull but then I thought maybe it was because of the base I was using (the Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk.) I first bought Milk because I heard that it was a great base for makeup. However, I noticed that it didn't show the brilliance of the makeup as well as a normal primer like the Urban Decay Primer Potion. So I decided to compare Milk and UDPP.

on the Left is Milk on the Right is UDPP

Not sure if you guys can tell but after blending, UDPP comes out the clear winner as a primer/ base. The pigment really shines and is much brighter with the Urban Decay Primer Potion, on Milk the pigment is duller. However, if you compare the price of Milk ($3.50) with UDPP ($17.00) then maybe you can't complain. Milk is still better than no Base, and it isn't horrible. I just think that it wasn't worth all the hype...

So today I was at the outlets and they had a choose any 5 NYX things for $10! So I got two eyeshadows, two more Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, and some loose power. Only for $10 all together! Hurray for affordable QUALITY makeup!

If you guys are interested in NYX, go to their website and check them out!

MAC Halloween Look 2009

2009-10-15T00:38:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I just attempted the Ace of Hearts Halloween look! I think I am actually going to do this for Halloween but since I didn't have some of the stuff int he instructions then I just substituted. I went to MAC today and was talking to the MUA about how I attempted the look and she said that white paint is prob better then white eyeshadow so she gave me a sample for free! Any CC is always appreciated!

Here is the original look from MAC: http://www.maccosmetics.com/looks/print/Halloween18.pdf

Hello!

2009-05-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

This is my first post on this blog so I am not really sure how things work yet. I wanted to devote a blog just on my random ramblings about makeup while getting to know other people with a similar interest as me! You might notice that I already have post on the blog, but they are just post that I transferred from my facebook account... so this is my first brand spankin' new blogspot post! Hurrah! I hope you guys continue to read my blog :)

Thanks!

Coastal Scents 88 and Beauty Factory 120 palettes

2009-05-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been watching those youtube makeup tutorials when i noticed that everyone was using these massive eyeshadow palettes, the 120 pro palettes from Beauty Factory and the Coastal scents 88 palettes. I remember seeing them on ebay for around $25 before but I thought they were just whatever crappy eyeshadows. After watching a lot of reviews, however, I was pretty amazed and wanted to try them myself! They were cheap, highly pigmented, and had sooo many colors to choose from, I thought this was too good to be true!

So I ordered the palettes from online to try them. I was too cheap to fork out the full cost for the 120 palette so I didn't buy it from the beauty factory website, instead I bought it off eBay. Even though it came from China, I received it in a week and there were no broken eyeshadows at all! I was super excited. Also, I got a free travel brush set with my order! Hurrah! The two 88 palettes I actually ordered from the original websites but the shipping was expensive ($13!) They came neatly packed and arrived in less than a week. I also got a free sample of eyeshadow with my order. Although, it was packed very well, I did get one broken eyeshadow in my order which made me sad... so I talked to coastal scents about it and they are sending me a whole new palette for free!

I was talking to Margaret about the palettes online and she was telling me that she heard the Coastal Scents palettes smell but seeing as I don't have a sense of smell (yes I I am just missing that sense!) I enlisted Genki's help to smell my palettes. The coastal scents palettes do smell slightly, but it could be the palette not the eyeshadows. Also, they don't really smell on the brush or on my skin so I don't see that being an issue.

Finally, I was worried that since these are some no name eyeshadow, they might irritate skin with strange chemicals. However, after wearing the eyeshadow for two days now, I haven't had a problem with irritation, even on my eye that has been dry recently. In general though, since these eyeshadows are extremely pigmented, it is good to always use a base (like primer, paint pots, shade sticks) to avoid staining.

If any of you guys are interested in buying these palettes yourself (I think it is a great deal and totally recommend them) I listed the websites and ebay sellers at the end so you guys can get it yourself. If you want to see it for yourself too, I am always happy to show off my stash :D Look into it though! It is such a steal!

The Haul! This is actually all the three palettes put together... adding up to 296 different eyeshadows! The two on the right are the Coastal scents 88 palettes. The Coastal Scents palettes have the same/ similar colors except one is more matte and the other is more shimmer. The right top is the ultra shimmer palette and the right bottom is the original (matte.) The one on the left is the 120 pro palette from beauty factory. All of these palettes were around $23 each. Compare that to $14 for a single M.A.C. eyeshadow or $16 for a single Urban Decay eyeshadow... these palettes are a steal!

This humongous palette is the pro 120 eyeshadow palette from beauty factory. there are two layers in the palette and there are 60 shadows on each layer. In the picture, I put the layers side by side so you can see all the colors. Each eyeshadow is bigger than a dime and the palette is filled with a variety of finishes including mattes, satins, and shimmers. I feel like the colors are stronger than those in the 88 palettes too. However, the palette has a lot of random colors that might not be used very often so the 88 palette trumps the 120 palette when it comes to usable colors.

This palette is the coastal scents original (matte) 88 palette. It isn't actually all matte, there are a few shimmer too, but the majority of the colors are matte. The shadows are a bit smaller than a dime but are super user friendly. I think it is actually nice to have both 88 palettes just because they are pretty cheap and you don't just want to wear shimmer only because that looks way too much. It is good to balance out ultra shimmers with mattes too.

This is the coastal scents ultra shimmer 88 palette. Like the more matte palette, the shadows are a bit smaller than a dime.This palette is much more popular than the matte one. Like the matte one, I feel like the colors are more user friendly than those of the 120 pro palette.

These eyeshadow are loaded with pigments! They are comparable... if not more pigmented than expensive brands like M.A.C. and urban decay. I swatched the colors (from most expensive to cheapest.) Although some of the colors are not exactly the same shade, I wanted you guys to be able to compare the color payoff. I was extremely impressed with the results! Even though these eyeshadows are extremely cheap, it were so bright!

I wanted to try out the eyeshadow so you guys could actually see how it is. On this eye, I did a mermaid look using only the 120 pro palette. As you can see, the colors are extremely brilliant and strong. They were very smooth, soft and extremely blend-able.

On this eye, I did a sex on the beach (the drink)/ sunset look. I only used the coastal scents palettes for this (both the shimmer and the more matte one.) The colors are really strong but they aren't as bright as the 120 pro palette; I had to use more eyeshadow to achieve the same effect. However, it is still comparable to many brand name eyeshadow.

http://stores.ebay.com/Chic-Gallery-eStore
http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm
http://www.beauties-factory.com/unlimitshop/index.php?cPath=24

♥ M.A.C. depotting! ♥

2009-04-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

YAY for more makeup notes! (yes I am obsessed)

For a really long time, I wanted to get those M.A.C. magnetic palettes so I could seem all pro with my makeup kit but since I had already bought the colors I use most often in pots. I thought it would be a waste to get the palettes since I would either have to buy them again in tins or just use them in the pots and thus not using my palette. But today while surfing youtube, i cam across the ingenious video on how to depot makeup to make them usable in palettes. HURRAH! So that is what I ended up doing tonight!

This turns out to be MUCH smarter for many reasons. First, I can now keep my eyeshadows organized in one place instead of always having to look in my makeup bag for them. Second, I can return the empty pots to M.A.C., as part of their recycling program, and get a free lip stick, lip gloss, or eye shadow! Third, now I can just buy the tins instead of the pots which are like 2 -3 dollars cheaper! It is a win win situation! HURRAY! Even cooler, my urban decay shadows also fit inside the palette so I also depotted those too! HURRAY!!

Before the depotting: my shadows are all still safely secured in their pots! Noticed that I had a magnet there which I cut up and taped onto the tins.

Now all the tins were ripped from their pots and placed into their new home, the palette!

The colors! Two of them are urban decay and the rest are mac. I wanted to put my Anna Sui eyeshadows on the palette too but they were too big to fit! Now you know Anna Sui is a better deal!

This is the video I learn this from. This guy is a professional Makeup Artist and is SUPER amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o--oPgjo43o&feature=related

Hello Kitty M.A.C. collection

2009-03-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

So I was really excited when M.A.C. came out with it's hello kitty collection because they are two things that I absolutely love (hurrah HELLO KITTY!) I went with my big to go buy the eye shadow pallet and the colors are super cute! The pink and the black mix to make a cute purple but the teal looks like a teal in the permanent line which is kinda blah. Before I bought the pallet, I asked the M.A.C. specialist to do my makeup but it came out really strange, so I went home and I played with this pallet according to a tutorial on youtube. I think it came out really good! I would have been better with false eyelashes but I didn't have any at San Francisco during spring break =P The colors are more vibrant in life but the flash washed it out a bit. Enjoy!

This is how it looks with my eyes close. It starts out with black on the corners -> pink -> a shimmery white.

Open eyes! The makeup makes my eyes look really big! That makes me happy.

Everything I used, obnoxious I know...

Yay, the done product! It is a bit to see the color because of the flash. Also, I am looking up so you can't really see my eyelids...

Things I used:

Eyes
MAC - Hello Kitty too dolly pallet
MAC - Shroom
MAC- paint pot in blackground
MAC - penultimate eyeliner
Urban Decay - Shadow Primer Potion
MAC - Fix+

Lash + Brow
Smashbox - brow tech trio in Brunette/ Taupe
Lancome - Definicils
Lancome - Cils Booster XL

Face
Anna Sui - moisturizing power foundation
Nars - bronzer/ blush combo in Casino and Sin

Lips
Lancome - tickle pink juicy tube

Pretty Little Things

2008-09-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so I admit, I have a slight obsession with makeup. I think it seriously has something to do with the fact that I was a painter for 11 years. I always see makeup as being the paint and my face as the canvas. All the brushes and blending... GYAH I love it. Ever since my sister first brought me my first makeup set, I have always been trying to learn more techniques. Also, it doesn't hurt knowing how to look good!

Today I had a dentist appointment which happened to be near downtown. After my appointment, I decided to call Sarina, since I hadn't seen her since she came back from abroad, and go hang out at downtown. When we went to downtown, I wanted to stop by at Sephora as usual. So I own really nice Anna Sui moisturizing powder foundation that I am in love with because it is lightweight but doesn't dry me out like normal powder foundation. The bad part is that it they don't make my exact shade so the one I wear makes me look a little paler than I really am. So I have been looking for a bronzer to off set the paleness from the foundation.

Also, I wanted a good lip gloss since I didn't have any lip gloss expect the smackers my sister gave me 6 years ago which I wasn't sure if it was good anymore or not (does lip gloss expire?) In general, since my lips are GINORMOUS (if you haven't noticed already.) I can't wear any lip stick or colored lip gloss because my lips will literally (and figuratively) eat my face whole. So Sarina coerced me to get this clear Calvin Klein lip gloss (since it is her favorite brand.) The lip gloss isn't bad though since it tastes like vanilla (it is flavored.)

Then, I also decided to get the beauty insider exclusive smashbox beauty kit since I always heard good things about the company but never had a chance to try it. The colors in the kit are very neutral and give me a really natural look. Sarina (ironically :D ) also taught me how to use the cream eye liner.

After uber splurging on makeup and wandering around downtown and castro way later than we should have, I went home to try out my new purchases. Here are the results!

What I used:

face
Smashbox - photo finish
Anna Sui - moisturizing power foundation
Smashbox - soft lights tint
Nars - bronzer/ blush combo in Casino and Sin

Eyes + Brow
Smashbox - Head Shot eye shadow trio
Smashbox - cream eye liner in Midnight Brown and Caviar
Smashbox - brow tech trio in Brunette/ Taupe

Lips
Calvin Klein - delicious pout in Silverado

Summer Shopping

2008-07-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Every since I have been home, I have been bitching and moaning about how I wanted to get my nails done. Nothing TOO fancy but something cute like in the Japanese magazines. But to my horror, every place that does nail art is either too expensive or sketchy or BOTH. Which made me feel like =_=. Plus, I want to save my money to get the iphone at the end of the summer. So I was bitching and moaning to Eileen like I always do since she is the only one that stays up ridiculously late like me and she told me she saw some really cute fake nails at Daiso for $1.50. So after thinking about it for awhile, I decided I would go to Daiso to check it out. Although I had seen Daiso before, I never bothered to walk in. When I went there, it was like heaven! Everything was around $1.50 and they had some really cute things! So I ended up buying two really cute nail sets and two sets of fake eyelashes. The nails were $1.50 each and the eyelashes were only $2.00! So now I don't have to feel guilty wearing them (since I didn't want to wreck my pair of $20 lashes when I wear them just for fun.) I also got a whole lot of other junk. In the end, I didn't even spend $25! Wahoo! When i got home, I put on the nails and this is what it looks like. Aren't they so cute? I am so happy now.

Also I got my order from Yesstyle.com so I am really happy<3 I got a lot of Anna Sui stuff since I can't seem to find any Anna Sui here in SF. It is so weird, they used to sell Anna Sui everywhere but suddenly, I can only get Anna Sui if I import it. Even though the S&H is ridiculous at yesstyle, I am happy that they give you all these random free things. But I got this really strange blue necklace (not pictured) as a free gift that I would never wear.

Shu Uemura Eyelashes

2008-07-11T00:25:00.000-07:00

So I today I went to Sephora with Peggy and I decided to splurge on fake eyelashes. So I brought these really cute Shu Uemura false eyelashes. I also brought a teal blue eyeliner. So When I went home I decided to experiment with my new purchases. Since I never used false eyelashes it was a bit weird at first but I think the end product came out really well. It was hard to take a good picture of myself but I think it looked good in real life. If anyone cares, I listed what I used.

The flash makes everything looks weird...

This picture came out a bit blurry so it is hard to see the lashes. Vincent says that they don't look anything different but they are!

It's hard to see the makeup but easier to see the lashes... I think there is not enough light in this picture or something.

Items used included:

Eyelash accessories
Shu Uemura False Eyelashes - Luxe Black
Sephora Eyelash applicator and stand
Eyelash curler from walgreens

Eye Shadow
Anna Sui - eyeshadow #700
Urban Decay - Chopper
MAC - Aquadisac
MAC - Black Tied

Eye Liner
Revlon Colorstay - Black
Urban Decay - Electric
Urban Decay - Pyrotechnics (glitter)

Skin
Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra (foundation)
Anna Sui - B02 (powder)
Cover Girl - Rock'n Rose (Blush)