Two Faced Smokey Eye Palette

photo courtesy of dermstore

I am officially loving this palette.  I began with the Day Smoke colors and wasn’t too impressed with the colors… I felt the darkest shade was too light for a true smokey eye.   It has a pearlized sheen to it that appears a LOT lighter than it looks in the palette above.  Also the lightest shade, Cream, was a bit too white for my liking.  It creates a sort of look that is reminisce of drag queens caught in sunlight the morning after a rough night.   Haha, well, maybe not that bad, but you get my point.

However today I am sporting the Fashion Smoke colors and I got to say… not bad.  The blendability is wonderful, with true “smokiness” in gradients that you are able to layer on if you want more impact.  The navy blue color (Midnight) looks wonderful with olive skintones, however the green can sort of wash out the blue, so just re-apply and blend blend blend!  The Sugar Cookie is a wonderful base color just a hint lighter than my true skintone and sets off the other colors beautifully and vibrantly.  I dashed on just a tinge of the drag queen Cream for a hint of sparkle- but don’t get carried away… it IS day makeup.

I am loving this palette, and if you are a somewhat seasoned makeup fiend like myself, the instruction cards are crud.  But this is a decent palette with blendable colors that are somewhat lighter to medium pigmented to allow you to build up the color or “smoke it out”.  I am very happy with the variety of colors here as a basic smokey eye kit, and the many different looks you can achieve!
Two thumbs up!

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

Had high hopes for this puppy… unfortunately, this spray did not live up to the hype for me.  At $29 a pop, this is a considerable amount to spend on a makeup setting spray.  If I would have loved it, and if it worked like a dream, I wouldn’t care two peeps about price, but being that I have a few gripes about this setting spray, price does come into play.
First the Pros:

• Packaging was decent- no frills, no spills.
• Extra fine spray promises even coverage.
• It is allergy tested, dermatologist tested, vegan, cruelty free, and free of oil and parabens.

Then the Cons:

• A few hours into the day my face begins to feel greasy.
• I can “feel” the layer on my skin (waxy feeling)
• Breakouts.

It actually felt quite mask-like and thick.  I was relieved to have swiped at it with a makeup remover towelette and washing my face afterwards.  And after the 3rd time testing this product-every time I’ve used it resulted in a few new breakouts.  Dangnabit!
Oh well… I guess I can always get more store credit at Sephora.

Sephora Haul

Being that I am (sadly) allergic to raremineral’s pure-volcanic-dirt-which-miracles-make, I took it back to sephora for store credit.

Did you want to settle with store credit? the Salesperson said.

Like words of pure magic to my ears… Boy, did I!  As my eyes roamed the store, I could not help but break out into an all-inclusive grin.  I was back!  It’s been a while and I honestly didn’t miss you much for I had your virtual version living in the comforts of my muted pink dell laptop but now that I am here again- free to roam, free to spritz, free to sample, swatch, sniff, and beautify, why… it’s like unleashing an awful ghost from the traps of the ghostbusters!  Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m referring to.

yeeeep.... one of these.... image courtesy of ign.com

So now I have 2 hours to kill and MONEY in credit (doesn’t really matter how much as long as you know a decent sum is there, right??) And I happily skip off to rummage the beautifully done-up Sephora.  Tokidoki was available but I haven’t heard enough good things about the makeup line since it’s spanking new, so I pass.  Spritzed and sniffed a few perfumes but nothing really catches my nose… until…  juicy couture and viva la juicy and I’m hard pressed to decide between them!

image courtesy of fragrantica

They are both described with tons of floral and fruity notes but, to me, the best description of these scents are: preppy, spoiled, sweet, and clean… warming up to more vanilla tones later on in the day.  Isn’t it funny how the “alcohol” sort of masks the true aroma when you first spray things on… and how the scents evolve as they warm up on your pulse points?  Why’s and where’s to come on a later post.

I then spied this magical spray:

urban decay's All Nighter... photo courtesy of ulta.com

Description (per ulta.com)

This groundbreaking formula mists on, ensuring that your makeup won’t budge for 16 hours. Really. What’s that mean for you? All Nighter mist prevents loss of color, melting, sliding, caking, cracking, excess shine, fading blush, drooping eyeshadow and lip color disappearance. And it’s formulated to resist moisture, so you can fearlessly sweat, cry, or get your Jacuzzi on… You are guaranteed makeup that always looks just-applied, without ever feeling sticky or tight. Imagine the possibilities.

Whoa… like, seriously… I know companies like this use top-notch marketing and pr firms to choose just the right wording on the perfect buyer-friendly packaging… but yep, call me a sucker.  Because I am SOLD.  Makeup lasting 16 hours?  Seriously??  With summer coming up and all my friends getting married?  Like whoa.  Just to be vigilant (with the spending of the dough) I tested the product in the store.  The spray bottle emits a nice fine mist, instructions say shake and mist your face 4-5 times, well.. folks… couldn’t be easier.  When I set foot into my house about 8 hours later, I can say my makeup looked fabulous.  It didn’t look freshly applied as the bottle states, but dang… good enough for me!  My eyeshadow wasn’t smudged, foundation looked good, blush was still a’blushin… and my eyeliner- still going strong!  This is perfectly timed for summer, ladies!  What with beaches, and hot weather, and a bit of perspiration… we all want to look fabulous and with a few spritzes before heading out the door, seriously… why not?

photo courtesy of shop.nordstrom

With a cult following all on one color… introducing the newly added blush to my army of beautifiers… Nars Orgasm.   A softly sheen peachy keen pinky bronze with a touch of shimmer…  This cult favorite has expanded into many other Nars products as seen here.  A mini display area full of ORGASM… ok… I get it… I dig.
Last but not least… I bought the Kat Von D eyeshadow palette.  Listen to our girl…

It’s so rad to be able to accentuate all the little things that make you a woman, from the curves of your lips down to each eyelash,” she says. “Makeup is only one of the many things that make me feel so privileged to be girl.

Wow you go girl… a very pretty statement indeed.  I was testing swatches with her eyeshadows and they are incredibly pigmented.  That means you don’t have to apply a TON of shadow to build up the color, or, a little goes a long way.

photo courtesy of piercemattie

Such pretty colors… some are powders and some are creme shadows…
I think YOU need to see what you’ve been missing at Sephora… hahahaha… don’t leave me to feel like a lunatic splurger all by my lonesome… see ya there!   *______*

Rare Minerals Skin Revival Treatment

rare minerals treatment... photo courtesy of thegloss.com

Due to the glowing reviews… I had to purchase my own stuff and try it on for myself.
From the website:

100% pure RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex^TM. Extracted from rare, virgin soil, this incredible mineral powder treatment promotes faster cell turnover, reduced pore size, minimizes fines lines, greater moisture retention, gentle exfoliation, and increased skin luminosity. Apply this award-winning treatment before bed to reveal clearer, brighter, smoother skin while you sleep.

Real Results

• 89% felt their skin was firmer and more resilient
• 85% felt their skin texture had improved
• 83% saw fewer imperfections and less visible pores
• 82% saw clearer skin
• 81% saw fewer discolorations
• 68% saw a reduction in facial lines and wrinkles

So I guess the virgin soil (volcanic, I believe I read somewhere) is supposed to do miracles for your skin.  You apply it at night by buffing the powder into your skin-who wouldn’t want to look more fabulous going to sleep? During your little beauty rest, your skin re-charges, re-fuels, and skin cells turnover at a higher rate.  Clear skin, smaller pores, better texture, firmer skin, fewer sun spots, and less wrinkles? GIMME GIMME.

 

Unfortunately, this product did not work for me so much.  Firstly, I was a bit annoyed by the application- it felt like nothing was being applied to my skin!  The reviews all say a little goes a long way, so I didn’t want to overdo it!!  I couldn’t see really anything different before vs. after application.  Also, (this part makes me want to cry) I broke out or perhaps had an allergic reaction to the miraculous volcanic dirt.  Little bumps erupted all over my face, concentrated in the T zone area.     I feel very left out of the high percentage of women who saw their skin change for the better.  It’s really too bad.

At least there is a silver lining folks.  Since I bought this sucker at Sephora, I can easily go to exchange it for something I’ll really love!  And I did!  Today!!!

 

Tokidoki was IN DA HOUUUUUSE!  They have their own line of adorably bright cutesy makeup. Seriously, it was too cute for words.  But I refrained…

Pink's Magic Lash

Advertising for this damn mascara thingy has finally gotten the better of me.  Damn it!!!  As my girlfriends know, I don’t give two hoots about lashes.  Because I’ve never owned any.  Ok, ok, I’ve got some.  Short, stick straight, forget-me lashes I do have.  They are not worthy of mascara, believe me.  Although, I’ll say my lashes do look quite nice if I take the time to curl and primp and coat with mascara then heat the curler and curl some more.  This process brings beads of sweat to my forehead and tears to my eyes (literally).

So, more often than not, I just simply forget them.


Unless I’m going for broke and dead-set on looking fabulous, to which I stick on some falsies.  Easy enough I guess, and the instant gratification part is always nice.  What?  You got no lashes, poor little girl?  Sprinkles some pixie dust, mystical flower fragrance, and BAM!! in the words of Emeril- you’ve got lashes.  Want’em? Got’em.  How easy is that??

Well girls, (you girls out there without lashes, like me) we may have reason to hope.  Yes, HOPE is a mighty strong word.  Hope springs forth a chance for changes, of endless possibilities, of being beautiful….. Yup, all this for $160 a tube. 

Pricey eh?

Apparently there are two pricing options for the two different tubes.  The PINK tube is $120 at 3.0ml per tube.  The saleslady (who had magnificent real lashes) strongly pushed the one she used, the WHITE tube,  $160 at 4.0 ml per tube.  The white tube is a higher concentration of the original (pink) formulation.  She says her results took about 5 months of continued usage.  She repeatedly advised against on-off usage, stating that the best results come with nightly use. 

Directions:

• Shake the tube gently
• Dip and apply to the upper eyelash line with eyeliner-type brush.
• Dip and apply to the lower eyelash line
• Replace lid and make sure it’s screwed on tightly
• If you need to look fabulous in a hurry: use serum twice daily (morning, night) for the first 10 days.
• After lashes reach desired appearance, decrease usage to 3 x’s a week, then stop using.

Bet you’re shaking your head huh?  How bout if I told you I scored a Mother’s Day special at 20% off AND scored 6 free facial masks!  I got the concentrated (white tube) serum at $128 including tax.
I’m really really really REALLY excited to try this out!  I shall rave rave rave if this magic does indeed work on me… maybe I’ll even do a before/after if I’m feeling daring?!  Tonight marks day 1.

** Update** It’s been 10 days and I’ve used morning and night.  The directions say at this point I’m to use it only once a day at bedtime.  I haven’t noticed thicker/longer lashes yet but remain hopeful that with all this attention and care it’d only be a matter of time before I have the look of wearing “falsies” like the sales lady did.

** Update ** It’s been a month and I’ve used nightly… starting to see some single stray lashes come out from above my normal lash line… exciting! Overall not much difference, maybe a bit “fuller” appearance but no noticeable difference in length.

Makeup Shelf Life

photo courtesy of faq.org

Makeup isn’t made to live forever.  Yes, all makeup from skin creams to eyeshadow have a shelf life.  As a general rule, it is 3 years.  Most makeup today are not required to have an expiration date… so do your best to estimate… or, write the date of purchase onto the item itself as a guarantee.  For an in-depth guide from ivillage click here.
What happens when a product goes bad? When a product goes “off” it becomes less effective and can become contaminated leading to a nasty skin infection.
How to tell? While many items (such as eyeshadow) have no indication of having gone “off”, others display signs to be wary of, such as:

The makeup separates:  in the case of lotions/creams/foundations, oftentimes the base will settle to the bottom while the oils float to the top.

It stinks: if the makeup is smelling foul or in any way different from how it smelled when you first opened it, it’s time to toss.

Changing colors: if the foundation is starting to turn neon green, for example, just chuck it.

Now, onto a comprehensive list of what you can keep, for how long…

THE LIST

photo courtesy of thestylegroup

MOISTURIZER: 3-12 months.

• Keep out of sunshine, heat, or direct light!
• Try to keep fingers from dipping and scooping (try a cotton swab or buy it in pump form)
• Throw out as soon as it changes color, smell or consistency!

MASCARA: 3-6 months.  Nice wet cozy spot for bacteria to grow and multiply, especially when you pump the brush.

• Don’t pump!
• Don’t share!
• Use one at a time!
• Don’t use when you have an eye infection! (duh!)
• Never add water or… ew… saliva to the tube! (double duh)

photo courtesy of nadinejolie

FOUNDATION:  oil-free type 12 months, cream or compact foundation-18 months.

• Refridgerate or keep in a cool dark place.
• Clean makeup applicators once a week (sponges)
• Don’t apply on broken skin
• Choose pump dispenser if available.
• Toss when colors separate, smells funky, or colors change.

photo courtesy of makeupbag.net

POWDER: pressed powder- 2 years, loose powder-3 years

• if kept longer than 2-3 years powder will dry out, becoming more difficult to apply and appear more chaulky.

BLUSH: powder blush 2 years, cream blush 12-18 months.

• dry blush can get “slippery” texture if expired
• color can change after expiration
• wash brushes once week
• apply cream blush with “clean” fingers!

EYE SHADOW:  Powder shadow 2 years, cream shadow 12-18 months.

• Use clean brushes.
• Use clean fingers if you like it like that.
• Never use if you have an eye infection (can transmit bacteria back into the shadow!)

EYELINER/LIPLINER:  2 years.

• Continuing to sharpen the pencils cleans the surface of bacteria.
• Keep away from direct sunlight and heat
• Never share!
• Don’t use if you have cold sores or eye infections!

photo courtesy of layoutfashion

LIPSTICK: 18 months to 2 years.  They tend to last due to the formulation of pigment to fats.

• Don’t share!
• Don’t use if you have a cold sore!
• If the lipstick feels dry, scratchy or changes color… toss it!

PERFUMES: 2 years.  Fragrances have a higher shelf life because it’s literally “preserved” in alcohol.

• Store in moderate temperature (fridge keeps best)
• Don’t use if it changes in smell or color.
• Be wary of allergies!

Be careful also of Natural or Organic makeup, as they don’t have many of the preservatives their chemical sisters have in abundance and can go “off” much sooner!  Even though they are more healthy and beneficial for our skincare as they are made of natural ingredients.  There is always a catch….  isn’t there??

Make Up For Ever HD Powder

Wow.  That pretty much sums up my experience today with this silky-smooth ultra fine slightly-mattifying loose powder.  It.  Is.  Awesome.

Fresh from the hurt of not being able to buy the Urban Decay Alice In the Wonderland Kit ( waaaah! sold out at sephora and ulta stores around me) I decided to take another look see at the makeup I do have in my kit.  It’s weird, but I never tried this after purchasing it- it reminds me of the setting powder from my days of makeup school at MUD in Burbank.  I figured it can’t be bad.  It’s grrrrreat!  I love it…

Why?  It’s an excellent finishing powder.  Dust this baby on after you’re done with your eyes, foundation and blush- it sets everything perfectly, seamlessly.  All your hard work won’t be erased… no… your blush still looks vibrant, eye makeup beautified… without settling into your pores or making things appear anything short of lovely!

And the  HD really works!  I took pics with my canon xsi AND my iphone and my makeup looks flawless!  It evens your complexion and lends a silky fine softening effect that leaves you glowing!  The company states that, “new line of lens-tricking product that’s enhanced with silica micro beads that act as mini light refractors, veiling imperfections and giving a luminous “soft focus” effect.”
It suits every skintone?  Everyone, you ask?  Even darker pigmented or olive-toned skin?  Yep. 
Everyone.  It gives every skintone a wonderful light refracting perfect finish.

***Update***  Awwww…. I LOVE this powder but I think I’m allergic.  I got a huge hive on my chin as soon as I put this on! But I love the look so much I’ll try it a few more times just in case


***Update #2*** Decided this made my skin a bit too ashy, or pale looking

gym digest vol.1

As many of y’all may know, I’ve been trying to lose a few LB’s.  With regular exercise(4+ X’s/wk), I feel as though my days have become rejuvenated, and it’s a great liberating feeling.  Even on days when the workouts leave me tired and a bit droopy for sleep, I approach the day with a better reserve knowing that I did something healthy and good.  It really does make me FEEL better.

While I used to measure my progress in lbs, I noticed a pattern of decreased weight BUT the variation from day to day really irked me.  So, while I still weigh myself from time to time, I like to gauge my progress with inches lost.  When I started in December, I was at a 28 1/2 inch waist- pretty much the biggest I’ve ever been.  Today, I measured at 26 1/2 inches.  Which is 1/2 inch smaller than my “good waist” measurements!   Needless to say, I’m very happy with my workouts both physically and mentally!

I realize that, at the gym, people look at other people.  I do it too, and confess to it eagerly, because I see it as a great form of motivation for me… to see a great looking girl, fit-as-a-fiddle, shining and happy, it’s a great motivator for me.  Not so with all girls.  Some girls see it as sheer competition, sizing up other girls with a flick of their eyes- turning into a half-glare/half-dare if the girls sees something she doesn’t have.  I’ve seen it, I almost feel sorry for these poor fit girls.
After my bout of cardio this morning, I settle in to my nook in the sauna, where I like to read magazines and relax my muscles as I “imagine” my heart rate going up, further amping up my metabolism to lose more weight through the sauna sweats.  I get comfortably “into” my magazine and start smiling at the pics (like a goob) when this strange woman begins to talk to me…

Hi, are you Korean? Japanese? Chinese?

I shake my head at the slight interruption and at being labeled Korean– again.. 

No, I’m Chinese, 

I told her with a slight frown, not knowing what it had to do with anything.  I fix my head to look down because I really wasn’t ready for conversation… and it always irks me when people try to determine races… it makes me wonder why they do it?  What is the ulterior motive?

Oh, she says, and proceeded to speak mandarin to me from this point forward.  Do you always use the sauna after your swim?  I shake my head- no, and wondered at her question as I was sitting there in a sports bra and shorts and NOT a swimsuit, so I really don’t know what she was getting at… 

I never swim, I told her, as I tried to look down at my magazine… the peaceful quiet escape with the celebrities in US Weekly staring innocently back at me…


Oh, yeah, what do you do, then?  She asked.  Ok, I made a mental note that this woman wanted to talk… put the mag down and to the side. 

I usually just to cardio, then sauna, I told her, smiling.  It wasn’t good enough she wanted more answers. 

No weights? 

Oh, I do arms about once a week.

That’s it?? Nothing else?  I see a girl who looks like you, upstairs doing weights. (Enter really strange condescending laugh) Is it you?  I don’t know, maybe.

Are you married? (wow really?? are you serious?) Ummm no.

Do you have any kids?  (whoa, lady, easyyyy.)  No.

She then comments on how it’s easier to lose weight BEFORE you have kids.. yada yada, I smiled and said I know… she then started talking about her daughter… ok… interesting.

Here comes the kicker. 

You know I saw a girl downstairs who weighs herself before she workouts, then finishes her workouts and weighs herself AGAIN!  She looks like you… is it you?  Hyena-condescending laugh.  I really don’t know what to say at this point and secretly wonder if I’m being PUNK’D but, no jumping Ashton… bah.  

Yeah, I answered, it probably WAS me!  I used to weigh myself a lot when I started working out to see if I was making a dent at my weight and found it interesting to see how much sweat loss equals to loss in weight… But I think that weight loss should be gauged in inches lost over pounds lost…  I found myself explaining myself to her… ugh… I fell into her trap. 

I only ask because you look good.

Ummm ok… thanks.  I fall into the rabbit hole and need to agree with the chelshire cat.  You look great too!  You don’t look like you need to work on Anything!  I complimented back.  Oh… she smirked… she smiles… 

That’s because I’m MAINTAINING.

Oh… Shnaaaap.  This woman has asked me my secrets, compared herself to me, used me to make herself feel better (no kids-easier to lose weight) used me to fish for compliments then came at me with that!  *sigh*  really…..

Speaking of Alice in Wonderland… I kinda really would like to get this…

Blue Heaven Kajal

In 05′ I attended esthetician school in Temple City.  I was lucky enough to attend class with a great group of women with similar tastes, habits, and preferences as me.  Being that we were into skincare, makeup, and other health and beauty-related girly stuff, we traded many secrets and tips with each other, having accumulated much over the course of our beauty years.

One of the said secrets I found through a friend, Shala, is kajal.  Pronounced Ka-hal, and used in India as a means of protecting the eye from the glares of the sun and also to bring good luck and general eye health.  She had told me she would be going “home” and I specifically asked if she could purchase a  kajal for me.  She brought me one.  It was in a red tube and gave me a smoldering sexy dark eye- perfect because the only thing I love on my eye is smokey!

What you do is use the pointy side to rim your tear lines (upper and lower).  Traditionally done by closing your eyes and running the sharp point of the kajal side to side across your eyes in a wiper motion- going from one corner of the eye to the other.  The only drawback was that when I would inevitably tear, the kajal would run.  Not SUCH a biggie, as you can set the kajal with an eyeliner pencil (or brow pencil) and some black shadow powder.  Also, magically, a light-colored eye “boogie” would appear at the inner tear duct areas. Pretty gross, I tell ya.

I lost my beloved kajal so I set out looking to buy another.  I googled and found Blue Heaven to be a number one brand in India and voila! just so happens that some very nice lady sells them on ebay for about $4.00 USD including shipping!  I can’t wait to get this baby in the mail and start sporting some seriously sexy dark eyes everyday again- like it ain’t no thang!
well… maybe not Everyday


*update*: this stuff did NOT stay on.  It feels like you’re trying to smear hard, cold, leftover engine grease (in stick form) on to your inner rims.  The smell is awful… smells like a hint of chemicals and strange herbs.  After wearing this stuff for a few minutes, the kajal begins to migrate underneath your eyes, creating black shadowy bags.  NOT ATTRACTIVE!  It has no staying power whatsoever, and I don’t think setting it with eyeshadow would help.  I’m tossing this into the trash… seriously wasted $4.oo but thank GOD it wasn’t more for the piece of crap.

dirty secret.

dirty secret.

photo courtesy of taaz.com

photo courtesy of examiner.com

Yes, I have a dirty little secret.

If you’ve been keeping up, you’d know that I spent my day off last Friday by waiting in lines all day and sitting in traffic all night.  Not exactly life of the rich and fabulous.  But, I bit the bullet due to my earlier flirtations with the Rock & Republic brand.  I started with the amazing blush, went on to the sublime glosses, and recently discovered the sultry uber-blendable, kinda magical eye shadows.

photo courtesy of exquisitejenn

I spent over $300.

That’s my dirty little secret.  One that I’m not proud of, and I hesitate to tell others because it will be the undrawn line in the sand- the breaking point where you know they’ll get the wide-eyed look-at-you-sideways kind of look and realize you’re addicted.

Anyway, based on the sale pricing at the sample sale, I would have spent a whopping $1305!!!!!  Does that make me feel just a tad bit better though?  Not really.  You see I am a makeup whore.  Yes, I’ve said it, I admit it and I’ll own up to it.  I simply have too much.  Now with the additional blushers eyeshadows, my drawer looks crammed full of silver and black! Do I regret it?  Maybe just a bit.  I really don’t need to be spending that much money on makeup after I recently blogged about being on a wallet lockdown.  I hate going against my word.

But now for the solution.

To fix this scenario, I am willing to do the following… no eating out for lunch for ONE MONTH.  Yup, I figure I’d burn an average of $10 a day for lunch (I eat out for lunch pretty regularly).  It will take one month to average out the price spent on the damned makeup.  Exception is cheapie grocery shopping where you buy cheap things (eggs, sandwich making material, instant noodle, salad making material, etc).  Another exception is on weekends where I will let my fiance choose anything and everything.  So, see y’all Dec. 13 where I would have saved enough to balance out my balance!!

I have to learn that as an adult, there is a price to be paid for things material.  You cannot just buy and buy simply because the cash is there… if you are going to throw your money to the skies for frivolous items, be prepared to pay for them in other ways! 

Earning yours is eons better than simply getting yours!

*** The packaging for this makeup line is super lux all the way!  However, I do have one minor complaint.  If you own as many blusher/eye shadows as I do, there should be a clear case (like MAC) so you can tell at a moment’s glance which is which.  Rather, I flip open each and every one to look for a fun look!   Not a lot of fun at all!  I was thinking about maybe swatching the colors and taping it to the bottoms (or go for ugly and tape ‘em to the top/front of the lids themselves!) … haven’t decided yet.

*** Am TOTALLY falling in love with everything tho! The colors are pigmented without being garish, soft and smooth to work with,  blendable beautiful shades.   I’m totally an eye girl but for some reason this season’s bright pink and deep red lips are beginning to make me smile….