1/30/2011

The Versatile Blogger Award + 100 Followers ^__^

Big kisses and a thank you to the cute Amy for awarding me with this blogger award! And also, a thank you for reuniting me with the song Negative Things by Selwyn on her blog haha! 

Since we are on this thank you speech, I would like to thank each and every one of my followers! I finally reached 100 followers!!!!! And yes, that may not be anything but it's something to me. The more followers I have, the more I am motivated to update! :)

GUIDELINES
1. Thank the person that gave u the award and link back to them in your post
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself
3. Award recently discovered new bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they've recieved this reward(s)

7 things about myself:
1. I hate mushrooms.
2. I don't know all the legit rules of Big 2 (VIET VERSON!!!!!..... I barely know how to play chinese lol) however, I usually always win... but shhhh. Don't tell anyone. :)
3. I used to have my sternum pierced. Don't google it if you don't know, it may scare you. lol.
4. I have this thing where I can't eat in front of a guy I like.... and it all started in grade 5, when it was my FRIEND's problem and I was like wth? why not.... that's weird. Ever since then, I've been that way myself O_o so I would be cautious of how I eat... and yes, I still am slightly with my boyfriend but don't tell him! And babe, if you're reading this.... :) love you, thank you for feeding me <3
5. I don't know how to ride a bike... or swim.... or skate.... or rollerblade......... -______-
6. I like soggy fries.
7. I've been told I'm pretty good at drawing circles freehand.... hahahahaha.

BLOGGERS:
I've seen two versions of this blog award where you award newly discovered bloggers/give 15 bloggers this award. Soooo, I'm going to combine the two, and give it out to newly discovered bloggers AND some of my favourite bloggers. Because I'm a rebel and I don't like to follow rules. HA!!!

No particular order! I chose 7, because I had to write 7 things about myself. Lucky #7? :)

1. Janice 
- Amazing blogger, youtuber, and I just plain love her!!!!! <3
2. Faye Lu 
- Always has good posts!
3. Lisa  
- She knits!!!!!! well, this blog is about make up but... SHE CAN KNIT REALLY GOOD LOL
4. Jessy 
- Updates very frequently with great posts!
5. Keri  
- Cutest korean girl everrrrrrrr ^___^
6. Yunie 
- She's canadian!!!!! <3 and gorgeous!
7. Jean 
- Great fashion blog for petite little girls! Don't be hopeless if you're tiny and frail <3

Thank you everyone for following my blog, it means a lot to me. And thank you Amy again, for rewarding me with this. =)

1/28/2011

Updates on what I've been using!

Lately I haven't been using my brushes! I've been pretty simple with my eye make up so it doesn't require using a bunch of brushes. 

I've been into using sponge tip applicators actually! 


I feel like they don't get enough love... a lot of "gyarus" or anybody that uses a lot of asian make up like to use the sponge tip applicators and SO DO I! :)
It's quick, easy, and gives less fallout.
Yes, they are not as "sanitary" but heck, you can easily clean it too! Or you can simply toss it away once it's all used up and purchase more, since they're super cheap and usually comes with a few in a pack.

I purchased these two from Daiso. I use the giant one (reminds me of my MAC 227) for my highlight. 

 


I love that you can detach the applicators so when it's dirty, you can change it! 
It reminds me of those lead pencils, remember these?

 LOL.

 Anywho, so recently, I just like to apply one or two shadows onto just my lid. To blend out the color if I have to, I just use my fingers... works perfectly well as long as they're clean! 
 Here is a look I did using just those sponge tip applicators!

For my highlight, I used the browbone color in Maybelline's Chai Latte quad


For the lid, I used the last two colors here in the Physicians Formula Smoky Hazel Eyes


So don't just throw away those bad boys! They can be quite useful for most easy looks! ^___^
Let me know if I'm not the only one that like to use the sponge tip applicators! >_<

RED LIPS?!

Another thing I am lovin' at the moment, is.....

Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick!

The infamous wearable red lipstick. I've been wanting it since it first came out but everytime I went, it was ALWAYS sold out. So while I was in the states, I decided to check out the MAC counter in Nordstrom and they had it!!! The wonderful boyfriend (<< click* he has a blog too, hehe) got it for me and I was super duper excited! First time trying it out, I got a bunch of compliments on it! 

It's definitely a wearable but also buildable red! If you don't think you can pull off red lipstick or you're too shy to wear such a bold red, check this baby out! 
It's here until spring I believe... SO GO, GO, GO if you haven't already but I was a late bird cuz of all you damn girls that got it and kept making it sold out for me LOL



(and yes, another eye look I did using sponge tip applicators!)

UPDATE ON SKINCARE

So from my previous skincare post, I mentioned that I didn't have my favourite moisturizer with me. The current one I was using, I didn't like the texture for my dry skin in the winter.

Recently, I've been using two different moisturizers.

DAY:
LANCOME Bienfait Multi-Vital 

It's vitamin enriched with an SPF 30 which is fantastic, so I can skip the sunscreen. What's better than a 2 in 1? A moisturizer with sunscreen. It's perfect! The texture literally feels like a moisturizer and sunscreen together but it's not super greasy like most sunscreen, which I like because it sinks right into the skin. I apply this before my make up application. It blends well into my skin, helping my foundation smooth on easier, yet it doesn't slide off. But then again, my skin isn't oily at all.

NIGHT:
LANCOME Primordiale Night Skin Recharge

This night cream is supposed to retexturize the skin deep within the surface. It has biotin which helps recharge skin cells to appear renewed and revealing revitalized, radiantly healthy looking skin.

Well, I am not too sure if that is true yet hahaha but so far, I like it for just a cream and knowing that it could possibly help my skin, makes me feel better. The texture of the cream is thick but kind of buttery... not greasy though, some may think so but it goes away when applied. Once I massage it in, it sinks into the skin immediately and feels moisturized, not heavy. It has a light "cream" fragrance to it, but I have no problem with it.

What I have noticed with using this night cream is that my skintone looks a little more evened out. The next morning, my skin looks moisturized and healthy. Or maybe I am just delusional :P

 ---

 That's all for my updates! Hope you enjoyed and found some stuff helpful/interesting! :)

xoxo

1/16/2011

SKINCARE! (lots of reading ahead of you....)

As promised, here is my new skincare "routine"! 

To be honest, I never really had a "skincare routine", awful - I know. My skin was always in decent condition, with your regular breakouts here and there. However, with that being said, I figured if I started up a skincare routine that my skin could possibly be at its best from taking more care of it! Even if you are an excessive make up wearer, having great skin makes a big difference to your make up and confidence! I want to be able to walk out of my house without feeling like I need to cake on foundation... skipping foundation in general would be ideal.

I'll start off with sharing what my skin type is. I am normal-dry

If you are acne-prone, I cannot help you... I am not too knowledged in that area. My main suggestion is to WASH YOUR FACE! Especially if you are oily! The extra oil on your face builds up more bacteria leading to more break outs! Doing little things like washing your pillow cases can make a big difference. When you are sleeping, dirt/oil is building up on your face and you're transferring that onto your pillow. So if you never wash your pillow cases, you're basically just putting the oil and bacteria and nastyness back onto your face which will cause you to break out even more! Wash your face day and night!

Anyways, my skincare routine is mainly just what I do to keep it clean which helps me from breaking out! All the products I used, can be used by pretty much all skin types! =)

 Taking it off!

LANCOME Bi-Facil 
 
This my absolute favourite eye makeup remover as it takes off everything, including my eyelash glue/waterproof mascara!

PHILOSOPHY  Purity Cleanser

 After I take off my eye makeup, I use this cleanser to take my face makeup off. 
The reason why I don't use this to take off my eye makeup as well so I can skip a step is because I don't find that it completely removes my eyelash glue/waterproof mascara. Most people will say it does for them, however for me and a few others that I know also agrees with me that it doesnt completely remove my eye makeup... unless you wanna rub the crap out of your eyeballs...

Overall, it is a good cleanser. It's gentle and nice. Removes face make up well. 
However, the smell is weird. It reminds me of when I used to get piercings done .... It's like a medicine-y smell... so def is something you need to get used to. Biggest downfall for me is it just doesn't remove the leftover glue/eyeliner between my lashes. 

My LANCOME Bi-Facil eye makeup remover definitely removes it. Sometimes I would get just a Q-tip soaked in the remover and remove the rest if I just want to go straight in with the PURITY cleanser.

 Exfoliate!

So on those days I feel like I need to really pamper my skin, whether it's looking dull, extra dry, or if I broke out... basically if my skin needs some some TLC [Tender Loving Care]!

QUEEN HELENE Mint Julep Masque

I use this more when I really want to pamper my skin, especially if I have a couple of spots on my face.

After I cleanse my face, I would apply this and leave it for about 15-20 minutes and then I use the sponge to help me wipe it off with warm water.

It is made to help shrink enlarged pores, dry up pimples, and rinse away blackheads. As it hardens on your face, it's supposed to draw out impurities from your pores. It definitely will help those with oily skin because I found that it sucks the oil out and leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean. 
I think that it's a really nice treatment for your skin especially for the price! It's less/around $5!

The first time I used it definitely burned my skin because of how minty it was LOL. Definitely don't watch anything funny otherwise when it's drying up and you laugh, your face will crack! LOL... although I did do a compare of family scares hehehe.

 LANEIGE Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Gel

It's a gentle exfoliating gel that removes dull surface skin cells to reveal radiant skin. You apply a small amount to a damp face and massage gently with your fingertips.
You start to see little white clusters form and I believe that's the product/your dead skin balling up. Once you wash it off with warm water, I truly think my skin just looks so much more radiant!

I use this about 1-2 times a week. Since I have dry skin, I like to use it weekly. I absolutely LOVE this product... so much that I wish I could use it everyday LOL. It smells amazing and I really like how gentle and nice it is on the skin. 

extra.


During the time I don't use the QUEEN HELENE's masque to really exfoliate my skin, I'll use this face brush to just scrub (in circular  motions) any dirt off my face with my PURITY cleanser. I don't do this everyday simply because it would be too abrasive for my face. Maybe 1-2 times a week.


Same situation with the face brush, but this tool is a rubbery face brush. It's meant to remove pore-clogging debris and excess skin oil. So whenever I feel like my pores needs some attention or if my skin seems to be a little more oily than usual, I will use this when I'm washing my face with the cleanser as well. However I don't use this too often... I don't feel the need to after having the mint julep masque/purity cleanser.

BIORE Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Whenever I start to see blackheads/whiteheads/pores building up, I will use this. Simple. I'm sure you all know by now what this is/does.

 MY BEAUTY DIARY Facial Masks

These masks are fantastic! I have only tried these two, but I am in love! They are super popular in the asian makeup community. I like to use these masks when I want extra pampering or whenever my skin is looking dull and dry.

It definitely moisturizes very well. Their face masks are soaked. I leave it on for about 30 minutes or longer. After taking it off, there's still a lot of residue left on my skin. You are supposed to just rub it into your skin - DON'T wash your face! I find that it's a little too much residue left on my skin so I lightly dab my face with a towel and then moisturize after to lock in the moisture!

Their masks are fairly big so if you have a super big head... luckly for you :D LOL

 Platinum Nanocolloid

It's enriched with Japanese Platinum Nanocolloid raw material, which performs anti-oxidant to prevent dry/dull skin and wrinkles. It also provides long lasting hydration to the skin.
The smell is okay... I can't quite describe it.. it kind of just smells like a generic skincare scent... not sweet or anything though. This is the more expensive one than the rest.

Strawberry Yogurt

This one helps whitens and refines oily skin however it's still suitable for all skin types. The natural strawberry extract helps to leave the skin clear, fair and fresh. The smell, just like my LANEIGE Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Gel, smells a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I definitely like to leave this one on for longer LOL. After using it, I do find that my complexion looks more evened out, radiant and brighter!

The next one I want to try is their BLACK PEARL. It's one of their top selling masks that helps firms, regenerate, moisturize, whitens and brightens oveall complexion for all skin types, especially dull looking skin!
LAZY?

We all get those suuuper lazy days where we're way too tired to go through with the face wash...
Most use face wipes. But this is my alternative to face wipes because I find that they burn the crap out of my eyes >_<

LANCOME Eau Fraiche Douceur
Micellar Cleansing Water: face, eyes, lips/all skin types

It's a refreshing cleansing water that will instantly removes makeup and impurities off your skin.

Before I use this, I will use my Bi-Facil first because I don't find that this removes heavy eye makeup. It has a nice refreshing smell to it.

LANCOME Tonique Confort
Comforting Rehydrating Toner

I always use this after using the micellar cleansing water. It's a very moisturizing toner that rehydrates and gently purifies the skin. It also helps to remove the leftover makeup/dirt that the cleansing water didn't pick up.

It gives a soft, fresh and clean hydrating feel to the skin. It's made with honey and sweet almond extract so it smells really nice.
 
THE LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANT STEP.

MOISTURIZE!!!!!

I moisturize after everything I do. After I cleanse my face, exfoliate, wear a facial mask and as well as before I apply my make up. Here are some that I have tried and liked:


 GUERLAIN Happylogy Soin Jour - Day Care

This is actually my sister's but I always like it steal it because it's AMAZING! I love the texture and consistency of it. It's SUPER soft and silky. I can't even describe it properly. It's just like applying luxurious silk to your face and your skin feels like a baby's butt. >_< smells expensive too. LOL. If I owned this, this would definitely be my TOP FAVE.


LANCOME Aqua Fusion

This smells really fresh. This is my second tub of it. The consistency is like a cream-gel, lightweight. It feels very infused with water... if water was a moisturizer, this is what it would be.. LOL


DIOR Pro-Youth Creme Sorbet

I just recently started to use this, it's not the best for me. It melts into the skin very quickly like water. It smells like a generic creme... nothing offsetting about the smell.

My Personal Favourite:

At the moment, this has been the best moisturizer for my dry skin. The texture is thicker than the rest above but it moisturizes very well. I find that because the LANCOME Aqua Fusion and DIOR Creme Sorbet is very waterbased that it just melts and sinks into the skin too quickly. This leaves a nice moisturized feeling on my skin. It melts into the skin enough to moisturize my dry skin yet still has enough residue sitting on the surface of my skin to make my foundation smooth on a lot easier. It's the only cream I have found that really helped my dry skin, leaving it smooth, soft, and radiant.

I have to go get myself another tub of it because I left it at my boyfriend's for him to use... SHHH. LOL.

SO that concludes my skincare routine!
I'm sorry it was SO much to read but everytime you get into skincare, it's always very word-y. >_< But as you can see, my skincare is pretty.. basic... I really hope this helped some of you, and if it didn't and I wasted your time... SORRY AND THANKS FOR READING LOL.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment! If you actually read the whole post, I applaud you and thank you so much for doing so! <3

Having good skin is key but remember that beauty is skin deep! =)
xoxo

1/14/2011

2010 Favourite Products

Better late than never right? Here are my top picks for 2010! There's definitely a lot of other products that I've purchased and loved but these are my constant uses! Majority of the products are from drugstores so that makes it even better because YOU can look like a million bucks but your make up shouldnt have to cost that much. ;) 

EYES:

MAYBELLINE Stylish Smokes Quad: Natual Smokes

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Shimmer Strips: Smoky Hazel Eyes

MAC: Satin Taupe

MAC: Ricepaper

NYX: Taupe Pearl

BUXOM Lashliner: Leatherette

BLUSH:

ELF: Pink Passion

NARS: Deep Throat

BRONZER:

STILA: Shade 01

NYC: Sunny

FOUNDATION:

REVLON ColorStay: Medium Beige

LOREAL: Sun Beige

LIPS:

REVLON Super Lustrous: Lilac Pastelle

MAYBELLINE Moisture Extreme: Nude Blush

RIMMEL Lasting Finish: Pink Blush

REVLON Super Lustrous: Prim-Rose

MAYBELLINE Color Sensational: Pink Please

SWATCHES (L-R: in order as listed above)
Lilac Pastelle, Nude Blush, Pink Blush, Prim-Rose, Pink Please

NAILS:

RIMMEL Lasting Finish Pro: Steel Grey

SALLY HANSEN Nailgrowth Miracle

BRUSHES:

BOURJOIS: 2B
- love it for blush

ELF: Powder Brush
fantastic brush for liquid foundation

MAC: 227
- great for blending browbone color into crease

ELF: Blending Eye Brush
- it might've been a bad one out of the bunch cuz the one I received was too stiff for "blending" but it works great for an outer corner color.

Last but not least, this is my favourite product of the year.. not necessarily just because it's good, but because my wonderful boyfriend (<<< *check out his blog too!!!!*) got it for me <3

URBAN DECAY:  NYC Book Of Shadows Vol. 3
limited edition




BONUS:

Ever since I heard this song, I've been obsessed.....



&&&
  I couldn't have ended the year any better without these amazing people:






But most importantly, I got to end a fabulous year with this amazing person and I went into the new year happier than ever.... My amazing boyfriend, whose taught me everything I'd want to learn and showed me a whole new different side of what love has to offer. =)





Happy New Year! 2010 was a fab year, but let's make 2011 even more fab, by looking fab! <3
xoxo