MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection Launch Event at Bloomingdale's

Hello, MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection launched on Friday, 10/28.  Bloomingdales's in San Francisco kicked off the launch with live entertainment with characters similar to those from the ad campaign. There is an ice skating rink set up at the entrance of Bloomingdale's along with ice skaters and bartenders dressed in white, they are skating and dancing to the DJ's music.  At first, I did not even recognize Johnny Weir, an American Olympic figure skater who appears as the male model skater in the ad campaign.  I think he is great, he is such an artistic skater.  The color of the packaging is white in this collection and the makeup colors are so pretty.  The event at Bloomingdale's in San Francisco is held during the weekend before Halloween from 10/28 through 10/30.  There are extra MAC MUAs on site for color consultation at this event.

Here are the goodies that I picked up over the weekend:

- Three Technakohl Liners in Smooth Manoeuvre (black),  Practice Makes Perfect (blue), and Fancy Moves (purple).  They all have subtle glitters in them, so pretty.
- Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season (neutral champagne)
- Snowglobe  Eye Shadow palette with six colors in Warm.  The snow globe on the compact is festive and cute!
- Fabulously Festive Face Kit in Wintercool.  It came with four eye shadows, one powder blush, one lipglass, one Cremesheen lipstick, and 3 small brushes with glitter handles.

I look forward to trying out everything soon.  I do not purchase from every MAC collection;  I just love the limited edition white packaging from this collection and can't help myself.  Check out this collection, the line is festive and perfect for the holidays.

Via Google images

Via Google images

Via Google images

What did you pick up from this collection?  Until next post......

Chanel Graphite Nail Colour

Hello, I couldn't wait and posted these pictures of this nail polish on Facebook already!  Chanel 529 Graphite is one of my all time favorite nail polish colors.  Graphite is a beautiful metallic flecked dark gray with an olive green undertone.  The undertone definitely picks up more under certain fluorescent lighting. I foresee more Chanel nail polishes coming home with me in the future.  I purchased Chanel Graphite at Macy's for $25.

What's not to love?  Until next post......

Becca Boudoir Skin Mineral Powder

Hello, I am back with another Becca makeup review.  I have been using Becca Boudoir Skin Mineral Powder in Bliss since Spring and I am hitting pan with this product.  I do not use it as a foundation, but rather as a setting powder over liquid foundation.  Here are my thoughts on this product:

Color - This product comes in ten shades.  Bliss is a neutral color for fair to light skin tones.  I love this color!  It is neither too yellow or too pink for my skin tone

Texture - Finely milled mineral powder, it goes on very smooth and it feels weightless

Coverage - Sheer and buildable to a light coverage.  This is the reason why I use it as a setting powder over liquid foundation.  If you have really good skin, you can definitely use it on its own on well moisturized skin

Finish - Semi-matte finish, but not flat.  It can look chalky if you use too much. Your skin will look perfect if you use just the right amount

Skin type - All.  If you have dry skin, moisturize your skin well before using it on its own
Price - Retail for $38 for a small compact.  For reference, it comes in a smaller compact compared to their powder blushes
Repurchase? - Maybe.  I am torn.  I really liked the finish on my skin.  But as you can see from the pictures, the product dried up and started cracking in the compact after about 6 months.  From my experience, it seems like other powder foundations can sustain longer.  Final words, the Becca website claims that the product is water resistant, I can say that it is sweat proof because I have worn this in hot weather and it held up well.  Another claim is that you can wear it to bed to mimic smooth and perfect skin while you sleep, interesting?  I haven't tried this because I generally remove all makeup prior to sleeping

Since the Becca mineral powder has become dried and chalky, I will not be using it any longer.  I recently picked up Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Powder Foundation and Burberry Sheer Luminous Compact Foundation as backup.  I have been trying the D&G powder and I like it so far.  I have high hopes for these powders since I love their cream and liquid foundation counterparts.

Which mineral makeup or powder foundation are you wearing?  Until next post......

Drugstore Black Eyeliner - a Hit and a Miss

Hello, Ever since I started using makeup, black eyeliner in pencil or liquid has been a staple for me.  It is the number one most used item out of all the makeup I use, mascara comes in as a close second.  My favorite eyeliners of all time are from MAC, Makeup Forever, and Urban Decay.  But I always like to try new things, so lately I have been testing out two drugstore black eyeliner pencils, Maybelline Master Drama By Eyestudio Cream Pencil in 400 Midnight Master and Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in No. 1 Black.  I am liking one more than the other, read on for more......

Maybelline Master Drama By Eyestudio Cream Pencil in 400 Midnight Master

Color - Intense black.  I love using this for more defined eye looks

Formula - Creamy and smooth, water resistant, and very long lasting.  It dries very quick once you draw the line.  There is no sharpening with this liner, you twist out the product by turning the pen. You will need an oil based eye makeup remover to remove all traces of this eyeliner, it does not budge all day until you remove it

Price - $7.99 at Walgreens.  There are always promotions such as buy one, get one at 50% off on Maybelline's products and other makeup brands there

Repurchase ? - Yes.  I like the color, the lasting power, the price, and it does not smudge.  The only negative thing I will say is that I cannot do a fine line with this liner because there is no sharpening involved.  This is great if you want to draw a thicker line or do smokey looks with it

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in No. 1 Black

Color comparison - M for Maybelline and P for Pixi

Color - Intense black similar to the Maybelline eyeliner

Formula - Even though it is called a pen, it is really a pencil. Creamy and soft.  It is a bit too soft, the liner melts when it comes into contact with my skin.  I am not sure if I got a bad one out of the bunch at the store, I just could not work with this pencil because it kept melting and smudging.  The positives on this product is that it is hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and mineral oil-free

Price - $14 at Target.  This is expensive for drugstore eyeliners, I could get a MAC eyeliner for this price

Repurchase ? - No, I could not work with the formula and it is quite expensive for drugstore brands

What are your favorite eyeliner pencils?  Until next post......

Simple Exercises and Stretches with Animation

Hello, Happy Sunday!  Today I wanted to share with you this post about exercises and stretches with animation.  Thanks to a friend who kindly sent this to me last week.  The title of the original email was "Doing these exercises daily can add ten years to your life!".  It caught my attention, who wouldn't want that, right?  We do not know who created the animation, they are quite precise and one can follow the exercises easily without much explanation.  According to an ergonomics expert I spoke to at work a while back, it is best to hold any type of stretch for at least 10 seconds for it to be effective.  These are easy exercises and stretches that can help you with flexibility, balance, and relieve daily stresses.

Lower back, abdomen, and legs
Function:  Help with flexibility, tighten abdomen, and stretch out muscles in several parts of the body simultaneously

 

Shoulders
Function:  Relieve tight and painful shoulders

Arms and legs
Function:  In addition to stretching out the arms and the legs, this stretch will help open up the chest.  It is believed that it will help strengthen the function of the heart and the lungs.  It also helps with balance and flexibility

Eyes
Function:  Relieve tired and strained eyes

Neck
Function:  Prevent neck injuries.  Help clear the mind

Various pre-sport warm up
a) Function:  Prevent sport injuries

b) Function:  Good for circulation and relieve tight muscles

c)  Function:  Maintain and help with flexibility

d)  Function:  Strengthen the core and the toes.  Help with balance and it is believed that it will help strengthen the functions of internal organs.

Hope you enjoy this post.  I think these simple exercises and stretches are good for all ages.  Thanks for reading!  Until next post......

San Francisco Magazine Fall Fest 2011

Hello, I attended San Francisco Magazine Fall Fest 2011 on Sunday.  The event was held at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco.  Thanks to my friend who was working at the event, she invited me as her guest. 

Boy, was I glad I went!  It was a foodies' heaven, the outdoor venue was taken over by a congregation of local restaurants, wineries, vendors, and music.  There were also chef demos, cocktails competition, and wine tasting seminars, etc...all in one place.  Meals on Wheels was one of the partners at the event.  Their mission is to provide isolated home bound seniors in San Francisco with nutritious meals, daily human contact, and supportive services to prevent their premature institutionalization.  The volunteers were on hand to accept on the spot donations.  Also, the proceeds from the raffle sales from the event all went to Meals on Wheels.

All in all, it was a perfect Sunday afternoon spent in glorious weather with the Blue Angels flying over us for only a short while (the air show was cancelled due to fog).  I managed to taste and drink almost everything in sight and snapped up some photos from the scene.

Until next post......

Crafts for the home

Tasty sardines 

Martin Yan was promoting his upcoming new restaurant in San Francisco, M.Y. China.

Sky Tea from Oakland

 Dried beets

Fondue from Cheese Plus

Indian Summer Weather Must Haves

Hello, Summer in the Bay Area is often mild and cool, that is why I love this time of the year because of the Indian Summer weather.  We have had several mini heatwaves since Fall has officially started.  I love the hot weather, but I want to protect my skin at the same time from aging and cancer.  These are some products that I think would help in prevention of both.  Let's check out my current must haves for Indian Summer weather.

Facial Sunscreen

Jurlique Sun Lotion SPF 30+ - After finishing the Sofina Beaute Sunscreen SPF 50 that I purchased in Hong Kong, I was not able to repurchase it from the US because I could not find the exact same product online. I wanted to try something new and decided to go with a brand that is more accessible to me.   Jurlique Sun Lotion SPF 30+ is a chemical and physical sunscreen in one.  It is wonderful in so may different ways.  First, it does not smell like a sunscreen, it smells like lavender.  Lavender oil is one of its ingredients.  Second, it is lightweight and goes on clear on the skin, so it will not leave a white cast.  Lastly, it is super hydrating for my dry skin and yet it does not break me out.  I usually wear this sun lotion over a moisturizer or serum and then put makeup on top of it.  The full listing of the ingredients can be found on Jurlique's website.  It is available in a frosted glass bottle in 30ml or 100 ml at Jurlique and Sephora.

Body Sunscreen

Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Sunscreen SPF 30 Body Cream - If you are not familiar with Lavanila Laboratories, the healthy fragrance was their first of many breakthrough products.  If you love vanilla notes in fragrances, you should try theirs.  I absolutely love their fragrances and will probably review them at some point in time.  Back to Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Sunscreen SPF 30 Body Cream, it is a 100% natural mineral sunscreen for the body.  It has a creamy consistency that is easily spreadable on the skin as compared to some other mineral sunscreens that I have tried in the past.  It will leave a white cast on the skin, but this is common with most mineral sunscreens.  It comes in a 4 oz tube and it is available at Sephora.

Lip Sunscreen

Lavanila The Healthy Lip Screen SPF30 - Don't forget sunscreen on your lips! I talked about Lavanila The Healthy Lip Screen SPF30 in this post.  For sanitary reasons, my only wish is that it would come in a lip balm stick instead of a tin container, I am not a big fan of dipping my fingers into lip balms.  Other than this, I think it is a great product.

 
Thanks for reading!  Until next post......

Shop For A Good Cause

Hello, As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month's website offers so much information about the disease, mammogram/screening, news, early detection, etc....  Ladies, early detection is key in beating this disease, please read about it!

There are so many ways we can get involved to raise awareness and contribute in finding a cure.  You can always make monetary donations to organizations such as the American Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen for a Cure at any time.  You can also participate in many of the Susan G. Komen for a Cure events near you in the US,  there are also events in Europe and Puerto Rico.  I recently participated in a walk for the Alzheimer's Association, it felt great to raise awareness about the disease and to raise money to find a cure for so many patients who are suffering.  These diseases are near and dear to my heart, I wish you all would consider participating in some ways.

Many cosmetics retailers are showing their support for the cause too!  They are donating to different charitable organizations a portion (or 100% in some cases) from the sales of certain products in the month of October.  Here are some of my personal favorites:

Arcona - Magic Pink Ice
Aveda - Hand Relief
Essie - "Breast Cancer Awareness" Nail Polish
Estee Lauder - Pink Ribbon Collection
Jane Iredale - Roses and Lollipops
Sephora - Pink Eyelash Curler



Happy shopping for a good cause and let's kick cancer!  Until next post......

Best of September Roundup - Skin Care, Makeup, Body Care, and Fragrance

Hello, It is a beautiful Sunday and the sun is out!  I have enjoyed so many new and old products in the month of September, it was a bit hard to choose which products to post.  I have been hauling happy lately, so my personal goal is to use up most of the older products first.  So they do not end up going bad which is very wasteful. 

Anyway, let's get started......

Skin Care

Lip care is a part of my skin care regimen.  It is important to protect our lips from the sun too.  I wore Lavanila The Healthly Lip Screen SPF30 almost everyday in September.  I alternate it with Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms on the days when it was not as hot.  The Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms do not contain sunscreen. 

As you can see, the ingredients are very natural.  When I first put it on, there is a cooling and tingling sensation from the peppermint oil.  The balm warms up easily on the fingers and it has a minty taste.  I have tried other natural lip balms with sunscreen and the sunscreen in the product would always make my lips white.  Unless I am hanging out at the beach, I would not care about this.  But for everyday, I get too embarrassed and I will not leave the house with white lips.  Lavanila The Healthly Lip Screen SPF30 is clear, so white lips are not an issue.

Makeup

I reviewed the FAIRYDROPS Scandal Queen Mascara here last month.  It is my HG mascara to date and I have been wearing it everyday.  It is amazing because it volumizes, lengthens, and it curls the lashes.  Really?  Yes, it curls my lashes!  I forgot to curl my lashes with an eyelash curler one morning and left the house, I do not know how it works but the mascara curled my lashes when I put on the mascara.  My lashes looked lifted and curled up as if I curled them with a eyelash curler, it was a WOW moment for me!

Body Care

I picked up the butter London Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil from Nordstrom's this summer.  I love their nail lacquers, so I thought I should branch out and try their other products too.  I have been doing my own manicure and pedicure and needed something for my out of control dry cuticles.  What I love most about this cuticle oil is the scent, it smells like Pina Colada!  I cannot stop smelling my hands whenever I brush it on.  It smells divinely tropical, I imagine myself on an island far far away......Back to earth now.  I do not know the exact ingredients in the oil as they are not listed on the butter London's website or on the bottle.  There are ingredients listed on other online retailers' websites, but they are not consistently the same.  According to Nordstrom's website, it contains vitamins A and E.  On the back of the bottle, it mentions it is mineral oil-free if it is a concern of yours.

Fragrance

I always carry a bottle of Tsi~La Organics perfume oil in my handbag, it is easily portable and perfect for touch ups.  They are natural and so light, not overpowering in the warm weather.  I reviewed this collection here.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!  Thanks for reading!