Turkey Through My Eyes

Hello, I spent the last two weeks traveling through Turkey and I had the time of my life!  I love the people, the food, and the breathtaking sceneries in Turkey.  Though it was cold, we were blessed to have incredible dry weather while we were there.  I highly recommend you to visit Turkey if you haven't made your way to there yet.  The memories I had from Turkey will stay with me forever. Here are some of the highlights from my journey!

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

Evil eyes

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Night scene from Istanbul

Lots of stray kitties and dogs everywhere in Turkey

Yummy fresh fish sandwich in Istanbul

Turkish tea

Local cheeses are so good

Kebabs and rice

Incredible view of Aegean Sea from our hotel in Kusadasi

Ephesus

Yogurt drink

One of my favorites, Turkish pizza made with flat bread for the crust

Pamukkale

Cappadoccia

View from our hot air balloon in Cappadoccia

Camels

Turkish army at Ataturk Museum

Quick Update

Hello, Readers,

I will be away from blogging until the end of the month.  Please check back:)  Cheers!

Until next post......

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation and Natural Lighting Powder

Hello, Koh Gen Do Cosmetics is a Japanese brand that was founded 20 years ago.  They are known for their high definition makeup and their products are widely used in the film industry.  I read that the Koh Gen Do products have been used in over 200 international films.  The products are available at Barneys New York, Sephora, and the Koh Gen Do website.

I am excited to share with you my experience on Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation and Natural Lighting Powder.  I have been using the foundation for over two weeks and the powder this week, so far I really like both products.  I purchased both products from Barneys New York.

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 113

According to the Koh Gen Do website,  Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation is a:

"Mineral makeup cream foundation that turns into liquid foundation when applied with 60% water encapsulated into the formula to give you the superior coverage of a cream foundation and a smooth, sheer finish like a liquid foundation."  

Coverage - Light to Medium and buildable.  It is not like other cream foundations that are generally heavier in coverage and feel.  This is not for you if you are looking for a high coverage cream foundation

Color - 113 is a light yellow based color that will help correct redness in the skin.  I was originally matched with 013 which has a pink undertone, the pink undertone was detectable and noticeably different from the color of my neck.  I had to exchange it to 113 which is a better match.  It is just a tad darker for me, but 112 is too light.  The website explains the color numbering system for the different skin tones

Finish - On the box, it says it offers a natural matte finish.  However, it is not matte on my skin, but instead it gives a very natural finish.  It is hard to detect the makeup on my skin even if I apply a couple layers of it

Scent - Fragrance free
Skin type - Normal to Dry

Price - High.  $62 for 0.71 oz..  I am used to most liquid or cream foundations that offer at least 1 oz. of product.  Koh Gen Do offers less product compared to other brands

Lasting Power - I don't feel that it lasts all day for me, it helps if I use a setting powder
Repurchase? - Maybe, I say this only because the price is on the high side.  However, I do like that it has no artificial colors, fragrance, petroleum based mineral oil or paraben.  The formula is comfortable and the finish is natural on the skin.  I also want to give kudos to the packaging because you do not waste product with the tube packaging and it is easy to pack for travelling

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder

What it is according to the Koh Gen Do website:

"A light beige loose powder that uses a unique, ultra-fine pearl powder formula to camouflage uneven skin tones. The soft, refined pearls diffuse light to cover pores and balance skin surfaces for a natural, luminescent glow. Can be worn by itself for a nice soft glow or as a finishing powder to set your foundation.  Contains natural moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid, making it an ideal powder for those with dry skin."

Color - It comes in one  shade which is a light beige color.  It is perfect for lighter skin tones, probably up to MAC NC25 skin tone

Texture - Finely milled powder, it goes on the skin very smooth like silk.  It does contain silk powder 

Finish - Natural finish with micro pearly shimmers.  The shimmers are detectable only if you look very close at the skin and under certain lighting.  It will give the skin a very subtle and pretty glow

Skin type - All.  It is especially good for dry skin because the powder contains hyaluronic acid
Price - $42 for 0.42 oz.
Repurchase? Yes.  I use this product as a setting powder.  I have been looking for a loose powder with a hint of shimmers for the holidays, this is perfect because it offers just enough shimmers and gives a lovely natural glow to the skin.  I also considered Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in Feerie, Cafe Makeup did a great post on it a few days ago.  I think it is super pretty, but the sparkles seem to come in big pieces and they are very apparent on my skin.  I would be scared to use it all over my face.  I may still pick it up though and use it as a highlighter in the holiday season instead

Top:  Natural Lighting Powder
Bottom: Maifanshi Moisture Foundation

Powder and foundation blended out.  It is a heavy swatch of the foundation.

After both powder and foundation are blended out more, they blend into my skin very well.

Thanks for reading.  Overall, I highly recommend these products if you are looking for makeup with a very natural finish.  

Until next post......

Rosemary and Cheese Scones

Hello, I made some Rosemary and Cheese Scones this past Sunday.  It was my first attempt making scones and the recipe was relatively easy and healthy.  It is based on an Irish soda bread recipe.  I used fresh rosemary from my garden, I love this fragrant herb!  My scones did not turn out looking like the picture in the recipe link, but they were approved by my husband and my dog:)  We (not the dog) had them with chili last night, good comfort food for a chilly evening.

Enjoy!  Until next post......

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

Hello, Ladies, it is that time again.  In the month of October, I started using many new products and old products alike.  My favorites for the month are products that I have been using for at least one month or longer.  Let's get started:

Skin Care

Most of us are always on the go.  If you have three minutes in your day and you want a quickie cream mask, Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone Ginger Gingerols 3-Minute Facial is a great one to try.  I am sure many of you are familiar with the Perricone MD products, the Super line is described on the Sephora website as: 


"...a nourishing collection of formulas for your face and body. Infused with phytonutrients derived from some of the most powerful superfoods and formulated with advanced patented sciences, SUPER allows your skin to indulge in nature's most nutritional bounty."


The Super line appeals to me more than the Perricone MD line because the ingredients are more natural and the price points are more affordable.  I have used this product after a long busy day or before a special occasion, it always gives my face a fresh radiant look after three minutes.  I have left it on longer and it is absolutely fine.  There is a tingling sensation when I put on the product, it is tolerable and lasts for a few minutes.  I believe this product delivers the results I look for in a quickie mask, it hydrates and adds radiance to my skin as if I had a mini facial.  This is fabulous and I will re-purchase it.  I would like to try the other skincare products in the line too.


Makeup

I used Maybelline Master Drama By Eyestudio Cream Pencil in 400 Midnight Master everyday in October and this is my review here.  This is my current favorite drugstore eyeliner.  My only gripe with it is that it does not give you a lot of product because I managed to finish it in a month.  Other pencil eyeliners seem to last a lot longer for me.


Body Care


I have tried many body scrubs in the past and Melvita Extra-Soft Body Scrub is one of the best out there.  It is a natural sugar scrub made with essential oils, see the website for the full listing of ingredients.  The texture resembles jelly with very fine sugar particles for manual exfoliation.  It is very gentle on the skin.  The scent is citrus.  I like that it comes in a tube because I can squeeze out the exact amount I want to use.  I highly recommend this body scrub.

Note:  There are no personal photos of this product because my tube is almost used up and does not look appealing.  I did not think the photos would come out very good.

via Melvita USA website

Fragrance

Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne in the middle

I like rose fragrances.  Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne is the cleanest and freshest rose fragrance that I have ever tried.  It is composed of seven roses from around the globe.  I love wearing it alone or layer other Jo Malone colognes with it.  I reached for it a lot in the warm weather in October, it is very light and never over powering.  I get mesmerized by this scent every time I spray it, it makes me feel beautiful and feminine.


Recently I picked up this set of five Jo Malone miniatures at Nordstrom and it contains Grapefruit, Pomegranate Noir, Wild Bluebell, Red Roses, and Vanilla and Anise.   I mainly wanted to try out the new Wild Bluebell, Pomegranate Noir, and Vanilla and Anise.  And I can take a few of these with me when I travel.  Check it out.


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

Le Metier de Beaute True Romance Nail Lacquer

Hello, I picked up the Nordstrom's exclusive Le Metier de Beaute Rock n' Romance Mini Nail Lacquer Set a few months ago.  True Romance is the lightest of the four colors in the set.  I absolutely love the high shine metallic nude color with a pale rosy pink undertone, it is classy and easy to wear.  You can't go wrong with it.  I was surprised to find that the set is still available at a local Nordstrom and on their website.  It is available for only $25 for a set of four nail lacquers.  They are individually 0.14 fl oz. each in the set, so they are smaller compared to other brands of nail lacquers.  Their full size nail lacquers are 0.25 fl oz. each and retail for $15.

Don't miss out on this set while they last!  What is your favorite LMDB nail lacquer?  Until next post......