Sunday, April 29, 2012

Best of April Roundup - BITE Beauty, Chanel, Maybelline, Yardley London

Hello, The weather temperature is slowly rising in the city, it was a good day for me to wander around and discover neighborhoods that I do not frequent often.  San Francisco is definitely an interesting melting pot of a city.


Let's get back to beauty and jump into some April favorites...


Skin Care - BITE  Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub




For those who are new to BITE Beauty, here is a glance of the brand's selling point:

Bite Beauty is an alluring collection of lip products featuring super antioxidant resveratrol and superior color. Ranging from nude to plum, their highly pigmented, long-lasting shades were designed by industry-leading makeup artists for today's modern woman. In addition to featuring beauty's most sought-after antioxidant, the pro-performance formulas' all-natural ingredient list includes organic shea butter, superfoods, and food-grade colors, making them truly good enough to eat. It's beauty that's better for you. 

BITE  Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub is a non-abrasive scrub treatment good for sensitive lips.  It is 100% natural.  The product is oil and wax based mixed with other ingredients including grape and fruit extracts.  For all you natural beauties, it is good to know that the ingredients in their lip products are good and safe enough to eat and digest. 








The soufflĂ© whipped texture is luxurious to use. I hope you can see the jojoba beads in the photo above, they are so gentle and will melt after some rubbing.  The cherry scent and flavor are delicious.  My lips are soft and hydrated after exfoliating with this product.  I can't wait to try out their lip colors, some of the value sets look like really good deals at Sephora.  The BITE Beauty line is available at Sephora.  


Makeup - Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 91 Tigerlily and Maybelline Color Tattoo By EyeStudio Eyeshadow in 10 Fierce & Tangy


I am a minimalist, so I generally stick to safe neutral eye colors.  Well, I have been stepping out of my comfort zone this Spring by experimenting with other colors.  Orange shades in the creamsicle sense can add that pop of color to the eyes and it can still look rather subtle but interesting.


Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 91 Tigerlily


Golden orange with gold micro shimmers





  Maybelline Color Tattoo By EyeStudio Eyeshadow in 10 Fierce & Tangy



Outdoor lighting
Top - Light swatch blended out
Bottom - Heavy swatch
Indoor lighting
Top - Light swatch blended out
Bottom - Heavy swatch

Don't let the intense color in the pot scare you.  This cream gel eyeshadow can be sheered out to your liking.  It has good lasting power.  The finish has a subtle sheen. It looks good on light or dark skin tones.  

Left - Maybelline
Right  - Chanel


One is high end and one is drugstore, but both are pretty and wearable.  Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 91 Tigerlily is available in department stores where Chanel is sold and Maybelline Color Tattoo By EyeStudio Eyeshadow in 10 Fierce & Tangy is available in most drugstores near you.


Body Care - Yardley London Oatmeal & Almond Soap


Via Google images


Yardley London is a well known established company in the UK since 1770. Their soaps are legendary around the world.  I re-discovered Yardley at Walgreens this month and picked up their Oatmeal & Almond Bar Soap from the Botanical Collection.





This bar soap is made with natural oat flour.  It is paraben and sulfate free.  The Yardley website even recommends it for the face.  I have not tried it on the face, so I cannot speak to it.  I find it not drying for the skin on the body.  I enjoy the soapy scent that reminds me of that from expensive soaps.  It is available at Walgreens for under $2.  This is affordable luxury that will not burn a hole in your pocket book.


I also discovered a nice blog post on Yardley fragrances from Just Nice Things, a blog from the UK.  I have not seen Yardley fragrances in the US, but it is nice to know they are available abroad.  They sound just as lovely as the soaps.


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

Thursday, April 26, 2012

New Blog Address Update

Hello, As of today, I have moved my blog to a new home!  Please book mark this new blog address for future reference:

http://www.rolasfountainofyouth.blogspot.com/

The reason for the change is I wanted to have a more unique identifier to my blog in the blog sphere. 

Thanks for your support and come back soon!

Until next post......

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pointe Shoes



Hello, I have been fascinated by Ballet since I was a little girl.  For those who are curious and want to know more about the making of pointe shoes, they are essential and so important in the art of Ballet.  This video features Megan Fairchild, the principal dancer for New York City Ballet.  Watch her discuss the pointe shoes and her pursuit for the perfect pair...

Image Via Alonzo King LINES Ballet
Until next post......

Monday, April 23, 2012

Seeing Red

Hello, Red symbolizes passion and strength, just to name a few.  Whether it is used as a main color or an accent color, I have always been attracted to all different shades of red.  Go on and get your red on...


Goyard St. Louis PM




OPI Nail Lacquer in Color To Diner For



Wet n Wild Coloricon Lipliner in 717 Berry Red - I helped out a photographer friend of mine at a photo shoot this weekend.  I used this true red lip liner on one of the models and it looked amazing and fierce in photos




Shiseido Luminizing Satin Face Color in RD401 - for natural looking flush of color on cheeks 






Have a great week!  Until next post......

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Origins GinZing And Plantscription For Eyes


Hello, I have been a long time user of Origins products on and off for years.  And I am back on with two of their best selling eye products.  Since the beginning of the year, I have been trying and testing both Origins GinZing Eye Cream and Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Treatment.  Here are my thoughts:


Origins GinZing Eye Cream




There are plenty of rave reviews on this eye cream on the web and I will add myself to the group of satisfied users.  This eye cream came in an Origins skincare set that I had purchased last year.  I did not reach for it until this year and I was pleasantly surprised by many of its qualities.  




It is meant to be used in the morning to refresh, depuff, and brighten the eye area. It is a pink opalescent cream that does a good job at brightening the eye area, but not enough to camouflage dark circles.  For dark circles, you should stick to a corrector and concealer of your choice for maximum coverage.  It contains natural ingredients such as caffeine from coffee beans, Panax Ginseng, and Magnolia Extract, etc...  It is a good treatment to use under concealer on days when I get puffy and raccoon eyes from late nights. 

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Treatment




Plantscription is a newer line at Origins.  This is an anti-aging eye treatment serum with Anogeissus, that can be used in the morning and night time.  It gives a cooling sensation to the eye area, as it is very calming and moisturizing.  As I age, I need an eye treatment that will combat the fine lines around my eyes and prevent further deepening of the lines.  This has helped diminish the lines and firm up the skin.  The best part is that it is gentle enough to be used on the eyelids, the skin on the eyelids need nourishment and protection too.  




It is never too early to start using an eye cream for prevention, even in your late teens or early twenties.  The first signs of aging start in the eye area.  I recommend these products because I feel that they have improved the look and feel of my eye areas.  They are almost scentless and are very gentle for sensitive eyes.  I have had bad reactions to other eye creams in the past, but not with these.  If you do not want to invest in both products, I would recommend you to try the Plantscription eye treatment first because it is anti-aging and more functional.  Take care of your eyes!


Both Origins products are available at Origins, Macy's, and Sephora.  


What is your HG eye cream?  Until next post......

Monday, April 16, 2012

Kingdom Of Dumpling

Hello, Kingdom of Dumpling is one of my local favorite hole in the wall restaurants in San Francisco.  In my opinion, their hand made dumplings are amongst the best of the best in the Bay Area.  I even dare to compare them to the quality of dumplings at Din Tai Fung Dumpling House in Los Angeles and Hong Kong.  Those are the two locations that I have been to.  


Lately I have had the craving for dumplings, so much that I went to Kingdom of Dumpling two weekends in a row.  Here are some of the staples that I never get tired of when I go this wonderful little place:


Green Onion Pancakes - one of my all time favorite appetizers




Shanghai Dumplings  - they are the juiciest soup dumplings!




Chicken and Corn Dumplings - there are many different variations of meat and vegetable dumplings on the menu, but chicken or pork with corn are my top favorites




Lamb Skewers - the spicy and aromatic spices are the perfect seasoning for this lamb dish.  The grilled meat is tender and delicious, not gamey




Once again, Kingdom of Dumpling has made it to the annual 7X7 SF's The Big Eat in 2012.  I am obviously not alone in thinking this place is a hit!  Since this restaurant is small with about seven to eight small tables and seating, it is quite difficult to fit in a large group.  Also, expect to wait in line during popular dining hours on the weekends.  If you do not have time to wait in line, you can always buy their handmade frozen dumplings to go at the Noriega St. store location.


Thanks for reading and until next post......

Saturday, April 7, 2012

butter LONDON Nail Lacquer in Lady Muck

Hello, butter LONDON Lady Muck is a beautiful soft periwinkle gray blue color with pearl pigments.  This lacquer is very pretty for Spring and just in time for Easter too!  




I wore two coats of the lacquer with butter LONDON Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat and Hardwear P.D. Quick Topcoat.  The basecoat has a matte finish and can be worn alone on natural nails.  The topcoat dries quickly and provides good protection for the nail color.  After getting my manicure with one coat of the topcoat, I put on another coat of it in the evening to help my manicure last longer...  


It has been over a week now and I only have slight wear on the tips.  This is very good considering I type a lot at the office.  All products mentioned are available where butter LONDON is sold.  I spotted the "Top & Tails Set" at Nordstrom, it is a $36 value set for both the basecoat and topcoat for only $25.  









Pastel and bright nail colors are trendy this Spring, what are your favorite nail colors of the moment?  Until next post......


butter LONDON Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat and Hardwear P.D. Quick Topcoat are sample products sent for consideration by PR.  Lady Muck Nail Lacquer was purchased by me.  All review posts are expressed with complete honesty.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Best of March Roundup - Sunday Riley, The Face Shop, Burt's Bees

Hello, The month of March flew by so quickly, I hope you are all doing well!  Busy season has begun at work, it is the reason why I have not been blogging very much recently.  But I am still here, I still managed to find time to try some new products to pamper myself with and to relieve the daily stresses in my life.


Skin Care - Sunday Riley Charisma Creme Cleanser 



As I have mentioned in a prior post, I have been using and loving Sunday Riley Modern Skincare.  I have used Charisma Creme Cleanser for more than two weeks now and it is amazing!  When I think of cream cleanser, I think greasy and heavy.  The consistency of this cleanser is quite the opposite, it is a very light cream cleanser for dry to normal skin.  I would think oily skin can benefit from this cleanser too because it is so light and calming.  The ingredients are super natural and very gentle on the skin.  Some key ingredients include milk, aloe, multi-fruit acids, acai, chamomile, lavender, and green tea.  You would massage this cleanser on dry skin, then rinse with water.  I sometimes use the Clarisonic to remove the cleanser and it works very well to remove makeup and dirt.  It has a light milky scent that is very pleasant.  It is housed in a plastic bottle with a lockable pump.  Sunday Riley Modern Skincare is available at Barneys New York.


A closer look at the ingredients


Makeup - The Face Shop HD-Perfect BB Cream SPF30 PA++ in 02 Natural Beige




I found this BB cream at The Face Shop located on Korean Way in New York City last year.  I happened to be staying at a hotel very close to the shop.  My husband was the one who pointed out the store to me as we were passing by.  It was my first time visiting The Face Shop, so I only picked up this BB cream as I was not too familiar with their products at that time and I was getting ready to travel overseas.




Its claim:  "Contains HD Skin Complex to meticulously conceal skin flaws and blemishes while covering widened pores and uneven skin surface to provide a fair and smooth HD skin appearance...making actresses radiate confidently even in front of HD cameras..."  For the most part, it covers minor flaws and blemishes.  It does a good job minimizing the appearance of large pores.  I cannot speak to how it looks in front of HD cameras and I have not been photographed with this BB cream on. 

It is made for normal to dry skin that gives a semi-matte to natural finish on my skin.  The coverage is very good for a BB cream, similar to that of a light foundation.  It is easy to blend and goes on semi-matte at first.  After the product mixes with the natural oils from your skin, it morphs from semi-matte to a nice sheen on the skin.  It looks very natural and does not look flat on the skin.  It comes in two shades, 01 Light Beige and 02 Natural Beige.  01 Light Beige is for NC15 skin tone or fairer while 02 Natural Beige is for NC20 to 25 skin tones .   I have been looking for a BB cream that does not have a gray tint and this one is perfect. 02 Natural Beige is a light beige tone. 

I highly recommend this BB cream for those with normal to dry skin and prefer good light to medium coverage.


Body Care - Burt's Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub


Via Google Images


I continue to find amazing products from Burt's Bees.  I truly have not met a Burt's Bees product that I do not like.  Burt's Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub is 100% natural and full of goodness.  The combination of key ingredients of sugar, ground almonds, and honey is so luxurious and will give you a spa experience in the shower.  The sweet scent is heavenly and addicting.  The scrub leaves your skin moisturized, nourished, and supple.  Scrub is one body product that I go through the fastest, I will definitely repurchase this scrub in the future.  It is available at most drugstores.


I will be back with more new discoveries that I got to try and experience in March.  My posts will be sporadic due to my busy schedule at work for the next two weeks, so please bear with me and check back!


Until next post......