Best of 2012 Roundup - Skincare

Hello, Happy Holidays!  Hope you all have some time to relax after Christmas.  

This post will wrap up the year combining November, December, and 2012 Best of Roundup.  I have mentioned some of the products in the past and some will be shown for the first time.  Let's get started...

Skincare - Sulwhasoo, Sunday Riley, L'Occitane, Fresh

Sulwhasoo Deep Cleansing Oil was new to me this year and I LOVE it!  It is one of the best cleansing oils I have ever tried.  It not only takes off heavy eye and face makeup, but my skin feels extra supple without being greasy after each use.  It has a herbal scent that is not very common, but I do not mind it since I am used to oriental herbal and medicinal scents.  I sampled other skincare items in this brand, but this to me is their stand out product.  I high recommend it. 

Sunday Riley Modern Skincare was a line that I thoroughly enjoyed using over the warmer months.  The products contain active ingredients and are very effective.  My favorites are Juno, Good Genes, and Start Over.

L'Occitane Angelica Eye Roll-On was one of my favorite eye rollers this year.  I mainly like the gel like texture as it refreshes the eye area and wears well under makeup.  The Angelica grassy scent is amazing!

I have seen mixed reviews on Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask.  For me, I see results after continuous use.  As I said before, this is one of my all time favorite masks especially before events and on special occasions.  Read more about it in my previous post here.

I will be back to talk about makeup next, but let's start with this video on some new Dolce & Gabbana makeup.  Don't you love the glowy and luminous look?  Great techniques to create that winter glow.




Until next post......

Best of October Roundup - Cellbone Technology, Sunday Riley, Natura Bisse, Lush, Caudalie

Hello, Every year in October, I find myself switching skincare and makeup in time for the new season and in hopes to improve my skin and overall appearance before my birthday.  I admit vanity gets the best of me as my birthday approaches each year.

Let's get started with what I have been loving lately...

Skincare - Cellbone Technology, Sunday Riley, Natura Bisse

Left to right:

Cellbone Technology is a lesser known skincare line from the US.  I buy their products directly from their website.  Cellbone offers pharmaceutical quality products using pure ingredients.  Some of the core ingredients in their products include Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Acetyl Hexapeptide 3, Idebenone, L-Ascorbic Acid, and vital nutritive botanicals.

I first learned about Cellbone from a Hong Kong blogger, BeautyQQ aka Queenie Chan, about two years ago (see one of her videos below, it is in English and Chinese with caption in English).  This line is apparently very popular in Hong Kong, a very beauty conscious country.  

I have been using various Cellbone products over the past two years and these are some products that I have been using over the past two months:

C23 High Potency C-Serum (Day)

Hydra Repair Skin Repair Gel (Day)

Super AOX Antioxidant Firm Moisturizer Cream - (Day and Night) a Must Have antiaging treatment!

Sunday Riley Start Over Active Eye Cream - (Day and Night) also mentioned here

Natura Bisse Diamond Mist - (Day and Night)

Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme - (Day and Night)

Natura Bisse Diamond Drops - (Day) 

Both Sunday Riley and Natura Bisse products are expensive, but these products are worth every penny and they do last for many months.  I have tried both lines in the past and saw changes in my skin, therefore I am not opposed to repurchasing these brands from time to time.

Makeup - Lush Emotional Brilliance in Intuitive and Perspective

I want to finish where I left off last time when I talked about Lush Emotional Brilliance.  Today I will share with you the other two colors that I acquired, Intuitive and Perspective.

Intuitive comes off as an electric neon green color for the eyes, it is surprisingly wearable and fun.  I use it all over the lid alone or sometime with a darker green color on the outer corners for depth.

Perspective is a mauve pink. It is not the most flattering pink for my lips, but it is a good one if you prefer pinks with mauve undertones.  It is a nice color for Fall if you are not into reds or the darker colors and prefer something more subtle.  I love using it as a cream blusher, it is so easy to blend out and it lasts all day.  

As I mentioned before, I like these bottles of cream colors from Lush.  They are fabulous to play with and they are available at Lush and Lushusa.com.

Body Care - Caudalie Divine Oil

What can I say?  Housed in an elegant amber colored glass bottle, Caudalie Divine Oil is simply Divine!  I use it all over from head to toe.  The main ingredients include the oils from argan, sesame, hibiscus, grape seed, and shea butter.  It is a dry oil, but it is slightly heavier than other dry oils that I have tried.  It is not greasy by any means and it is easily absorbed into the skin.  The scent is a wonderful warm floral, a perfect treat for Fall!

Thanks for reading!  Have a good weekend!  Until next post......

Wedding Guest Makeup

Hello, I wanted to preface by saying I love weddings!  I thoroughly enjoyed planning my own wedding back in the day.  When I attend weddings, I pay attention to the details because I understand and appreciate the effort that went into creating this once in a life time event.

In September, I attended an intimate evening wedding on the first day of Fall.  As a wedding guest, I decided to go with a demure and classy makeup look with soft neutral eyes and red lips.  I wore a cobalt blue cocktail dress, so I did not want my makeup to overpower the strong color of the dress.

Face:

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup in 2CN2
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Intensity 2.0
Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit - also mentioned here
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
Kevin Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight
Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup Powder Foundation in 021 Linen - not pictured

Eyes:

Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - a cult classic must have!
Givenchy Magic Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in 1
Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Appia
Inglot Freedom System Eye Shadow Squares
Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Shadow Duo in #202
YSL Shocking Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils in 1

Lips:

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain in 20 - also mention here

I was inspired to mix two Estee Lauder foundations together from this bridal makeup look video:


Finally some snap shots from the beautiful wedding in September:

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

Pink

Hello, In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I am celebrating pink by sharing with you my current favorite pink blushes and highlighter.  A smidgen of pink on the apple of the cheek is the best way to perk up one's complexion.

Spread the word about breast cancer awareness!  Stay pretty in pink!

Victoria's Secret Luminous Cheek and Face Highlighter in The One

Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink 9 - also mentioned here

Inglot Face Blush in 24

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Naked Rose

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

Lush Emotional Brilliance in Sophisticated and Control

Hello, It did not take me long to jump on the Lush Emotional Brilliance band wagon shortly after its launch in July.  Emotional Brilliance is Lush's color cosmetic line with 30 colors in the range for eyes, face, and lips.

After playing with the color wheel and testing out many of the colors at the store, I decided to go with two safe colors for eyes for my first purchase.

Let's begin with my favorite, Sophisticated (shown on left above).  It is a cream eyeshadow in cool taupe with silver sheen.  All the hand made colors are packaged in small glass bottles.  This cream eyeshadow comes with a doe foot applicator.  I would dot on the product with the applicator on my lid and blend it out with my finger, so easy.  It blends effortlessly and beautifully.  Use the product sparingly, a little goes a long way.  The color is highly pigmented and lasts all day.   This is a good neutral for everyday looks, but it is not a problem to layer and build up color for more dramatic looks. 

I really like blue eyeliners, so I chose Control (shown on right above).  It is a vibrant cobalt blue liquid eyeliner.  It comes with a fine tip brush which is adequate.  I find that I must brush on a few layers to get the desired intensity or the line will look splotchy.  I am not sure if it is the fault of the brush or the product itself.  I was excited about the color, but I was a little disappointed with how I have to make it work for me.

The products mentioned can be used as eyeshadow or liner interchangeably.  Overall, I like Sophisticated so much that I went back for more.  I went back to get Intuitive, a fun bright green and a neutral pink lip color in Perspective.  Let me know if you are interested in seeing these colors.

Emotional Brilliance eye products are made with a base of rose petal infusion, almond oil, and jojoba oil.  Products mentioned are available at Lush and Lushusa.com

Do you own any Emotional Brilliance colors?  Which ones do you love?

I leave you with a video about Lush, it provides good insights on the company and the employees.  A word of warning, it is a lengthy video.

Thanks for looking.  Until next post......

Current Favorite Drugstore Foundations - Rimmel, Loreal

Hello, I like cheap thrills with quality.  I have amassed some drugstore foundations since the beginning of the year that I have been really enjoying.  I will discuss the products in the order when I purchased them, from oldest to newest.  I chose these foundations because of the price and positive reviews.

Swatches in the same order as the foundation line up above

Blended out

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation SPF 15 in 230 Warm Ivory



I have seen this foundation at the drugstores for a while.  One day I spotted it on sale for under $3 at one of my local Walgreens, I had to try it.  

It turned out to be a lovely foundation, I like it a lot for my dry skin.  It has light coverage buildable to medium coverage.  The finish is dewy.  My skin glows and looks fresh with this foundation on.  The color match is excellent,  it is yellow based and it is the best match out of the three foundations being discussed here.  It blends in with my own skin color very well.  I would compare this foundation to Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, they are similar in coverage and finish.  It has a lotion scent.

One of the cons is that it is not a long lasting foundation.  The foundation disappears after about four hours on my dry skin, so it might disappear even faster on oilier skin.  The other con is that the glass bottle does not have a pump, but apparently it does come with a pump in Europe (shown in video) and maybe in other parts of the world.

Loreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup SPF 20 in C3


This foundation is the newest out of all three.  It was launched over a month ago here.  I was excited and intrigued by the description of this foundation.  Who doesn't want healthy and luminous skin, right?  According to the Loreal website, the ingredients in the foundation are supposed to be good for the skin and will improve your skin over time.  I have not tried it long enough to confirm the claims.  

I was surprised to find testers for this foundation at the drugstores, finally!  Despite trying out the shades under all three undertones W (warm), N (neutral), and C (cool), I realized I fall in between level 2 and 3 in any given undertone.  C3 was somehow the most decent match for me with W3 being too orange and N3 being too dark.  The 1-2 colors were all too light.

The coverage and finish are very similar to that of Rimmel Match Perfection, but this foundation is slightly more luminous or glowy than Rimmel.  I like that it looks very natural and there are no shimmers involved to create the glow.  It will not cover major blemishes, so concealer is necessary if you need to camouflage redness or acne.  Again, with foundations that are more glowy, it does not last on the skin.  Even with a setting powder, the makeup will stay put for only three to four hours.   

It is not a cheap drugstore foundation, it retails around $13.  So wait for the BOGO sale on this one.

Loreal Infallible Makeup SPF 20 in 605 Nude Beige

This last foundation has mixed reviews, but it is my favorite drugstore foundation.  I discovered it in July when it was on clearance for $7.99 at Walgreens.  They disappeared very quickly at every Walgreens.  It was also on sale at CVS around the same time, so I am not sure this is being discontinued.  For the time being, it is still being sold online.

It has medium coverage buildable to high coverage, yet it looks natural.  It is not necessary to use a concealer with this foundation because it will cover every blemish, big or small.  If you have tried Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, you will like this foundation.  It comes in a thin consistency and a little goes a long way.  In order to achieve a flawless look, you have to work quickly and blend, blend, blend.  It has a radiant finish, between matte and dewy.  Best of all, it lasts all day.  It can last up to 18 hours, of course with some fading towards the end.  For the most part, this one has Amazing staying power! 

The only con is if you are not careful and use too much product, it can look masky.  Grab this if you like high coverage makeup and like saving a few bucks. 

I leave you with Gwen Stefani's first Loreal photo shoot, I am such a huge fan of hers!  



Have a good weekend, everyone!  Until next post......

Aveda At Home Facial and Pure Privilege Double Points Weekend

Hello, Do you have a skincare brand that you do not stray from?  For me,  Aveda is that brand.  I mean I do stray, we all do.  But I always come back to Aveda.  Since I was first introduced to Aveda in my college days, I have always re-purchased their products and keep them on hand all these years. 

I really like using Aveda skincare especially when I am under a lot of stress and it shows on my skin.  Above is the line-up I have been using for my facial at home.  I am a big believer in combining aromatherapy with effective natural ingredients in skin care.  The aroma in Aveda products is not overpowering, instead it is calming and relaxing.  They are great choices to use for facials.


The line up for my at home facial including Aveda and other brands:


Eye Mask


Origins No Puffery - It de-puffs and cools the eye area, very refreshing on tired eyes. I have used this product on and off for many years.


Facial Mask


Aveda Tourmaline Charged Radiance Masque - A creamy mask containing tourmaline, mushroom extract, sugar, lycopene, and other ingredients working together to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin and brings back radiance to stressed and dull looking skin.  This is one of the Aveda products that I have re-purchased over and over again.  I really like treating myself with this mask.  If you have concerns with tired and lack luster skin, the Tourmaline line is a good one to try.


Toner


Aveda Green Science Refreshing Toner - It is a thick lotion, unlike other typical runny toners.  It is a multi-tasker, it exfoliates with salicylic acid and glucosamine and it moisturizes with argan oil.  I do not like using toner everyday, but I love using this one because it works for dry skin.


Serum


Aveda Green Science Lifting Serum - The Green Science line is an anti-aging line, so the serum and moisturizer offer lifting and firming properties.  Although I do not need much lifting and firming yet, but I believe prevention is important.  The scent of this serum is intoxicating, it is a little herbal but fresh.   I was not able to try the Firming Face Creme before because they were pulled from the stores to be re-formulated.  The new formula is available now and I am planning to try it in the near future.


Blemish Oil


Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick - A natural tea tree and juniper oil blemish eliminator.  I like it just as much as the Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick.   They are very similar and both products attack and dry up blemishes in a short time.


Pore Strips


Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - I am sure most of you are familiar with pore strips.  It cleanses your pores by sucking out the nasty oil and dirt with the strips.  This is a good at home alternative to facial extractions for me because I do not go to the spa for professional facials as much as I would like to.


If you are an Aveda Pure Privilege member, it is double points weekend at the stores from May 10-13.  I know I will be stocking up a few things this weekend.  Happy shopping!


Do you use Aveda skincare and what do you like to use?  Until next post......

Maybelline Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara

Hello, When it comes to makeup, I go through a lot of mascara because I wear it religiously every single day.  I have tried a few mascaras from Maybelline such as the 'cult' Great Lash and Falsies.  I know a lot of people like Great Lash, but it did not work for me.  I recently gave Maybelline another go, this time with their Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara in Very Black.  I was blown away at how good this one is.

Here is what the brush looks like...

I got the waterproof formula; it also comes in a washable formula.  It lengthens and adds volume to the lashes.  There is no clumping and transfer.  And as the name implies, my lashes do look full and feel soft.  It is easy to find in most drugstores and it costs around $8.  It is amazing for a drugstore mascara and I highly recommend it.


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


 Maybelline Beauty Looks of the Runway NYFW - BCBG Max Azria F/W 2012

Best of January Roundup - Arcona, Smashbox, Desert Essence, and Juliette Has A Gun

Hello, I began experimenting with many new products in the first month of the new year.  Like many of you, I enjoy trying new products.  As much as I enjoy trying something new, there is always the inherent risk that certain new products will not meet my expectations.  I often research the products first by reading reviews on the web and sample my picks before committing to purchasing the full size product.  This process saves me a lot of headache, time, and money.

When I do find a winning product, I am ecstatic and feel like hitting the *Jackpot*! Ding, ding, ding...Here are some of those products:

Skin Care - Arcona Raspberry Resurfacing Peel

I was getting really dry and chapped skin because it has been cold and bone dry in the area where I live.  I moisturize my skin religiously, but for some odd reasons the dry and flaky skin on my face still persists.  Then someone reminded me that in addition to using a moisturizer, maybe I should exfoliate my skin more often.  The dryness and flakiness could be the result of dead skin sitting on the outer layer of my skin.  I remember I stocked up on some exfoliators from the last time I had a professional facial, so I went to my bathroom cabinet to shop my stash.  And there it is in a clean white packaging, Arcona Raspberry Resurfacing Peel.  It looks like from the website that it comes in a tube now and I have the tub version of it because I had purchased it a while ago.

This product was recommended to me by the esthetician who gave me a facial at International Orange.  The Arcona products are sold in the retail store at the spa and on its website and also on Arcona's website.  The esthetician had used a similar enzyme peel on my skin during my facial and I remember loving my glowy skin after the facial.  When you use this product, it is like giving yourself a mini spa treatment at home.  It is supposed to exfoliate, hydrate, and oxygenate the skin.  I slather and leave the product on for 15 minutes (5 to 8 minutes recommended for very sensitive skin) and voila, I see clear pores and radiant skin in the mirror. And no more dry flakes!  There is a tingling sensation when the product is on the skin, but it is normal with most enzyme peel treatments.  The description of the product also claims that it will help reverse sun damage.  Though I haven't seen improvement in this area, but I am hopeful while continuing with the treatment up to twice a week.  It is suitable for sensitive skin.

Makeup - Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit

I have been interested in learning facial contouring and highlighting.  The Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit makes it easy for beginners like me.  This should be called Facial Contour Kit for Dummies because it is foolproof, you really can't mess it up following the picture guide that has been glued to the mirror in the compact.  The contour and bronze colors are matte and the highlight color has a soft sheen.  The overall effect is super natural on my skin tone.  The kit came with a free contour brush.  It is available at Nordstrom and other stores that carry Smashbox products.

Top: Highlight
Middle: Bronze
Bottom: Contour

Body Care - Desert Essence Organics Pumpkin Spice Hand Repair Cream

Desert Essence Organics is one of my favorite natural/clean brands, so I had high expectations for the Pumpkin Spice Hand Repair Cream.  It is packed with organic oils and extracts that are loaded with vitamins.  For those who are concerned with ingredients, the ingredients in this hand cream should be safe and good for your skin.  It softens the skin while it hydrates without being greasy.  It also brightens the dull look of my skin in the winter.  The scent is sweet, warm, and spicy.  To me, it smells more like cream soda rather than pumpkin spice.  Overall, this hand cream does not disappoint because it is effective, natural, and affordable.  It is available at most health food stores.

Fragrance - Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance

Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun is not a complicated perfume with a gazillion notes.  It is an eau du parfum comprised of three notes, Bulgarian rose, vanilla, and patchouli.  This is a perfect blend of some of my favorite notes in perfume.  I prefer perfumes that have substance and sophistication.  I am not one who is into overly sweet and fruity perfumes that are still very popular and common in the market.  

At first spray, this perfume packs a punch of all three notes especially the rose and patchouli.  The sweetness of the vanilla is subtle, but it lingers in the background.  It dries down to a soft rose that is very pleasing to my nose.  This is best for the cooler months.  The packaging and the bottle are lovely.  The bottle is so different from other perfume bottes I currently have.  I have the 1.7 oz bottle and it is available online at Lucky Scent.

Check out Katie Puckrik's review on this perfume in this video and in her blog.  She has the most colorful and dead on perfume reviews.



Have you tried any of these products?  Thanks for reading.  Until next post......