Silk Naturals Kiss Bliss Demi Glosses, Camellia Rose Skin Soothing Primer, & Flirt! Bronzer

I finally got my Camellia Rose Skin Soothing Primer (Version 2) from Jen from Camellia-Rose.com. If you are new to reading my blog, you can read my product review on her primer, it's a really good primer and smells so nice. I know some of you might ask what the difference is between this primer and the Monistat primer, personally they both work the same, but obvious differences are that the Camellia-Rose primer is all natural and smells heavenly. It's more creamier than the Monistat primer, but they both have "Dimethicone" which a common polymer among makeup primers including Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. She also sent me a sample of her "Bye Bye Zit" which I have yet to try!



I have an obsession with lippies, that my collection is growing non-stop, but I can't help it! With the Silk Naturals Kiss Bliss Demi Glosses, it's hard NOT to buy these! They come on like a dream, so smooth and moisturizing, and giving your luscious lips pigmented color. If any of you have tried the Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers, it's almost the same in terms of texture and the way it feels. My favorite color is "Divine", it's such a nice nude lippie!

I bought "Capricious" (which is supposedly a dupe of MAC's "Utterly Frivolous"), "Grace", a nice rosy pink, and "Divine" a nude lippie with a touch of pink.



These lip swatches were made with NO BASE, just straight on my natural lips:






I had a coupon for Kohl's, so I took a gander to see what they have since Kohl's ALWAYS has good sales, and ended up getting Flirt! Cosmetics Bronzing Powder in "Golden Minx", which makes a great contour powder as well as giving that subtle summer glow. I love it because it has little shimmer, and I mean VERY little shimmer which I like because sometimes blushes or powders that have shimmer can be too overpowering and make you look shiny, but this had the perfect amount of shimmer.



Closed:


Pull open:

readmore »»

New Hair Do!

I have some VERY observant readers who asked me if I did something new to my hair from my last fotd, and I did! I got- chunky cut BANGS! Damn you gals have a KEEN eye! :)

I never used to like bangs, I had them before when I was younger, and kept growing them out, but now I like them because they really change the shape of a face. I have the chubbiest cheeks ever (mind you I am only 115-120 lbs and 5'6") and I hate em, so bangs takes a little focus off my entire face so my cheeks don't look that fat, haha. But I like how it gives a more edgier, sophisticated, fashionista look.

As you can see, I kept my makeup pretty simple (what i've been sporting nowadays), I used Joppa Mineral Foundation in Medium Light #2 and a dash of Medium #3 both in full coverage. For the eyes I used "Femme Fi" e/s as the highlight, "Warming Trend" e/s from the Cool Heat collection all over the lid, and a mix of "Mulch" and "Shale" e/s on the outer-V and contour. Finished it up with a thin line of MAC Fluidline in "Nightfish" and a couple coats of L'Oreal's Telescopic Mascara. For the cheeks (although it's hard to see here) but I used MAC's "Flirt & Tease" with a touch of Silk Naturals "Jamie" blush. Then used Flirt! Bronzer in "Golden Minx" on the apples of my cheeks, nose, (pretty much in spots where the sun naturally hits me) to give me a subtle glow. For the lips, (it was probably washed out by the camera), but it was a nude lippie that I LOVE from Silk Naturals, their Kiss Bliss Demi Lipgloss in "Divine" (I thought of YOU Christiana when I bought it! LOL), it's a gorgeous nude color with a touch of pink which makes it a perfect nude lippie for any skintone because it actually doesn't make you look washed out! (I will do a post introducing these lippies (I bought several), as well as the Flirt! Bronzer in "Golden Minx" tonight!)



I know my hair looks lighter too, but I didn't change the color from my last "new do" post, I think after how many washings it sorta faded into a nice chestnut brown and my natural highlights are now showing through. Because of my skintone, (I think) I have to keep my color around the various shades of brown (my natural hair color is a dark brown, not black like most people think), black hair makes me look a bit pale, and I usually switch to a darker hue during the fall and winter time, but for the summer I like a medium or dark brown with some highlights. I never went too light because that washes me out and I personally think most Asian gals look better with darker hair as it brings out their features more. Of course if you are rocking colored contacts all the time you can pretty much do with any hair color, but I like being au natural sometimes just because I am lazy and can't keep up with maintenance, LOL.

My itty bitty nose doesn't hold my huge sunglasses up, lol. But I love big shades, big enough to hide my head! HAHA :(

readmore »»

Happy Father's Day!

I just wanna wish my dad a happy father's day! It's hard spending today with him since we live in different states...but thank goodness for emails and phone calls! My sisters and my mom took him out to dinner and I took my grandpa out to dinner who lives here in Cali.

I am a daddy's girl, not spoiled, just loved immensely! LOL. But seriously, the one thing I love about my parents, is they taught us so many things, they gave my sisters and I, a lot of "tough love" and being the eldest, I worked hard for everything I wanted so they could spend more time and money on things my sisters may need. They rarely spoiled us with material things, but spoiled us with unconditional love and support.

My dad especially sacrificed so much for us and I am forever grateful to him because he is the best dad a girl can have! He's the first guy to truly love me (awww!) and I am proud to say my middle name is derived from his name. My dad and I are so close and everyday I am thankful to have him as my dad because he is the one person I can always go to when I am down, but mostly because he puts up with his 3 super crazy daughters! My mom always wanted a boy, but dad is happy with his gals! I remember when I had my first real boyfriend, dad refused to call him that, so he kept referring him as my "friend" for the longest time! LOL. Even now that I am older and marriage is talked about he always tells me he is gonna have a heart attack. LOL. I love you dad!

He got me into photography and got me my first camera at age 3!

readmore »»

Product Review: AVON Anti-Frizz Capsules

I am a sucker for all kinds of hair products that I am always willing to try any hair product that's new or unique. So it was no surprise I was eager to try the AVON anti-frizz capsules. My lovely neighbor Kelly who works in the office next to mine is my Avon Rep, or more like my Avon dealer! LOL, she also reads my blog, so hi Kelly!



Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Price: Only $3.99! Available on AVON.COM

What it claims: Tames and smoothes frizz. For straight or curly hair. 18 capsules. .58 fl. oz.

PROS: I love the tiny capsules! It's cute and easy to use, and you know how much to put since there's the right amount in each capsule, just twist off the top, squeeze on your hand, rub together, and apply! My hair felt softer and shinier, I applied it right after the shower and my hair felt so much smoother! The small jar makes it easy to store as well as travel with, and it's only $3.99!

CONS: None! I love this stuff!

Overall: If you get those annoying frizzies or flyaways or just want some subtle shine, I suggest trying this. It's only $3.99 so there's really not much to lose!

readmore »»

Haul: Everyday Minerals

I received my Everyday Minerals haul the other day, and I really love their puff jar! You put your mineral foundation in the jar and it goes through the puff so that you can puff away any shine, and there's even a mirror on top of the jar, it's pretty neat and definitely cool to carry around in your purse for touch-ups in this hot weather!

Have you ever bought something and said "Why did I buy this?" LOL. Well I bought EDM's mixing bowls, and I honestly have no idea what possessed me to buy it because I don't really mix anything, and if I do it's usually in the jar that houses whatever it is I am mixing. But I like how the bottom of the bowls has the measurement so I might just use it for cooking instead!

readmore »»

FOTD: Cool Heat's "Gulf Stream", "Warming Trend", and "Deep Truth"

I haven't done a FOTD for awhile...i've been so lazy to put makeup on since I have been busy dabbling in other things, so I finally had a chance to do a quick look using a couple of the eyeshadows from the Cool Heat collection. It was much more vibrant in person, but the flash washed it out a bit.

I also used the Fyrinnae foundation, "Sunstone" in Matte finish which I like a lot better than the Super Power one, Joppa minerals has a nice finish but comes out a little too tan as well as being a little too thick, so I am gonna try applying it with the 187 stippling brush instead of the 180 because the 180 is so dense I think it's packing it on rather than allowing me to build my desired coverage. I already ordered the full-size Fyrinnae Foundation in "Sunstone", I LOVE the coverage and it matches me pretty well considering I didn't mix it with anything...

Don't mind the eyebrows, I haven't played with my Anastasia stuff yet! :)







Face:
- Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturizer
- Monistat Primer
- Fyrinnae Regular Mineral Foundation in "Sunstone" (Matte)

Cheeks:
- MAC Blush in "Flirt & Tease"

Eyes:
- MUFE Full Cover Concealer #8
- MAC StudioFinish Concealer in NC30
- MAC PP in "Soft Ochre" all over the lid as base
- MAC e/s in "Warming Trend" all over the lid
- MAC e/s in "Gulf Stream" on contour
- MAC e/s in "Deep Truth" on Outer-V
- Milani e/s in "Blue Ice" on the middle of the lid
- Styli-style eye pencil in "Venice" on lower lashline
- Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in "Black"
- L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in "Blackest Black"

Lips:
- MAC Slimshine in "Pleasing"

readmore »»

Swatches & Product Review: MAC Cool Heat Collection

This collection is hot in general because it features my favorite shades of blues and teals. If you don't have any of these colors (doesn't have to be MAC), then I suggest you pick up "Cool Heat", "Gulf Stream" and "Blue Flame". For you neutral loving gals, "Solar White" makes a great highlight color, and "Warming Trend" is a gorgeous light brown taupe looking color with frost that's just so pretty!

This collection fizzled for me just because I have similar colors already (but like I said it's HOT if you don't have any of these colors yet!)

I went with Anne, and we went to the Topanga Mall to peep the newest collection out, of course our "favorite" girl was working (she's not really our favorite! LOL) but this MUA is this Asian girl who gives the best customer service to those who are NOT Asian! She will ask everyone in the store if they need help BUT Asian girls! I am not even kidding, she does this every time and gives us dirty looks; and it's other Asian girls she does this to also. Ugh she's really annoying because she always helps people who came AFTER us (rolls eyes). Anyway! Moving on, LOL...

Just off the bat observations, "Cool Heat" reminded me of a cross between "Parrot" and "Steamy", so I passed even though it's a gorgeous color, it's because I haven't even come close to hitting the pan with "Steamy" OR "Parrot" so what makes me think I am going to even use this often??! "Blue Flame" is like "Deep Truth's" long lost twin, they look eerily similar except to me,"Deep Truth" had a bit more of that lovely shimmer to it, while "Blue Flame" had more subdued shimmer.

I love the frosty neutral of "Warming Trend" and I think paired with "Magnetic Fields" from the Neo Sci-Fi collection would be the perfect union! Can't wait to try it out! "Solar White" is a nice highlighting color, I am not really into overly shimmery white eyeshadows because they make me look weird, but this one is pretty. "Warm Chill" was my least favorite of the bunch, it didn't have that much pigmentation in my opinion and reminded me a lot of Milani's "Sea Angel" eyeshadow. I wanted the pro-pan refill of "Swimming" since I ran out, but they didn't have any more of the refills so I ended up getting the one in the pot. :(

I also bought a pro-pan refill of the "Flirt & Tease" blush. After seeing it on Mimi months and months ago because she looked ravishing with it on, I had to have this in my blush palette! (Some of you asked whether I am selling any palettes, and I am NOT, I sold them all already!)

Surprisingly, my prediction was that I would get most of the eyeshadows and the Slimshines, but I didn't like ANY of this collection's slimshines. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mac's Slimshines, however the colors in this collection were sorta bleh to me, so I passed (which is good for the wallet!), and instead I got a Slimshine in "Pleasing" from the permanent line which is super pretty! It's like a rose-fuchsia pink with subtle shimmer, I love it!

Here are pics!

readmore »»

Anastasia Eyebrow Kit & Product Review

I just got back from the Anastasia Focus Group, and it was actually A LOT of fun! I met a few girls (also brought Erica and a few of my co-workers with me) and it was really nice getting to know everyone's general thoughts about skincare, products in general, etc., and just talking about everything pertaining to beauty.

For attending the focus group, we each got a BAG FULL of goodies from Anastasia (www.anastasia.net): eyebrow palette, sharpener, tweezers, matte and shimmer highlight eye pencils, eyebrow gel (I LOVE this stuff!), eyebrow pencils, and stencils, and more! I really like Anastasia products, Anastasia herself is an aesthetician, and specializes in the art of eyebrows and has worked on many celebrities. Her products are awesome because they cater to everyone, even those of you who don't really wear makeup, you can frame your face and really make it prominent by shaping and grooming your eyebrows!

Someone asked that I do a tutorial on eyebrows (I will do a video and some photos soon, I did a video and didn't like it so I ended up deleting it so I will try and do it over again!), but they did a video you can learn from already! CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Here is the loot I got, the zip around bag I received for doing a review...















Tweezers:
The Anastasia tweezers are made by hand and have a customized slanted tip. They are calibrated and made of highest quality steel to tweeze even the finest hairs, giving you the best precision possible. They are also rust proof! However, once dropped, you can't use them anymore because they are calibrated (even), so by dropping them, they lose their calibration.



Brow Powder Duo:
It's a two-shade compact (that's available in 5 various shades) that can be applied to create a gorgeous eyebrow shape. It's great for travel and small enough to fit anywhere. It contains Vitamins C and E, and is transfer resistant. The two colors ensures to give you the perfect brow color, encased in a tiny compact with a mirror.



Brow Gel:
It's a clear gel fortified with botanical hair conditioners and essential oils to keep unruly brow hairs in place all day without flaking or stickyness.



Eye Lights (Matte/Shimmer):
These are awesome! They are used as a highlight under the brow bone from the middle to the outer part. Comes in a matte and shimmer finish. Gives a soft highlight to make tired eyes look more awake and alive, makes eyes pop. It's a cream to powder finish and is ideal for all skin types.



Go-Brow Double Ended Eyebrow Pencil and Highlight:
One end- Eyebrow Pencil. The other? A highlighter! Perfect combination and a must have in every makeup case! It's a universal brow pencil and highlighter duo that fits all skin types to create amazing eyebrows! The brow pencil is a bit waxy for long wear and to keep those hairs in place, and easy to apply!



Eyebrow Wiz: (Comes in 3 shades: Ash Blonde, Medium Ash, and Brunette)
Ultra-fine tip pencil allowing you to draw in "hairs" and give you more control. It's a turn mechanical pencil that has a spooley brush on the other end to help you blend and comb hairs down. Helps get your arches to your desired shape, giving you control to create fuller eyebrows.



Eyebrow Stencils:
Comes in many shapes such as Petite Arch, SLim High, Medium and High Arch. Allows you to choose your desired eyebrow shape to fit any face shape. Made out of plastic to last longer.



Mini Duo Angled/Spooley #7:
Comes in a mini and full-sized version. One side shapes your eyebrows, the other blends and combs. Angled tip made out of 100% Sable and Spooley made out of 100% synthetic hair. Wooden handle.



Tinted Eyebrow Gel:
Similar to the clear eyebrow gel, this one is tinted to temporarily tint the brows to define it more giving it a natural look.

Video covering some of the tools and its uses:

readmore »»

Reader Questions:

I haven't done this bit in a long time, but I have had a lot of reader questions (and 80 emails in my inbox!) that I am still trying to find time to answer! So here are a few questions I received recently, I'll be adding more as I come across them.

I have a focus group tonight for Anastasia Beverly Hills(the infamous eyebrow company) so I won't have time tonight, but I will get around to all your emails this week. :)

Q: How are the NYX Lip Pencils? Are these lipsticks moisturizing? How do they feel on lips? How are the staying powder of these things? Do they feel like lipstick on? Do they bleed?

A: The NYX lip pencils are not really moisturizing as much as their sister, the NYX Round Lipsticks. Again these are pencils, so it's in the middle for me, not overly drying, but I need to add some chapstick as a base or gloss to not give me a "tight" feeling. They feel fine on the lips, sorta creamy, again after awhile they may give a tight or dry feeling, but the colors are phenomenal. They didn't really bleed for me, but they do feel like you have lipstick on, and there's not much staying power on these babies.

Q: Which is better MAC's "Swimming" eyeshadow or Milani's "Garden Mist"?

A: I like MAC's "Swimming" better, I think it's more pigmented and a better color than "Garden Mist", but I love Milani's other colors!

Q: What are your favorite eyeliners and drugstore brands?

A: I like Revlon Colorstay Eyeliners, MAC Fluidlines, and Indelible Gel Eyeliners. In drugstore brands, I like L'Oreal, their Telescopic mascara is awesome!

Q: What shade are you in Everyday Minerals?

A: I believe I am a mix of light medium olive and a little bit of light tan...it's been awhile since I used their foundations!

Q: You take great pictures! What camera do you use?

A: I use two cameras, a Nikon D40x Digital SLR camera, 35mm lens with UV Filter and a pocket digital camera, a Canon SD750.

Q: What are your favorite nude lipsticks?

A: I like MAC's "Myth" and "Fleshpot" lipsticks (Fleshpot from the Heatherette collection) and NYX's Round Lipstick in "Circe". I also do it the "ghetto" way and sometimes apply some MAC lip erase in "dim" and some gloss!

Q: What MAC brushes do you have?

A: MAC #180 buffer brush I use to apply my mineral foundation, #217 blending brush, #239 eye shading brush for pigments or eyeshadows (wet or dry), #138 tapered rose bud tip looking brush I use for contouring cheekbones, #136 blush brush to apply my blush, and #109 contouring brush, and #187 stippling brush for light application of MSF's, blush, or foundation.

Q: What concealers do you recommend to hide under eye circles?

A: Lately I have been using MUFE (Makeup Forever) Full Cover Concealer #8, then applying MAC's StudioFinish Concealer in NC30 to cover up my dark circles. I will do a review on the MUFE concealer soon! For drugstore brands, Physician's Formula Concealer Duo is awesome!

Q: Which will make a better base for eyeshadows, Loreal de-crease, MAC paint pots or MAC paints?

A: I like the MAC Paint Pots personally just because they are a bit thicker and hold better for me as well as neutralizing my entire lid. The L'Oreal De-Crease works like a charm too (just like UDPP) but doesn't really neutralize my lid the way I like but I DO use both interchangeably every now and then, I like to switch things around and use one on one day and the other on the next. I also have MAC Paints (I love "Chiaroscuro"!) and it too works like a charm!

readmore »»