Lady & Skin skincare?

Has anyone ever of L&S skincare? =p It is a Korean brand that my mom's friend from Korea gave her. I couldn't find any info or even reviews on it =P Weird huh? I have a L&S White cleansing foam and the before & after BB cream, along with a powder pact that is just SO wonderful!! I'm taking pictures of it now. Just weird how google search did not give me any results.

I'm also going to review my Lioele BB cream as well! Yay! So far it's GREAT.

Happy Memorial Day people :) It's a warm weekend, keep your sunscreens on!

Urban Decay Smoke Out Kit

I wanted to review this for a little while already :) I've never tried Urban Decay until now. Have I been missing out or what? I feel like a caveman living in a rock =p I tried the Urban Decay Smoke Out palette which you can find here:

Urban Decay

I have the one in Sweet Lucy.

Here are some of my pictures of it.

It comes with a cute little instruction sheet on how to do the smokey eye. It's slipped conveniently in one of the little pull out drawers in the palette. This palette is also perfect for traveling, which I will be doing soon =D Upon trying it, I found that I really like the colors. I mean, it's typical smoke colors, but I like how it includes the very flattering gray color as well. It's almost a dark metallic, matted silver color. It has a gorgeous texture and goes on very nicely. Not so harsh that you'd have to spend hrs blending the colors. The colors are soft, but highly pigmented. What I liked about this was the fact that I also got to try the mini version of the 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Zero. It glides on so nicely and it's WATERPROOF. I've never had a pencil liner that was waterproof! I think I'll be trying all their colors pretty soon because I have fallen into wagon of these eyeliners. They are so good! My eyeliner stayed on the entire day with very  minimal smudging. I love it. I really want the entire collection now! LOL =p They are pretty pricey... at $17 each at full size =/ I really wish I participated in that Hautelook sale when they had the 30% off or whatever it was... friends & family or something! =| Did anyone buy the Alice in Wonderland kit when they had it over the holidays? =) It was sold out @ every Sephora I went to!

What are your favorite eyeliners/gel liners? =D I normally don't use eyeliner, since I don't want to look all rough edge @ work =p But since I wear glasses most of the time, it kind of takes away its harshness. But whenever I do wear eyeliner, I use Mac's gel liner (but mine is getting all old and dried out now), or just a non-waterproof eye pencil... Palladio, Cargo, and other random brands i can't remember right now. Maybelline just came out with gel liners, as did Physicians Formula and a ton of drugstore brands. I want to try them all but I guess it's one at a time for me. I also saw a bunch of reviews about the Loreal Intense eyeliner from many of you guys :) That one really seems promising!

Here are some dresses that I want to show you guys =) I've been sporting these a lot lately because I like dresses. A LOT.

I apologize for the terrible lighting. I really am going to get a better light this week. I have it all written down in my errands list. I got this dress @ Kohl's! It's Simply Vera by Vera Wang! I'm guessing this is an older piece from her collection. I bought it for $6.80. Yeah! It was 90% off. If you live near a Kohls, definitely check it out! It is a pleated green dress with a nice silky texture. I really love the texture... it's light, and flimsy and it cools your skin when you wear it. I added my own belt since it was a little big around the tummy area. I'm going to get it altered tomorrow when I pick up my dry cleaning after work.

Yellow dotty patterns! =) The ease of liking a dress is so easy for me. It is always the first thing I look for when I go shopping. You know how when you love a certain food at a restaurant and you always go there and look at the menu first but you know inside that it's just a formality? LOL You KNOW exactly what you want already? That's the feeling I get when I go shopping.

I really like this bright floral pattern. It reminds me of wild flowers in the summertime in wine country. All the colors of the greenery are so vibrant and beautiful. Anyway, this dress was something I bought at Target awhile back. I have to take a picture of it in broad daylight. It's a very bright dress. The lighting here just degrades it. =p

 And here I am wearing the Urban Decay Smoke out palette.

I used Revlon Photo Ready foundation in Nude. I love that foundation. You can find my review here =)

Over the weekend, I de-stressed by making  carrot cake cupcakes. I didn't frost them yet since I was waiting for them to cool. One of my best friends (she's like a sister to me) loves to bake, bake and bake. We used to bake cakes at her place whenever I stayed over. When we were younger, we threw empty pizza boxes to our neighbor's backyard. We were such shitty kids then, =p But what's nice was that we were rebellious but we'd have no bad intentions to hurt others =p I really want her to start a baking blog so I can steal all her recipes and share with you beauty junkies and foodies here. My homemade desserts are usually from the box, LOL... but I don't care. I love it.

Cleanser and Foundation Reviews

Hi everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for your support in my last blog post :) I am so flattered by all your kind and unbiased thoughts <3

Anyway, I've been wanting to review this cleanser for a long time! But decided that I should really try it out first before passing any judgement.

Has anyone tried this? I bought it sometime last yr... around December 09 I think? :) I was/am really pleased with this cleanser. It has a strong lavender smell, which may be not for everyone but I loved it. At first, I was a little iffy about the smell but the more I used it, the more the smell reminded me of something nostalgic from the past. Anyone ever feel that way?

Since it is a gel cleanser, foaming action is the most prevalent, however, it does foam quite a bit when you rub your hands together to warm it up before lathering it onto your face. It softened up my skin quite a bit and this is a great makeup remover as well! All the ingredients listed are mostly oils (not even extracts, yay!) so it's very healthy and pure. It removes makeup VERY well... better than most cleansers I've ever used. I think it's from all the oils inside that melts makeup off your skin like butter. The other best cleanser I can honestly swear by is the Philosophy Purity Made Simple one and I can say from my personal experience that the Avalon Organics one is very much like the Philosophy one :) The main ingredients in both cleansers are the plant oils.

The Avalon Organics one is one of my favorites. My face actually feels clean and firm and not dried out as with most cleansers. Plus, no funny synthetic strawberry smell. Just a nice, clean earthy smell. I'm sure the entire line is as impressive but I've only tried the cleanser so far :) One of the best parts? It's around 11.99 at full price and you can get it at your local drug stores. I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond in Santa Monica.

The 2nd thing I want to review is Maybelline's Pure makeup!

First, you can find this anywhere! And 2nd, it's water based, meaning it won't try out your skin or give you that blotchy uneven appearance. It's also a gives sheer to medium sheer coverage which is great for most people since heavy coverage is probably not that good for you anyway =p The consistency of this formula is like a BB cream! It blends to your skin tone after the first application and it gives you a non oily, dewy look. Not the oily dewy look! The healthy glow from within dewiness. Overall, I really like it and have been using it for months. I use the one in light ivory which really evens out my skin majorly. I just apply it with my fingertips and it stays on all day. Setting powder is optional because it dries quite fast and it feels lighter than moisturizer. I keep one in my purse and one at home. I also really like that it comes in a tube form, like a hand cream. It's so easy to squeeze a little bit out for touch ups. And since it's made from 50% water, it's also very hydrating for those who live in drier climates.

Here's some dorky photos I took during my weak attempt at a photo shoot =p. I used Maybelline Pure Makeup, a bit of charcoal eyeshadow, two coats of mascara and NYX lipstick in Indian Princess.

Super tired morning face. I had some makeup on already though. Facial swellness at tolerable picture level =P

 Getting ready to leave for work!

LOL yes. Nail polish I have on is OPI Yoga-Ta get this blue. One of my favorite blue polishes! The dark blue hue is such a powerful color, full of authority, full of mystery.

Do you ladies have perfume you like to wear when you want to make a statement at work or at school? I had a meeting yesterday and I wore Kenzo Power. Something about that scent makes me feel so powerful and adamant, matter of fact. Even the slightest of gestures made me feel so wholly confident and in control. It's exhilarating and nice.

One more work day. Have a wonderful Friday, everyone. Keep blogging!

BB Cream

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone's mid week is going smooth. The only mere excitement I get is going somewhere for dinner. I haven't had much of a life lately ever since I took the new position at work =p I look forward to nice dinners around town 2x a week, and hanging out at home with a nice glass of wine and literature. Yesterday I was talking to a friend who said that I was kind of boring compared to the days that I was a student. I felt kind of sad at her remark...I definitely wasn't overjoyed to hear something like that. I guess I was being too sensitive? I don't know. I find that stability is a great thing when you're learning to establish yourself. By nature, I am not into partying dangerously or clubbing but her remark made me a little self conscious because her tone was belittling and matter of fact. I'm not sure how I was supposed to react. Initially I just laughed it all and didn't say much else, because what am I supposed to say right? 

Anyway, enough of that.

I was curious about BB creams for months and months before I finally tried one. Luckily, I bought one from a fellow blogger and it was as great as I expected it to be and even more!! =p I really REALLY love this thing. Seriously, I don't think I've ever raved about a cream like this before.

It is the pink tube in the center. L'egere Waterdrop BB Cream. (I also used the Essense of Beauty heated eyelash curler, and the Ulta mineral eyeshadow palette. Reviews coming up!)

When I first squeezed a little from the tube, it was a little darker than my skin but it claims to adapt to your skin tone after it's applied. It's very lightweight and very wet. Definitely a water based product, hence the name Waterdrop. I really liked the formula... it's very much like a tinted moisturizer or even wet setting powder. LOL Again, very lightweight cream that (surprisingly) gives amazing coverage. I can't compare this to any other BB creams out there because this is the first one I've ever tried and I really love it so far. It can easily become an HG product simply because i like how it is in a tube and how portable it is. The cream has little specks of glitter in it. Once you blend it in your face, you look 10x more brighter. The good thing is that you don't literally see the sparkles unless you really speculate your skin in the light. The subtle sheen gives an inwardly luminance that makes your face refined and polished.I normally have combination skin that leans closer toward the oilier side and I did not see this product making me prone to more oil or dryness. It's absolutely wonderful. The only concern I have for it is that it doesn't state how much SPF it has in it even though it says it gives your protection from the sun.

I REALLY want to try the Missha and the Skin 79 one. After I finish this one, I'll try to find another one. New obsession =p Any recommendations? :)

I feel like I look so bland today! But you can see the little reflectors in the BB cream. I just love these Asian products because they almost always work so well for me. I am so tempted to make an order at Sasa.com.

Alrighty... time for bed now. Goodnight all! =D Going to wake up early to take pictures in better lighting.

ELF, elf and more ELF!

Hello everyone! =) I hope everyone had a good Monday. Summer is rolling around and I see a lot of people are going through the stress of finals. I wish you all luck on any finals/tests you have. I remember how it is! I hated every moment of it. But just remember, one test taken is one less to worry about and one step closer to your goals :)

I also wanted to share a few contests everyone should sign up for. Also, visit their blogs. If you're into makeup like I am, these gals are hardcore =p I'm sure they have their limits, somehow.

Cover Girl lipgloss or CG Shadow Stick 

 

Visit Serena's blog for more details :) 

And also!

 

Visit Littomokaa's blog for details! 

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I did a little shopping during ELF's 60% off all studio line items. I bought 3 blushes, a bronzer/contouring duo thing, HD powder and a pressed powder for a little over $15 including shipping, which was around $6. LOL

I don't know why I have this sudden discerning interest in ELF products. I guess I haven't been let down by them and their products seem to be competitive quality to many makeup brands that I am loyal to. Here's what I got!

From R-L, these are my blushes! Glow, Peachy Keen, Candid Coral, and Blushed/Bronzed. The last one is a contouring/bronzer type thing. I thought they were really nice shades :) It was what I expected them to be.

It was a little hard to get a lot of color, which is the only flaw that I experienced while swatching them. I can see where the lasting power won't be TOO great but it might be good for layering the more pigmented blushes that you own. A lot of people are comparing the blushed/bronzed (last picture) to Nars Orgasm. I guess the packaging is similar, and the shade (pink one) is close. But Orgasm has that highlighting sheen to it that is very absent in the ELF one. However, price wise. That's where all the differences end. Orgasm retails about $25ish and my ELF one, with the 60% off was probably less than $3. Do you guys think this is dupe material? :) Again, for layering purposes, you cannot go wrong with these. Glow is also a great highlighting finish. Very pretty! A little subdue in terms of color, but it gives that dewy look to your cheeks when applied right.

Next, my face stuff.

 

 

Pressed powder, HD powder and concealer/highlighter duo (bought that one separately). The HD powder really peaked my interest because I've seen some reviews online about it. It's a very fine, extremely milled powder. Silky consistency. When I rub my fingers against this product, it's more fined than mineral foundations. This product is used to enhance parts of your face that you'd like to highlight. It gives off a nice reflective radiance to your face and softens up any look. I think it's perfect for nighttime use simply for its the "glowy" components in it. Very finely milled and comes with a little puffer for convenience. I haven't used it long enough to say if I love it, but I do like it. It's interesting! :) 

The pressed powder is wonderful! It's very soft and glides onto your skin like melting butter! =P It doesn't have a very "dry" consistency which is what most women hate in a pressed powder. Having blotches on your skin and product seeping into lines is the worst! But this powder has a little oil to it and feels really nice. I used it as a setting powder after applying my Dior sculpt foundation and it looked lovely. My face is not goopy, nor "cakey" and the powder settles in doing a great job on oil control. Also, the compact has a separator for the sponge!

Last, the concealer/highlighter duo. I actually really like this! I mixed the two colors onto my skin and blended it together. What came out of it was good coverage, and a very nice satin finish. I really like the white part of it which is supposed to highlight the darker areas like under your eyes. A little blending is all that it requires :) Wonderful product..

 

 With flash. I like how the powder didn't enhance any of my skin imperfections. It covered the pores pretty well and gave me a clear complexion. 

Light from my lamp to dim lighting. I used the blushed/bronzer duo, and a bit of Glow in the last picture. 

Here's everything I used!

 

 

 

FACE:

Diorskin Sculpt 

ELF blushed/bronzer duo

ELF Glow 

ELF pressed powder in porcelain 

EYES

Mac gel liner in Blacktrack

Estee Lauder bold volume lifting mascara

Clinique eyeshadow (forgot the shade! not pictured)

LIPS

Lancome gloss in Burning Up. One of my HG lippies.

I hope this review was helpful and/or informative! =D

Goodnight!

 

Pacific Blues

I hope everyone had a nice Mothers Day :) Sadly, I wasn't able to visit my mother due to her being in LA and I in San Jose. It wouldn't have been enough time to hang out with her if I drove home for weekend. 6 hrs on the road would've been worth it if it was a long weekend :)

Sometime in the middle of the week, I was playing with my NYX products that I got at Ulta and decided to attempt a cream/pastel shadow look as requested from one of my blogger friends. I used the jumbo pencil in Baby blue and the eyeshadow shade Pacific to create the look. Both of them are similar colors and I felt that they blended beautifully as if they were artfully meant to be worn side by side.

Excuse the strange faces! The quality of the jumbo pencils are unbelievable. The eyeshadow is also a standout. Most of NYX's products are really impressive, from their range of colors and the ongoing affordability. I can't believe it took me so long to find this brand. At first, it didn't strike me as being a quality brand until I started seeing more and more women using this. I was very impressed with the shadows and I am also a big fan of their lipsticks. I have yet to get Strawberry Milk but I have Indian Princess and Tea Rose which i also love very dearly. Although the moisturizing scale of the lipsticks are not as balmy as Rimmel and or Maybelline, the color payoff is absolutely great. The best way is to wear something under or over to lock in the moisture.

I really want the pencil  in Cottage Cheese now!! Sadly, they were sold out at Ulta. I hate having ordering online if i don't plan on making a big purchase. I'm so impatient when waiting for things to come.My ELF order is supposed to come tomorrow but I waited over a week and a half for it! =P Anyway, I used the jumbo pencil as a base for the eyeshadow and just blended it outwards. Blue on blue may be a little lame for most makeup gurus and I know I need to start experimenting with color combinations...which is why I have a million different palettes! LOL

This is a short post since i have to prepare for work tomorrow. I hope everyone has a good start on Monday! I hear Starbucks is having half off all frapps from 3-5pm for "happy hour" or whatever they are doing. I'm still not sure why they are having this promo. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is also giving away their new ice blended drinks on 5/11. It's valid in CA, AZ, NV, HI, TX. Go get your fix! :)

Goodnight all!

Very affordable makeup!

Hey everyone! :)

I hope everyone is having a nice, relaxing weekend! I'd like to share a site with you all. Does it seem too good to be true or what?!

http://www.allcosmeticswholesale.com/index.html

It's all our favorite cosmetics @ crazy, unthinkable prices! LOL I wonder now if anyone has ordered from them and how their experience was.

weekend haulage

It's been a week since I've written. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Over the weekend, I was looking @ furniture mostly. On Friday, I had my sofa delivered while I wasn't home so I had to leave my doors unlocked! Yikes. I was afraid crazy people would come and steal my things =P Not that I have anything too valuable to steal but just the thought of it freaks me out. This week, I have a bunch of plumbing people at my apartment revamping pipes and stuff for all the units...which means, I have to leave my doors unlocked for them to go in and out as they please and leaving my place a total mess o_o

Here's what I got over the weekend!

 These pictures came out not too great. But that pine bookshelf in the back is one thing I bought. I plan on painting it when i get the chance. If not, I enjoy the pine color. It's super tall as you can see it nearly touching the entrance to the kitchen. The sofa looks really raggedy here... LOL It's supposed to be a caramel colored suede sofa. It's soft! =P

What I wore on Saturday. Very comfortable silk top :) I wish I had more comfortable things like that.

But now to the FUN part :) Did anyone participate in the recent NYX online sale?! They were selling bulk eye shadows, lipsticks and pencil liners for really incredible prices. I was so tempted!! But I reasoned with myself and told myself that I won't use all 25 lipsticks or all 50 eye shadows LOL =P I guess most girls buy it not to use every single freaking color everyday but just the fact that we'd have an arsenal if we'd EVER need it. Am I right? =)

So instead, I went to Ulta and bought these! I had a $4 coupon for any Physicians Formula so I bought the palette for about $7.

The CG eyeshadow stick was on clearance at Target so I picked it up as well. Let me just tell you now to NEVER buy it no matter how tempted you are! The shadow stick was terrible. It was hard, color was way too washed out and the "smokes" that we're supposed to get from this product was way too light and not very flattering. I didn't even want to swatch it because the color was not true to the packaging and it has absolutely no lasting power. None whatsoever! =/ The light blue side was a little too metallicy and gives off this "rusty" impression. Not very flattering if you ask me.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips for green eyes. Aren't the shades so pretty?! I've wanted to try this out since they first came out! =P I really want to get the blue and brown eyes palette now! The colors are so bright and wearable. The shadows are soft and has a beautiful sheen to it and has little frosty bits in each of the shades. I especially love the teal colors. I was very impressed by the quality of this. I wore this on Sunday and the colors stayed on all day and did not crease or come off. Even the shadow brush is nice. It's angled so you can use it to apply eyeliner with any of the shadows :) I haven't owned this long enough to love it but it's really comparable to some of the best and most expensive shadows out there. I always notice how beautiful expensive eye shadows are because they have that highlighting glow that many drugstore brands don't. Things are changing now. Drugstore makeup has really stepped up and over norm of mediocrity. It's about time! Well, any product, high end or low end works for me as long as they deliver! =)

.One of my very few NYX items! Gosh, I love these. The shadows are SO silky and are strongly pigmented! It's amazing. The eyeshadow sticks are just as gorgeous. I got them in Strawberry Milk, Baby Blue and Pacific. The eyeshadows are Pacific Blue and Geisha. Now I regret not participating in that NYX sale! =p
I love the quality of these products. They are so SO good. I'm not sure how I can use strawberry milk but I guess it can be a eyeshadow base?  I don't know about putting pinks and reds on my eyelids... I'm afraid it might look too reddish. People try to get the red out of their skintone with correcting formulas! LOL
Well, we'll see. I also ordered a bunch of stuff from the ELF studio line on their website =D Mostly blushes since everyone I know reviewed them and gave them a thumbs up for the price and the product. I'm looking forward to receiving the package and reviewing it for myself =D Yes, can't wait!

Here is what I brought for lunch last week. LOL It's hard to keep the creativity going all the time especially when you work every day! =p

I've received so many compliments in my last entry. Thanks! :) I am so very flattered. I found the facial wipes @ Grocery Outlet. It's not everywhere I think... mostly in the San Jose metro area. But people have found them at dollar stores, discount stores and even Walmart.

Making the food was so incredibly easy that no real recipe is required! LOL For the pasta, I just sauteed chorizo and garlic together and used white wine to de-glaze the caramelized bits from the pan. Then the sauce is used to toss the pasta! And just dress it up however you like it. I usually add dried parsley and some mint to get a kick of freshness. Of course, top it off with cheese! All sorts! The panini is just ridiculous. Think of how you'd regularly make a sandwich, then press it! Before I got the George Foreman grill, I would use a big bowl to press plate on top of the sandwich to the pan. To make things even more ghetto, I put a big coffee container on the plate where it'll squish the sandwich without effort. LOL desperate times! =P

I've also had wonderful drinks made from the Magic Bullet!! Anyone use that?! =P

Goodnight everyone! =)