Best of 2011 Series: Foundations!

If this blog was dedicated to one thing and absolutely one thing only, it would be for foundations. It's what I reviewed the most passionately about in 2011. It's hardly an easy task to find the right foundation, but the joy is in the journey searching for the one. I certainly had a great time trying different kinds - from drugstore to high end - both equally great in their own rights.

Best Drugstore Foundation of 2011

Kanebo Media Moisture Foundation

See my review with swatches and a FOTD here! :) While this is a Japanese drugstore brand, it's hard to find in the US. I had to buy it online, for around $12.00 on Adambeauty. It's a very moisturizing foundation and feels amazing on the skin.

For a foundation that's easier to get, I definitely love the Revlon Photo Ready foundation.

Best High End Foundation of 2011

This was hard because I liked so many! But my ultimate favorite is the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation.

See my review and swatches here, and here. 

MAC Face & Body Foundation

See my review here. 

It was a tie between Guerlain Lingerie de Peau or the MAC one, but i ultimately chose the MAC one because of how light it felt on my skin and how comfortable it sits in high heat and relative humidity. The Guerlain one, while a wonderful foundation, didn't impress me as much as the MAC one. My next goal for 2012 is to try the MUFE face & body one to compare to my beloved MAC one :) We shall see.

Honorable Mention

Shu Uemura Face Architect Foundation -

I realized I didn't write a review as promised (sorry!), I will do so in 2012. 

Enter these Giveaways!

Don't forget to enter in Nancy's Jill Stuart Giveaway. Check it out here!

 Ends Jan 4

Donnadell's $100 Sephora Giveaway!!!!! Enter here!

I trust you are all having a fabulous holiday. Stay warm!

Merry Christmas!! =)

Merry Christmas! 

Best Of 2011 Series: Bobbi Brown Downtown Beauty Palette

Ah, why oh why did I not ever gush about this palette on my blog?! It was backlogged on my laptop for the longest longest time. I suppose it's been such a staple I never thought too much about it. Shame on me. Srsly.

This was an exclusive QVC set that came out this past Spring. It came in a 6 piece set but the eyeshadow palette is the best part of the collection. Like srsly. The best ever! Luckily you can still find this on QVC here.

Bobbi Brown Downtown Beauty Palette

. 

Ivory - matte white highlighter

Heather Lilac - a shimmery metallic taupe

Bronze - shimmery bronze

Heather - matte taupe 

Black Plum - gorgeous semi-matte base for a smokey eye

Overall this palette is full of gorgeous neutrals and versatile for any and every occasion, but especially fitting for the office. This is the palette that travels with me on my trips to LA when I usually pack at the last minute.

I hope your holidays are fun and warm right now, my dear readers and bloggers alike! I am officially on vacation today! Which means doing nothing for the next 4 days! *happy sigh* :)

Best of Series continues with foundations in the next post. Stay tuned! ^_^

Jojoba Oil from Trader Joe's!

Look what I got over the weekend!

Made an impulse purchase at Trader Joe's when I saw this Jojoba oil sitting in one of the aisles I was browsing in. I want to eventually do a compare/contrast with this and my beloved Vitamin E oil. To start with,

I've already used this and it's much more lighter than the vitamin e one, like way lighter and with no scent at all.

100% pure jojoba oil - $6.99 for 4oz/118ml

Worth a try, right? 

Best of 2011 Series: Skincare

2011 is coming to a close very soon - in a matter of days! There's never enough time in the year for blogging right? So many things to try, so little time! It's about time to start a "best of" series that will cover everything  I've used this year that I loved and the standouts and notable mentions from skincare to makeup.

I'm starting with skincare because it's the first and last things I use on a daily basis - very much an understatement to praise its importance.

Best High End Cleanser

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One Step Facial Wash 

This is a holy grail product. It's the best cleanser I have ever used. I currently don't have any pictures of it because I am due to order soon. I wish I did a formal review, but sometimes you overlook the best things ;) I couldn't find any fault in it. None! It lathers nicely, and dissolves dirt and cleans exceptionally well. I love the scent of sage.

Best Drugstore Cleanser

Loreal Skin Genesis Cream Cleanser 

I absolutely love this cleanser. It has little micro beads in so it's stronger than the Philosophy one but it's equally as awesome. The cleanser is a clay texture but once it gets in contact with water, it lathers up really nicely. This is definitely going to be a repurchase after repurchase because it leaves no residue and has kept my skin supple and soft - and most importantly - clean.

It also smells like the Ralph Lauren perfume in the blue bottle ;) Is that a bonus or what?

Avalon CoQ10 Face Wash - Notable Mention

This is one of my favorites along with the Vitamin C one (not pictured). Avalon makes amazing cleansing gels. I love it for many reasons - calming, ease of pump, and value. It never dries out my skin, ever :) This is definitely a go-to cleanser always. And priced at less than $10 at most drugstores and online, it's one of the best I've used. 

Best Toner - Alba Hibiscus Facial Toner

It's an all natural refreshing and crisp toner that is jam packed with flower and fruit enzymes. It provides a conditioning base before your face cream(s) and prevents breakouts. Another added bonus is the lovely smell of citrus and bergamot! Very pleasant.

And for a drugstore toner, this is all wins! Retails less than $10 and is a joy to use.

Best Sunscreen - Shisedo Ultimate Sun Protection

You can read my past review here. There's not much to say about this sunscreen except that it's everything I wanted and more. It's moisturizing, matte and comfortable upon wearing. I wouldn't part with it if I had a choice, and something that will be on my repurchase list over and over again :)

Estee Lauder Daywear Plus - Notable Mention ;)

I really like this cream for a variety of reasons. One being that it is really light and highly moisturizing and two because of it's antioxidant rich. This day cream feels luxurious the moment you wear it and the scent is lush and garden-like. Aside from my fanatical love for this cream, the price is too steep to continuously purchase ($40+ for 1.7 oz) but i know CCO's regularly have discounts so it may work out.

Best Eye Product- SkinCeuticals NighttimeEye Renewal Gel 

This product is by far the best eye serum I've ever used. Good value for the price ($36/1oz), hydrating and Because it is in gel form, the ingredients are absorbed easily and doesn't just sit on top of your skin like a regular eye cream.

+ 5% hydroxy acid to help exfoliate and promote skin turnover.
+ Hydrating gel formula for easy absorption

I also love that it has a little dropper and you only need a little bit to use all around your eye. I've noticed my eyes are more hydrated and softer around the area.

Best Facial Serum - Philosophy When Hope is Not Enough

Serums are seriously the most important part of the skincare routine because of its potent ingredients and the extra antioxidants to keep your face looking youthful. I've tried a handful of treatments throughout the years, but this is a standout. This serum gives that extra boost of vitamins. Granted, the only complaint I have is that the scent is gross. It's like a strange concoction of laboratory smells, but overall it is the best serum I've used to date.

+ Oil free
+ Pentapeptide-3 imparts elasticity, firmness
+ vitamin C, and vitamin E
+ Sodium hyaluronate lightly hydrates the skin
+ Chaparral extract minimizes unwanted facial hair (random...? yes.)
+ Made without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan


I also have another serum that cost over $100+ that I won in a giveaway (luckily) but it's nothing compared to the Philosophy one! This one is mid-range around $40 for 1 oz. Amazon is currently selling it for $37.00.

Best Day/Night Moisturizer - Origins Start Over 

I use this moisturizer day and night after cleansing my face. It's lightweight and has a wonderful texture which i love. It claims to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with a variety of ingredients, but all I really love it for is how it softens my skin.

Laneige Snow Crystal Leave-in Mask - Notable Mention

Ever since I was gifted this from a friend, I haven't stopped using it. It's a liquidy gel-like texture that emphasizes maximum hydration for overnight. See my detailed review here. It's an amazing skin booster, truly. I haven't had one bad experience with this moisturizer and have continuously purchased it. Using it once or twice a week, this lasts me about 7 months!

Best Overall Skin Treatment - Vitamin E Oil

I've only raved about this. See my reviews here and here. It's pure love. One of the best things I've ever used on my skin.

So that's it! This list seems pretty extensive but it's actually a very low maintenance routine that involves good products with tried and true methods. I don't believe quality skincare should cost a small fortune, but looking at the ingredient list to make sure what you're using is good is important. From time to time, I like to find comparable ingredients to high end skincare. It makes the search fun and worthwhile, especially if you land a gem that works for you.

Stay tuned for my next best-of series! What do you guys want to see first? Foundations, blushes, lip products? :)

Weekend in Pictures

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all having a good month so far. Are you overwhelmed with the Christmas crowds yet? I haven't been out much, which is good and thank god for online shopping although shipments are a lot slower and my carrier never leaves me notes when I missed my package. Which is why I am grateful for tracking on packages. I love and hate the postal service.

This weekend was spent hanging out in SF and chowing down and shopping and chowing down some more ;)

We stayed at the Hyatt in San Francisco's Embarcadero. Touristy, I know! I live only 40 mins away from SF but staying there just made more sense. I had a ton of fun!

Here's my weekend in pictures -

Can't start the day off without Blue Bottle coffee.

Us inside a very decorated Hyatt

A huge Christmas tree at Fisherman's Wharf

Chocolate heaven! Omg.

Spotted Domo inside a magnet store.

Touristy photo overlooking Alcatraz

We stumbled along a talented artist.

Purchased my much wanted clear teapot from SF's Chinatown.

Homemade wontons.

Bacon

Unfortunately, no food porn. We were so famished that we ate like neanderthals the minute foods arrived. There was fresh oysters, happy hour foods, dim sum and continuous snacking :)

Some interesting things that also happened over the weekend:

1. We had an emergency evacuation at our hotel and had to walk down 12 flights of stairs. It was totally a weird experience, lol. Everyone was in PJ's and lots of them ran barefoot.

2. The Occupy protests were nearish to our hotel and there was a bunch of armed cops surrounding the area

3. We saw prostitutes. Not that it's unusual or anything (it is SF afterall), but it was in broad daylight in alleyways. I saw them on the bus, in case you were wondering what I was doing in an alley, haha

4. Discovered a musician that sounds like Jack Johnson... *swoons* Owen Plant. He was playing live at Ghirardelli Square and I was right.there. The music made my weekend.

So, tell me, what are your fun plans this month? =)

Sunkiller Perfect Strong BB Cream with SPF 50

I got a few emails from readers when I blogged about the Sunkiller bb cream requesting a before/after to see how the coverage is. I've mentioned before that it's really sheer and light-feeling for something that contains spf 50 in its formula. See my past post about it here.

As you can see, it has pretty light coverage, and the pigments cover justenough to even out my skin tone. As for coloring, it seems to be invisible. It's not as yellow as it is in the swatch, lol (bad lighting). For reference, I'm somewhere between NC20-NC25.

I'm really loving this bb cream because of the high spf and the light breathable coverage. Hope this is helpful for those who are interested.

Have a good weekend! :)

Let there be Light! Semi-Lightbox Tutorial & Drugstore Blushes Galore

Hello friends! Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend. Christmas shopping anyone? I've been shopping here and there for gifts so it's going by pretty smoothly. I'm more excited that stores have extended hours than anything else! Who doesn't love shopping til' 11pm?!

Anyway, I've been trying to find ways to take better pictures, especially macro shots but sufficient lighting is the most important factor aside from the object you're photographing. A lot of bloggers use a macro lightbox for their photos, which is just basically a box lined with white paper at the platform with holes on the side so you can cover with tissue paper or cellophane as a filter which lets you control the lighting.

For example:

Source

I decided to do my take on it with what little material I had at home. Of course it's not as cool looking as this person's but I made a sufficient one I needed for now. I'm planning to make a bigger one in the near future.

Here's what you need:

1. Cardboard Box 

2. Scissors or Box Cutter

3. Transparent Tape

4. White Paper

I used a rectangular 18x18x5.5 box, but ideally the dimensions should be the same (12x12x12, etc).

I cut off the bottom and side flaps. 

Use a large 11x7 white paper (mine is a textured gift box topper LOL) 

You can flip the box around and use it either way as a backdrop for your photos.

That's it! So easy and cost little to nothing if you already have everything at home. I realize this is not really a lightbox but merely a backdrop than anything else. For the light, I don't actually photograph with this office lamp because of its intensity (lol). I'd suggest using natural light as much as possible, but below is probably the best alternative:

source

So... yeah. I plan to make a better box, but as of right now, my not-quite lightbox backdrop has improved my photos immensely. Alternatively, you can invest in a super white table and put it against a white wall (I think this is how Temptalia photographs her things.. read it somewhere on her blog awhile ago) and it should give you the same (probably better) effect.

So here is the photography debut of my backdrop using the blushes and bronzers that I recently won from Makeup By Joyce recently!!!!!!!!!! She sent me a slew of 15 drugstore items from blushes to bronzers to eyeshadows!! I got the package yesterday and I was freaking out at how gorgeous everything is *happy sigh* :)

Here are the blushes and bronzers only. Eyeshadow palettes will be in another entry!

Hard Candy Fox in a Box Blushes

Spicy & Sweet is a shimmery multi-tone mixture of pinks and a ginger bronze.

Smooth Talker is has 4 natural earth toned pinky beige shades that accent the cheeks

Hard Candy Baked Blushes

Honeymoon is a frosty pink highlighter. Similar to Mac's Porcelain Pink!

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzers

Tiki is a light colored bronzer that doubles as a shimmery gold highlighter. There isn't much bronze color in it, but enough warmth to make you look awake :)

Tropics is darker than Tiki and is true bronzer! It has a golden undertone

Milani Baked Blushes are one of the most raved about blushes in the blogosphere! They're comparable to MAC MSFs for way way less. Each of these range from $7-10 at drugstores and often have discounts regularly from CVS or Walgreens.

Rose D'Oro is a gorgeous shimmery coral with a gold flecks running through the blush. It is said to be a dupe for MAC's Stereo Rose ;) I don't own Stereo Rose but I can see the similarities.

Fantastico Mauve is rose toned berry shade with frosty veins that runt through the blush that highlights your cheeks. It's also said to be a dupe for Nars Dolce Vita. I don't own Dolce Vita but if you look at the comparisons, they're quite close. This is probably the best dupe I've seen!

Luminoso is bright peachy coral blush that has a beautiful sheen. It's really luminescent and flattering for every kind of skintone. For fairer ladies, this is a gorgeous peachy blush whereas for medium and darker skin tones, this gives a subtle glow that brings out the cheeks. Seriously one of the most versatile blushes from Milani! :)

Milani Baked Bronzers

Glow is a golden peachy-mauve toned bronzer with gold shimmers. It is the lightest of the 3 (Glow, Soleil and Golden).

Soleil is a warm, shimmery golden bronze that's a tad darker than Glow, but still light and pretty (and very shimmery).

...that's it for now :) I have some Loreal eyeshadow palettes I still need to photograph next time. Do you guys like these blushes and bronzers? What's your favorite?

How do you guys photograph small items? Do you have a lightbox or another neat idea that I should be aware of? Do share!