En route to San Diego

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fiction blog

I created a new blog for my other hobby - fiction writing, but it's mostly going to be drabbles and babbles, personal, work in progress stuff, short stories and the like. If anyone is interested, you can view it here.

I also had a few questions about my last post. You can find Vitamin Schtick lip balms at Target (where I got mine) in the natural skincare aisle where they have Yes to Carrots and Burt's Bees stuff.

Okay, goodnight! :)

Currently really freaking loving... the Vitamin Schtick Lipbalm

Are you guys familiar with the drink?

Source: Google images

Vitamin Water (not to be confused with sports beverages like Powerade or Gatorade) is vitamin infused water with fruit flavors. I'm sure it's not the healthiest of drinks as there's been many debates but that's compromise, not perfection. Anyhow. This darn drink is an incorrigible flirt after a workout when i don't particularly want plain water. I don't know what it is, maybe the witty messages they have on the bottles entice me, but either way, I'm not going to deny that I like me some Vitamin water from time to time.

And what does this drink company do on the side? Make lip balms, of course. I find it kind of odd, but since I do love the drinks, these balms have piqued my interest early on however, I didn't like the $4.99 price tag on them. Luckily, I was able to get some on sale to try. And do i love 'em? Yes with tons of exclamations!

Firstly, the name is nothing short of adorable. Vitamin Schtick! Who does that? So cute. This yellow one also happens to be my favorite flavor as well.

The texture of this lip balm is jelly-like. It smells kind of nothing like the drink, but it's still fruity. It's moisturizing, clear and has a spf 20. There is also a glossy sheen that you get from the balm too. I love that! There is no taste either, which is good!

 I haven't used it long enough to see if the twisting thing gets defective or not because most of my lip balms (including Burt's Bees) have a tendency to not twist back down if I twisted too much out.

Message: This great smelling balm only looks like a bottle of nutrient enhanced Vitamin Water. By no means should you drink the balm... instead grab a bottle of Vitamin Water and begin operating heavy machinery.

This balm is very similar to other ones in the market. It's better than the novelty ones (Hershey's Lip balms, etc) in my opinion. The packaging is adorable, and I love the jelly-like texture. It's a pretty unique product on its own, and does what it claims to do.

Has anyone tried the Vitamin Schtick lip balm before?

Results from the Jason Vitamin E Oil Treatment

Greetings all! How is your lovely Saturday afternoon thus far? Mine has been quite uneventful. I cleaned, organized and cleaned some more. I'd call it productive, although it is seriously, utterly boring. 


Remember when I was raving crazily about the Jason Vitamin E Oil (here) and I sworn by the healing properties of it? Not many days ago, I was telling you guys how convinced I am by it and how the oil is going to be part of permanent skincare routine... yada yada. I still believe it's an amazing product. I had some readers that emailed me and asked if the oil is greasy and if it absorbs well. I don't think I mentioned anything about that in the post, sorry for that. Yes, it is kind of greasy and I do recommend to use it 5 mins before you lay in bed to avoid getting it all over your pillow covers. Absorption is slow because it is a very concentrated oil, well, it's pure oil - do expect that it will take longer than a moisturizer. I've had no issues with my skin breaking out from it, and I've used it for 2 whole months.

Here's a no foundation, no concealer look I took a few days ago.







I am just wearing a bit of eyeshadow, Maybelline Falsies mascara, and the Rosebud lip balm. I should've used some concealer for under my eyes, but having no foundation on really legitimized the use of topically using the oil. I'm sorry I don't have "before" pictures because i just wouldn't get near a camera. My face was pretty much red and scaly and pimply all over and itchy. There were pimples growing underneath the skin...those were extremely painful. I also had scarring from it, being exposed in the sun during the summer.

I really owe it all to this oil, my skin has been the best it's ever been this year. It's more supple and brighter now than ever. I was strolling around Whole Foods yesterday to get some dessert and I noticed the oil was on sale for $5.99 (same bottle I have) and I saw many other brands in sophisticated glass bottles that I may try someday when I finish the one I have now.

In short, Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that penetrates the many layers of the skin. It is said to have many healing properties, some of them being scaring and redness. I haven't read anything from people who have very oily skin yet. One of the Whole Foods people told me that it is great for people with extremely oily skin because an antioxidant-rich oil helps to balance out the imbalance of excess oil on the skin. Not sure the truth in it, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Link me to your blog, share your experience... let me know! :)

Wow, this has become so lengthy! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Oh, and this was the dessert that I ended up getting at Whole Foods yesterday! It is a petite Tiramisu mousse in a dark chocolate cup!

YSL Personnel Lipstick in Astral Burgundy #26

Hi all! I'm excited to bust out an older lipstick that I've had in my collection for many fall seasons. It seems now (more than ever) that the darker plum shades are itching its way toward the cooler weather. I'm not one to argue because I love seductive dark reds.

As you can see, it's a very deep burgundy color. This is also like a lipstain; rich color, semi matte finish. It stays on the lips really long and creates a stain effect (which I love) but isn't the most moisturizing lipstick. You'd still need a balm over it to not over accentuate dry lips.

Here's the one photo I took quickly this morning on my phone. Sorry for the overexposure, but the lighting was just crappy at 8am o_o You can see how intense the color on my lips are. I had to blot it down so I wouldn't draw attention to myself when i got into the office! I'll do another look with this lipstick again with a better picture, promise!

I also have another lip stain from Laura Mercier that I think is really gorgeous! I'll have to share that with you gals soon. In the meantime, hope you all have a good day!

My Bad Skin Fix - Jason Vitamin E Oil

Hello friends!

I am back again, and excited for the weekend doing absolutely nada. Maybe some thrift shopping tomorrow, possibly. Hopefully.

Ah, I also wanted to share some updates on my skin. For the past 2 months, I've been suffering from breakouts and pimples and discoloration on my skin. I believe it was from a combination of hormones and stress. I haven't been motivated to wear much makeup either, but my skin is slowing coming around. I really owe it to the Jason Vitamin E Oil. I wrote a short review here. That was nearly 2 yrs ago!

Because my skin was inflamed, I wanted to take the natural route to heal it. After I wash my face, I would apply a few drops of this oil as a moisturizer and before bed, another few drops. Since this vitamin E oil is potent, it really softened my skin. I had bumps (like milia) around my chin and on the side of lips, and after using it for a straight week, the bumps are gone! Right now, my skin routine consists of a thorough cleansing, followed by a serum and then the oil. In the morning, I wash my face with a cleanser and go about my normal routine.

What it means:

+nourishes, moisturizes and helps regenerate the skin

+mix of Almond, Apricot, Avocado and Wheat Germ Oils help protect against fine lines 

+Vitamin E can help prevent the damage from the environmental elements

 +Vitamin E helps  decrease the appearance and roughness of wrinkles

+improve elasticity and helps promote healing of damaged skin

The oil claims to really penetrate and regenerate the skin. It's gotten rid of a lot of redness and blotchy, uneven textures on my face. I really really believe this is what healed my skin. While it's quite a heavy oil, the nourishment that it gave my agitated skin proved that Vitamin E is essential to our bodies. My skin's elasticity has improved as well as overall circulation. I've been using this routine for nearly a month and a half and my skin's been at its healthiest it's ever been. This step in using the oil has earned a permanent spot in my skincare routine. I will show you guys some before and after pics in the next post.

Honestly, the best part of this oil is that it's a thrifty buy. I sought this out at my local Whole Foods for around $6-8 (can't remember the exact price) and it comes in a rather nice 4oz bottle that seems to last forever because it's a concentrated oil. You don't need much of that stuff to cover your face. It's one of the best skincare finds I've ever stumbled upon. It's also awesome that it's all natural. You can find even higher concentrations of this oil. The one i have is 5,000IU, and they have up to 32,000IU. Another thing I like about it is the lovely almond scent. Absolutely divine.

Again, very versatile product. The oil can be used all over the body, mixed with other moisturizers and so on. I think it's great as an eye cream substitute if you want prevention. It's what I have used it for before my skin went haywire =p So there you have it. I am in love with this and will continue to repurchase. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend this oil to anyone who's having skin troubles or anyone who wants an extra boost of antioxidants and moisture in their skincare routine.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me.

Another weekend in Pictures

Hiya all! I am back again. I was in LA this past weekend for a birthday thing and it was a lot of fun. It was good to be home again, that's for sure. I really miss the trendy heath conscious scene there. Or rather, the abundance of delicious food, the organized events and laid back people.

Layered custard cake from Urth Caffe in Santa Monica. 

Spanish Latte from Urth Caffe. OMG, yes.

Travelling on the 5 fwy is extremely dull, but this reservoir made it better. 

...and last but never the least, a little something something to keep my spirits high - 

Lancome Bronze Amour Eyeshadow Palette 

image source: Temptalia

It was a 6 hr drive one way! I believe this palette justifies just about everything :)

Cannot wait to do a look with this. The bronzey colors usually aren't my thing but the warmth of this palette drew me in. 

How was your guys' weekend? :)

EOTD using the Anastasia Beauty Express Brow Kit

'ello pretty gals and beauty queens! I'm glad to see a lot of you expressed interest in this brow kit. I have to say it's quite easy to use, but it's such a conundrum of a size and definitely not something you'd carry around when travelling.

Before I post any pics, I want to remind you all that I was not a big brow person and therefore didn't think too much of it other than to keep it neatly trimmed and plucked. I am, however, changing perspectives as I see that eyebrows really do frame the face and if anything it makes one look more polished and youthful.

Here's my attempt at improving ze brows.

I opted for the lighter color as the base and then used the darker brow color to fill in any sparse spaces. See below.

What's different from this brow kit compared to the ELF one that i used before is that pigmentation in the Anastasia kit is incredible. If you don't use a light hand, you can easily overdo it and have really sharp lines.
This kit has a brow wax that you apply before so you can get the hairs to set in place before filling it in with color. It works wonderfully!

The Stencils: Interesting concept, but hard to maneuver. I'd much rather follow the shape of my own brow than to use the stencils to create a shape. Even the most petite one had an arch that went way too high for my eyes. I can see many people using it, but it's just way too unnatural for me to do so.

Pros:
1. The two colors are perfect for brunettes and it doesn't look unnatural in any way. The taupe color softens the face, while the darker taupe color frames the brows without the intensity a straight brown or black would give.
2. It also helps that the Anastasia brand is the eyebrow expert. The pigmentation of the colors is absolute, and high quality.

Cons
1. Unfortunately, I do not like the packaging. It's bulky and the name 'express' is anything but. The magnetic closure is good, but the size of it is like two iPhones.
2. When I googled this kit, I also noticed the high price tag. It's around $38-40 for the kit and while it's unique, a lot of folks can use a high pigment eyeshadow (MAC Expresso, or Dark Edge) to fill in their brows.

Overall, I still really like how it makes my eyebrows look better, but I can do without the stencils. I really like the angled brush a lot and I think it makes complete sense to have it included in the kit. In the future, I do see myself purchasing the brow duo from Anastasia. Specifically, this:

Source

How do you gals fill in your brows? Brow kit, eyeshadow or something else? Do share! :)

Disclaimer: The Anastasia Beauty Express Brow Kit was sent to me for review purposes.

Anastasia Beauty Express Brow Kit

Hello everyone! It's Saturday! I love doing nothing on weekends when I can and catch up on blogs and reading.

I was so excited yesterday to get a package in the mail that contained the Anastasia Brow Kit for Brunettes. If you guys recall, I mentioned it briefly a few months ago, but I didn't get it until now. I haven't used it on my brows yet, but I will in the coming days. I like to be makeup free as much as I can on the weekends because:

1. Laziness
2. Skin will be happier with a break, right?

So I took some pictures of it instead. I've read a great many things about Anastasia Brows. The superwoman behind the brand is iconic in the celeb world and has created all sorts of brow powders to fit the masses.

It comes with 5 different eyebrow stencils and a brush too! 

Brow gel, brow duo, and an eyeshadow duo/highlighter for brow bone

Eyebrow powder.

One of five different stencils. Never used anything like this before. Bold, isn't it?

This is what it looks like when closed.