What's Inside My (travel) Makeup Bag!

Why, hello everyone. I am back from my short Thanksgiving voyage home and am back in the Bay Area. I did a little shopping, ate a ton (as usual), and spent a lot of time with my family. I was pretty worn out from being back home and I'm just really glad to be back! The drastic weather change was a little crazy. It went from super hot in LA to super rainy and cold here.

Since I love looking inside people's makeup bags, I decided I'd include my own. It's just kinda quirky and fun to see what others are bringing. I definitely draw inspiration from that so here's what mine looked like over the weekend.

My kinda old Shiseido makeup bag. Very minimal and simple, easy design, purple. It stores a lot of stuff and is super soft yet surprisingly sturdy.

A few of the items I brought along!

Bare Escentuals Angled Brush - This is one of my favorite blush/bronzer brushes because the bristles are so soft and when I apply blush, it makes it look very soft and blended.

MAC 190 SE Foundation Brush - I really like this for traveling because of its petite, travel-friendly size. I find that this brush blends foundation fairly well and I've been really happy with it for a long time :)

Borghese Angled Liner Brush -  I use this mainly for filling in my eyebrows. Despite its long length, it's still travel-friendly.

Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara - I wrote a short little review originally here. This has since been discontinued but I like it and I always keep it in my bag.

 Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara- I am very much considering purchasing a full size of this mascara! The formula is seriously superb! I've never had any mascara come close to how great this one is. It lifts my lashes, holds a curl and volumizes quite well. I'm going to have to review this fully in another post but I've been pleasantly surprised with this one. And I love that it's not waterproof =D

These two lip balms are incredible! The Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop and Loreal's Lip Butter in Satin. I won Satin in a giveaway and have been so happy with it. Both colors are so complimentary and glide on like butter. Lollipop is purely gorgeous. I love the fuchsia/purple tones - beautiful fall color!

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - Currently my favorite setting powder. It's simple and it works. I don't really have anything negative to say about it because I've been using it for over 5 months now and it's kept its promise.

Loreal True Match Blush in Rosy Outlook - I've loved this line of Loreal's blushes for years and years now. The shades are incredibly flattering and I always come back to this because of how natural of a flush it gives. It's foolproof for me every time.

Loreal Eye Shadow Quad in 821 - Apparently this is the older packaging but I mainly use this to fill in my brows. I use the very last color (darkest one) for my eye brows and the other ones for either highlighting or adding some depth to my lids. I love this quad a lot and the darkest color in the palette is oh so flattering as a brow color!  

Jack Black Lip Balm - As minty as it is, the spf 15 in this balm is really needed in harsh weather! This lip balm in particular is really good quality and permeates into lips once applied and keeps them protected from wind and damage. 

Miniature jewelry cases- Yes, I do carry these! I particularly love the granite one on top. I always try to have something like this when I travel because it a little piece of happiness here and there really makes for an entire trip. It's kind of cool to have it by my bedside where I know my earrings and necklace will be safe.

Oh and we cannot forget portable travel eye shadows! This was a sample that I received from Stila and it's basically a sampling of all their eyeshadows in the 'In the Light' palette. Isn't it genius? Thin as a card but enough eyeshadow to last you days! All you need is an eye shadow brush! My particular favorites here were Luster and Sandstone. Just gorgeous tones!

And....the liquids. I had these in a zip loc baggie since I was flying.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock SPF 55 - I've been using this sunscreen for years! it's so lightweight and perfect under makeup that you can't even feel/tell that you have sunscreen on. It was especially great in the LA heat because it was scorching and sunny there! 

Sephora Makeup Primer - A sample I received from Sephora. I just started using this on my trip home and it didn't really make much of a difference underneath my foundation. 

MUFE HD Foundation 115 - I really like this foundation. I mean, I really really like it. I realize I haven't done a proper review on this. GAH. I really should. I really feel like MUFE makes extraordinary foundations because of the assortment of shades (with proper undertones) and different finishes for every skin type. I really love their F&B foundation. I have reviews on other MUFE foundations if you're interested here. 

And lastly, the hair and skincare stuff -

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil - I use a little bit of this stuff after I was my hair and it softens my hair and keeps it less frizzier than it usually is. This oil smells nice and the small size is so cute and perfect for travelling. Not to mention that it's really affordable at no more than $5.00 for a 1.7 oz/50ml container to try.

Shiseido Benefiance Set - Shiseido products have always been nurturing for my skin, particularly since LA is dry and hot. I love their lotions - they're incredibly moisturizing and lasts a long time. Consistent products, good company. 

What other "staples" do you gals carry with you? :)

Sephora VIB Haul

Actually, I missed the 20% off sale because I was out of town that weekend. That was before I read that you could still use the code after! Gah. I was irked but I still bought stuff nonetheless... and justifiable because it was my birthday ^___^ I was out of town that weekend gorging on oysters and comfort food. It was more of a food getaway than anything else. Oh and I did some old fashion thrifting and found a gorgeous leather satchel at Buffalo Exchange. 

So here were my buys from Sephora - en route to my apartment tomorrow!

Sephora Favorites: In the Glow - blushes, bronzers and illuminators... need I say more? I wanted to try the Nars and Tarte blushes!



Tarte Carried Away Collector's Kit - I collect these holiday kits from Tarte every year and this one seems to be the the best one they've released to date! The reason is that it's made for traveling is splendid enough. Everything can be pieced together or separated however you like...that's win-win! Plus, their eye shadows are great quality! And I'm just a tad in love with the travel brush roll... it's purple and gold! Very pretty.




Sephora "It Kit" in Classic - This was one of their promos that i wanted if you spent $25.00. YAY! I'm excited to try the Nars pencil!


I finally accumulated 500 points in with my beauty insider (BI) card... so this was gift i chose. I originally wanted the Nars set but it disappeared when I refreshed my account! In hindsight, I'm glad I chose this because all I wanted in the Nars set was the lip pencil which comes in the It Kit above! LOL



Oh and I also got the birthday gift from Sephora which are deluxe samples of their two most popular treatment and lip tint ^_^


Anyone doing some VIB shopping? What'd you get!?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eyeliner Wars: Dollywink vs. K Palette vs. Maybelline

It is pretty much a very standard staple in every woman's makeup arsenal: eyeliners! Liquid, gel, powder... eyeliner is very essential to creating a multitude of looks, whether it be an everyday look or the theatrical.

I've dabbled into liquid eyeliners in the past with a sub par experience. That was many many years ago. I would get raccoon eyes from smudging my eyes a little or my lines would look fine in the morning but I came back to a complete mess a few hours later. It seems makeup companies have heard our complaints and worked really hard to create better formulas - smudgeproof, waterproof, quick drying, you name it. Recently, I started getting back into liquid eyeliners for the sake of convenience and ease. And because there are so many in the market that I want to try, particularly the Japanese ones.

Top to Bottom - Dolly wink Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline Masterprecise, K Palette 1 Day Tattoo

Dolly Wink, Maybelline, K Palette

Dolly Wink - When I first saw this eyeliner at the Japanese market, I was like...omg I'm loving the polka dot design! It's cute and girly. The felt tip is really easy to control and the ink dries incredibly fast. It is not waterproof but can hold up to watery eyes. I like how you can shake the pen to distribute the ink. Retails for around $10-15 online.

Pros          
+ Sets really quickly - no smudges :)                  
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Deep black color
+ Long lasting
+ Not waterproof but holds up to watery eyes

Cons         
- Not easy to find in the States
- Flat looking color if you prefer a shiny black color

Maybelline Masterprecise  - This looks to be the American version of the Japanese pen-style eyeliners. I bought this one on a whim before Vegas to see how it'll hold up in a different environment and climate. Design wise, it looks pretty similar to the Dolly Wink - slim design, felt tip. And that is where the similiarities end - It has a glossy black sheen when applied. Some people like it matte, some like it shiny. I don't have a preference really but it does require a longer dry time, and you know with hooded eyes it's not the most ideal. The formula is not waterproof and comes off quickly with warm water. Retails for about $6-8 in stores and online.

Pros         
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Has a glossy sheen color (if you like that)
+ Easy to remove

Cons           
- Smudges quickly
- Longer dry time
- Tip was too long; a little slippery

K Palette 1 Day Tattoo - Of the two, this one has to be my favorite! Like Dolly Wink, the formula is really good - long lasting, not smudgy and has a good controllable tip. Unlike the previous two, this one is waterproof and lasts a long time. I had a hard time taking it off even with makeup remover. I didn't particularly care for the super waterproof formula because I normally don't wear waterproof anything. I liked this one because the color was exactly in between Dolly Wink and Maybelline - not super shiny but not too flat. You can shake the pen to distribute ink. Retails for $13-15 online.

Pros           
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Dries quickly
+ Perfect black eyeliner - not too sheeny, not flat
+ Lasts all day

Cons            
- Very hard to take off
- Hard to find in the States

With warm water only -  Dolly Wink, Maybelline, K Palette

I love the versatility of all three eyeliners. They all have something unique about them that's worth owning but I liked the Japanese versions over the Maybelline simply because the formulas translated better for my skin type and eye shape. Both the Dolly Wink and K Palette are very similar so if you own one but not the other, there isn't a big difference in either one to own both unless you want a super waterproof one like the K Palette. 

Readers: What's your favorite eyeliner? :)

Review: Specs from Firmoo.com

Hello everyone!

Hope your weekend was relaxing as it was joyful. I'm starting to do holiday shopping for my friends and family and the lines at stores are starting to get hectic. The usual flow is people is multiplying by the weeks o_o Nonetheless, it is still fun to browse around and be amongst happy shoppers before the onset of crazy last minute shoppers come into play.

A few weeks ago, I received a pair of prescription glasses from Firmoo.com, an online optical retailer to review. They offer practical and fashion forward frames for affordable prices. Unlike going to the optometrist, you can browse the frames without being under the dreaded lights of a busy office and being surrounded by pushy sales people.

The pair of glasses they sent me came really fast. They sent me a tracking #, and communication was great from the start.

The selection of frames is pretty nice, and they have different collections to look at, from geeky  specs to more practical ones seen here, to prescription sunglasses.

The awesome thing about Firmoo is that they offer free glasses to first time customers (check it out here). All you have to do is pay for shipping, which is $6.95. I think it's quite a good deal because if you don't like what you ordered, you're entitled to a full refund. You really have nothing to lose.

Very very sorry for the bad photo quality. I didn't have my camera... o_o

I picked a classic wayfarer frame with a leopard print. I love it! The frames are lightweight and have a nice feel to it. There is quality to be said - the lenses were pretty accurate. I have two different prescriptions for the left and right eye and when I wore the glasses, it felt balanced and I didn't get a headache from wearing them, so definite props for that!

All in all, I was very happy with the service that Firmoo offered and the selection of frames. There's a good chance you can spot a dupe of something you really like or simply to get a backup pair or even order a pair for fashion blogging purposes. The prices range from $8.00-$58.00 depending on style and selection so affordability is definitely there.

I think I will be ordering a few more styles to play around with. Specs are the ultimate accessory, isn't it? :) For new customers, you can get a free pair of glasses here.

Hey readers, have you ordered from Firmoo? Do you think it compares to Coastal in terms of service and/or quality? Or, is there a optical retailer you absolutely just love? Please share! :)