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!