Taiwan Trip *Special Post!*

Hi Everyone!

Sooo, I hope everyone is doing great!  I am glowing!  Only because things are changing for me so quickly, and I'll show you why in a brief moment!

I promised you all that I would post on my new China Airlines skincare products and routine but I can't remember where I put my iPad....  It's not lost, I just can't find it for now.  So, that post, which I wanted to come before this post for sure, will just have to come later.

I also wanted to have one more travel post of Mr. P and me in Taiwan before this special post, but we haven't even begun sorting through our plethora of pictures.  Dealing with jet lag and everything that's been going on in the one week we've been back has just made everything busier!

But I just can't hold back anymore!  Here's the happy news!

Mr. P and I are officially engaged!  And by "officially," I mean in the Taiwanese tradition where we went through the Engagement Ceremony!

Walking into my parents' house where the Ceremony was held.

The Ceremony with our relatives and the Mistress of Ceremony.

So now, below, are a few pictures we took at Maya Studios in Taiwan.  They are so professional, and my makeup artist did such a fantastic job with my overall look that I secretly want to bring her to America to make me look this great everyday!  *fantasy, fantasy!*

My relatives said I looked like Coco Lee.  I personally don't see it, but hey!  A compliment is a compliment, so I'll take it!  LOL!

Everything happened so quickly and we were brought from place to place that it seems like a blur.  But I really really really appreciate everything my family did for us and am so touched to have such family!  I was so happy to see how everyone welcomed Mr. P into the family.

I'm just looking forward to life together with Mr. P.  It makes me really giddy!




By the way, in the professional photos, my makeup artist was also the hair dresser.  She did a great job, right?  That was 5 layers of hair spray, about 10 layers of double eyelid tape, combined, and 12 hours of photography!  It's crazy, but I would do it again and again and again!


Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!

Carol

Thailand Vacation with Mr. P!

Hi Everyone!

Mr. P and I just got back from our travels earlier this week and are trying to get readjusted to our local time.  Any advice, Gummy?  :-)  This will be part of a series of travel posts I'll upload over the next few days.  There are simply too many pictures!

Before we arrived in Taiwan, we flew to Bangkok, Thailand to pay our respects, homage, and thanks to the Four-Faced Buddha at Erawan Shrine.  The total time from leaving our home in Los Angeles to checking into the hotel was over 24 hours.  While there, we also booked tours with Angmo and Air.

So, here are a few picture highlights from our Bangkok trip.

Ayuttaya, ruins with broken Buddhas

Ayuttaya, coconut sugar delicacy

 

Floating Market, tom yum pork noodles

Near Ayuttaya, Wat Pa-In Portuguese tower

Shopping at MBK

Bangkok McD's, jetlagged and hungry!  Green sauce is a wasabi sauce you can order for 9 baht.

McD's chicken porridge!

McD's tuna pie.  It was salty AND sweet!

We also went to the Railroad Market.  Mr. P was 6 inches from the train as it barreled past.  We have the video for it but I can't upload it directly to my blog without going through YouTube, so I think I'll leave it for now.

Ayuttaya by way of river cruise

Ayuttaya tuk tuks

These pictures are only a handful of many that Mr. P and I took.  I can't upload them all, but I would highly highly recommend a personal visit to Bangkok for all of you.  

Our tour guides:

Yaowarak Saithongpatigul (aka Angmo)

email: yaowarak@thaisabailife.com

website: thaisabailife.com

Notes:  The things that stood out to me about Angmo from last year were her immense knowledge of Thai culture and history, as well as her sense of humor.  I knew she would be the perfect guide to start off Mr. P and my tour in Thailand, and I was right!  I was struck by how prepared she was for every moment of the tour by having fun and informational handouts on the rides to the actual tour locations, being able to contextualize nearly everything we saw, and retaining her sense of humor through everything.  I can honestly say that if you book with Angmo, you will learn new things about Thailand that are not included in traditional tours.  Angmo's tours might be a little high, price-wise, but you'd be getting the whole package.  She covers admission fees, transportation, food, snacks and beverages.  Basically, you don't need to worry about anything, other than souvenirs.  One really impressive thing was that she actually remembered who I was from last year!  You can't have a better person to be your guide than Angmo.  I highly highly recommend your first tour be with Angmo.

Photjaman Reamsan (aka Air)

email: photjaman1978@gmail.com or info@bkktours.com

website: bkktours.com and bkkphotography.com

Notes:  We booked Air's tour to the Floating Market and the Railroad Market.  She covered all our transportation fees and meals.  She's very knowledgeable on practical things, probably what most tourists will ask her about shopping in Bangkok.  She spent a great deal of time teaching us that Bangkok's commerce is based on a system of bargaining.  Sometimes, you can bargain down 60-75% lower than the actual price of things.  Mr. P found his hidden bargaining talent at the Floating Market, so I let him handle all our purchases after that.  :)  The highlight of the Railroad Market is, of course, standing 6 inches away from a train barreling past you and watching all the vendors move there umbrellas, awnings, and wares off the tracks.  

 

Dior Eye Designer - China Airlines Beauty Collection

Hi All!

Mr. P and I just got back from our trip last night but I couldn't wait to blog about this palette!  I also have some pretty exciting news and very special pictures to share, which I will upload separately a little later on.  This post is going to be on the Dior Eye Designer palette.  :-)  When I saw it on the China Airlines Sky Boutique magazine, I just knew I had to have it.  Why?  Because it has parts to groom eyebrows!

When we were in Taiwan, we took some professional photos and had to have hair and makeup done.  After going through that, I realize how amateurish I've been with my makeup, especially brow grooming.  I also believe I need to invest in double eyelid tape now, too!  It's not because I feel any different about having single lidded eyes, but I've seen my own transformation through the "power of makeup" and really wish to be able to recreate the look my makeup artist did.

Anyways, above is the little booklet that came with the palette that shows you ways to put on this makeup.

The looks pulled off with this look end up being smokey eyed.  I can pull the look off with monolids and I can probably do better when I have double eyelids.  The shadows are really long lasting even without primer.  The darkest shade in the shadow trio is a little powdery.  The best way to use that one is to layer it on the outer V.

The eyeliner is in a wax/cream form.  It smudges when you rub it, so it's not waterproof or smudge-proof at all.

The brow wax is just perfect!  I'm trying to recreate the perfect brows Jade (my makeup artist for the photo shoot) did.  My rendition still needs work!  It's pigmented, can be layered on, and the wax helps hold my little brow hairs in place.

The palette and Diorshow Extase mascara comes cutely packaged in this pouch.

Overall, I'm really happy with this purchase.  Haha...  I'm having too many makeup items that I can't get through, but this was the one and only makeup item I bought.

I saw several new comments on previous posts, which were preset to publish at certain times, so I'll start replying to those comments in a little bit.

Stay tuned for the China Airlines Beauty Collection on Skincare!!

XOXO!

Carol

August/Sept. Skincare

Created using Pic Collage. http://pic-collage.com

Hi All!  How are you all doing?

I've lately been feeling a lot more comfortable in my skin and have been going to work without any foundation on my face. I think the money I spent at the spa is worth this new confidence in my skin... I can't afford to go every weekend so will be scaling back my appointments with Tiffany to every other week beginning October.  *sadness*  Why is beauty so expensive?

Anyways, this little collage shows my August and part of September's skincare routine. I'll be switching up some items during my travels. 

The first time I blogged about the Clarisonic Mia2 I said that my skin couldn't handle the brush (white brush head) every day. Since then I've replaced the brush with the softest one (baby blue brush head) and am okay to use it every day. 

I'll probably blog about the other products later if I haven't already, so stay tuned. OR... Feel free to request an update or a review of any of these products.

Of course, I forgot the picture of that T&J Acne Cream for spot treatment.  But anyways, you get the gist of the rest of my routine, right?

Take care, everyone, and have a great one!

A Piece of History (Tag)

Created using Pic Collage. http://pic-collage.com

Sent from my iPad

Hi All!

Ari from A Passionate Obsession tapped me to post something about the first makeup item that made its way into my hands.  Thanks for the tag, Ari!!  :-)

This is a Maybelline shadow that I'm sure is a brow powder. It's been so long since I saw the actual description for this shadow that I don't remember what it's called.  I depotted this back in 2010 so I can't look up the name, either.

Anyways, the reason I bought this was that I one day realized, at 27, that my eyebrows were really thin and pictures of myself looked like a face with eyes, nose, and a mouth, but no eyebrows!  You know how everyone says that eyebrows frame the face?  Well, I didn't have that frame, so that's why I went out and bought a dark brown brow powder.  

And ever since then there has been no looking back!  If there is anything in my makeup drawer that I will not leave the house without it is this brow powder. In fact, I will go out without foundation or anything to cover up my blemishes, but I will always have/make the time to do my brows. 

Thanks for reading!  

Please keep the tag going.  I tag everyone!  ;D

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio

I don't know why I bought this.  The colors?  The weird shaped packaging?  The craving to spend money?

Other than the pretty colors, I don't like it.  Why?

1. Creases, even with eyelid primer
2. Smudges and wipes off with a dry finger
3. 100% waterproof?  I think not!
4. Purple eyeliner BROKE when I was swatching it.

Enough said.  

If anyone else has this product (doesn't have to be in the Green Eyes colors), please let me know what you think of it.  If you like it, please let me know why and how you make it work for you.  Thanks!

Finished! August and Product Review: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Created using Pic Collage. http://pic-collage.com

Sent from my iPad


Heh..... yeah.  I sent the picture from my iPad, but I can't edit this post from an iPad.  Anyone else having technical issues with that?

Anyhow, I'm making slow progress with finishing up things in my collection.  Let me present the 2 items I finished in August!

Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara.  As a $24 mascara, it really sucked, and you can read why in my Battle Mascara post here.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.  A definite sleeper hit with me.  Please continue reading for my product review.




Product Review: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I purchased this back in August of 2011 but only started using this in August of 2012.  Yes, it's been sitting around for that long.  Anyways, I am not hugely crazy about the Clinique brand even though I know they have good products.  Maybe it's because their product packaging all look like Easter eggs...  Oh, well.  Never judge a book by its covers, right?

Product claims:

The oil-free moisture "drink" developed by Clinique's dermatologists to maintain optimal moisture balance for skins comfortable in the cheeks but oily in the T-zone or oily all over. Oil-free formula softens, smooths, improves.

As always, my product reviews are based on the claims the product makes and are 100% my person thoughts.  Let the product review begin!!

Maintain optimal moisture balance
Yes, it did it's job.  It never felt too dry or too greasy on my cheeks and T-zone.  The only inconvenience was the area around my eyes being not hydrated enough, but it's ok because it never said it was supposed to be used around the eyes.

Softens, smooths, improves
Yes to all three.  I believe that just by keeping the hydration level so high without feeling oily has helped to make my skin appear softer and smoother.  And believe me, that is an improvement from before when my skin had flakey areas.

Other
One of the other things I like about Clinique is how the products seem to be hypoallergenic.  I don't believe I've ever had a reaction to any of Clinique's moisturizing products.

There's no SPF in it, so the lazy person looking for a day-time all-in-one moisturizer to end all moisturizers will probably be disappointed.

Would I recommend this product?
Yes, I would!  People who are cautious about putting anything on their skin might want to give this a try.  It's a great everyday, go-to moisturizer and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  If you're a person who likes super-high-end products but are currently in-between brands, you might want to give this a try.

Thanks for reading and have a great month!