Impulse Purchase, Boots No. 7

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you all had a great weekend!  It's been rainy here in SoCal, which is my favorite.  It's cool here and there's nothing better than being home in my pj's and trying to stay warm. 

Everyone, meet Gaara (yes, named after the bad-good guy Gaara of the Desert from Naruto).  Gaara the Cat has dark rimmed eyes just like the character.  Gaara the Cat's personality is so cute and loving, the representation of the Chinese character for "Love" on Gaara of the Desert's forehead.

 

 

Gaara the Cat

 

Gaara of the Desert

Anyways, Mr. P and I went to Target to look for tools for the house.  Just casually, he asked if there was anything I wanted to see in the beauty aisles.  I didn't go to Target with the intention of sticking my nose into the beauty aisles, but since he asked....

 

And then we walked out of Target with these two Boots No. 7 toners and no tools.  The one on the left is an Organic Face Rosewater Toner.  The one on the right is Complexion Refining Toning Lotion.  It has rosemary and Amazonian clay in it to help remove sebum.  

I'm very curious about this brand because I've never tried it before.  It seems like you get a lot of product for under $9.  I'm not exactly sure when I'll get around to using it but I'm planning to do a product review of these 2 toners.

Well, that's it for this post.  If anyone has any experience with this brand, can you let me know how you liked it?

Have a great evening everyone!

First Haul Post

Hi Everyone!

Southern California is experiencing a few days of warm (comparatively warm to this time of year) rain which clears the air of our usual smog but also diffuses the light at night.  Mr. P and I met some friends for dinner in Downtown LA and I was just amazed by how beautiful Los Angeles is lit up at night.  By the way, you know you're getting older when you want to call it a night at 9pm.  XD

Anyways, this is a picture of the ride home.  Coming up in this picture is the train station where Mr. P and I started and ended our first non-date 10 years ago.  My, how time flies!

 

Anywho, I wanted to show you my first haul post.  Below are the 3 items I purchased.

 

I've been so diligent in finishing up my toner and just in time too!  I finally got the toner that I've been wanting ever since I saw results with the Ann Karen whitening facials in August of last year.  The Jurlique mist comes in a solid glass spray bottle.  I haven't tried it yet but I will for sure do a review!

Above: I finally caved and got the basic Wen cleansing conditioner.  Again, just in time, as I had finished the Nuance leave-in treatment this morning.  I used it tonight and am impressed that my comb ran through my hair cleanly instead of running into tangles.  But I'm not thrilled that hair from the crown of my head retained a lot of the Wen cleansing conditioner.  And washing my hair with this product that has the consistency of.... thick pudding or vegetable shortening... was definitely a different experience.  Obviously, I didn't rinse my head and hair well enough, which is why the hair is still "wet" after 2 hours.  The hair around my hairline got rinsed well and I think if I rinsed the conditioning cleanser all out, I would be really impressed with the results!  A product review will be forthcoming.

 

 

Here a couple of samples I got with my purchases.  I got 2 cologne samples for Mr. P, just to mix things up a little bit. 

 

 Hope you all are having a good night!

Finished! January is Early!

Hi Everyone!

I thought I might as well post up my Finished! products early for January because I don't foresee myself finishing anything else this month.  I've got the LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns on and getting a great laugh out of Shaq and crew making fun of Charles Barkley's comment that he waxes his eyebrows.  Did anyone else see this?

Anyways, here are the products I've finished this month!  Get your smiles on, my fellow beauty lovers!

 

This was a sample size that came with my Clarisonic Mia.  I finally used it.  It's ok.   Don't have anything good or bad to say about it.

 

 Finished a couple of hair care products, mostly conditioners.  The Neutrogena conditioner on the left was actually pretty good to use when I had virgin hair.  But I had to use a larger than normal amount due to the damage my hair sustained and it started weighing my hair down.

The hair mask on the right was "meh...."  Again, I had to use a lot to deal with my damaged hair and it weighed my hair down.  

Tangent: I recently went in to get my hair cut and the stylist tried to color the lighter damaged part darker to match my natural hair color.  He promised that he wouldn't get the dye up into my new virgin hair but his assistant brought it up to my scalp!  ARGH!!!  So, even though I left the salon with a great hair style that I can't reproduce on my own, I'm only calculating in my head the amount of time it will take for my hair to grow out again.  Does anyone else get annoyed by this??

OK.... back to the main show.

 

This moisturizer was something I kept in my office at work to use after washing my hands.  It only took TWO YEARS but I finally - FINALLY - finished it!  It's okay.  It did it's job but I was ready for a change.  

 

On the left is a toner I got from Sasa.com in August of 2011.  I had it put away for a while.  It's an okay toner.  It had a very strong perfumey fragrance, which I wasn't too crazy abount.  I'm glad it's done.

The Nuance leave in condition (Salma Hayek's line) was great.  Apparently, I can NOT use it alone.  It worked better for my hair if I also used a rinse out conditioner in the shower prior to using this one.  I'd still repurchase this though!

 

 

On the left, body wash.  It's okay.  It did its job.  

On the right, a Clarisonic brush head, the softest and most gentle brush head.   I put this through the wringer by using it for more than the recommended 3 months, but it still did its job!  I have a backup already!

OK, it looks like I'm ending this post before the game is done.  Phoenix Suns are up, so if the Clippers are going to win, they'd better pull out a massive spurt of 3-pointers in the next 3 minutes!

GO CLIPPERS!!!

Have a great evening!

 

FOTD Lancôme Glamour on the Go

Hi All!

I took this picture a few days ago when I was feeling so good.  But I think I'm getting sick now.

Anyways, here's an FOTD from the Lancome Glamour on the Go travel palette.

Progress report on living out of one makeup box.  It's freaking hard to do!  I have so many palettes and colors already picked out for January, but I'm getting bored and want to try my other shades.  I look at them every day and they say, "Please, pick me up.  Dip your eyeshadow brush in me and enjoy my color on your eyelids."

There are only 9 more days in January.  Wish me luck to stick to this!!

As they say in Korean dramas.... *fighting!*

FOTD Green Coffret D'or

Hi Everyone!

So, I've been successful so far in living out of one makeup bag.  I may have to change this up because it's really a makeup box, which is ok.  :-)

Here's an FOTD featuring the green Coffret D'or depotted palette.  For bright colors, I like to use them as semi-eye liners and just outline the shape of my eyes.

 

 

 

This is a funny FOTD.  My lashes have been curled and mascara'd up so much that they are actually holding up my eyelids and giving me double eyelids!  :-)  Has anyone else experienced this?

Have a great day, y'all!

 

Being a One Makeup Bag Woman

Hi Everyone!

Ari from A Passionate Obsession had a brilliant idea to try to be a one makeup bag woman for 2013.  I thought it was such a good idea that I wanted to do it, too.  So, last night, as Mr. P and I were watching the live action Rurouni Kenshin movie (omg, it made my night to see my favorite anime come to life in a great production!!!), I went through my makeup collection and attempted to get my stuff in order to be a one makeup bag woman for the rest of January.

Oh, before we start with the makeup portion, I wanted to introduce you to one of our kids.  This here is Yumo.  When we first got this little guy, we though he was a she and named her Yuna, after the Final Fantasy X character.  We found out several months later she was a he, and the rest is history.  Anyways, I just thought I'd show our kitty since his butt is in the next picture.  :-)

 

 

So here's what I've selected to be in my one makeup bag for the month of January.  This is a solid attempt to use down what I have and to consolidate so that I don't take over what's left of our bathroom with more cosmetics.  :-)

Above are some palettes and items that look familiar:

• Dior Eye Designer Eye Makeup Palette
• Lancome Glamour on the Go Travel Palette
• UNII Palette filled with Asian eyeshadow palettes (Coffret D'or, Kate, and Majolook)
• A blush brush, several eyeshadow brushes, and Kirkland powder brush.
• Three current mascaras: CG Last Exact, Dior Show Extase, and Benefit Bad Gal
• Two lippies: Sephora + Pantone Universe Color of the Year (it's the orange eyeliner) and Dior Addict
• Bare Minerals foundation in Fairly Light
• Contact case filled with small amounts of moisturizer
• and Two travel sized hair brushes.

Okay, so that's it for what I'm going to use for January.  I'll be back with a February post.

Check out Ari's blog, too, at A Passionate Obsession.   What I really like to read on her blog are her hauls, product reviews, food and travel posts, and her empties.  Check it out!  :-)

Thanks again to Ari for the brilliant idea! 

Have a good weekend, y'all!

Best of 2012!

Hi Everyone!

How's everyone's 2013 shaping up?  I hope you're still going strong on your New Year's Resolutions!

 

Thanks to GummyVision for being curious enough to ask me to put up my favorites from 2012.  If you haven't already, check out her blog.  I think her blog is great because she talks about a lot of products I haven't had the opportunity to try and she gives her take on how they would react to people with sensitive skin.

 

Without further ado, here are my favorites from 2012.

 

You've heard me say it before, Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash is my go-to cleanser.  Go-To sounds too weak for how this ranks in my life.  This baby wash is as important and as steady to me as the sun rising in the East and setting in West.  A day without it just cannot be!  It's cheap, it comes in huge quantities compared to regular cosmetics and skincare, and it removes everything off my face and eyelashes.  It doesn't contain soap so it's great for people with sensitive skin, too!

 

Jurlique is new to my life but I love it so much!  It smells so good, like flowers, herbs, and spices.  It's so earthy.  I love using this as a morning cleanser because I just slather 4 pumps of this onto my face, massage for about 3 minutes, and wipe off with a hot towel.  This is my favorite method of cleansing my face in the mornings.

The Sisley Emulsion is one of those lotions/moisturizers I love to use because it smells like the Jurlique cleanser, earthy and natural.  It hydrates well without leaving my skin greasy or dry afterwards.  Same for the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide moisturizer with SPF 15.  It goes on smooth, absorbs well, and is a good base for the rest of my morning routine.

Here are a mish mash of my other favorites.  The Einstein Lip Therapy works well if I use as directed.  I also love its cooling sensation.

Neosporin is a staple.  It's like the Johnson's baby wash.  It handles everything from cuts and scrapes to post acne scarring.  Same for the T&J Acne Cream but it has one up over the Neosporin - the T&J Acne Cream has the power to lighten or whiten skin temporarily!

I consider the Salma Hayek Nuance leave-in hair treatment to be my special discovery.  This has been the only thing that has been able to tame my hair after going through some serious color damage.  It makes me sad to say this but I used to have silky soft hair.  It's right now coarse, rough, dull, and straw-like after getting it colored last year. 

 

Here are my favorite makeup items.  First up is the UNII Palette.  I use it every day and it's my default travel makeup palette.  Since I depotted most of my makeup, I can just switch out my shadows, blushes, brow powder, etc., as I want and pack it in my carry on.  It has a nice big mirror too!

Inside the red UNII Palette are my default eyeshadows.  These are the depotted Stila Contouring Trio shadows that can be used to contour, highlight, and define.  The contour shade on the left actually shows up more orange on my cheeks, so I've found a better use for it as an eyeshadow.  The matte cream shade on top is the natural highlight, and the shimmery light taupe shade is a great all-over eyelid color.

And finally, my favorite high end palettes.  On the left is my first ever Lancome travel palette, purchased en route from Taiwan to Los Angeles in 2009.  Obviously, I tried and failed to depot the lipstick, which is why it looks like a crater in the palette.  The eyeshadows are among the most long-lasting eyeshadows I've ever tried and that's with and without eyelid primer.  The blush, however, is the star of the show.  It's such a beautiful mauve pink color and is just as long lasting as the eyeshadows.

Finally, the Dior palette!  I love the eyebrow wax/color in the palette.  It matches my skin and hair perfectly.  The reason I got it was because it matched most closely what my makeup artist used on my eyebrows for our engagement photo shoot.  The eyeliner is not as exciting because it smudges and isn't black enough.  Maybe I'll begin using it as an eyeshadow base this year.  The eyeshadows are really nice and long lasting.  This palette has come in really useful when Mr. P and carpool to work and I'm still putting on my face.  :-)

Thanks again to Gummy for tapping me to do this post and to everyone who stopped by!

Have a great day and year!

All I Want for Christmas & Holly Jolly Holiday Tag

Hi Everyone!  This is a bit late but this is a fun tag to do.  Thanks, Linh, for the tag!

All I Want For Christmas Tag

1.  What was the best present you received as a child?
A cute white purse with a flower design on the front.  My mom gave it to me at a time when our family couldn't really afford it.

2.  What's at the top of your wish list this year?
Mr. P and I really wished hard for a house!

3.  Do you have a funny Christmas tradition?
Actually, not really.  We had our Christmas tree stolen on Christmas Eve about 25 years ago and since then Christmas hasn't been a top priority in my family.  But Mr. P and I are trying to revive some semblance of a Christmas tradition right now!

4.  What are your 3 Christmas party beauty essentials?
Well, if I had attended a Christmas party, my three party essentials would be clear and glowing skin, a dark plumy purple eyeshadow with sparkles as an eyeliner, and malt/sangria colored lipstick.

5.  What's your favorite Christmas movie?
 Mr. P and I really enjoy watching the Christmas Day movie marathon of "A Christmas Story."

6.  Are you a giver or receiver?
I'm a giver!  I love receiving but I tend to go overboard with gifting and wrapping.  I'm always trying to find a way to wrap presents using the least amount of tape possible!

7.  Who will you be kissing under the mistletoe this year?
I kissed Mr. P and cuddled all our cats under our imaginary mistletoe.  :-)



Holly Jolly Holiday Tag

1.  Do you start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday or wait until the last minute?
My shopping season is between Black Friday and Christmas.  I don't usually go on Thanksgiving night to start Black Friday because Thanksgiving is sacred in my family.

2.  If you could be in any Christmas movie, what would it be?
I think I'd probably like to be in Home Alone! 

3.  Which do you like better: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve, hands down!  Christmas Day is nice but once Christmas Day has passed the Christmas season is officially over.

4.  When does your family put up your Christmas tree and who decorates it?
Well, my family hasn't had a Christmas tree in a long time, but Mr. P and I will be starting our own traditions next year!  So, I suppose Mr. P will put up the Christmas tree and we'll both decorate it in 2013!

5.  White lights or colored lights?
White lights!  They are so classic!

6.  Are you guilty of peeking at your presents or do you like the surprise?
I am a serial peeker!  I try and try to keep the surprise factor for as long as possible, but I just can't help it!

7.  Would you rather live in a gingerbread house or in Santa's Workshop?
Santa's Workshop!  The ultimate Christmas factory!

8.  Tell us you Christmas Eve traditions!
I think our family is transitioning to having a buffet meal together for Christmas Eve.

9.  If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone, who would it be?
Mr. P!!! 

10.  What tops your tree?
I'll tell you next year! 

11.  Can you name the 12 days of Christmas?
No, but I can sing the song. 

12.  Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?
Yes, at a retirement home when I was younger.  I didn't understand the significance when I was younger but I now do.

13.  Do you count down to Christmas?  If so, how may days are left?
T-355 days!!!

14.  What are some foods and treats you can count on having every holiday season?
Turkey with cranberry sauce!  Mashed potatoes and gravy!  These are some of my most favorite things.

15.  How has Christmas kept its magic for you as you've grown older?
I grew up without a strong sense of Christmas but Mr. P and I want to start a family and we really want our family to grow up with the best Christmas memories.  So, I guess preparing for the pitter patter of little kids is bringing back some Christmas magic for us!



Hope you all had a great New Year!  I hope I can revive this tag for next Christmas!