Thailand Travels: Beauty Edition

After all the traveling I did in 2010 I like to think that I've mastered the art of traveling light.  It could also be considered the art of subsistence living, beauty-wise.

The above picture details what I brought with me on my Taiwan/Thailand trip minus the makeup brushes and 1 Clinique foaming cream cleanser and my Missha bb cream.  That Clinique cleanser got accidentally left behind in Taiwan.  It's okay.  I wasn't too impressed with the cleanser because it made my face feel sticky (like how it feels when you touch your semi-oily face in the middle of the day) after washing.  I know it didn't strip the oils from my face, which I would have appreciated in the winter, but for Taiwan and Thailand?  Capitals of HOT and HUMID?  It just wasn't working out.  I didn't even use it all that much.  I just did the wash cloth in hot water and wiped.  :-P

So, in a nutshell, the makeup ended up in one of my UNII palettes which was awesome because I could touchup on the train, plane, and bus without having to bring my entire bathroom sink counter.  The skincare items were tried and true products and perfect for the hot and humid climates.  I used the Clinique moisture surge line for eye gel and moisturizer.  I also used a Clinique eye cream with SPF for day time, and the Aveeno sun block (packed into my contact lens case).  I should have put some of that Aveeno on my feet because I have a funny ballet shoe tan.  =_=

I forgot to get my Missha bb cream out (it's the same one in my Swatchfest for face post) but I ended up using it half the time.  Seriously, the weather in Thailand and Taiwan was just anti-makeup.  Everything melted off my face by breakfast time.  But it's okay.  I had fun with my family and I think that more than makes up for the inconvenience of a couple of visible acne scars.  Haha!

I've dedicated a page to my Thailand Vacation, which you can get to through the pages tab above or by clicking this entire sentence.  ^_-

Thanks for reading!  ^_^

China Airlines Beauty Collection

 

Here is my China Airlines beauty collection!  Let me just say that I am a loyal China Airlines flyer.  Yes.  I'm aware of their history, but what can I say?  I've always flown China Airlines when traveling to and through Asia.  :-)  Also, it doesn't hurt that China Airlines has a really good catalog of in-flight, duty free products.

I bought a couple of luxurious goods.  This isn't going to be a review post because I haven't opened any except one, and the one I opened I haven't used that long.

Now......   BEHOLD!!!!!!!

 

 

 

I guess packaging makes all the difference.  They're both 30ml.

 

This is the palette I always wanted because it has everything!  I'm wondering if I shouldn't host a blog giveaway with this as the main prize...?

  

Ahaha!  I love going back to Taiwan to visit my family.  I can't wait until Mr. P can come with me.  ^_^  Look at the cute paper cup we used in Taiwan.  It's so smart because it's 1-2 time use, is really thin and easy to recycle or decompose, and you can fit so many more cups in the cup dispenser than you can with the structured cups we see here in America.

Cute paper cups from the water fountain and Kaohsiung Int'l Airport.

Whoa!  What a grip!

My brother filled my water cup / pouch thingy for me.

Soooo.... yeah.  I'm still wondering if I should host a blog giveaway for the Lancome travel palette.  It's really one of the most perfect palettes I've ever seen because it has everything!  The product detail says it has:

• 1 mini lip contour pencil in Rose The
• 1 mini black khol pencil
• 1 powder blusher in Rose Sable 02
• 1 compact powder in Translucide 01
• 1 concealer in Beige Clair 02
• 3 ombre absolue powder eye shadows in White Duo G01, Dark Purple Quad A10, and Mono A10
• 2 color focus powder eye shadows in Mauve Quad N4 and Gris Acier
• 1 color design powder eye shadow in #501
• 1 color fever shine in #306
• 1 color fever in #312
• 1 l'absolue rouge in #354
• 1 free mini virtuose black mascara

I should have bought 2 so I can try one for myself.  Ahhhh, well.  This is how the cookie crumbles I guess.  I'm still deciding if I want to do this giveaway, but I'm down to hear your thoughts.  Feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts and suggestions.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to follow me, either.  *wink, wink!*

Thanks for reading and I promise to do a review on the Lancome Blanc Expert a little later.

Durango's Restaurant: Authentic Mexican Food

Outside the restaurant.  It's modest exterior hides a bold interior.  haha

Easy access information right here.  :-)

Chips and 2 types of salsa.  I think one is Pico de Gallo salsa and the other is a chipotle mole type salsa.

My carne asada quesadilla!!!

Mr. P's asada enchilada plate.  Look at that enchilada sauce!  Mr. P inhaled his food so fast!

This weekend Mr. P and I stopped by this Mexican restaurant on our way to visit friends in Murrieta.  I've been craving some Mexican food out here in Rowland Hts., but wanted good quality Mexican food like the food at El Atacor Taqueria up in Los Angeles.  I am so glad we stopped here. 

Welcome, Durango's Restaurant!

Really, the food is well seasoned and flavored.  What I like from my dish is that this is GOOD Mexican food.  It's not overly greasy like Mexican fastfood, and they used real beef steak for the meat, not the ground up meats. 

Also, I really liked the variety of meats and preparation styles for each food type that was on their menu.  I like to think it's a sign of their authenticy, like they wanted to show you what real Mexico was like beyond the usual chicken, pork, and beef.

We also had a really good waiter.  Yeahhh.... we did wait a little long for the food, but it was soooo worth it.  Our waiter was also really nice and gave us extra chips and salsa and refilled our drinks when he came to check up on us and keep us posted on our food.

If you're in the La Puente, see if you can stop by. 

Battle Mascara 4: CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Mascara vs. All Others

Hi All!  So, let me first preface this by the following:  Results depend on environment as much as they depend on your own genetic chemistry. :-)

Okay on to Battle Mascara 4! 

CG Exact Eyelights Mascara (I used waterproof)

This mascara has sparkles in it.  When it dries turns crunchy, which maybe dries out my lashes

 So, my score card shows CG Exact Eyelights is a great mascara.  It lasts the whole day and doesn't make me look scary by the end of it...in America.  I took this with me to Taiwan and Thailand.  I just gave up using it in Asia because the heat and humidity, mixed with my oils and sweat, broke it down fast.

I like that this mascara has sparkles in it.  Granted, I don't think people can really see them on my lashes, but I can and that's what matters. ;-)

I used two types (non-oily and oily) eye makeup removers to take this off because this is strong enough to stand up to the Johnson's Head to Toe Baby Wash that I use for my face.  Let me just conclude that you need the oily type to remove this mascara.

Here are a couple shots of my eyelashes with the CG Exact Eyelights wp mascara.  You can see the sparkles in some of them.  I really love they way it holds the curl!!  And side note: my left lashes are longer than my right lashes, it's not the mascara's fault!  haha.
 

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Swatch Fest 05: Stila Lip Glazes

Hi All!

So, I've had these Stila Lip Glazes since the beginning of 2011 and am finally getting around to opening, swatching, and using them.  The reason for the delay was that I wanted to go through the Tarte lip glosses first (however futile that endeavor may be). 

Maybe I should make it clear that I don't have a huge collection of skincare and makeup stuffs, nor do I want one!  It's pointless to me to have items just sitting around unused (especially in a recession!), you know?  However, I did just go on a spending spree last month and have managed to amass quite a bit of this-and-thats.

Digression aside, the swatches I did of the Stila Lip Glazes are about as true to life as I can get them.  I tried taking pictures in artificial and natural light.  Let me just preface that I cherish everything that Mr. P gives me; however, the Stila Lip Glazes are not my most favorite lip products to date.  I enjoy the shine, the sheer color, the scents, the variety, and am okay with the stickiness of the glosses.  However, I do not enjoy the tube/brush twist-and-click form because it makes me feel like I really need a mirror for precise application.

Anyways, please be prepared to be bombarded by up-close pics of my Stila-fied lips.  :-P

Mr. P bought this at Costco back in Jan/Feb 2011.  Cost: $30-ish USD.

Colors: Apricot, Grapefruit, Kitten, Merry merry, Guava, Seashell, Majesty

It's okay.  I like Apricot more than Grapefruit.

It's okay.

I like Kitten's golden glow.  For me, I think Kitten will be more appropriate for summer and autumn.

In romance novels, the heroine achieves a beautiful flush just as she's about to be seduced by the hero.  Beware, ladies!  I think Merry Merry mimics said flush quite well!

This is like Kitten but with more peachy/pink hues to it.  Looks totally natural and beautiful!

Majesty and Merry Merry are quite similar with the heroine's flush look.  But I think I like the way Majesty wears a little more.  Looks luscious!

Seashell is like Apricot and Guava.  Not that bad!

I think you can't go wrong with any of Stila's Lip Glazes.  They are versatile enough to be worn alone or over lipstick.  They're a bit on the sticky side for me, which I'm not really crazy about, but the upside is that they last a long time!  These aren't super moisturizing, but they'll do in a flash.

Thanks for reading!