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!

 

Birthday and Perseids Meteor Shower

Has another year really come and gone?  

Last year, Mr. P and I went to Carpinteria for my birthday and saw the Milky Way Galaxy.  This year, we went to the desert to look at the Perseids meteor shower.

Did we see them?  Yes, sir!  Mr. P tallied the count to over 2 dozen.  Then he read that if we had gone higher up in elevation, we would have seen about 100/hour.  So, next year, if we're lucky enough, we're going to do the whole camping expedition and see 100/hour!

Of course, we also saw the fantastic Milky Way Galaxy again, which looked 15 times larger than the Milky Way Galaxy we saw last year.  I did take a picture...

....but wouldn't you know, iPhones just don't capture stars in an almost pitch black environment.  :-/

Regardless, I feel so blessed!

Oh, by the way, top picture is my birthday FOTD.  I do have NYX false lashes on, that don't show up too well under the monolids.  Hrmmm......

For foundation, I don't have anything on except that Garnier under-eye roller thing with a little bit of tint.  Check out my July Skincare Routine post for the exact product.  

The improved condition of my skin in is a result of the Ann Karen facials.  Seriously, I'm developing a dependency issue with Ann Karen Spa!

Did anyone else see the Perseids Meteor Shower?

Have a great one!

This Week's FOTD

Kate brown gold shadow on lid.  Tarte shadow on brown bone.  Wet 'n Wild shadow on lash line.

 Hi All!

I did this look sometime this week and liked it enough to take a picture.  I like neutral and mostly natural eyeshadow looks that just enhance what I have, not necessarily alter what I look like.

On lashes: CoverGirl Exact Eyelights & Fairydrops Scandal Queen masacaras

 So, in all my Battle Mascaras, I've found two mascaras that work really well for me.  They are the CoverGirl Exact Eyelights mascara, and the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus mascara.  In order to make the Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara work, I've been using CoverGirl mascara to hold the curl and then layering over it with Fairydrops.  Covergirl provides the curl holding power and volume, while Fairydrops provides length and additional volume.  All in all, I have to say that this is working out okay. 

 

Here's the final look.  Mr. P bought me the Clarisonic Mia2 a couple weeks ago and I've been using it about every other day.  The skin around the center of my face is so much more translucent, brighter, and smoother than before.  The acne scars and hyperpigmentation on my cheeks seem to be lessening.  However, my chin is very acne-active right now.  I've had a lot of cystic acne that develop into whiteheads there.  It seems to have lessened now, so my chin isn't so bumpy and painful anymore.  But this acne-active phase is not yet over!

Was this the purging phase I've seen other bloggers reference?  If you've used the Clarisonic Mia2, or any of it's predecessors, can you let me know if you've gone through a purging phase and how long did it last for you?

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!  Ready for the work week again?  :-P

February 2012 FOTD - Smokey Cranberry Plum ... ... maybe

Hi All!  Since my last video on easy neutral work-appropriate eyeshadow looks, I've had a hankering to change things up a little.  I'm too shy right now to venture into blues and am pretty comfortable staying in the reddish hued family.

So, I switched out my Coffret D'or 05 palette and slipped some Tarte Jewelry Box and WnW Lust shadows into my UNII palette and here is the look that changes things up just a little.

Above: Natural light, no flash. 

This look features more fruit.  A soft peach shimmery e/s for highlight, a blended out cranberry iridescent e/s for the lids, and a dark plum purple e/s for the liner.  The dark purple is a lot darker than the darkest shade from the Coffret D'or 05 palette and really adds some punch to the look.

I'm really loving this Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus mascara.  My lashes have visibility that they never - let me repeat, NEVER - had before.  They're so prominent that they hold up my monolids and presto!  I have double lids!
 

Above: florescent lighting, no flash

I dyed my hair this past weekend.  I haven't gotten used to it.  Every time I see myself in the mirror, two thoughts run through my head.

1.  I look younger and still more sophisticated.

2.  I could be a live Himura Kenshin!

Himura Kenshin from the anime Rurouni Kenshin

Above: florescent lighting, with flash

With flash, my face is a totally different color from my neck.  I knew in my head that SPF casts as a white hue on your skin when you have flash photography.  But I didn't know it was THAT extreme.  Ah well, I'm just going to work so all's well.

Have a good day!

Battle Mascara 6: Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus vs CoverGirl Exact Eyelights

I think this is my new favorite mascara!  It does everything CG Exact Eyelights does and does them better...except for the sparkles.

When I compare the overall effect of retaining lash curl throughout the day, both mascaras perform superbly well.  My lashes retain their curl throughout the entire day and even through evening workouts at the gym.  Smudging is at an absolute minimum.  I've been using the MM Lash Expander Frame Plus without using a primer and the raccooning at the end of the day is so faint that I'm not bothered by it at all. 

Regarding the overall effects of making my lashes visible from a comparable distance through volume and length, I have to give a lot of points to Lash Expander Frame Plus.  The formula has these little hair fibers in it that stick to your lashes and add volume and length.  It doesn't matter if the hair fibers go on straight or not when you apply it with the flat side of the wand because the fibers straighten out when you comb through your lashes with the curvy side of the wand.

However, because the wand is so uniquely shaped, I feel that the propensity toward clumping is a lot greater with Lash Expander Frame Plus.  When I compare how Exact Eyelights performs with regards to clumping, I feel that CG wand performs a lot better to keep my lashes separated.

Finally, with regards to removing mascaras at the end of the night, you should know that I do not use waterproof eye makeup remover!  I use my all time go-to makeup remover and face cleanser, Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash.  CG Exact Eyelights leaves my lashes crisp and crunchy, like old-fashioned hairspray.  MM Lash Expander Frame Plus doesn't make my lashes as crunchy.  But both are demmed hard to remove!  Essentially, I wash my face 3 times and rub my lashes with J's baby wash each of the 3 times to remove the mascaras.  My hypothesis is that if the mascara is so hard to remove, then it's going to stay put and not smudge all day long. :)

Here are some close up pictures of my lashes.

My lashes are naturally short and not helped by my thicker monolids.  However, I'm converting my thought patterns that it IS possible for my lashes to be visible!  It IS possible for my lashes to look not just good, but REALLY good!  :-D

Here's a FOTD to finish off this post. 

This is what the actual eyeshadow looks like.

That's it!  Hope you all have a great weekend!

FOTD: December 1st Stila

Hi All! Here is a fotd that I'm enjoying today. Its suptle and work appropriate. The 3 e/s shades I used are gradient, which I learned from Sue Lynn.
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Mr. P bought me this Stila palette from Costco for under $20! The shades seem to be the size of dimes or pennies. I'm totally geeking out about this palette!
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Food for thought: This would make someone a pretty great Christmas present. For $20, you could be the person to inspire someone else's passion for makeup! If you live close to a Costco, check it out! :D
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Have a great day, chicas! ;)

FOTD: November Serenity

 

Halo!  I have to say that despite the pain Proactiv is putting me through, something is working!  I do have a lot less of whatever I have: acne, hyperpigmentation, and face fat.  Read about face fat in my Fitness page.

I was getting ready for work this morning and ended up liking this look I did.  It's my version of a smokey eye for monolids.  I didn't curl my lashes (too lazy) but it still ended up looking nice.  I have to say that I'm really thrilled my skin seems so pale right now!  I'm sure it's not the Missha because that is only slightly darker than my natural skin tone.  So, maybe what I'm using after the Proactiv is also working!  Imagine that!

Okay, well, I won't drone on and on about what I'm using.  I'll save that for the reviews.  I will, however, show you what I used for this look!

Tadaaaaa!

 

Face: Missha & ELF

Blush and highlight: Lancome Glamour on the Go palette and Milani Runway Eyes palette

Eyes and brows: specified items in the white UNII palette

Lips: specified items in the red UNII palette

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Hand-made Soaps & FOTD

I picked up a new hobby recently and have quickly fallen in love with it!  Soap-making is a great avenue for me to explore my dormant creativity as well as trying to make a soap that is good for my skin.  Here are samples of the soaps I've made so far.

The green soaps above are the first soaps I made.  I used a rubber stamp to create designs on the soap.  The exfoliating herbal vanilla soap has apricot seed powder in it for light exfoliation.  The moisturizing herbal soap is made with olive oil to keep the skin soft and smooth.

The coffee soaps above are hand-milled (but I don't think I hand-milled them correctly).  In addition to coffee grounds, I added some jojoba oil for moisture.  This coffee soap is good in the shower and in the kitchen.  The coffee grounds are great with exfoliating rough areas like knees, elbows, and heels.  In the kitchen, the coffee aroma completely eradicate any scent, especially raw meat smells from under the fingernails.  *lol, sounds gross but I love cooking!*

These are my best soaps to date.  I gave one to Mr. P's mom this weekend.  The soaps above are unique because the pink flower portion is rose scented.  The green soap base is jasmine scented.  I have added rose petals throughout the soap for aesthetic purposes.  It also seems sexy to me to have rose petals on my skin.  A "True Lies" moment.  ^_^

Here's a quick FOTD.  I did a simple wash of shimmery brown shadow on my upper eye lids, mascara'd up my eyes, and kept everything else minimal.  It's good to let the skin breathe every now and then.  Mr. P was busy answering a work email on the weekend.  Suck a workaholic!  *I still love him though!*

Does anyone else have a cool hobby?

Date with Mr. P in Little Tokyo!!

Now that Spring is here, I've been in the mood to experiment with brighter colors like oranges, pinks, and greens.  And there is no better time to experiment than on dates with Mr. P.  **hehehehe!**  So, today we took the train to Little Tokyo in Downtown for some ramen and shopping.  I used my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends blush on my cheeks and eyes to achieve a peachy pink and orange eye look.  I lined my eyes with dark gray shadow with green sparkles. 


FOTD for my date with Mr. P!

We had ramen in Little Tokyo then walked to Fashion District.  We passed by this store that sold some NYX products and when I saw the prices my heart JUMPED. FOR. JOY.  NYX jumbo eye shadow liners for $2.00 each!!!!  False eyelashes for $2 - $3!  And mascaras for less than $7 - $8! 

Mr. P bought these for me for $13 total!!!

This store also had some really dramatic lashes with feathers and neon colors.  I told Mr. P that maybe those lashes would be better for Halloween.  :-)  The common theme, of course, was that everything was super affordable. 
I'm trying on my my 118 lashes right now.  The only thing Mr. P and I can say right now is, "Wow... It's different!"  Mr. P took pictures of me wearing the falsies.



Was not able to successfully bind my real lashes to the false lashes.



A little glue is showing, but that's okay.  This is my first time.  :-)

 

Not bad for my first attempt at wearing falsies.  Many thanks to my favorite Youtube gurus for showing me how to apply falsies, and many many thanks to Sue Lynn for this video that I remembered all year long!

Makeup for Breakup / Inspired by Queenie Chan

For anyone who has felt the misery of a failed relationship, watch Queenie's video.  The purpose of looking good after a breakup is to feel good about yourself.

The look I did is not inspired by the colors Queenie used, but rather the concept of feeling good about myself.  I don't need makeup to feel good about myself.  However, having the power to change how I can look does give me satisfaction.

2011 New Year's Look / Mr. P visiting me in December 2010

Wow!  I can't believe that only last week, Mr. P and I were in Texas and Louisiana!  We did the nearly impossible and were able to spend January 1st in Louisiana with his sister, brother-in-law, and mom, and in Texas with my mom, dad, and brother.

I know this post is a bit late but I've been too tired to update (try spending 33 hours on the road in a span of 4 days), and I got sick within the first week of 2011.  Anyways, here's the look I sported for the whole adventure, including the day I picked Mr. P up from the airport.  What a sight for sore eyes, I might add! :)

CL2425's Nana inspired eyes / Lancome Glamour on the Go

...mmmm...  The formatting for this blog is totally off.  I dunno how to fix it!  

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to dress up my monolid eyes.  My eyes are such that I often think lining the upper lash line, or tight lining, or mascara is futile at best.  Sometimes, I trick myself into believing there is a difference.  :-P

Happy Halloween 2010

Just for fun!  Hope this Halloween finds everyone well, safe, and happy!

Kusanagi

Rediscovering Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream

With SPF 42 PA+++ in No. 23.

Isn't this picture amazing?  This is me at 7:55am.  The morning light gives me a soft focus glow, huh?  I've been getting a lot of breakouts both in the forms of blackheads and cystic acne.  I've been trying out several base makeup combinations to get the best coverage to prepare for the convention coming up.  

I don't like my MAC foundation too much because it's too yellow for my taste.  I've been diluting it with my moisturizer, but I think that dilutes it too much and the coverage is so sheer it doesn't do anything for my dark spots and sun/age spots.  Desperate, I picked up some oldies, like my bareMinerals foundation.  By itself it is an okay product with decent coverage.  For dark spots I find myself grabbing a smaller synthetic brush for spot concealing.

So today, I grabbed the Missha bb cream, got a healthy pump of product and blended it into my face, avoiding my nose area except for a very light application.  The product looks a little dark on my skin, but it blended into my skin so well it fair disappeared!  However, it provided some coverage to make my dark spots less garish.  I topped it off with bareMinerals foundation in Fairly Light.

Face: Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream, bareMinerals mineral foundation in fairly light

Blush: Neutrogena healthy skin blends sheer highlighting blush in healthy 26

Lips: Revlon Moisturestay Lipcolor in Malt 61

No eye makeups still because I'm trying to clear this eye infection.

Kusanagi

Kate Contrasting Eyes / Visiting Mr. P's sister in October

This is an FOTD and demonstration of blue eyeshadow on my skin.  I've never believed I could pull off a blue eyeshadow, but this is actually better than okay.  I'm please to note that I don't look like I've been punched in the eye.  Hahaha!

This is the final look, plus hair all done.  Apparently, I underestimated the 300+ mile drive to Mr. P's sister because I didn't feel as fresh I look in this picture.  

Majolica Majorca Majolook / Visiting Mr. P in April

I wore this look to see Mr. P in April.