News Update

Please be aware that I do post weekly, whether it's 3-4 times a week or not, I do post. It's just for convenience sake that I move my blog sale up to the top/latest news on my blog so it'll be easily found. Anyways, enjoy!

ps: remember to follow me! ;)

pss: I've added a page on the right side bar, titled "Feedback". It's dedicated for buyer's confidence on my blog sales.

xoxo

Michelle

Blog Sale!!!

It's official. i'm holding my very first blog sale!!

first off, i want to explain and make things easy to deal with... this is gonna be the process... if you see something you want, just comment below on what it is that you want. i cannot hold any of these goodies for anyone, so if you want something, message me and i'll give you the total cost and send me money through paypal marked as 'gift'.. and once i receive your payment, i'll ship it right away.. and whether you want DC (delivery confirmation) that is up to you.. mind you i ship with canadapost... so DC means i'll give you a tracking number after i ship your item to you.. i know canada has a shitty shipping pricing but what can i do? and in terms of whether i'll ship internationally? yes! i def do! ;)

anyways, for further details just msg me =) i can send you more pictures

1. Shiseido B2 Rosy Beige Blush - never used ($14 USD)

2. Shiseido Hydro-Powder Eye Shadow in Bare Pink H8 - never used ($15 USD)

3. Shiseido The Makeup Lip Gloss in G26 Peach Melba - never used ($8 USD)

4. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Yeyo - never used ($10 USD)

5. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Asphyxia - never used ($10 USD)

6. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Shag - never used ($10 USD)

7. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Shattered - never used ($10 USD)

8. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Baked - never used ($10 USD)

9. Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eye Shadow in Graffiti - never used ($10 USD)

10. Estee Lauder Long Lasting Lipstick in Pink Parfait - never used but I smudged it a little when I closed the cap ($5 USD)

11. NARS Lipstick in Sexual Healing - never used ($15 USD)

12. Shiseido The Makeup Distinguish Mascara in black - never used ($8 USD)

13. Shiseido The Makeup Volume Mascara in black - never used ($8 USD)

14. Shiseido The Makeup Automatic Lip Crayon in LC5 - never used ($8 USD)

15. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine - never used ($12 USD)

16. NARS Coffret Plein Ete set with colours: Copacabana, Orgasm, South Beach - never used ($35 USD)

17. Shiseido The Makeup Eyelash Curler with 1 replacement pad - never used ($12 USD)

18. NARS Balanced Foundation in Budapest Balanced - never used ($20 USD)

19. MAC Limited Edition Viva Glam Lady Gaga Lipstick - never used ($20 USD)

20. MAC Limited Edition Viva Glam Cyndi Lauper Lipstick - never used ($20 USD)

Argan Oils

I went to Grand Treasure today, which is a haircare store that sells hair products and a few beauty products.  I've been straightening my hair lately, so I thought I'd try argan oil.  I bought 2 different brands, sample-sized argan oils to see how well they work.  Youtube beauty gurus have been raving about argan oils and so I thought why not give them a try.  Anyways, I just bought them today and I'll give them a try tomorrow, since I'm not washing my hair today.

Review: Jamieson Provitamina A

When I first bought this product, I was specifically looking for vitamin a cream because I heard and read up some research papers that vit a has the effect of reducing aging.  Now here's my thought:

First, the price. I bought it at my local Shoppers Drug Mart - which is widely accessible drug store in Canada. It cost me $9.99 without tax while it was on sale, as it normally retails for $17.99.  They have these sales pretty often, so you just have to wait and hunt for one.

Second, the packaging.  I threw out the box already since I bought it back in Feb 2010.  But in terms of the plastic container, as you can see, it's cracked. =( But don't worry, it's actually a container within a container that holds the cream.  I have no idea how it cracked because I have never dropped it, nor have I put it in a place where there's great pressure.  Basically, the packaging sucked.  =(

Third, the consistency and texture of the cream.  It's a liquidy lotion.  Easy to apply so you can effortlessly spread it on your skin.  Also, it's non-greasy.

Fourth, the outcome after application. Well it's a night cream. so I apply it after showering when my skin and pores are open, allowing the product to be better absorbed.  The next morning, I'd wake up to a feeling of fresh and soft skin.  The effects are pretty obvious, I could feel the difference and its effects after the first use.  It has never made me breakout.  Then again, I was a fortunate teenager: during my puberty years I've never had severe acne issues.  This product does do what it claims: improves skin texture.  But in terms of reversing or preventing signs of aging - I wouldn't know because it's nearly impossible to tell the difference.  =\  I'm 21 and wrinkle lines have yet to appear on my skin so it's not impossible for me to say this claim holds true.

Product: Jamieson ProVitamina A Retinol Renewal Night Cream - for all skin types

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:

- it does make my skin feel softer and fresh

- lightweight product

- non-greasy

- never made me breakout

- no animal testing =)

Cons:

- plastic packaging cracked

Review: Cargo Bronzer in Light

My very first bronzer... I bought this more than a year ago for $26 CAD at my local Sephora store so I've used this both in summer and winter.. I usually contour my cheeks and it gives me a natural look.

As you can see, it's a shimmery bronzer - which is something I'm not too fond of... the packaging states that it is water-resistant and I find that true... Once applied, the bronzer stays on for at least 6 hours, even during the summer - give or take an hour or so... This bronzer feels light, blendable and build-able.

Product: Cargo Water Resistant Bronzer - Light

Rating: 3 / 5

Pros:

- feels light

- build-able

- looks natural on my skin tone

- lasts for day-time wear

- water resistant

Cons:

- too shimmery

Review: Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera 14

I bought this product for $33 CAD at my local Sephora store more than 6 months ago and have been using it on and off since.  It's a light pink colour, acts like a cream blush and lip product.  Maybe it's my personal preference but after this experience, I prefer not to use cream blushes, mainly because I don't like the sticky sensation on my cheeks. It's not a great colour on my lips, so I really don't have a choice but use it as a blush.




Product: Stila Convertible color in Gerbera 14
Rating: 2 / 5

Pros:
- great colour payoff
- a little can go a long way
- easy application
- can use this as a blush base and then use a powder blush to set your blush

Cons:
- needs to be reapplied on cheek after 1-2 hrs
- sticky sensation

Review: Marcelle Gentle Foaming Wash + Shiseido Cleansing Massage Brush

I've been using this facial wash for the past 6 months with the Shiseido cleansing massage brush.  I bought it for $10.99 at Fortinos, in the cosmetics aisle, because I ran out of facial wash back and I lived on university campus.  It was near my exam time so I picked this up as I was grocery shopping.  The package claims the facial wash gently removes make-up and impurities without disturbing the skin's natural moisture balance. It has a gel consistency. Like the name of this facial wash, I expected it to create some sort of foam but it doesn't.  It doesn't remove makeup that well.  I find it's best used with the cleansing massage brush as opposed to fingers - especially eye makeup.  After using this foaming wash, I do feel a slight tightness on my skin, meaning it does clean the impurities off my face and "leaves a wonderful sensation of freshness".   I also do feel some sort of "softness" on my skin.

The second thing I'm going to review is the Shiseido Cleansing Massage Brush. Shiseido actually doesn't sell the exact same-looking brush.  The one I have was a 'gift with purchase' product.  I actually found it in my mom's drawer.  She hasn't used for decades but it's a pretty good applicator. T hey sell a different version of it now.  Much like an exfoliator, it takes off much of the makeup and dirt from my face. The clear, serum-like gel is the Marcelle Gentle Foaming Wash product.

Product: Marcelle Gentle Foaming Wash
Rating: 3 / 5

Pros:
- takes off most of my face makeup
- softens my skin after each wash

Cons:
- doesn't remove eye makeup that well

Product: Shiseido Cleansing Massage Brush
Rating: 4/5

Pros:
- removes eye and face makeup really well
- the bristles are soft to the touch, so not too scratchy

Cons:
- the brush must not be pressed right against the cheeks or face to get the proper effect

Review: MAC Penultimate Eye Liner

I bought this eye liner about a year ago because I was looking for a good felt tip black eye liner. After a few uses, I noticed and understood why this penultimate eye liner was never a popular eyeliner.


Product: MAC Penultimate eye liner in Rapidblack
Rating: 2 / 5

Pros:
- Easy to use

Cons:
- The black liquid doesn't come out as black, as if it's been diluted, so it turns out looking gray
- Due to my oily eye lids, the ink fades pretty fast and has a horrible staying power
- It says on the box that the best way to apply the product is to store it on its side, but honestly doing that doesn't soak the felt tip with the ink - so not much of the product comes out. I ended up storing it by pointing the tip down with the cap on.

Left - 1 stroke
Right - 2 strokes

Makeup Sales

As I said before, I started really looking into makeup since last year.  It was the time when there was the hype about makeup gurus on Youtube.  So me, being the sucker I am, got sucked into this hype and eventually got addicted to shopping for makeup.

A month or so back, my friends and I went to these makeup warehouse sales. Me being me, I just could not resist spending money on makeup =( . This also means some big damage to my wallet =| . So look out for some blog sale sooon!!

Here's what I bought from the last Shiseido sale:
Lipsticks:

Left to right: P13 red cool, SL5 rouge irise, P21 Praline, 4

Skincare + Lip products + blush + foundation + shampoo/conditioner + eyelash curler:

Joico set + NARS makeup sets + NARS bronzer + Shiseido Skincare 1-2-3:

Last Friday, I went to the MAC sale and got some great deal goodies. =) It was actually my first time going to the MAC sale.  My friend and I started lining up an hour before the sale opened. I heard some people started lining up at 4AM - crazy, I know.

Here's what I got at the MAC sale:

Top - Left to right: Splendid, Coral 08, Varneesh
Bottom: Crosswires, Way to Love, Marquise D'

Here's my makeup collection for my eyes:

Convocation

So I had my convocation on this past Tuesday (June 8). Geez, we left our house at 10AM but the actual convocation started at 2:30PM.  The ceremony was 2.5 hours long and it was such a boring event.  I thought I would be excited to go to my convocation, but honestly, I wasn't.  It was kind of like "meh" whatever, just a stepping stone in my life.  I cared more for my high school graduation than my undergrad convocation.
Anyways, on the morning of my convocation, I went onto youtube and randomly chose a graduation makeup look. So here it is:

  
Here's a close up one:On special occasions, I tend to go for a more natural and neutral look. I put on a neutral/nude colour lipstick to draw more attention to my eyes.

I received some beautiful roses at my convocation:

I'm a newbie

Hey everyone, thanks for dropping by Michelle's Goodies page! I'm a newbie and I've never made a blog before. I don't exactly know how I'll be structuring my blog but I have a few ideas. And to start off, here's a little about myself. I've had an interest in makeup since last year 2009, after watching the many youtube guru channels. It was then that I thought every girl should learn a little more about makeup. I started my makeup collection by shopping for drugstore brands - Cover Girl, Annabelle, Maybelline, NYX, Quo and Revlon. Then as I got more familiar with the cosmetics, I started buying some higher end makeup - Smashbox, MAC, Shiseido, Estee Lauder, NARS, Cle De Peau, Cargo, Urban Decay, and Amazing Cosmetics.