Makeup look #2: Natural-looking

This is a natural look using just one simple dark-coloured eyeshadow and no foundation, just concealer.  A perfect look if you don't feel like putting a lot of makeup on your face.  It's light coverage.  It's convenient and efficient makeup look that you can apply and rush out the doors.

First, I applied a oil-free moisturizer and sun screen.  Then applied a small amount (less than dime-sized) of Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer.  And because I don't use foundation, I used my Amazing Concealer to cover my dark circles and the redness around my nose.  And with my MAC Natural Skinfinish pressed powder, I dust a bit on my face.

Today, I primed my eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion and applied a dark gray eye shadow, MAC Apres-Ski.

 

I've basically dabbed my blending brush into the eye shadow and starting from the outer corner of my eye and slowly blended inwards. 

Then using my Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes black eyeliner and my liner brush, I lined my upper eyelid with a cat eye.

I used my Shu Uemura eyelash curler to curl my eyelashes.

This is optional whether you want to use mascara or not.  But today, I used Maybelline's waterproof mascara.

For a final touch, I applied a pinkish nude lipgloss by Smashbox in Pixel.  And here is my final look.

There is nothing dramatic going on at the eyes.  Everything looks natural.  You're not going for perfect-looking skin.  I tend not to fill in my eyebrows, I don't feel the need.  Besides occasional touch-ups at the eyebrows, I like leaving them alone.

Lightning and Thunder

Photo credit: google.ca

I was just woken up by a very loud thunder and now having trouble falling back asleep.  It's actually pretty scary.  Maybe I'm just imagining it but when it thundered, I felt a little shake.  Seems like God is really angry with us. =\

Weird, as I'm typing this in my dark room, I see the lightning flashing outside my window.  Weird.  It's like my window is my computer monitor, blinking at me.

Review: Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil

I bought this Bobbi Brown cleansing oil from the MAC warehouse sale.  This is the first time I've used cleansing oil to remove my makeup and I find that it works really well.  I've read some reviews that compared the MAC cleansing oil with the Bobbi Brown cleansing oil.  Some say that their effectiveness are about the same.  But I bought the Bobbi Brown over the MAC because the BB one had more product.  Anyways, I've used it like 5x so far and it leaves my face feeling really soft.  How do you use it? Well I take 2-3 pumps on my palm, lightly rub it all over my face for a good 20 seconds or so then rinse it off with water.  Once the oil comes into contact with water, it changes into a milky white solution - an interesting transformation.
The packaging box states this product wipes off non-waterproof makeup.  I use waterproof mascara and I find it may take a few more seconds to wipe off non-waterproof mascara but it works.  I haven't experienced any irritating problems.

Product: Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil
Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:
- Effectively cleans off makeup easily
- Leaves skin soft
- Doesn't leave skin with greasy feeling or even during the application
- Doesn't break me out

Cons:
- Not time-efficient when it comes to rubbing off waterproof makeup

Urban Decay Primer Potion depotted

Last time I used my UDPP, I noticed I wasn't getting much out of the bottle.  So I decided to depot it after watching a Youtube tutorial on how to depot your UDPP.  And shown below is the picture of what I got out of my UDPP bottle.  I'm just amazed.

Canadapost printed shipping labels via Paypal

Ok, so 2 days ago, I sold something to a girl in Malaysia and she gifted her payment to me.  After that whole incident with the rude CanadaPost woman, I decided to find a way to print a shipping label from home.  PP has this link with CanadaPost such that you have to send someone an invoice, receive the payment, and THEN print a shipping label.  PP users were never provided the service to be able to print a shipping label directly from PP.  =(  But luckily, I figured it out.

This is for those of you who use PayPal and hold their blog sales and want to skip the PayPal fees.  Just log into your PP account in one browser or tab, open a new tab and enter in this website: https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now and you should be able to create and print a shipping label.  I just played around with the web address and figured this out.  =) Now I don't have to stop by the PO and deal with the rude woman, I can just drop my packages off and give her the dirty glare.

Note: this works for CanadaPost postal service.  I have no idea if it works or how it works for US postal service.

Pissed off day #2

Ugh!  I'm USUALLY not b*tchy whatsoever.  I mean to strangers, I'm quiet and polite.  But today or rather just minutes ago, I was at the post office dropping off 3 packages to get them shipped off internationally.  I pre-paid for 2 already and just need to pay for one of them.  So I see this cranky, old, past middle-aged woman who I saw working yesterday at the post office, she was impolite and rude yesterday but worst today.  I was shipping a package to Malaysia and my buyer just gave me her full address in which I don't even know what part of the address is the city and what's the street name, so I thought.. Well ok, I'll just pay for the postage at the post office.  I was expecting some sort of slip I have to write on and stick it on the package to ship it off, but apparently I don't.  Well I'm only experienced with pre-paid shipping, so I'll just blame myself for my ignorance.  So I was holding a piece of line paper with the printed address on there.  This piece of paper was uncut A4 paper - since I wasn't expecting to stick it on.  I told her I needed to pay for the one package I have left and I need it shipped off to Malaysia.  She saw that there was no label on there and took my sheet and she gives me this attitude and said to me (in these exact words) "Well you're lucky there's no line behind you".  Her tone of voice just disgusted me.  Then she starts cutting the address out and sticking it on the package.  So whatever, I'm forgiving, I just ignored that part - for most people, I think they would have slapped her face and left.  Anyways, I asked her to send the unpaid package as a Light Packet.  But did she do it? No.  Why? I have no idea, because I have measured the exact measurements of the package to be able to ship it off as a Light Packet (the cheapest method of international shipping).  She just blew me off with a "No, it has to be a Small Packet."  So then I was just pissed off at this point, I just walked off with my package.  Now I just wish I've asked to see her superior.  I mean with this sort of customer service, I think she deserves to be fired.  Especially in this disastrous economy.  This is NOT the first time I've dealt with her and EVERY TIME, she's been this rude.  Sometimes, some people just need to learn their lesson the hard way.  I seriously hate dealing with rude people, especially when THEY are the ones providing service and are getting paid to do their job.

Today is just NOT my day!

Ok, can things go anymore wrong today? So I sold this old Hello Kitty camera, that I had for the longest time, on eBay.  This lady from a city within Ontario bid and won.  I waited a little more than 24 hours and she finally paid.  She paid at a time that was nearly 5PM -- the time the mailman comes by the PO to pick up the mail.  So I had to hurried, packed it up, checked on PayPal to see if the address was confirmed, printed the Shipping Label and drove over to Shoppers Drug Mart to drop off the package.  Everything sounds great right? Well then, I came home and find a message from her that tells me to ship it to another place.  Umm... I'm like WTF??!? For one, I was panicking at that moment - don't ask me why, it's not even my fault.  And two, she's telling me to ship her package to an address that wasn't confirmed by PayPal so how am I insured that the package will hand at her door or whether she'll be honest that the package arrives in her hands? Apparently that address on her PayPal records is where she used to work and it's out of her way to drive there.  Umm, is that my problem? Is it not HER problem that she didn't change her addy? So then she threatens to file a dispute with me.  Well, I don't really see what I've done wrong.  So she tells me she's had things mailed to her current addy that is NOT confirmed through PayPal and/or eBay.  Then again, how am I suppose to verify that? So yeah, she seemed pretty shady.  Like what if I DID ship it to the unconfirmed addy and she files a dispute against me anyways? And if my "kindness" to help her out will get myself in trouble, is it worth it?  Hell no, I'm not going to risk that. 

MAC warehouse sale haul

Here's my haul from the MAC warehouse sale.  And yes, this here seems very little, but everything came up to be $251.99 (tax included).  Unfortunately, I bought an extra pigment in Tan.  I forgot I had that already.  So if you're reading my blog and want a MAC pigment in the colour Tan, leave me a comment below. (SOLD)  =)  Anyways, I bought two tubes of MAC Skin Refining Zone Treatment and being so careless, I didn't check if there was any product in the tube. When I got back home, I was looking through the stuff I bought and yes, one of the tubes was COMPLETELY empty! Ugh!!! And yes, I feel like shaaat now.  Especially when they have a no exchange / refund policy.

This was my haul from Friday, Sep 10th.  And luckily, a friend of a friend had extra tickets for the Sunday MAC warehouse sale and so I asked her for 2 tickets to go with my mom.  And seriously, no wonder so many people line up on the first days of the MAC warehouse sales.  I went back on the Sunday and they didn't stock up on their products.  Or even if they did, they had a very limited amount stocked up.  There were hardly anything good left at the Sunday sale.

September 10th + MAC warehouse sale =)

Guess what's so special about today? =) It's my birthday!!! Yes, I'm officially 22.  Well, technically, it's passed my birthday as I'm writing this.  But I celebrated most of my birthday - during the morning + afternoon - at the mac warehouse sale.  I woke up at 7:30AM, got there to line up at 9:10 AM and actually got in by 10:10 AM.  I tried my hardest not to spend so much this time.  =| But I've sadly spent $ 30 more than last time.  But I'm all stocked up for the rest of this year and until next June or September 2010.  I have so much pigments and eye shadows right now that will last me for a long time.   I'll put up pictures of my haul tomorrow - since I'm too tired right now =\ .

Decently priced clothing, bags, shoes, and accessories

So a few days ago, I was browsing on the internet and found this website: ASOS Online Fashion Store .  It's a store that sells pretty decently priced clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories for the nice styles they carry.  So I definitely recommend the site.

I was going through the site and saw this leather big bag and the more I look at it, the more I'm loving it.  I've been longing for a leather bag and finally found one.  Hopefully, it's nice, soft leather *crossing my fingers*.  But whatev, I'm still going to love it.

Photo credit: asos.com

Photo credit: asos.com

This bag was going on sale for $ 64.03 USD, and I think I grabbed the last one because the site doesn't have it anymore.  But they have a tan colored one.  I think the tan one looks nicer, but they're selling it at original price, $ 126.38 USD. 

Photo credit: asos.com

Also, the good thing about this online store is the shipping cost.  They have a flat shipping rate at $ 6 USD to ship their items to Canada or FREE shipping to USA, and it includes a tracking number.

Happy shopping or online browsing! =)

MAC warehouse sale coming up and...

So I went out this morning to meet up a lady to get a MAC warehouse sale ticket.  =)  And I'm officially going next Friday - the first day the sale is going on, Sept 10th.  I'm probably going to be there extra early just to be in the first group to get in.  Hopefully I'm not going to over spend =\ .

Have you ever wondered what kinds of chemicals are in skincare?

Have you ever wondered what kinds of chemicals you apply on your face during your daily facial routine? Whether it's an exfoliant to scrub off all that dead skin cell, or just a regular cleanser - regardless of how high-end that brand is, or the toner you use, or the moisturizer you think is so moisturizing - making your skin feel ever so soft? Well I came across this website a few months ago, so go find out the truth behind your skincare product -- Cosmetics Database

So on the website, it categorizes chemicals into numbers and colours, where 10 is highly hazardous (red) and 0 is low hazardous (green). Now obviously you want your skincare in the low range.  So I explored one of the famous facial exfoliants that many people use - St. Ives Apricot Scrub.  And believe it or not, it's worth a 7 - therefore, will I use it? No.  As a matter of fact, I've never purchased their exfoliant.  I own the Shiseido Pore Purifying Warming Scrub, but too bad the website doesn't have a review on this product. =(  But I can probably search up each ingredient to see if it's bad for my skin.  My laziness is stopping me from doing that though. =P

Anyways, look up your product you're using right now and see if it's any good.

New layout

Ok, so I decided I should change things up a bit.  I was kind of getting tired of the pink, so I thought I'd make the theme blue.  =)

I think I'll be off to the gym soon.  By the way, I failed to mention that I go to the gym now.  I joined the gym at the end of July and now, I've been going almost everyday.  I just want to keep a healthy balanced lifestyle.  =)

Review: MAC lip stick in Honeylove

I've been thinking about what to write for more than a week.  Now I finally thought of something new.  MAC lipsticks.  Well the ones I own.

I bought these together back in February of 2010.  I was looking for a mauve / nude-looking lipstick.  So then I found this, and the MAC sales gave me a lip liner to try.  I personally like the look.  Anyways, it's a matte, mauvy nude colour.  It looks and feels dry, but I guess it's the ingredients that all matte coloured lipsticks have.  Does it last long? It definitely does rub off throughout the day.  I'd say this needs reapplying every 2-3 hours.
I like the colour but I'm not too quality of the lipstick.  Is it nourishing? No.  If you compare a Shiseido lipstick and a MAC one, you can definitely tell tell the difference.  There is a reason why Shiseido lipsticks cost a few dollars more than MAC ones.  But if you're looking at the MAC lipsticks alone, it's got great pigmentation.  You can fix the dryness it gives by applying some lip balm before applying the lipstick.  For the colour payoff this lipstick gives off, it's worth it. 
 

 Honeylove without lip liner.

Honeylove with lip liner.

Product: MAC Honeylove

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:

- Great mauvy beige nude colour (for my complexion)
- Great colour pay off

Cons:

- Ingredients make the lipstick a little on the dry side

Moroccanoil Argan Oil

Yes, I finally bought the larger sized (3.4 fl oz or 100 mL) Moroccanoil.  It cost me $ ~39 CAD.  Kind of expensive for that size, but I think it's worth it.  I may or may not repurchase it due to the high price.  But considering the results of this product.  *meh* I really don't know.  But whatev, I'll decide when I'm done the bottle.

Review: Kirkland Facial Cleansing Towelettes

 I bought these a few months back, been using them on and off.  Well so far, I've already finished a full pack and I'm working my way through the 2nd.  And you know what? I don't really like them.  I mean they remove makeup really well.  They don't dry out in the packaging after opening.  The moisture is maintained in the packaging for more than a few months after opening.  But I find the downside of it, well for me at least, is that it sometimes gives me this stingy feeling on my cheeks and chin area.  Kind of irritating actually.  That's why I've been putting it off and not using them as often.  I bought these back in February of 2010 or maybe before then and I'm only on the 2nd pack.

Just like how the package claims, it does feel moisturizing after using them - like I feel the softness on my skin.  It's the work of the Vitamin E that they claim they have soaked the towelettes in.  However, if you ask me if it wipes off my eye makeup well.  I'd say no.  Well, then again, you're not suppose to use it in the eye area.  And trust me, I got it into my eye a few times and it stings! In terms of face and foundation makeup, I'd say you have to wipe your face 2-3 times before you get most of your face makeup off.  Well this is expected.  I don't expect this product to wipe off ALL my makeup at once.  I just wish it would wipe off my waterproof eye makeup.  =( But sadly it's not designed to do that.  So now, I use it to clean my brushes between uses before a deep cleanse.  Also I use them to wipe my hands free of makeup after my morning makeup application.

Product: Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes for All Skin Types

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Pros:

- does wipe off quite a bit of makeup

- quite moisturizing

- doesn't dry out in the package even after not using it after wks

- great to be used after coming home late and don't want to go through the fuss of using a cleanser to wipe off your makeup and a moisturizer to moisturize your face.

Cons:

- sometimes I get this stingy feeling on my face

Blog Sale - all MAC products =)

Hey Beauty lovers!

Guess what? I have another blog sale!! =) It's all MAC cosmetics this time.  Many are limited editions.  So here are the conditions:
1.  Shipping will come with delivery confirmation and CanadaPost is the only postal service I'll use.
2.  Item(s) will be shipped either on the same day I receive your payment or the next business day.
3.  Sorry but I can't hold items.
4.  Leave me a comment below to provide me your state if you live in the US or provide me with your province if you live in Canada.  Then I will provide you with the exact shipping cost.  But generally, shipping to US costs ~15 USD.
5.  No additional cost for combined shipping.
If you are worried about my reliability, please check my eBay feedback.  I've made a few selling auctions on there.  My eBay name is tsem2 <-- click here.

Also, you can always include the items I have from my last blog sale.  Pictures are found in the 'June' archive located here.

1.  MAC LE Lipglass in Major Minor -- $ 9 USD
2.  MAC Discont'd Frost Lipstick in Delish -- $ 9 USD
3.  MAC Discont'd Glaze Lipstick in Her Fancy -- $ 9 USD
4.  MAC LE Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Flush -- $ 15 USD
5.  MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Play on Plums -- $ 16 USD
6.  MAC LE Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne -- $ 30 USD
7.  MAC LE Mineralize Blush in Earth to Earth -- $ 14 USD
8.  MAC LE Mineralize Skinfinish in Brunette -- $20 USD

Review: Hair Magic Sheet bought from eBay

 

I bought this off eBay a few weeks ago.  It cost me like $0.24 USD.  I have a feeling it's a rip off of the real thing because it doesn't hold up my hair that well.  And plus, I read the label behind the package, it said 'made in China'.  So I can only assume it's not real.  I think the real ones are made in Japan.  Anyways, these rip off ones don't the job well or maybe.  Even the packaging seems a little off.  Every time I pull my bangs / fringe back, it just falls right back down.  If you're planning to get these off eBay, make sure you ask the seller where it was made.

Product: Hair Magic Sheets in pink from eBay

Rating: 1 / 5

 Pros:

- sometimes it can hold my fringe back (when my hair is tied up)

Cons:

- doesn't hold by hair back for long

- not a stable hold

Makeup look #1: Champagne + Green

This is my very first 'makeup tutorial' here.  I was thinking about how I should do it.  I was playing around with the colours and this is what I came up with.  A very subtle look, not dramatic at all.

This is a champagne + green look that I've smoked out with a hint of black.

First I moisturized my face with a light oil-free moisturizer that I only use in the summer because I do sweat quite a bit on warm summer days.

Next, I applied a little amount of Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer all over my face.  I don't use foundation anymore, so my foundation primer is actually for my concealer to stick on longer throughout the day.

Then I applied my favorite concealer - Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Medium Beige (light).

I evenly distributed and blended out the concealer.

Next, I primed my eye lids with MAC's Painterly Paint Pot.

I applied a champagne color on the inner one-half of my eye lids.

I patted on a green color by MAC in Newly Minted in the outer one-half of my eye lids.  This is a discontinued color.  It is fine if the color is patted on with too much pigment because I'm going to blend it out with a blending brush.

Then I applied a hint of matte black color - by NARS - on my outer V of the eye lids.

Finally, I blended it out with a blending brush.

Reapply the green eye shadow if necessary.  I lined my upper eye with a slight angle using my black eyeliner by Makeup Forever and liner brush.

My last step is to curl my eyelashes and apply mascara.

Now here's the whole face look.

A little about myself

I was sitting at my bedroom desk, thinking that maybe I should update my 'About me' section.  Here's a little something about me:


I love shopping. From shopping for clothes, shoes, cosmetics, skincare to furniture (I know this is random) and even electronics (weird eh? LOL!).  I did and still own a Game Gear (you know what I'm talking about if you were born in the 80s), the Famicon Disk System by Nintendo (it was red/maroon and white), Nintendo, Super Nintendo, the original black and white Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Advance SP, Tamagotchi, POGs, Furby, Barbies and Polly Pockets.  I remember I used to come back from school and play Mario Kart with my brother. LOL!!


Anyways, I have def grown out of playing games.  I can get tired of computer games very easily.  =)  I've never been a fan of Sims or any role playing games and I still don't understand why it was so popular.  =\

AE jeans + mini LUSH haul

I went Markville Mall today with my best friend from university and was intentionally shopping for a pair of jeans.  We walked into AE because she said AE was having some sort of sale on their capris, so I thought I'd get a pair.  But instead, I found myself a pair of slim boot cut jeans.  I was contemplating whether I should get it - thinking they were just $29.95 - I wasn't too sure since I wasn't too fond on the wash.  The tag was ripped off so I asked the cash to check the price and they were actually $19.95! =) So yes, I bought them.  Now that I'm home, staring at my jeans, I'm starting to think the wash is too light for my liking.  So I started thinking that maybe - just mayyybe - I can dye them.  Risky eh? Considering I've never dyed my clothes before so I'm going decide for a few more days before making the final decision.

Just before leaving Markville Mall, I went into Lush and picked up these 2 items - Emotibomb in Sex in the Shower (left; $4.50 CAD) and Body Butter in Buffy (right; $11.95 CAD).  I haven't used them yet.  Probably will use them tmrw.

Oh, the sales gave me a Shower Gel in Grass.  It actually smells like grass to me =\ .  *meh* I'm not much of a grass person. 

I'm contemplating on....

I'm contemplating whether I should try out the Smashbox PhotoFinish Foundation primer in Color Adjust or not.  I've been using Smashbox PhotoFinish Foundation Oil-Free primer for quite sometime, on and off actually, and I find that it works well on me.  I don't really use foundation anymore and that's because I don't need much coverage.  I just use my concealer and set it with face powder.  The thing about my skin is the little red blood vessels on my cheeks.  It doesn't bother me a lot, but I'd prefer that I didn't have any or be able to conceal them.  So I'm thinking about trying the Smashbox primer in Color Adjust.  I mean, the best way to cover up my blood vessels is to use concealer.  And I've been successfully covering up my blood vessels using the Oil-free primer + Amazing concealer (it actually is amazing by the way).  But there are days when I'm too lazy to pack on so much stuff on my face so I want something - i.e. green primer - to help reduce the redness. Hmmm. I'm probably dropping by Sephora tomorrow to pick one up.

Pore-reducing Home Remedy

I just tried out this home remedy that I googled a few days ago.  It's lemon juice + cucumber juice + a little water to dilute the acidity of the lemon juice.  It was actually suppose to be rose water, but I don't have roses on hand to make rose water so I had to substitute it with just water.  I googled what are the benefits of rose water and I read some info that rose water is suppose to give you a better complexion and act like a toner, give you a brighter complexion, etc etc.  So anyways what I did was, I used a facial sauna to steam my face - this open my pores - until my face was dripping with sweat.  Then I took a facial mask cloth, soaked it in my "lemon + cucumber juice + water" formula and placed it on my face for a good 10 min.  Cleansed my face after 10 mins and applied my moisturizer on.  I noticed the decrease in my pore size.

Plain Loop Earrings

I've always loved wearing loop earrings since my first pair that I got in grade 7.  I got my first pair from the Roots Canada store, but they've rusted and now they're lying somewhere in my drawers.  I'll probably have to clean my room soon and toss them out.  Anyways, I got a new pair from Shoppers Drug Mart - the ones that are non-allergic - for either $13.99 CAD.  My ears itch like CRAZY when I wear fake jewelery.  So I got these ones and they're not bad at all.  They're perfect size for me.

Review: Burt's Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm with SPF 8

This is my very first Burt's Bee lip balm.  I've been using it for probably more than 6 months now.  When I first started using it, it rubbed off a white chalky, yet waxy, lip balm on my lips.  But apparently, it was because my Burt's Bee was a SPF one.  The original non-SPF ones don't do that.  After a few more uses, the chalkiness went away and you wouldn't notice it on my lips.  In terms of its effectiveness, I think it works well.  It feels different than Vaseline such that when you rub your lips together to evenly distribute the lip balm, I feel more 'friction' with the Burt's Bee than with the vaseline on my lips.  It's kind of weird to describe it like that but that's the best way I can describe what it feels like on my lips.  I guess this is because the content of Burt's Bee is beeswax and not petroleum jelly, so it feels drier.  What about its moisturizing effect? It is nourishing and hydrates my lips, but if I were to compare it to Vaseline, I think I'd choose Vaseline over Burt's Bee.  Personally, I find that Vaseline glides on my lips a lot more smoother than Burt's Bee.  Like it sits more comfortably on my lips than Burt's Bee.

Product: Burt's Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm with SPF 8
Rating: 4 / 5

Pros:
- moisturizing
- convenient to carry around
- has spf 8
- pleasant smell


Cons:
- at first, the white chalkiness sort of bothered me but it went away after a few uses
- doesn't glide on to my lips that well, kind of feels like I'm tugging a little at my lips when I'm applying it

Review: Shiseido the Makeup Sheer Gloss Lipstick in S2 clear orange

So I bought this lipstick at the Shiseido Warehouse sale back in May.  The reason I bought this was because two ladies standing next to me were talking about it, saying something like it's so moisturizing and whatnot.  So I decided to give it a try.  And wow, it was moisturizing.  Why I think so? Well lately, I guess I've been too dehydrated from not drinking enough water so my lips had a few dry, dead skin cells hanging off my lips (I know sounds disgusting).  Anyways, I tried using Vaseline, but it wasn't doing much good.  I mean it helped a little but not a great improvement.  So I started using this lipstick and wow, I started seeing a change.  My lips were not only free of dry dead skin cells, they were more plump and glossy after each application.  And in terms of cons, I don't really like the colour I chose =( . It's a bit too bright and corally orange for me.  I find it enhances the appearance of my dark under eye circles.  It's kind of a waste that I use like a lip balm at home.  =\

Swatches:

Left = 1 swipe

Right = 2 swipes

Product: Shiseido the Makeup Sheer Gloss Lipstick in S2 Clear Orange

Rating: 4 / 5

Pros:

- moisturizing

- not a strong lipstick scent

- long-lasting

- glides on well

Cons:

- too bright for my skintone

Grilled seasoned salmon with salad

Haven't posted for a week in my beauty section =(.  So here it is.  I made another meal during my healthy eating week.  I made some salad using plain yogurt, lemon juice, romaine lettuce, chopped garlic, swiss cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and green + red pepper.  As for the salmon, I seasoned it using lemon juice, a little salt and Italian seasoning before putting it on the grill.  Mmmm yummy.

My healthy meals on Sunday

Brunch:
I slept-in on Sunday so I had a brunch instead.  I made my version of an omelet for brunch.  I make my omelet by mixing eggs, turkey breast, swiss cheese, oregano, salt and italian seasoning in a bowl, then stir-frying it.  As for drink, I just had a cup of green tea.

Dinner:
I made myself another seasoned grill chicken with an egg salad wrap.  I didn't make a grilled shrimp with salad since I already had a marinated piece of chicken breast sitting in my fridge so I just cooked it.  It was yummmmmy! =)

Review: Moroccanoil

I bought this Moroccanoil a week or two ago and have been using it since.  I wash my hair every other day and I find that it does do what it claims to do.  It claims to give you 'healthy, smooth and striking shiny hair'.  After washing my hair, I air-dry my hair and usually, my hair becomes pretty darn frizzy.  So after using this argan oil, I noticed my hair was much less frizzy and more smooth.  It didn't make my hair feel oily.  It was a very mild scent that doesn't stay in your hair.  I've def fell in love with this product.  I use a dime size amount for my 'a-little-longer-than-shoulder-length' hair and apply it first to my hair ends, then briefly run my fingers through the rest of my hair.  I find this way works the best because my scalp gets oily easily.  Therefore, amazing product! =)
I used to use the oil treatment by BioSilk Silk Therapy and I find that BioSilk smells nice but it makes my hair feel like oily.
I'm considering using their other products like hair restorative masks to see how well other products work.


Product: Moroccanoil Oil Treatment for all hair types
Rating: 5 / 5


Pros:
- non-greasy
- restored shine to my hair
- fixed my dry ends
- hair feels smooth
- not a strong scent 
- pleasant scent


Cons:
- none that I could find

Eating healthy means better skin

Lately, I've been healthy-conscious.  Basically watching what I eat.   I just finished my dinner. But man, did it take a long time to prepare.  I had chicken salad and it was pretty filling.  I marinated 4 pieces of chicken breast for 4 hours using lemon juice, italian seasoning, dried basal leaves, black pepper, garlic, and coarse salt.  Next, I started preparing my salad using romaine lettuce, lemon juice, red pepper, green pepper, tomato, a little bit of swiss cheese, a little bit of garlic and about 1 1/2 tbsp of plain yogurt.  Once I was done the salad, I put the chicken breast on the grill for about 12 mins and it was ready to be served.

So what's on the menu for tomorrow?
breakfast: turkey + swiss cheese omelet
lunch: egg salad
dinner: seasoned grilled shrimp + salad
snack: carrots and celery sticks (I thought I hated celery but I guess my taste buds have changed)

Why is it good that cleanser form foam

I learned this somewhere - don't remember - but forming foam when washing your face is a good thing because it means your dead skin cells are being removed.  Basically foam or the bubbles that form are composed of dead skin cells, debris and dirt.  It's just like when you use handsoap to wash your hands.  The more foam, the better. However, don't use handsoap to wash your face. Why? Because then you're dehydrating your face.  That is why you need to moisturize your hands after washing your hand with soap, otherwise your hands will feel rough.  Hand soap is a lot stronger (in terms of cleaning and removing moisture from your hands) than facial wash.  

Review: Olay Complete Lathering Cleanser

So I got this in the mail a while ago after signing up on PG Sampler pack website.  This sample pack is absolutely free.  I think it's their way of marketing and advertising.  Anyways, I've used it a few times when I hop into the shower.
What's good about it? It does clean my face, however, take in mind that I do use my Clarisonic. So if you don't have a Clarisonic, I'd recommend using a facial massaging brush.  I think this cleanser is another average cleanser.  It doesn't make me 'wow' after using it.
I have an oily nose and I always feel like my pores get clogged really easily.  I can feel the lumpiness on the sides of my nose filled with gunk.  After using this with my Clarisonic, my pores do feel a little unclogged but it's a semi-relieved feeling.
What's not so good about this? When lathering this product on my face, it forms very little foam.  And after using it, you don't get that feeling of tightness on your face so I really question the effectiveness of cleansing my face with this product.  Also, I don't get that soft  skin after-feeling.


Product: Olay Complete Lathering Cleanser
Rating: 1/5


Pros:
- Semi-cleans my face and unclogs my pores, not fully done


Cons:
- Doesn't leave my skin feeling soft
- No tightness of the face after using it
- Doesn't foam