NOTD: Copper

I decided to paint my nails yesterday, it was literally nice and pretty for 5 minutes before I ruined every nail... thank goodness I took pictures beforehand!

Here's is Lancome's nail vernis in 'Cocobolo.' It's a warm bronze/chocolate colour that seems to match almost everything... <3 it!!

V.I.B. Sale 15% Off + Spring cleaning~

My friend and I went to check out the V.I.B. sale yesterday to check out the deals... She had perfect control and didn't make a rash purchase but.. yeah.. I splurged a bit... again... Though not without reason! I really need to find the perfect mascara so I got the Deluxe Mascara sampler set. Looking forward to finding my lashes and hopefully there is one that will work to not smudge badly and give me panda eyes.

Another thing I got from Sephora was the "shu uemura Eyelash Curler," my Clinique one is too old and had to retire. I am quite excited to use this because I heard so much good stuff about it, let's hope it lives up to expectation!

Lastly, I spent 500 beauty points for the Smashbox's Perfectly Polished Lid... :)

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I also decided to go through my makeup stash to see which products I have that haven't been touched in a long time and tossed them out... which included a few mascara as well as some eye cream + skin care... I know I really should be doing it regularly (clean up every 4-6 months) but we'll see...

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Update: Swatches for the Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio: Vanilla, Champagne, Brazilian Bronze

Thoughts: I originally left this at work for emergency use (therefore it was untouched)... but I didn't have time in the morning to put on makeup so I decided to try this out. It instantly brightened my eyes, and made me look more awake. I really like the way Champagne and Brazilian bronze showed up on my lids (even though I didn't prime it)... However, I am not as impressed with Vanilla because it didn't really show up... Overall, I think that this great for neutral looks and daily wear, I am glad to have tried it out! 07.08.11

Lip Stain

Review: Benefit Cosmetics - Benetint Pocket Pal

As of late, I have grown quite fond of Benefit Cosmetics products... because this review is on their lip/cheek stain! I got the Benetint Pocket Pal because I wanted to give this lip stain thing a try. I got it and I do not regret it at all!

If you know me, you know that I do not like to apply lipstick. I hate that it dries my lips and leaves marks on mugs, straws and my boyfriend's shirt collar (jkjk.) But most of all, I hate the fact that it is basically chewed off my lips in less than 30 minutes after application (I have baddddd habits). Colours just does not stay on my lips unless it's painted on or... if it is very bitter (yuk!!)

So I was ecstatic to find something that stays put, looks natural and smells nice! And the buildable colour is definitely a plus.

However, from this duo, I only like the lip/cheek stain, I do not actually like the gloss that is on the other end. I find it unimpressive and like most gloss too sticky for my taste. For my next purchase I will be purchasing only the lip stain.

Overall Rating **** / 5 (1 = worst 5 = best)  
Price ****/5 (1 = soooo cheap! 5 = pricey!) 
Packaging Quality ***/5 (1 = worst 5 = best) 
Scent? Floral, kind of like roses...
Would you buy this product again? Yes, but without the gloss...

Makeup expiration dates

I got curious about makeup expiration dates after getting a few styes on the same eye for the past few months...

Here are my results after I did some intense (15 minutes) research online:

Brushes: must be washed weekly with a mild detergent

Concealer: 12 to 18 months

Cream & gel cleansers: 1 year

Eyeshadow: up to 3 years

Foundation: a water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 12 to 18 months, cream or compact foundation up to 18 months

Fragrance: 2 to 5 years

Lip gloss: 18 to 24 months

Lip liner: Up to 3 years

Lipstick: Some experts say 1 to 2 years, others say up to 4 years or until it smells bad... 

Liquid eye liner: 3 to 6 months

Mascara: 3 to 4 months

Nail Polish: up to 12 months

Pencil eye liner: up to 3 years

Powder: 2 years

Sponges: washed weekly and discard monthly

I guess this is the general guideline I'd be keeping in mind on when products need to be tossed out...

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Update: I found this informative site that can help calculate the date your products was manufactured and therefore find out when your products are due to expire... Check it out :) http://checkcosmetic.net/

07.12.11

Simple eyes for Tuesday Night

I've never done this, but I wanted to post a picture of my eye makeup for my Tuesday meet this week for the simple reason that, I own the MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Quad in "Assemblage" for over a year and have never used it, so I really want to show you how it looked! :) This particular quad consisted of the following colour; silver white, deep gray, yellow gold and black with silver glitter. I also have the quad in "Girlish Romp" which I haven't used yet but will soon... ^_^


Products used


E.L.F. Eyelid primer - from regular line
MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Quad in "Assemblage"
Cover Girl LineExact Liquid Eyeliner in "Smoke"
Clinique - High impact curling mascara

Benefit Cosmetics - Erase Paste review

Benefit Cosmetics - Erase Paste in Medium

I really like this product, it not only provide perfect coverage for my under eye circles, but it also brightens the eye as well. This is especially perfect because I wear my glasses 70% of the time so this saves me the extra step of having to apply a highlighter under my eyes.

There are a few things I like about the product over others I have used(ie Smashbox, E.L.F. or Clinique), such as its creamy texture (the area under my eyes doesn't look cakey after application), it is very buildable (so a little bit more product means more coverage) and medium happen to be the perfect shade for me :)

Although the price is a little steep, like most people I found that only very little product is needed to do the job. It is definately worth the price :)

Overall Rating **** / 5 (1 = worst 5 = best)  
Price *****/5 (1 = soooo cheap! 5 = pricey!) 
Packaging Quality ***/5 (1 = worst 5 = best) 
Scent? Nopes
Would you buy this product again? Yes! Maybe. I changed my answer because mascara is pretty important to me and if I have to debate between the two, this concealer might lose...

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Update: I found one down side to this product, though I blame the new mascara (Too Faced - Lash Injection) I am trying out. When I use the Erase Paste, even after I set it in with powder, I get dark panda eyes after an hour of applying the mascara... however with the same mascara but a different concealer (Skinfood -Peach Sake Perfect Concealer) I don't get panda eyes... ugh... I have to choose between concealing the dark circles or having longer fuller lashes... :( Go back to Clinique for the mascara????

No more new makeup for the next year...

I bought too much makeup on this last trip to the states, so I promised my boyfriend no more makeup until 2012... Will I be able to do it?? However, there is an exception, if I am finished the makeup (ie eye liner, bb cream) I am allowed to replenish (thank goodness!!) However there will be no more new eyeshadow / mascara / blush for the next 9 months... I'm a little bit sad, but I am happy to save money haha... :)

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Here's my most recent haul in the states :)

So yea, I got lots of shadows again, some lip stuff, face stuff... and skin care :)

Highlights

I know this isn't makeup, but it's to do with colour and hair... sooo I decided to post this blog here instead of my regular blog. I got my hair highlighted by my friend Wylon today... But I forgot to take pictures right after! Ugh!! here are some pictures during the process tho :)

showing off my N8 also :)