amy naree

Jewelmint jewelry purchases and wishlist items

2011-09-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist and jumped on the Jewelmint bandwagon a few months ago. For my first item they had a 50% coupon code so it was too good of a deal to pass up! As for the 2nd item I paid the full price of $29.99 for it. I am currently on my 4th month with them right now but I had skipped out on 2 months, not because I didn't like the pieces but I felt like I was buying too much and needed a break!

Overall I am pretty satisfied with the pieces I got so far. I do feel however that $29.99 is a tad on the pricey side for certain pieces so I try to be as selective as I can especially if I'm going to pay full price.

My 1st piece was called the Calypso necklace. I absolutely loved the color of the stones in this piece.

My 2nd piece is called the Rio Bravo earrings. These earrings are super adorable and unique. My boyfriend said they remind him of a jelly fish.

Other pieces I want from Jewelmint!

Other pieces I want that is not from Jewelmint!

These earrings remind me of the universe

I have been loving gold lately!

I have been wanting bold and bright colored rings for fall

Ruby rings from MJB

Anyone else tried Jewelmint?

Goodies from Asia

2011-09-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!

I hope everyone is doing well. I feel like I have lost touch with blogging and reading blogs for a moment there but I hope to get that spark back soon. I recently received a package with lots of goodies from Asia from a sweet blogger friend I met through Twitter. We decided to exchange drugstore products that were available in the area that we live at. I have to admit that I love trying out products from different countries, it's always exciting when it's not something you can get or see everyday. I haven't tried out any thing yet so can't really give you a review but I just wanted to share with you guys what was in my package :)

Please scroll down for product porn!

I haven't hauled beauty products in awhile now, I guess you can say I was in a beauty rut. If you guys are curious about any of the products shown please let me know and I will report back after giving them proper play time.

Until next time...toodles!

Best Flat Irons

2011-08-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

My current favorite hair flat iron is the Karmin G3. You can read my review about it here.

Why a Tourmaline Hair Straightener?

With New Advanced 100% Pure Tourmaline Ceramic Plates. The first iron with this advanced technology. These new plates allow your hair to slide through the plates without catching or pulling on your hair. plus the results are amazing.

What current hair straighteners is everyone using and does it do the job?

Note: Sponsored post.

Blow Dryer: Splurge or save?

2011-08-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

When it comes to a blow dryer is it worth the splurge? All my life I have never spent over $50 on hair dryers. The ones that I have had have always done the job of drying my hair but nothing else.

Best hair dryer?

Ceramic Heat

Moist ceramic heat comes from pure ceramic coils.

Ceramic maintains an even temperature for healthier styling.

Ceramic produces negative ions which work to add shine, softness and faster drying.

Seals the cuticle.

Repels humidity.

Locks in hair color.

Features

Long-life AC powerful motor up to 2000W

3 ways temperature, 2 way speed settings.

Cool shot function.

Narrow nozzle attachment.

Low EMF

Voted* Best Hair Dryer of the Year

I have not tried hair dryer by Karmin but I am very curious since their Titanium Hair Straightener is really good!

The current hair dryer that I own is this one:

and it does a great job of drying my hair, but I would love to try out a high end blow dryer one day and compare!

When it comes to blow dryers, do you splurge or save?

Note: This is a sponsored post.

Currently on my nails...

2011-08-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Currently on my nails : Essie Merino Cool...

Suggested Outfit...

summer nude by amynaree featuring polka dot shorts

Cafe Mimi Cappuccino Brown Circle Lens

2011-08-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

When it comes to circle lenses I consider myself quite a newbie. I've always been intrigued by them but I have only owned 2 pairs and it was from the Geo Fresh Series. So when Eye Candy Lens offered to send me a pair to try out from their store I was super excited! Of course there was so many variety and selections I really didn't know which one to pick but I ended up going with the Cafe Mimi in Cappucino Brown. The name sounded so cute I couldn't resist!

Origin: South Korea
Water content: 38% - 42%
Diameter: 15.0 mm
Base Curve: 8.7
Power: plano
Duration: 1 year disposable

The color and pattern on these lenses are so pretty. The shipping was also super fast. It reached me in about a week.

They also included these super cute purple contact lens case!

When I first put these on I was quite surprised at how enlarging they were!

They definitely give you a super dolly eye look.

I tried to snap a picture in the natural sunlight so you guys can see the pattern on my eyes.

Overall I really love these but I don't think they are suitable for every day were since they are quite noticeable and look a bit unnatural. They do a great job in enlarging your pupils but the pattern on the lenses can give you sort of a lizard/reptile eye appearance. I think these are great for a night out or a special occasion! When I wore them out a lot of people asked me if I was wearing contacts because I think it was quite obvious.

I can't see myself wearing these for more than 4-5 hours as they do tend to get a bit dry. But it's definitely not anything some eye drops can't fix!

For my next circle lens purchase I want to try either a pink or violet color! Eye Candy Lens was kind enough to offer Amy Naree readers a promotional coupon code to use on your next order. Use the code "Amynaree" to get a free surprise gift (no minimum required).

What are your favorite circle lenses? Would love to hear your recommendation!

Disclosure: Product was provided by Eye Candy Lens for review purposes. I am not affiliated or paid to do this post. All reviews are based on my honest opinion.

Matching nail color to foundation?

2011-08-04T16:12:00.001-07:00

I was reading this article from Nylon (link) about matching your nail polish to your make up and found it very interesting! I never looked at it that way but it totally makes sense. If you wear colors that compliment your skin tone it will always be more flattering. I will definitely have to pick one up to try. What do you guys think? Would you wear matching foundation and nail color?

You can check out HIPP RGB polishes here!

Mini Sasa Haul and Review

2011-07-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

I jumped on the Sasa bandwagon when they had their Free Shipping offer for orders over $29. I love shopping at Sasa since they have all the Asian goodies that aren't readily available here but once you order from there you have to be prepared to forget about it for awhile because shipping can vary from long to really really long!

My order was pretty small since my goal was to order just enough to make the minimum and no more! I'm not sure how I did it, I must of been very strong that day :)

Koji Eyelash Curler No.62

This was the only thing that I really needed. I love Koji lash curlers and the one I currently have is slowly crapping out on me and pinching my little lashes away. The last one I had was the No.71 but this one had really high reviews so I had to try!

This fits my small eyes perfectly and since it's not too curved it is able to get in there grab all my tiny lashes without pinching my skin. I guess you just can't go wrong with Koji! They are also really inexpensive as well.

Two Girls Lip Balm

I'm a lip balm addict lol This one sparked my interest since it is an old school brand and has been around for ages. The balm itself is really nice and goes on smoothly but I have to say it only hydrates my lips for 1-2 hours then it feels dry again. I can see it working really well as a base for dry lipsticks.

HadaLabo Milky Lotion

I have heard great things about HadaLabo but never got a chance to try anything from their line yet. Although it is called "lotion" it is actually a "toner". The great thing about this is that it contains hyaluronic acid which helps the skin retain moisture. I have been using this morning and night after I wash my face and been loving it so far. It makes my skin feel really comfortable.

Pellegrino meets Missoni? I spotted this at a cafe and had to share!

I usually like to post my food porn after the end of my posts but I decided to separate them and moved it to my food blog (http://cameraandappetite.blogspot.com) if any of you are interested! I wanted to do this so that it would be easier for me to keep track and go back and look at all the stuff I made or ate hehe Please follow if you like food porn!

Haul: IMATS, Nordstrom, Sephora

2011-07-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! As promised here is a post showing you the damage that I did with Diane when we went shopping.

IMATS HAUL

I wasn't able to attend IMATS LA this year but luckily I have a blogger bud like Diane (www.orange2la.com) to shop for me! She is awesome.

I really wanted to try the new Aqua Liners so picked up one in # 1, 11, and 6.

The felt tip applicator is actually quite nice and makes application really easy. The formula itself is not too wet either so it's easy to make those precise lines without messing up.

I'm loving the burgundy and the grey blue color. The gold is pretty but not as pigmented as I was hoping. Once these dry they do not budge! I think I want to collect a few more colors.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #11 Gold. This is such a gorgeous color, perfect to wear alone or as a base!

NORDSTROM, SEPHORA HAUL

Deborah Lippmann Rich Girl SPF 25 hand cream. This product was not on my shopping list but I am always on the lookout for a good hand cream so I got a chance to try this and fell in love! It smells like Jasmine which is my favorite floral scent and it's not too thick or too watery and absorbs wonderfully! It also has SPF which is a big plus. The twist knob dispenser is also very interesting. I have been using this on a daily basis, it could possibly make HG status.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 in Black Tea & Raspberry

I have heard good things about this lip balm and have been wanting it ever since! The Black Tea & Raspberry has a nice and unique scent. I love the fact that it has SPF. So far it feels nice on my lips, very similar to vaseline. Haven't noticed any dry lips healing properties though.

Chanel Rouge Coco Sari D' Eau

I am super late on the Chanel Rouge Coco wagon. I never picked up one to try when it first came out but I swatched this at Nordstrom and fell in love with the texture and color! I am still in my orange obsessed phase.

Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Serum

I picked up the Revitalizing Set from Sephora not too long ago to try out some Amore Pacific products before buying the full size.

So far I am loving everything in this set and have been using it daily! My skin has been feeling great so far but it's still too early to report. I decided to pick up another Amore Pacific product to add to my skincare routine. The Rejuvenating Serum is said to have anti-aging properties which I am in need of! Stuff from this line is quite a splurge but the SA told me the full size will last you about a year since you don't need much so that's definitely worth it in my book. I am hoping to slowly collect more of their products.

That is all for my haul! My wallet is pretty sad and empty at the moment :)

Blogger date and my Le Metier Beaute Makeover

2011-07-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

I always get my beauty fix and retail therapy all in one when I meet up with Diane. We usually plan a shopping date every 2-3 months. My wallet usually takes a bit hit, so it needs that time to heal! Our go to spot is always the Nordstrom at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I love hanging out and shopping with another Beauty Blogger, since it's much different than shopping with your friends. When you are with another Beauty Addict it's normal to walk around back and forth in the make up section for hours! If I was with my friends they would probably get bored after 30 minutes and want to move on to something else.

I didn't get a chance to attend IMATS this year so Diane was sweet enough to give me a Royal & Langnickel Pink Essentials Synthetic Brush Set which she picked up when she attended their event! The brushes are super soft and it's pink! I had also asked her to buy me some Make Up For Ever items, which I will share with you guys on my next haul post.

There are 3 important things that we do when we meet. Eat, Shop, and Coffee! lol This time we decided to try out a restaurant that was inside Nordstroms called the Blue Stove.

We both shared a carafe of the Pink Sangria. It was super yummy.

The restaurant served Tapas style entrees so we decided to just order a bunch of stuff to share.

Couldn't leave without trying some of their desserts! Everything was super delicious. I would definitely go there again next time I'm shopping at Nordstroms.

We grabbed some coffee afterwards from the Nordstrom Cafe. I swear Nordstroms has everything a girl needs! lol I think I could live there. We then walked the food off with some shopping. I have to say I did some pretty big damages at Nordstrom and Sephora. Everything I got will be up on my next post!

I also got a chance to meet Kayla a make up artist for Le Metier Beaute. I have always been curious about this brand after hearing Diane and a few other bloggers rave about it. I ended up getting a make over and I have to say I'm in love! Here's some pictures on the look she did on me.

The products she used:

Peau Vierge Anti Aging Complex

Precision Liquid Eyeliner

Penelope Kaleidoscope

Riviera Lipstick

Anamorphic Lash Mascara

Blush in Echo

I was amazed how buttery soft and pigmented their eye shadows were! I wanted to take home the Penelope Kaleidoscope so bad but they were sold out in stores. So I am definitely planning to make an online order soon, it's just too pretty to pass up.

Kayla is amazing and she also has a YouTube channel with make up tutorials (http://www.youtube.com/user/Bay2LAMUAs).

Here's one of my favorite look she did with Penelope!

Until next time....toodles!

Most used products in June

2011-07-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! A little bit late on the favorites been still wanted to share with you guys what I have been using lately. The weather has been quite warm so haven't really been wearing too much make up these days.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Under Eye Line-Minimizing & Tone-Enhancing Concealer

Picked this up from a 75% clearance section at CVS a few months back and have been using it non-stop. This is similar to the YSL Touche Eclat in that you twist and the product comes out of the brush end. I actually personally like this type of mechanism because I think it makes application fun and easy. The formula itself is totally different from YSL, it is more of a dry/powder formula whereas the YSL was more wet. Once applied to the skin it just seems to melt into it like a silky powder. Blending is super easy and I think the coverage is light/medium. I use this daily under my eyes and sometimes around my nose/chin area to brighten things up! I'm not sure about the line-minimizing property but I love this as a concealer/highlighter.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Foundation

I have heard great things about the original Healthy Mix foundation but never got my hands on it. Once I heard news about a gel formula out on the market I had to get my hands on it! This foundation is super light, easy to blend, and smells really good. I alternate this with my Chanel Aqua Vitalumiere when I'm in need of a lightweight foundation.

Maybelline Volum Express Cat Eyes Mascara

Why are all good releases Asia Exclusive? I was lucky enough to get this from a dear blogger friend in Asia. The brush reminds me a lot of Majolica Majorca mascaras and the formula is really similar in my opinion. This mascara holds my curls and lengthens my lashes like no other and it's also pink :)

CoverFX Matte FX Oil Absorbing Powder

Picked this up from a blog sale and have been using it to set my foundation everyday. It doesn't feel heavy more make me look cakey and controls oil quite well. I usually only have to touch up once a day when I'm using this. Good stuff!

Rimmel Kiss&Stay Lipgloss

The staying power on these are amazing and I love the cute color/gloss combinations they offer! I have been reaching for this a lot lately because I don't have to worry about my lip color budging when I'm eating and drinking (which I do constantly!).

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Treatment

My dry ends love this stuff! I'm almost hitting pan on this because I use 2-3 drops every morning after I wash my hair. It gives my crunchy dry hair life!

Sofina Beaute UV SPF 50+

Got this awhile back but actually didn't start using it very often until summer started. I think this has to be my HG sunscreen. The formula is really watery/milky and leaves my skin looking really matte. It also doesn't have any harsh chemical smell and can be applied under or over make up!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Life Update + June's Birchbox

2011-06-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It feels like it's been awhile since I blogged. So many different things have been going on in my life as of lately and then I kind of fell into that blogger funk where I didn't really know what to blog about anymore. But of course I couldn't stay away for too long :)

So here's a little update on my life before getting to my June Birchbox...

I got a puppy! My aunt's female malti-poo had babies with a male shih tzu so she was kind enough to give one to me. I decided to go with a female puppy since I currently have a male cat and I figured having 2 males might not be a good idea.

I named her Chewie after Chewbaca since that was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw her. Sometimes I wish I would of given her a more prettier name but she caught on to Chewie pretty quickly and knew her name within a week.

She's close to 6 months right now and is super cute and cuddly!

The main concern was if she was going to get along with my cat. The first few days they both kind of ignored each other but now they are always around one another.

Food!

I've been eating a lot! lol

New Job

I was unemployed for about 2 months and it was good but a bummer at the same time. It was good because I got to dedicate a lot of time to myself. Sometimes you just need a reset and a refresh and that certainly did it for me. The bummer part was having to be careful with my spending since I didn't have a stable income coming in anymore so I had to cut down a lot on hauling beauty stuff! Anyhow I just started a new job not so long ago so I plan to be back to hauling full force lol I definitely have to buy a lot of new clothes since the dress code is business casual and I have never worked at a place where I had to dress professionally before. I kind of like it though, makes me feel all grown up.

June Birchbox

So I wasn't highly impressed with last month's Birchbox but I have to say I'm really digging the June one. I'm glad I didn't cancel right away and decided to give it another month or two chance.

Sircuit Cosmeceuticals Molecular Mist

Never heard of this brand before but I love facial mists! I love the size of this spray, it fits perfectly in my purse. So far it's very refreshing and has a light vanilla scent!

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion

I love rose scented stuff! I have to try this out a bit more but I used it once and my face felt really smooth afterwards.

Kate Spade Twirl

This is a fun scent for summer!

Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in Honey Dipped

This was a full sized product! This reminds me of MAC Msfs, it works really good as a blush or a highlight.

Deborah Lippmann Stripper To Go

I'm in love with these! I used it to remove my nail polish yesterday and it worked so well. I am thinking I might actually want to purchase these in full size.

So overall I am fairly pleased with this month's Birchbox! I hope July's will be just as good.

Holika Holika Haul

2011-06-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika is a Korean brand that has been popping up a lot lately around the blogger and youtube world. With such a cute name and packaging and couldn't resist but to try out some of their products! (very low buy-esteem).

The damage......

Aqua Petit Jelly Blusher in 02 (peachy pink color)

The texture of this blush is really nice. It reminds me a lot like the Maybelline mousse blushes but the Holika Holika one is less mousse-ish but just more of a creamy smooth texture. This would make a really cute color for summer and also will work great as a base for powder blushes.

Aqua Muse Watery Lipstick OR206

I was expecting more of an orange color but it turned out to be more light peachy pink. The color is on the sheer side but I adore the texture! It glides on so smoothly with a watery/glossy finish.

Magic Pole Mascara

This mascara has a ball type wand which is something I've never tried before. Hopefully it works well!

Petit BB Cream in Moisture and Clearing

I mainly got these because they came in small size tubes (hence the name Petit BB). I have yet to hit pan on any BB Creams I own so I do prefer stuff in smaller quantities! It gives me more reason to get more than one lol

UV Magic Shield Perfect Sun SPF 50 PA+++

Summer is around the corner and I usually prefer Asian sunscreens because they are usually more on the lighter side.

Blackhead Sponge Peel Off Mask

I read a good review about this product so I wanted to give it a try!

Random samples!

I really am curious about 3 seconds hyaluronic acid starter. I will have to try out the sample and see if it's worth the purchase :)

Has anyone tried Holika Holika products?

My first Birchbox

2011-05-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of trying before buying and that is why I tend to be drawn to purchasing from brands that offer gift with purchase or websites that offer samples with every purchase. It's hard for me to fully commit to a certain set of products especially when there's always new stuff coming out, so sample sizes are usually the only thing I hit pan on.

I decided to jump on the Birchbox bandwagon after seeing it on multiple blogs.

What is Birchbox?

Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch.

The cost to join is $10 a month or $110 a year. You can cancel at anytime. I received my very fist one for May!

It came in a cute pink box with another box tucked inside.

Everything was wrapped nicely with pink tissue paper.

Inside included a card with a list of products with the description and price of the full size.

There were 4 samples total plus a blank card from Tiny Prints.

Overall I am 50/50 on the products. I am happy with the full size Stila eye shadow and the deluxe size sample of the hand cream and soap but the perfume sample and the blank card was a bit disappointing. The perfume sample looked like something you can easily get for free for ordering at Sephora or at the counter at the mall. If the whole box included deluxe sized samples then it would totally be LOVE!

I am still going to give this a try for 1-2 more months to see if they will start including better products. If not then it will be time to cancel. I definitely think this concept is a great idea and wish that all brands had this so that someone like me can try out more products without breaking the bank!

My current Spring Favorites

2011-05-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Things I have currently been loving in Spring! Only 1 more month until Summer arrives :)

half lashes by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"Half lashes or lash ends. These are so much easier to deal with than full lashes and they don't look too over done! If you can't find them sold as half lashes you can easily just cut up your full lashes and make your own."

Essie by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"Beige/Taupe/Nude nail polishes for the win! These colors just work with any outfit from day time to night time."

lips by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"I am still obsessed with bright lips. Orange and bright pink/fuchsia are my favorites at the moment. The colors instantly brighten up my face. I'm usually too lazy to do a full face these days so I just slap on a bright lipstick and I am ready for a night out."

eyeshadows by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"Since I have been into bright lips I have toned down on my eye shadows a bit. I am loving eye popping and brightening colors all over the lids such as whites and silvers."

wedges by amynaree featuring platform shoes

"I have been loving oxford style shoes. They are just so preppy yet chic. I first started out loving oxford flats but after they started coming out with the wedge style I am totally hooked since I could use that height extension lol."

bases by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"Since the weather has been getting warm I don't like to put anything heavy on my face. My current go to's are Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Hourglass Primer, Korres Tinted Moisturizer, and Giorgio Armani Micro-fil powder. They all make me look fabulous while feeling like I have nothing on."

drapey by amynaree featuring drape neck tops

"I have been eating a lot these days haha so drapey flowy tops have currently been a favorite of mine. Besides the fact that they hide my pudge well they are also super comfy and just give a nice feminine look to any outfit!"

perfume by amynaree on Polyvore.com

"These scents are my go to! They are just so pleasant to my senses."

studs by amynaree featuring monet jewelry

"Studs are the new danglings for me :) "

satch by amynaree featuring satchel handbags

"I don't know what it is about satchels but I have just been obsessed! I love the style and I think they are not too big and not to small. Perfect for carrying all that extra baggage I have."

What have you guys been loving for spring? Please share!

Product Reviews: Wen Hair Care by Chaz Dean

2011-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you were to ask me what are some of the least favorite things about myself are one of them would be my hair. My dad had always had problems with thinning hair as long as I could remember and I when I was younger I was always afraid that I would start losing hair at a young age too. My mom has thick hair and I would always wish I inherited hers instead but I was born with fine hairs and an oily scalp.

I am always on the look out for new hair care products that either promises volume or conditioning properties. I first got a chance to discover and learn more about Wen products when I attended the Beautylish LA Event. Chaz Dean the founder of Wen was there himself!

Benefits of using Wen Products:

EN's Benefits

WEN Cleanses with astringent and antibacterial properties without lathering; it adds sheen, luster, moisture, strength and manageability to the hair. Color lasts much longer and it stimulates the scalp promoting blood circulation, stopping hair loss and promoting healthy hair growth. WEN is formulated with the perfect balance for all hair types and performs amazingly well on ethnic hair, due to its moisture content. Try the WEN cleansing conditioners and styling products and notice the instant dramatic results, giving your hair the love it deserves. WEN cleansing conditioners were created with the perfect balance of herbs and natural ingredients, not only cleansing your scalp and hair, but also moisturizing, soothing, strengthening and adding sheen. WEN is designed to eliminate shampoo and its harsh and damaging effects, without sacrificing the integrity and beauty of your hair. WEN is the only cleanser/conditioner you will need to use in your daily routine, and can be used as often as necessary. Enjoy your WEN and see your hair and its texture change instantly.

(info taken from the Wen website)

Wen Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner

This was included in the gift bag that I got from the Beautylish Event!

WEN® Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner is a universal cleanser designed to give all hair types the moisture and hydration they need to stay healthy, shiny and manageable. It is an incredibly rich, yet lightweight formula that thoroughly cleanses and also gives body, volume and a smooth, polished finish.

Buy Here

Recommended Usage: 24-40 pumps depending on the length of your hair. You are suppose to separate your hair into sections and cleanse your scalp thoroughly before distributing the rest of the product to the rest of your hair. The average time you should leave the product on is 3-5 minutes but the longer you leave it on the softer your hair will be.

Results: I have actually been using this product for about 3 weeks straight and I'm actually already out of it! :( There is a nice sweet scent of Pomegranate. The first few days I used this I was so amazed by how soft and manageable my hair was. I color my hair so my ends are always dry and it is always so hard to comb and untangle every time I wash my hair. There is also a nice minty and cooling feeling when you massage the product on your scalp. Since I have oily scalp and occasional dandruff/dry scalp problems, on the 5th day of using this product I did notice my scalp to become a bit oily and itchy. I have read reviews that this could be because I am not using enough products to cleanse my scalp fully. Since I have long hair the recommended pumps is 40 and I have been using around 35-40 pumps. My scalp however, still tends to feel oily after extended usage so what I do to solve this is that I would use the Wen Cleansing Conditioner for 3-4 days then 1 day I would use my regular shampoo and then go back to Wen again. I found that to work best for me and my scalp doesn't get oily and itchy! But if you don't have that problem like me the Cleansing Conditioner is definitely great for everyday use. I think my hair was just having chemical withdrawals? lol since Wen might be the most natural product I have used on my hair.

Repurchase: Yes! I love this stuff and the way it makes my hair feel. I also notice less hair loss, probably because I'm not always trying to yank out all my tangles.

Sweet Almond Mint Bath, Body, and Hair Oil

Pamper yourself from head to toe in the light, delicately sweet yet richly hydrating Sweet Almond Mint oil. Lavish your hair and skin with moisture to leave it with a healthy glow as the fragrance and sensation soothe, relax and stimulate your senses.

Buy Here

Recommended Usage: 1-2 drops for bath. 1-2 drops to body after shower or added to any body lotion for extra moisture. 3-5 drops to hair for an overnight treatment.

Results: I have mostly been using this whenever I take a bath. I love the smell and just 1-2 drops creates such a nice aroma to my bath water. The oils also help moisturize my skin while I am taking a bath so when I get out my skin actually already feels moisturized and not all dry like it usually does. I have also tried this as an after bath oil but I personally prefer this in the bath because it just makes bath time so much more exciting! I haven't tried this as hair treatment since I feel that the hydrating mask already does an amazing job that I rather save the oil to use for bath time.

Repurchase: Yes! I have actually never been much into bath oils but now I can see what a huge difference it could make. You only need so little at a time so 1 bottle will last me for awhile. I definitely would like to get more in other scents.

Sweet Almond Mint Re-Moist Hydrating Mask

This signature treatment is designed to rejuvenate and rehydrate dry,damaged, lifeless, color-treated hair. It improves lackluster hair,giving it the ultimate moisturizing treatment, using the perfect blend of natural and botanical extracts to restore hair to a much healthier state. WEN® Re-Moist Hydrating Mask is a universal treatment to maintain healthy hair and scalp, providing moisture, shine, and nutrients to give you an at-home spa treatment that will leave your hair feeling soft, silky, lustrous, and replenished.

Buy Here

Recommended Usage: Apply to clean wet hair and leave on for 30-45 minutes. The longer you leave on the better the results. You can also use it as an overnight treatment and wrap your hair with a towel.

Results: I love this stuff! It is by far the best hair conditioning treatment I have ever used. The texture is like a creamy thick paste and I usually use a comb to evenly distribute the product and then pile on a little bit extra to my dry ends. The Sweet Almond Mint has such a unique but pleasant scent. It just smells really sweet! I use this about once a week and I leave it on for about 1 hr or more since I have super damaged and dry hair. After using this my hair always feels so soft and the results actually last me for about 2-3 days.

Repurchase: Yes (if I could afford it lol) This product is a little pricey ($72.00) but a little goes a long way so a tub of this will last you awhile. Definitely a splurge type product but worth every penny.

I definitely can say I am hooked on Wen products and am curious to try out more stuff from them! I have been on a natural binge lately and been wanting to try out more products that contain natural ingredients especially for face, hair, and body!

FTC: Pomegranate Conditioner was given in a gift bag from the Beautylish Event. Sweet Almond Mint Mask and Oil were sent for review purposes from a PR company. I am not affiliated or got paid to do this post. All reviews and opinions are based on my honest opinion.

Currently Obsessed: OPI Texas Collection

2011-04-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself a nail polish fanatic but I must admit over the past year my nail polish collection has grown incredibly. I probably started off with around 5 colors and now I probably own around 20 which is still considered a small collection compared to the nail polish addicts out there but for me it's a lot!

I have never really been excited about a nail polish collection before until I saw the OPI Texas Collection! This collection has an amazing mix of colors whether you are looking for bright, pale, or neutral. I can honestly say I would love to collect all the colors.

OPI always comes up with the best names for their polishes!

I currently own San-Tan-Tonio which I absolutely love! It's not too dark and it's not too pale, it satisfies my nude/beige obsession.

Another color I picked up is I Vant to be A-lone star. The name is so silly and cute! I wore this color for Easter and it's such a gorgeous pale blue/silver. I use to be obsessed with pale blues when I was younger and always dreamed of having my walls painted a color like this.

Other colors I want:

Big Hair Big Nails

Houston We Have a Purple

Don't Mess with OPI

Austin-Tacious Turquoise

...or I wouldn't mind owning all of them lol

Review: Too Faced Poolside Primping Makeup Collection

2011-04-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

Weather here in Los Angeles just can't seem to make up it's mind. One day I'm sweating like a hot summer day and the next day I'm all bundled up in a sweater. Regardless of the fickle weather, I am excited for summer and having fun in the sun! I haven't touched any bronzers all winter and I can't wait to get glowy and bronzey again.

I have to admit I haven't tried many products by Too Faced but they alway seem to come out with the cutest sets and collections. The Poolside Primping Sexy Makeup Collection is one that really caught my attention!

Retails: $42.00

($105 value of products!)

Description

Always be ready for impromptu poolside primping with Too Faced summer collection of best-sellers and must-haves! Dive into their sun-lovers set filled with products essential for basking in the look of summer sexiness!

This set comes with:

Full Size LashGASM Mascara: Fluffy, long, thick and healthy looking lashes are a breeze with a customized brush that flexes and combs though every lash.

Full Size Gloss: Shine beautifully in shimmering Glamour Gloss and experience the formulas addictive, gentle plumping cooling sensation.

Full Size Perfect Nude Lip Liner: Define and balance your lip shape and lip tone instantly. Too Faced creamy neutral shade looks perfect on every lip.

Limited Edition Bag: Keep your beauty secrets zipped up and water safe chic.

Full Size Sun Bunny Bronzer

Buy here

The make up bag it comes with is so cute! I love the pink/brown stripes. I also like how it's plastic on the outside, so that means it is safe to take with you near the water :)

Glamour Gloss in Peek-a-boo.

This is a gorgeous lilac/pink/purple gloss with golden glitters and a pearly sheen! The formula is on the thick side but it is not too sticky and glides on easily. It smells like vanilla cupcakes! I can't stop sniffing it hehe. It also leaves a minty tingly feeling on your lips which I actually love. Some people might not like this but I feel that it's refreshing. It doesn't sting like lip plumpers, it just leaves a nice cooling sensation.

I might have to pick up this gloss in other colors, I'm hooked on the tingle :)

Perfect Lips Lip Liner in Perfect Nude

This is overall a great natural lip liner to prep for any lipstick or gloss!

Lashgasm Mascara

The wand actually reminds me of the Covergirl Lash Blast but a little smaller so it's actually easier to catch the little lashes. I tried this on my lashes just to test it out and my first impressions where that it really did a great job of giving my lashes length and volume. Although the formula is a bit heavy so I feel that this might look clumpy with too many coats. I do like the rubber combing type of wand because it makes it easy to comb and separate your lashes.

Too Faced Primed & Poreless SPF 20 Bronze Finish

This primer seemed very interesting since it has a tint on it. However the tint is fairly dark so I don't think it would be wise to use this all over your face! I saw a Too Faced demonstration video and they only used this primer to contour and shape around the face.

Bronzer in Sun Bunny

This bronzer is super gorgeous! You will definitely be a bronze goddess when you apply it. The colors are super pigmented so you might want to apply with a very light hand!

L to R: Mixed, Darker Color, Lighter Color

Overall: My favorites from this collection is the gloss and the bronzer. I definitely would recommend getting this set if you are looking to get glowy and bronze this summer!

FTC: Product was sent to me for review purposes by a PR representative of the company. All reviews are based on my honest opinion. I was not paid to do this post nor am I affiliated with the company.

FOTD : Miss Clementine

2011-04-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone. I have orange obsessed lately! I'm crazy about orange lips, blushes, nail polishes, and eye shadows! Everything besides orange hair lol Although I do think orange hair would be cute, if you get the right shade of orange hehe

After I saw the promo pics for Etude House Miss Tangerine Collection, I was dying to get everything since it seemed like my dream collection lol But since it's not easily accessible in the US and Ebay seems to double the actual retail price of the products I decided to hold off on getting anything. I do however love the orange look in the picture below and decided to attempt this with the products I already own.

Since she is Miss Tangerine I will be Miss Clementine!

Miss Tangerine

Miss Clementine

Bright orange lips

Winged eyeliner

Orange eye shadow all over the lids

Orange/coral blush

Products Used:

Revlon Photoready Foundation

Garnier Tinted Eye Roller

MUFE Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick #40

Rock & Republic Blush Immoral

Graftobian Fantas Eyes Palette (Used the orange color)

Dollywink Liquid Eye Liner

Clementine (if you are hungry you can eat this after)

Have a good weekend!

March Loves

2011-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'm a little late on this post since I've been too busy reading and watching videos of everyone else's hehe But I definitely still want to share mine so here goes!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup

I was so excited to try out this foundation once I heard it launched in the US! I am sort of new to Chanel foundations and the only one that I own is a powder foundation from them, which I love as well.

The packaging is a squeeze tube which is practically mess free and easy to dispense the right amount. The formula itself is a shake formula, where you have to shake the bottle before every usage. If you don't shake it well the foundation will come out a bit runny instead of creamy.

The Vitalumiere Aqua does everything that I want in a foundation which is:

- light to medium coverage (might not be for those looking for full coverage)

- feels like nothing on the skin

- has spf

- long lasting

- natural finish (not too matte, not too dewy)

- doesn't oxidize or makes me look oily

So overall this is currently my HG foundation!

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

This has been a dry lip saver for me this season! During the winter my lips got super chapped, cracked, and flaky! I didn't think anything can save it until I started using this. I had it in my stash for the longest time but just never gave it the time of day. I'm glad I finally picked it up and discovered it's lip healing miracle. It also smells like sweet roses...mmmm

Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner

I was so curious to try this after hearing rave reviews from bloggers and yt gurus. The super sweet Rina (rae630) sent me one to try since she really loves this liner as well. When I first tried this for the first time I wasn't too sure if I was going to love it or not. I tried it on my waterline since I heard it stays put and doesn't smudge and I have super watery eyes. It didn't seem to work too well on my waterline so I was hesitant about it. I gave it another shot and started using it to line my eyes normally and fell in love with it!

The fine tip makes it easy for precision lining and the formula lasts all day! Now I'm curious to try out their pencil eyeliners.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Fluide

I have read on a few blogs that this moisturizer was a staple for a lot of make up artists. When a product is a staple for beauty professionals there must be something about it! I'm not sure if this is readily available in stores in the US so I placed an order for it through Amazon.

This claims to also be good to use as a make up base and make up remover. This does remove make up but so does every lotion I think? I've also used my Aveeno lotion to wipe off eye make up and clean up mistakes so I'm guessing any lotion can do that. The texture is in the middle between creamy and watery, which I enjoy since it's not too thick. My HG moisturizer was the Aveeno lotion but I found that this one was more moisturizing for my skin. I still love my Aveeno but it's a little lighter so that might be good for summertime.

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Satin Fuschia #36

I got a small sample tube of this in the goody bag from the Beautylish event. At first I thought the color was too bright and that I probably would never wear it. I decided to wear it one of the nights when I went out and fell in love with it! The color is so vibrant and it really brighten up my face. It also lasts a very long time, even after eating and drinking. I think I might have to get a full size tube when I run out. This is currently my go to spring lip color!

Dollywink Eyelashes in 01 Dolly Sweet

I've had these eyelashes for awhile in my stash but never thought to wear them out. I tried them on once when I first got it and thought they were just too much and too unnatural looking to wear. That same night when I tried the MUFE lipstick I also decided to try on these lashes. After wearing it out that night I realized how easy to apply and comfortable they were to wear compared to other falsies I've tried. Sometimes falsies will hurt my eyes after awhile or I'll just get irritated of them becomes I feel something sitting on my eye lids. These didn't feel like that and were just super light and comfortable. They also really transformed the way my eyes looked so now I'm loving these and want other styles from Dolly Wink.

Here's a picture of me wearing the Dolly Wink lashes and the MUFE lipstick!

March No-No

I was on the hunt for a bright blue nail polish and picked up the Love & Beauty nail polish in Blue from Forever 21. The color looked amazing in the bottle and it was exactly what I was looking for! Once I applied it the color still looked gorgeous until it dried. The finish had no shine and it dried to be sort of a matte waxy finish. The only reason it has shine in the picture is because I applied a thick coat of Seche Vite top coat to save it. The formula is also hard to work with and was really thick and goopy! Overall, disappointed!

Cupcake Monday

2011-03-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ughhh....ughhh that's the sound of my super stuffed tummy lol I just have a hard time eating little when it comes to the yummy stuff in life. Hope everyone is having a good Monday. My Monday just got super sweet when I received a box of 6 delicious cupcakes from A Sweet Design Custom Cake Studio.

I actually first heard about them from Dorothy from Mannfolk PR that I met at the Beautylish Event. We started talking about cupcakes after having some at the party and she informed me of a delicious cupcake shop she knew of. Dorothy was kind enough to connect me with them and to give me the opportunity to try out some of their best cupcakes! I was super excited about this opportunity. For some reason this made me feel like Anthony Bourdain for a moment.

www.asweetdesign.info

ilovecake@asweetdesign.info

CUPCAKE SHOP is open Daily

11 am - 6 pm Mon - Sat

11 am - 5 pm Sundays

$3.25 each

4-pack is $10

6-pack is $14.50

12-pack is 28.50

Their flavors change daily and they update their website on what is sold out and what is still available so make sure to check!

All these for me? Dangerous!

Red Velvet cake filled with iced cream cheese

I dug my claws into this one first because red velvet anything is my favorite! The texture was extremely moist and the frosting was delicious and not overly sweet.

Pink Velvet Cake with Strawberry Buttercream filled and iced

This tasted exactly like strawberry milk!

Vanilla Cake with oreos baked in, fudge buttercream filling, iced in vanilla buttercream and rolled in oreos.

This was my 2nd favorite cupcake out of the batch. The fudge filling and the vanilla buttercream rolled in oreos was to die for! It tasted like an oreo cookies and cream ice cream..yum

Chocolate cake with sweet cream filling and nutella buttercream icing.

This one is my favorite out of all 6 cupcakes! I could probably eat a lot of these lol The chocolate cake was super moist and the nutella frosting was so good.

Chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.

This one was super yummy too but if I was craving chocolate I would probably go for the one with the nutella frosting.

Chocolate cake baked with Reeses Pieces and iced in peanut butter icing.

This was my least favorite, not to say that it wasn't yummy but just because I'm not a fan of peanut butter lol But if you are a Reeses fan then this is for you!

Overall all the cupcakes were really delicious. I could see myself visiting their cupcake shop on a daily basis for a yummy treat. If you are in the area I would definitely stop by and give it a try. I recommend the Oreo, and the Nutella one!

Disclosure: Cupcakes were given to me for tasting purposes. All reviews are based on my honest opinion. I am not affiliated with the company nor am I paid to write this review.

Beautylish LA Spring 2011 Blogger Event

2011-03-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Long time no post again. Recently there's just been a strange whirlwind of events such as the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, tsunami in California as well as random rainstorms and tornado warnings with speculations of a big one happening here some time soon. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future but the bad series of events just makes you think and wonder about life a little, so I guess I haven't really been in a beauty mood!

I did however get a little bit of my beauty mojo back recently after I attended the Beautylish (http://www.beautylish.com/) LA Spring 2011event on Tuesday March 22 at the W Hotel in Westwood. I was invited to a Beautylish LA event last year but was unable to make it since I was out of town that weekend. Since then I have always been curious and wanted to attend one that they had in the future. I was actually very lucky to have found out about this event at the last minute thanks to the super sweet Alyssa (http://ahleessa4realz.blogspot.com/) who filled me in on the details and helped me to get in!

At the event I got a chance to meet Alyssa, Tammy (http://www.lazybeautiful.com/), and Diana (http://paperdollrevenge.blogspot.com/) for the very first time! I was nervous at first but Alyssa and Tammy were so friendly and funny. As for Diana I wasn't expecting to meet her but ran into her by surprise and recognized her from her blog. She was a total sweetheart.

LOL the first thing we all took pics of was the cupcake display. It was too cute, and delicious!

They had a bar outside that served beer, wine, and the signature Beautylish cocktail. We were also all super hungry so we started filling our plates with food.

The Beautylish cocktail! It's really yummy.

Inside there were stations set up by Pureology, Clinique, Hourglass for hair, eye make up, and lip make up.

The hair stylish picked out a sleek twist bun for me but I secretly really wanted my hair curled!

The make up artist from Clinique did a light smokey look on me.

We took group pictures with Chaz Dean creator of Wen Hair Products.

Me and Alyssa! I was only allowed to expose 1 eye :) It was so much fun hanging out with her.

Me and Tammy! I love her orange lips.

Me, Diana, and Tammy. It was so much fun hanging out with everyone!

Beautylish Gift Bag

At the end of the night we were all handed gift bags. It was so heavy and filled with so much goodies, the pictures will do all the talking!

These products will keep me busy for awhile :)

This was actually my first time attending a blogger event and I must say I had so much fun. It's like a blogger's dream land where you can play with make up, get makeovers, have cocktails and hang out with fellow bloggers and youtube gurus.

Thank you so much Beautylish for hosting such an amazing event! I know they also do events in San Francisco and probably other cities. So I would suggest if you guys are interested to follow them on twitter (@beautylish), like them on facebook, and join beautylish.com to get heads up on upcoming blogger events that might be in your area.

Have a great week everyone, Friday is near!

Vlog - My Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush Collection

2011-03-09T15:26:00.001-08:00

I have way too much time on my hands, here's another video just for fun :)

Rock and Republic Warehouse Sale Haul, EOTD, and Eki's Love Package

2011-03-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I am suddenly on a post frenzy as of lately. Sometimes it takes me a long time to do a post due to lack of inspiration, but recently I feel like I have lots to share so I'm going to keep pumping them out until I run out of fuel!

From 2/25-2/27 Rock & Republic was having a warehouse sale in Culver City. This was about 15-20 minutes away from where I lived so I was very excited and actually had plans to go on the first day! For whatever reason I started to read about the warehouse sale on Yelp and a few people who have been to their sales before has described it as crowded with super long lines (up to 2-3 hours of wait). After reading the reviews I started to have second thoughts about going since fighting the crowd and waiting in line for hours didn't sound like something I wanted to deal with. I was curious to check out what products they had but I didn't have anything on my "must have" list from them that I needed in my life!

So my desire to go to this sale was at an all time low. I didn't show up for the first day or second day but ended up popping in on the very last day. I happened to be out and about and running errands on that day I figured I should just at least drive by and if there was a huge crowd I would just leave. To my surprise there was plenty of parking space and not a big crowd at all so I decided to go in and take a peek. They had racks of clothing and jeans but I just went right for the cosmetics area.

It was a pretty sad display of items I have to say. I figured that most of the popular items have already been sold out the first or second day. What I mostly wanted to check out and maybe buy were the blushes but they only had 1 color left which was "Immoral" and I already owned it so I ended up bringing home some other items instead.

3 eye shadows for $10

L to R: Paranoid, Carat, Corset

These came pre-packed together so you weren't able to pick the colors that you wanted. All the colors seemed very wearable so I didn't mind them. This was also the only set of colors they had left. There were about 2-3 boxes left after me.

They did have a bunch of single e/s in pan form in a huge box. I was only interested in the ones that had packaging so I didn't bother with those.

Tinted Illuminator in Jezebel was $15 marked down to $10

I was lucky that they still had some left in the color Jezebel which is a light-medium tint because most of the other items like the pressed powder and the tinted primer only had really dark colors leftover. They also had testers out on display which was actually nice since you can actually try these out before purchasing.

The shimmers are really gorgeous in this!

Essie Clearly Matte Finish $2

I didn't know Rock & Republic collaborated with Essie? Anyhow I've actually always wanted the Essie Clearly Matte but never got my hands on it so I was really happy to have found this for so cheap!

EOTD Fun

So I was playing around with the eye shadows and decided to do an eye look with them. I used Corset (pink) all over my lids, Paranoid (purple) on my crease and outer v area, and Carat (white) to highlight my brow bone. Then I used a purple eye liner to line my lower and upper lash line.

Overall I really like the R&R eye shadows. They are really soft, smooth, and have good pigmentation.

I haven't used falsies in awhile and I have a few lying around so I decided to add a little something and put these cute half lashes on by Canmake. Half lashes are so much easier to put on than full lashes!

Eki Love

Eki (www.ekiblog.com) is such a sweetheart and sent me a little love package full new masks to try! I get a chance to chat with her on Twitter from time to time so she knew how much of a sheet masks addict as was and how I've been wanting to try the Sexy Look masks.

Their packaging is so cute!

First Impressions

So right on the same day I got them I couldn't resist but try the Beauty Queen mask by Sexy Look. The pink packaging just screamed out my name! There's no description in English that tells you the benefits of the mask but Eki told me the this one is for brightening and firming.

This had a really nice light scent. The quality and feel of the mask is similar to the regular MBD masks but definitely not as good as FaceQ or the Blooming Beauty series.

The results however were excellent! This left my face feeling super bright and plumped after.

I have also been on a sheet mask marathon and the next day I ended up trying the Sexy Doll series by Sexy Look. Both Eki and May said that these smell amazing so I couldn't wait to try!

Omgosh, I am currently addicted to the scent! This mask smells amazing, it's hard to describe. It's a really strong sweet, floral, girly smell that just makes you happy when you have the mask on.

The results of this mask is not as noticeable as the Beauty Queen one that I tried the night before but I would just use these just for the smell!

Thank you so much Eki for sending me these to try! Love packages from wonderful friends definitely can brighten up any gloomy day :)

Favorite Products - February 2011

2011-03-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Since I was home today I attempted to make my first Favorites video. Making videos is definitely harder than it seems, I think blogging is much easier lol :) However it was kind of fun. Hope you guys will excuse my poor video skills!