h3ygirl

Missha Haul 2014

2014-07-17T15:54:00.003-07:00

Just a post about my Missha haul from about a month ago. I know I’m a makeup addict… So what?! Haha I’ll review the products when I get a chance to try them. Hope you guys are all doing well =)

If you got some stuff from this semi- annual sale. Please leave me a comment. I'd LOVE to see what you got!!!

#asianmakeup #kpopmakeup #makeupaddictanonymous #Missha #BBcream #iLOVEmakeup

Eminence Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer with Natural Retinol Alternative Review

2014-04-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while but I’ve been really busy. But I have a ton of stuff I would like to share with you guys. My first post back will be of the Eminence Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer with Natural Retinol Alternative.

An esthetician had warned me that she didn’t see a difference in her clients’ skin when using this but me well…being me, I just HAD to try it for myself. And I have to say, she was right. I am SO happy I have finally finished the whole jar! I feel like that is a huge accomplishment for me especially when half way thru it, I just wanted to give it away because I didn’t want to waste my time on it anymore. But it’s expensive, so I just sucked it up. It’s not harmful but it wastes your time if you are looking for something “correcting.”

· Moisturizes the skin- CHECK

· Moisture and pH balancing- CHECK

· Skin appears immediately lifted and tightened- ummm...No!

· Promotes elasticity and delays the visible signs of aging- No

· Excellent emollient for skin- n/a

· Replenishes the skin moisture barrier- CHECK

It moisturizes well and was good for the winter when my skin was drier but I didn’t see any “age correcting.” I cheated a few times and used Eminence’s Linden Calendula Treatment Cream as a moisturizer and that one is AMAZING- definitely a keeper! The same esthetician recommended it because she said Dita Von Teese uses it and her skin is AMAZING! She hadn’t tried it herself yet but curiosity got to me and I had to see for myself and I’m so glad I did. But I will save that review for another day. Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave comments or questions if you have them below. Have a great weekend lovelies.

Valentine's Day Nails

2014-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day EVERYONE =)
Please know it doesn't matter if you don't have a Valentine this year or not. It's really not a big deal. Regardless if you have one or not, you are already loved by a bunch of people and I bet there is someone who admires you from afar that you may not be aware of or... you are aware of them, but they are not your type. hehe
Anywhoo, I wanted to show you guys what I did with my nails yesterday in preparation for today.

I will tell you what the "Y" is for later in this post. But first I will tell you what I used- 1 coat of China Glaze's Strong Adhesion Bast Coat, 2 coats of China Glaze's "White on White" polish, Konad's "Wine Red" special polish and one of Konad's nail art stamp plates.

The "White on White" nail polish didn't go on as smoothly as it did when I used "For Audrey." I'm not sure why. It went on uneven, but the second coat evened it out. It didn't seem like it took that long for it to dry, but I didn't realize that until later... so after that, I stamped on the Konad design and finished off with the China Glaze "Fast Freeze Quick Dry" because you don't paint it on, you put a drop on your fingers and it's supposed to dry your polish. I used the "Fast Freeze Quick Dry" instead of their other fast dry top coat because of the Konad special polish. Every time I have ever put on a brush on top coat, it has made the stamp art run... OMG and you know how annoying that is! So I've learned my lesson and will use the "drops" from now on if I use anything with special polish. I let this dry for about half an hour or so before I hopped into the shower. Only to realize then, that the nail polish wasn't completely dry inside, because my polish was shifting and the design was getting kinda squashed from all the layers beneath that were not dry. I have learned another lesson. I will put a drying top coat before I put any design on my nails.

Sorry this is a little blurry, but you can still make out the letters right? Can you guess who's initials these belong to =)
Hint: It's a Kpop Singer, who's also a part of one of Korea's biggest boy bands.

For those of you that guessed TaeYang. You are right!!

To Taeyang- Thanks babe for coming to San Francisco and making one of hopes come true =)

He is and will forever be my Korean first love. Which is why for Valentine's Day 2014, I rock his initials on my ring fingers. Ringa Linga biatches!

I hope you will all have a great and safe day.

Star Product- Moroccan Oil

2014-02-11T16:20:00.002-08:00

This is my review on Moroccan Oil. It is the best out there! And believe me, I’ve tried just about everything, nothing compares as of yet. I’ve had sales people talk me into believing and purchasing a whole bunch of Kerastase products and not one of them compares to this. I will review the Kerastase products another time. I've gone thru about 3 bottles of Moroccan Oil to date and is the only hair product I’ve repurchased. I have to also add that it is on the pricey side and the manufacturers don’t budge on the price because they know their product is THAT good. So when you go to salons and they are having a sale- this one will be excluded.

What is also nice about the product is that you only need a little. I like to apply it when my hair is 50-75% dry. If you apply when it’s completely dry, it might make your hair a bit greasy. Again, you only need a small amount. If you have thick hair like I do, I would suggest you use about a quarter size amount. I would only apply it at the ends and the left over oil on your hands, I would work it up to the scalp. I wouldn’t spend too much time on the scalp, unless you like the grease ball look.

When comparing this to Josie Maran’s Argan Oil, this also takes the gold. Josie Maran’s Argan Oil is amazing as a moisturizer for skin but when applied to the hair, the hair becomes sticky and stiff. It’s actually really weird. I’ve applied the same to my hand and my hand became SUPER soft, which is why I decided to buy it in the first place. And yes I have tried the Josie Maran’s Argan Oil for Hair also.

Even my mom likes it and that’s saying a lot, since she is usually ba-humbug about everything. She didn’t even comment on the price! It’s totally worth every penny.

Have you tried this? What was your result? Did you find something comparable or better? Please feel free to leave me any questions or comments.

2" Curling Iron Review

2014-02-07T12:39:00.001-08:00

I have been on the search for a good 2” curling iron for a few months now. I had one a few years back and I liked it a lot but after a few years, the curls didn’t hold the same. So I decided to hunt for a new one now and I’m seriously thinking about just replacing one of the screws to make the clip on the old barrel hold better. Here is what I found in my search. There are not a lot of 2” curling irons out there in the market. I have only found 2 and both don’t hold my curls like the old one. Here are the two I found. They are both made by Hot Tools, who also makes Helen of Troy products.

When I used the gold one, the curls will soften the whole night and at the end look like I just used a blowdryer and a round brush to blow the ends in. The gold one you get more texture to your hair and it’s not completely smooth and noticeable like the purple one.

When I used the purple one, the curls will just DIE and become pretty straight, but not stick straight. What is good about the purple one is that your hair does look smooth, healthy and not at all frizzy.

The main difference and most important thing to me is that the gold one holds the curl a bit longer than the purple one. I’ve tried both with and without product in my hair.

I really wanted to like the purple one after the sales rep at Ulta said it was the best one and it says on the box “Stylist Preferred.” However, disappointingly, it just didn’t work out for me. It’s good that Ulta has a 60-day return policy and I was able to return it easily. I WISH that Hot Tools’ Pink Titanium line made a 2” curling iron. I am not sure why it doesn’t because that line, hands down, is the BEST and holds my curls till the next wash! And this is WITHOUT product! I absolutely LOVE it.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Hope your year will be bright and prosperous, that you will get everything you want this year!

P. S. Please keep in mind that these products were reviewed with asian hair that has a beachy, wavy texture.

Chinese New Year Nails

2014-01-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! This is the year of the Horse and I was SO excited about it that I decided to pay tribute with my nails =)

I put a gold horse on my right pinky and a red horse on my left pinky. Red is good luck for me this year, along with purple and green. I am supposed to stay away from blue this year as it is bad luck... I have to figure out what to do without my blue jeans this year. That's going to be tough. Does that mean I have to dress up everyday this year? I hope not... Anyways back to the nails. The red on top of the gold came out nice but it was hard to see the gold on top of the red. I won't be repurchasing the Konad gold special nail polish. Also as a special note, I haven't been able to put a top coat (the brushing kind) over the nails with the pictures without it smearing. I've even tried it on the second day and it will still smear. What has worked are the top coats that are drops you squeeze onto your nails. I feel like they are not the same as the ones you brush on. But it might be just in my head. Here are the nail polishes I used.

From left to right.
1. butter london's nail foundation is the best looking basecoat I've ever used. Sometimes I'll just wear it because it just makes your nails look so nice in a natural way. It hides surface imperfections like vertical ridges.

2. is the gold Konad special nail polish. I don't like it. It's watery and I will not repurchase. I was hoping so much that the gold would stand out against the red but it didn't =( Lucky for me I only bought a sample size bottle.

3. OPI's An Affair in Red Square. I would describe this polish as a candy apple red bordering metallic- it's a really nice red red, not orangey red- I'm not a fan of those.

4. essie's Shift Power is a watery gold when it's in the bottle but not bad when you put in on your nail. 2 coats will make it pretty solid, 3 is the best. Would I repurchase? Probably not until I've tried other brands.

5. Konad's wine red special nail polish. I likey =) I've used this also for my minion nails post and will
probably use it in other posts. Will definitely repurchase when I run out.

6. OPI's The Impossible, from the Mariah Carey line is pretty cool. I didn't like it alone though. Even two coats, it was more pink than red. I expected it to be more like the bottle which is a nice red. However I made it work with putting An Affair in Red Square underneath. I am happy with the red that came out. I put this liquid sand polish on my left ring finger.

7. Holika Holika's gold glitter nail polish coming all the way from Korea! I had purchased this when I went to Korea many moons ago (but still feels like yesterday). This was way before all the (hard core- not) glitter polishes came out in the states, before crackle was born. I really like this polish. The glitter comes out nice and thick. I would describe the polish texture not as rough as liquid sand but it's definitely not flat as I hope you can tell from the pix. I put this one my ring finger on my right hand.

These are the nail plates I used, all by Konad plus the scraper and stamper

From left to right, top to bottom.
m66 (on my left thumb), s5 (on my pinkies), s9 (on my left pointer, left middle finger, and right middle finger), m23 (on my right thumb and right pointer).

P.S. If you notice there is actually a chinese character on my right pointer. It means bright, so hopefully this year will be a bright one for me =)

Hope you enjoyed my post. If you have any questions feel free to leave it in the comments. Let me know if you did anything special/ creative for this special holiday.

Allure- October 2013, Must Try These Products!

2014-01-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

Allure is my absolute FAVORITE magazine and I know I'm behind on my reading but so what?! haha This is my must check out list from their October 2013 issue.

Tinted Lip Balm

Loreal Color Riche Balm in Rose Elixir (I usually don’t like my balms or lip moisturizers to have color but this one just sounds too good not to.

- Lip Balm Nivea

Lip Butter Smooth Kiss

Styling product

Carol’s daughter hair milk leave- in moisturizer

~~Redkin Curvaceous Full Swirl~~ (already purchased, will review when I try it)

Foundation

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra- light Skin Perfecting Make-up

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact (I’ve already tried their Silk Foundation and it really is THE BEST foundation I have tried so far! So this one is a no brainer, I just hope it doesn’t disappoint since Silk Foundation raised the bar so high for me.)

Body Wash

Neutrogena Body Clear Pink Grapefruit (I LOVE the smell of grapefruits!)

Nail Polish

Clinique, a different nail Enamel in Black Honey

Cuticle Cream

~~Essie’s Apricot Oil~~ (swiped from my niece!)

Mask

Murad Clarifying Mask

Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Treatment Mask

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

Deodorant

Lavanilla the Healthy Deodorant

That’s my list. Have you tried any of these or something else you might recommend? Also if anyone can recommend a GOOD 2" curling iron, please leave it in the comments. Thanks!

Minion Nails

2014-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to !Cassiebella!, who has inspired me to post again =) Happy New Year girl, this posts for you. I hope you like it!

So I was at a diner and I noticed my waitress had some yellow chipped nail polish Her hands were moving so fast I couldn't tell what she had on them but I could see it was more than just yellow nail polish. Then I saw the cyclops eye and I knew it was a minion! I asked her and she confirmed it. I thought it was such a cute idea that I had to try it.

These are the polishes I used.

1. Sally Hansen's Triple Strong Strengthener as a basecoat.

2. Zoya's nail polish in Creamy. Btw- Zoya is giving 3 nail polishes away for free from January 7-13, 2014 (But you have to pay for shipping and handling, it's $12 but if you do the math- the polishes come out to be $4 each and that's still a good deal!! Here's the link http://www.zoya.com/content/category/something_big_is_coming.html and the code is COLOR2014. Please share with me what colors you ordered =)

3. Konad's Special Nail Polish in Black.

4. Island Girl Nail Art Pen and Brush. It's dual sided.

5. OPI's Yoga Ta Get This Blue.

6. Konad's Special Nail Polish in Wine (for the heart).

7. I also used Konad's letter nail plates. M17 and M18 http://www.konadnailart.com/contents/en-us/d13_konad_image_plate_01.html

It was a lot of work but fun. Let me know if you try this or some other fun design or if you have any questions or comments. Happy polishing =)

skinfood pineapple hand cream (wrinkle care)

2011-09-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

*sigh* it's really been too long since my last post, I know you must be getting bored. sorries!
Here's a product I've wanted to review for a LONG time.

I picked this up when I went to Korea. All the packaging of Skinfood skincare and cosmetics are irresistible... well to me anyways =P As kyoote as this packaging is, the hand cream quality is not that great I say with much sadness. I really wanted to like it and pull it out of my purse with much pride cuz after all I trekked it back all the way from Seoul!

The thickness of the hand cream is great and it dries ok. What I don't like about it, is that it is one of those surface-y hand creams. The product doesn't sink into the skin to help nourish and heal it. Instead it just sits on the surface and doesn't absorb. This product has a light scent to it, which also works out for me since I don't care for the heavy smelling lotions. I wouldn't recommend this product if you really want your hands moisturized but I would recommend it if you just want something cute to pull out of your purse or just a cute product to have in your room. Since there are still so many cute, adorable products in Korea just waiting for me to try, I will not be getting this when I return.

So this is what it says in the front of the packaging:
Food therapy
Special food for the skin to eat. Contains lots of nutritive and energetic ingredients such as plants, fruits and etc. to maintain our bodies healthy and lively.

and this in the back...
- wrinkle care functional cosmetics-
This wrinkle care functional hand cream contains Pineapple extract to make your finely wrinkled and rough hands smooth and elastic.

hmmm... now that I think of it, maybe this product does it's job after all. It did make my hands appear smoother. So maybe it's one of those hand creams that were meant to be an illusion. To make your hands nice and smooth for going out but washes off when you get home.

I apologize for the blurry images... I swear they are not at all blurry when I took them with my camera and they still are not blurry when I look at them with my camera... go figure.

my beauty diary southern france apricot mask

2011-08-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

Let me first start by saying this review is long overdue. I've been having crazy weeks and days and have only been able to THINK about blogging. There's just never enough time in one day to do EVERYTHING I want to do!

This is the description of this product~

My Beauty Diary Southern France Apricot Mask softens, smooths and highly moisturizes the skin. Apricot extract from southern France provides excellent moisturizing effect. It quenches the thirst of skin, leaving dry skin keenly comfortable. The skin surface will be inscrutably velvety to the touch.

Added with extracts of highly moisturizing grain, such as oat, job's tears and hydrolyzed rice protein, it gives more in-depth nourishing and nursing effect to dry skin. The stratum corneum is fully soaked in moisturizing ingredients. It maintains skin’s suppleness, elasticity, fairness and clearness.
It is suitable for normal skin. It is especially recommended for dry skin and combination skin that tends towards dryness.

These are the steps to using this mask

After cleansing and toning steps, tear off the package of the mask and gently place it on the face.
Leave on for about 20 – 30 minutes. Then remove the mask.
Massage the remains, if any, into the skin. Follow with normal skin care procedure.

Skin type- dry and delicate skin / combination skin

I have to say my results were really nice, even nicer when I used my Dermanew to further massage in the serum on my face after I took off the mask. My skin was SUPER soft. I couldn't stop touching it or bouncing my hands off my cheeks, thinking the effects could go away any second.

In the morning my skin was

very nicely moisturized, not oily or shiny
no new breakouts
skin was soft and firm to the touch

Sad to say, none of my marks faded from this mask.... but not like this mask was made to do that but a one can always hope. I guess this mask would be TOO perfect if it did that too.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I will definitely keep this mask in rotation. I guess if I had to give this mask a number rating I would say 8/10, maybe even a 9/10. Because seriously after I used my Dermanew on it, it was RIDICULOUSLY soft!

Have you tried this mask before? Did you like it? Did you get similar results?

crackled out phoebe

2011-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Omg it's been a crazy, stressful week and next week is going to be even more insane. Wish me luck please =)

I wanted to show you what I did with my nails last week. I'm SO addicted to phoebe, only thing is that it chips SO fast =( and I'm not talking about little chips. This time around when I put the crackle on top of phoebe, some of the inside chipped off BEFORE the outside chipped- SO WEIRD!! Has that ever happened to you before? I will have to try it with different bases and top coats to find which one will maximize the length of wear of the pretty, pretty phoebe.

So let's get started. I used zoya's get even ridge filling basecoat. It comes in a cool professional box. BTW, I got their color lock system. I'm not sure if I took a picture of it, but I will and I'll show you next time.

Then I used two coats of phoebe.

Then after it dried. I put on one coat of china glaze's crackle in concrete. It doesn't go on as easy as opi's shatter, more streaky but I still think it came out well.

and wa-la =P crackled out phoebe. It kinda looks like dutch crunch bread huh? HAHA... or maybe I'm just hungry...

It came out looking very nice and matte but then I put on zoya's hurry up speedy dry drops and it became shiny. boo =( The speedy drops have Cemellia oil in it which probably brought on the shiny.

So I had to use china glaze's matte magic to correct it. LOVE it!! Thank you matte magic, you're a life saver!

What do you think? Do you like it or prefer phoebe on her own? I love how the blue peaks out from behind the gray and still stands strong.

the face shop vita E mask sheet review

2011-07-24T00:58:00.000-07:00

So this is the mask I used last weekend. I got this at the Face Shop in Korea so everything besides the Nutri- Life E mask sheet is in korean. This mask nicely moisturized my face. It didn't fade any acne scars , but I don't think that was one of the functions anyways. And I didn't have a new breakout when I woke up in the morning =)

Silly me, I thought these two were the same mask. But they're not. I bought this from the Face Shop here and it has english. When I took a closer look at it, I realize this one has milk in it.

What it says-

Vita E Mask Sheet, with skin plumping milk and egg extracts.

- Formulated with Vitamin E and extracts of Milk and Egg, this vitamin drenched sheet mask floods the skin with lavish moisture and helps keep your skin look and feel youthful.

- Vitamin E moisturizes, helps fight oxidation and protects skin cells against sun damage.

-patented phytolex nanoliposome effectively delivers beneficial ingredients deep into the skin and helps protect tired, rough skin from environmental damages.

What is Phytolex Nanoliposome?

Phytolex Nanoliposome is a composite of Ceramide and natural plant extracts of Mung Bean, White Birch and Rumex Crispus L.

The second mask was extremely moisturizing. It made my skin really oily in the morning and my pores were HUGE!! The consistency of this mask is that it is pretty thick. I would recommend this to someone who has extremely dry skin or is out in the sun a lot. It's supposed to help with sun damage. Vitamin E is really good for your skin. Would I repurchase these? I would repurchase the one from Korea, the other mask made my skin too oily.

Have you tried this mask? Have you tried any of the masks from the Face Shop? What do you think about cotton sheet masks?

zoya phoebe

2011-07-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

omg! I love this color. I'm not a fan of matte, but I will make an exception for this one. This color is just SO hard to resist. Don't let the smoothness fool you. This polish is a bit difficult to use. It dries ridiculously fast (like by the 3rd stroke to spread the polish on the nail). And it dries weird and streaked. I had to do my right middle finger 3 times! I've never had to redo nail polish that many times ever.

And even though it might be more trouble than you might care for. I love it and am constantly looking at my fingers =)

Another downer is that I painted my nails on Friday. It started to chip on Sunday =(

That's pretty fast for me. Usually the tops of my nails would start to recede a little bit but it doesn't chip until near the end of the week, if not well into the next. Still after all the negatives, I am keeping this bottle in rotation and will probably mix it up with some Konad plates at some point and see how that does. This is my first and last matte nail polish unless someone comes up with a color this irresistible.

Here is what I used for this manicure. I used the Zoya Anchor base coat.

Then I painted 2 coats of Zoya Phoebe.

Last, I painted on China Glaze's Matte Magic top coat.

And there you have it. Let's look at it one more time.

I've read on some other blogs that matte top coats on top of matte nail polishes makes it chip easier and faster. Also that matte nail polishes are prone to chipping in general.

What do you think? Do you like the color? Is it worth the trouble? What's your favorite matte polish?

wipe on, wipe off eye makeup removers etude vs. holika holika

2011-07-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

These are 2 of the eye makeup removers that I brought back from Korea.

This one is Etude House's mascara remover. OMG what a disappointment. I'm surprised it even made it on the shelves! I wonder if it's been tested on anyone to remove anything! It doesn't remove mascara easily. In fact it made the mascara tougher, almost like you put hairspray on your lashes. It was awful. I also tried to leave the cotton on my eyes for a few seconds before I tried removing my mascara, nothing worked. But because I absolutely hate wasting product... I just used it and kept tugging my lashes until it all flaked off. Horrible I know but I will never ever purchase this again and would like to persuade anyone against purchasing this. Etude House has SO many cute things that work pretty well, go spend your money on their other products and LEAVE THIS ON THE SHELF!

The second one is Holika Holika's Magic Salt lip & eye remover. I really like this remover and would totally purchase again when I visit Korea or if I see it next time I go to asia. It works really well, costs a lot less than the eye makeup removers in the US and far superior in the cute packaging department. With this eye makeup remover I can start wiping or let it sit on my eyelid for a few seconds and then wipe. I still go over it a few times to make sure it gets everything but NO TUGGING which I love. I haven't used either on my lips.

Both of these makeup removers you have to shake up to mix the liquid in them before you use it. I still have a different Etude House lip and eye remover. So Etude still has a chance to redeem themselves in the makeup remover department. I mean they have SO much makeup products that you would think they would make something good at removing them right?! Have you tried any of these removers? Did the Etude one work for you? If it did, please share the secret to using it because maybe I'm just not using it right.

leopard nails growl

2011-07-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you the nails I was rockin this past week. It was inspired by this Konad nail art representative at the IBS show in Vegas this year. Her nails looked AMAZING. Her leopard spots are a lot more pigmented than mine... I only realized this after I came home that it was because of the 'special' Konad polishes. Oh how I wish I purchased some when I was there =(

I'm pretty surprised and proud of myself with the outcome even so. Not a bad job I must say and so far the easiest time I've had with the Konad nail art plates. Take a look.

This is the Holika Holika gold glitter nail polish that I got when I went to Korea last year. Awesome isn't it? If you can't tell, it's A LOT of gold =P I love that it's super pigmented. I only used 2 coats for this.
For the black I used OPI's Black Onyx.

For a the base coat I used Skinfood's milk creamy nail.

And top coat I used Skinfood's milk creamy nail.

The Konad nail plate that I used is m57. You can even see I didn't clean the plate too well. I was really scared to mess up my nails if I tried.

Hope this inspires you to paint your nails and show me =)
Do you like the leopard spots or would you prefer the zebra/ tiger stripes (are they even animals stripes? lol) Till next time... happy painting.

solaroil

2011-07-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

On the SolarOil site it says:

A synergistic blend of naturally light oils and vitamin e, designed to deeply penetrate and protect skin and nails. Jojoba oil carries vitamin e deeply into skin to help reduce visible signs of aging. Naturally light oils keep skin soft and supple. Keeps natural nails, nail color and nail enhancements tough and flexible. Repeated use drives oils deeper into natural nail. Super penetrating formula conditions skin and nails.

I've used this bottle for like 8 years on and off. On and off because I never liked it very much. I recently pushed myself to finish it because I bought more cuticle oil that I couldn't wait to try and I FINALLY finished it after all these years!! In their defense, they have probably in, that 8 years changed their formula and is better. Overall, I felt like it just didn't condition very well. I had a friend that was raving about it, so I had to check it out and never got why she like it SO much *shrug.* I've already found another cuticle oil that I like a lot better =) Which I will show and review in another post.

glitter art tattoos

2011-06-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

I went to the IECSC and IBS conference in vegas two weekends ago and brought back SO much cool stuff! I had a hard time deciding on what to start with.... I'm still in so much awe over the cool stuff that I can barely unpack it, fearing that this overwhelming happiness and joy will go away if I do...

But I finally decided that the glitter body art tattoos will be the first thing I show you. I have never seen glitter tattoos before. I've done the sparkly, pearlescent or painted on kind, but never ever the type with glitter! AND it can last up to 7 days! AND you can still shower. But they advise you not to scrub the area with the tattoo on it, well DUH =)

Here are some pictures

So much fun stuff right?! I tatted myself a green clover. It's not perfect cuz it's my first time but I'm all for practicing =)

You can't tell but that's just right above my ankle. It's cute. It's already been on for 4 days and it still looks good. I can't wait to do another one. I will post a tutorial on how to do this but basically you

1. Pick a stencil.
2. Pick out the glitter colors that you want
3. Stick the stencil on the place where you want the tattoo

4. Spread the glue on it (thinly)

5. Take the stencil off

6. Wait for the glue to be a little tacky, when it becomes clear (maybe like 5 seconds)

7. Use a (makeup) brush and apply the glitter to the glue.

8. If there is glitter that has fallen or spread out away from the tattoo.

Brush it towards the tattoo and it should stick to the glue.

9. The glue and glitter are not harmful to the body in any way.
10. If you must take it off, you can use alcohol or oil to rub it off.

Have you seen these around? Do you think it will become a big trend?

soaking up the juices

2011-06-18T01:57:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to thugqueen28, congratulations for graduating and being my one faithful reader =)
This one's for you kid.

In response to your comment. I don't use cotton balls, They absorb ALOT of liquid and you don't get much of anything back. The only thing I use cotton balls for now is removing nail polish.

I buy these dry cotton masks for the face, neck and eyes/lips and use them to soak up whatever's left over in the bag.

Sometimes there is not enough juice for one whole cotton mask. So when that happens I just soak what I have and keep it in a zip lock bag until I use another mask of the same essence. Like so.

Then I transfer the mask that has soaked up all the juices in the old bag and place it in the new bag so it can keep soaking. These masks are REALLY cheap too. It's $1.50 each at Ichiban and you get like 12 face masks, 12 neck masks or eyes/ lip mask. If you don't like wasting ANYTHING like me, then you should definitely get these to not feel guilty when you toss good juice away. Here's another option.

I didn't like these as much as the Ichiban ones. The Kose ones are kinda cool and a lot easier to use. It's like the size of an alka- seltzer tablet I think. Do you remember those cool towels you had as a kid? The ones where it comes in a tight square or circle and when you put them in water, they expand into a face towel? That's how this works. When it's full of juice, it will expand. This didn't fit my face as well however, but maybe that's because I have a big forehead. haha And the texture of this is kinda grainy, kinda bumpy- I don't really like it. And these run $5 for 14, which is bad if you compare it to Ichiban's. But to each their own.

I ALMOST forgot. So I don't really like to stick my hand in the juice bag to stuff the masks in because not only does it get all over my hands, but I feel like I'm wasting product. So I use this to stuff it.

This is a My Melody ear pick. And no I don't pick my ears with it! It's TOO cute, isn't it? I didn't know what to do with it but FOR SURE it was TOO cute to pick my ears with! So now I've found the perfect job for it. Yay!

I hope that answers all your questions thugqueen28. Let me know if you have any more.

Do you prefer the Ichiban or the Kose? Are you a juice saver? Would you go thru all the trouble? Am I CRAZY?! Muahahaha.

Oh and Kokoro says Wussup! He looks so gangster in this pic and so sad in the other pic huh? I must have took like a million pictures of him with the tie. HAHAHA Poor fella, sucks to be my dog!

pretty nails

2011-06-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am excited to share with you what I have on my nails this week =)

This is the Orly Bonder I used this week as my base. I think it's a pretty good base. It dries really fast. When it dries, it has this kind of rubbery stickiness to it that I think makes the nail polish adhere better to the nail.

This is one coat of OPI's Dinner for Two nail polish. It's a nice sheer nude color. I think this is generally used for french manicures.

This is 2 coats of OPI's Dinner for Two nail polish. Can you see the difference? Kinda hard huh? I can see that it's slightly more opaque but I probably wouldn't notice it if someone didn't point it out to me.

The final result is....Dun, da-dun DUN...

This is one coat of Deborah Lippman's Glitter in the Air over OPI's Dinner for Two. Don't you just LOVE it?! It's so simple but fun. It kinda reminds me of those Mother's Animal Cookies. I've had it on for 2 days now and I still love looking at it. It's like I went to a party and got confetti stuck on my nails.

This is what I used all together.

From left to right,
Orly Bonder $8, OPI Dinner for Two ($8-$9), Deborah Lippman's Glitter in the Air $18! ( I know right?! I got mine at Nordstroms. I REALLY like it though.), and Borghese's Top Coat $10.

What do you think? Do you like it? Have you tried any of these polishes before? Do you think the Glitter in the Air is worth it? Holla back yo =)

My Beauty Diary Natto Mask

2011-05-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

This is the sheet mask I used this weekend. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before I used it.

Purpose: Hydrating, firming

Skin type: All skin types especially dull, dehydrated skin

Characteristics: The r-PGA component present in Natto Gum not only protects the skin with a thin layer of water film preventing the loss of water from skin surface, but also effectively penetrates deep to hydrate the skin. Together with the Bio-Active Silanols and Algae Extract conditioning, they work to achieve maximum hydration for the skin regaining its luster. The Natto essence is iso-flavone rich and helps to rejuvenate the skin, improving the skin’s elasticity, reducing signs of aging.

What I noticed...
day one- most parts of my face were really hydrated and soft, but the area between my nose and mouth and the area between my left cheek and mouth had the beginnings of a few red bumps. They were in the early stages of surfacing.

day two- same thing, but the bumps that were surfacing have now surfaced. They were tiny zits.

day three- by now, most of my face feels pretty good, except for that one section. When I patted my face in the morning, there was a softer bounce back which I really liked.

overall- I'm not sure.... I like how most of my face felt but the area that broke out did bother me and it still hasn't completely gone away yet. I probably won't buy this mask again for that reason alone. I would recommend it to other people though, because not everyone's skin is the same. So it may work out for other people, plus most of my face felt pretty good. Maybe this mask just wasn't meant for me.

This mask is FULLY LOADED with juice so you know you're getting your money's worth! I still have a lot left over that I plan to use on my neck =) We will have to see what happens. I will definitely do an update on the results later.

smashbox halo finale

2011-05-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

I have FINALLY finished my Smashbox Halo powder!! Yipee!

Although I have no complaints about the product itself whatsoever, I'm not sure I would buy it again. It was quite expensive... $59!! It's great quality as most of my experience with Smashbox items are but for now, I don't feel the need for to pay that much for powder. I bought it because I was going to Asia and was afraid that they wouldn't have anything to match my skintone and I was right. So I ran into Sephora at the airport, couldn't decide what to get but finally decided on Smashbox because it has usually been good to me.

It goes on really smooth and if you skin is ok (as in not too bumpy from existing acne or deep pitted acne scars), it will be enough coverage for most people. After you apply it, your skin feels really smooth and natural, not sticky or waxy. And most importantly if you get the right shade, it melts into your skin and blends beautifully. I was quite impressed the first few times I used it, but I guess you get what you pay for right?

On a daily basis, I used it after I put on my BB cream for an extra smooth look ( I need it). The BB cream alone is WAY too pale for me.

This is the claim made on the Sephora website.

HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder & Brush Set
What it is:
A face-perfecting anti-aging powder and brush duo.

What it does:
Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder HALO is the first anti-aging powder with the science of skin care built in. It's advanced formulation of pure gold, 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide deliver powerful anti-aging benefits while the patented hydration system continuously revitalizes skin and provides a hydrated look that won't accentuate lines and wrinkles. The built-in shaver allows for the convenience of a pressed powder combined with the radiant finish of a loose one, and the super-sized brush deposits the perfect amount of powder every time.

What else you need to know:
The powder is made for all skin types and is free of oil, talc, and parabens. Includes a custom Travel Kabuki Brush for flawless application plus a sample of our award-winning Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

Clinical studies show:
- After 10 minutes there is a 33% decrease in the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes.
- After 6 weeks of use, there is a 67% decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles overall.

Dun, da, da-da

As with all my products I like to squeeze and get ALL my money's worth, so one of my most favorite thing to do is figuring a way to disect the container that gets the most product and is the least messy. So here are my pictures of my Smashbox Halo destruction.

Look at how much product is still there! I used it for another 2 weeks! I found out the hard way that there was still more product that fell thru the cracks between the shaver and the metal thing that held the powder, so becareful. The metal is glued on and I didn't think there was anything facinating if I took it apart so I left it- oops! If you can't tell already, how this works is that the Halo powder comes unshaved and you turn the shaver on the bottom right to shave it. The point is to shave just enough for the time you are planning to use it and you have total control over that. This is for people who love loose powders but hate the messiness. No powder has fallen out of that container when it was in my bag, pretty smart design, though everyone has their own take on it now...

What do you think? Is this powder for you? Have you tried this? What is your experience with this?

TFS Mung Bean Mask

2011-05-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Face Shop Cereal Mask Sheet- Mung Bean, for smooth, clearer skin. 'Mung Bean extract cleans and smoothes skin'

- The Benefits of Mung Bean: Used to cleanse and clarify skin for ages, Mung Beans are valued for their excellent cleansing and detoxifying properties which help resolve skin problems for a more beautiful complexion.

- Made from all natural pulp for the gentle delivery of Mung Bean extract, this nutrient- rich cereal mask sheet cleans and smoothes skin.

I used this mask for 3 days in a row over this past weekend. The mask totally lived up to what it said it would do. My skin felt soft after the first day, but I wasn’t that impressed. The redness looked the same as the night before so it was eh… but after I used it the second day, my skin felt even better. After the third day, red marks reduced a little but my skin felt so soft and rejuvenated, like I had a good night’s sleep for 2 weeks! If all my skin needed was to feel soft and rejuvenated, I would definitely purchase this again. However, my skin is WAY more complicated than that to say the least. But if one miraculous day, that's all my skin needs, I will be stocking up on that for sure. The masks makes good on what it claims.

Have you used this mask before? What are your thoughts about it? Have you used other Face Shop masks?

Go bye bye

2011-05-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

These are some of the products I can't wait till I'm finished with them.

From left to right:

EOS honeydew lip balm- ugh I really REALLY don't like this product and will not purchase it again. I bought it only because it was different looking from all the other lip balms I've used in the past. I have to use it a lot before I feel that my lips are moisturized but even then it doesn't last. So now I just want to finish it and give it to my dog to play with. At least then he will have something to look forward to. I don't recommend this to anyone and if I can save you $3-$4, I'll be happy. Would not recommend this to anyone!

The Face Shop pure berry BB cream- This BB cream is ok, not the best, not the worst. It's consistency is not as thick as others I've tried. I would say it's the same consistency as regular lotion. I think this BB cream has anti-oxidant properties but I haven't noticed a difference so I'm ready to go on to the next thing. And I'm VERY close to finishing it. YAY! I probably wouldn't purchase this again because I didn't see any difference (but maybe that's a good thing? like my skin stayed the same since it first started?) It does have SPF 20++, so I was using it as my sunscreen. I would recommend this to someone who wanted to try BB cream. It has a nice scent that is not overpowering.

The Face Shop Pore Minimizer Controlling Cream- I was so excited when I first got this because my pores are HUGE! I mainly use this on my forehead and inner cheek area (the area right beside my nose), where my pores are really noticeble but I haven't seen much of a difference. I've only seen that it mattes my skin, but I've used other pore minimizers that have worked better. So I wouldn't recommend this nor buy it again.

The Face Shop Quick & Clean Oil- Free Moisturizing Cream- When I first got this I was very excited, because I was so obsessed with The Face Shop products. It was kinda disappointing. It's not that great of a moisturizer. I mean I think it's ok but it's another one I wouldn't buy again. I have yet to find a good moisturizer that is compatible with my skin and that I will see results.

What products can't you wait until you finish up?

500 Points Sephora

2011-05-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that Sephora is giving away this really cool combo of eyeshadows by Too Faced if you have collected 500 points from their beauty insider program. It has a sample from their Natural, Smoky, Naked and Romantic Eye palettes. It even comes with their Shadow Insurance primer!! I think it's totally worth redeeming your points for. I have the Natural AND the Naked palette and I LOVE them! They are so pigmented and glide on really easily. Ahh! *clap clap* SO excited. I think I'll just stare at them for now, so pretty =)

Let's stare together...

The guide is even in another language if english isn't your language!

Sheet masks review

2011-05-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

The masks I tried this weekend..

Green Tea Collagen Mask

Purpose: The Green Tea offers intense hydration and effective antioxidants to protect against premature aging. Soothes with aloe and allantoin. Reduces inflammation and redness.

What I noticed: It didn't work as well as it did the first couple of times I used it (or I should say, not as powerful) but that maybe because this was from the left over juices (and maybe there wasn't enough?). It did hydrate my skin and tone down the redness which I have a lot of from recent acne and past acne scars. I makes my acne go down a lot which I love. I'm not sure if they still make it because I went to the website and couldn't find it. I got mine at a beauty convention and I'm going to one again in June and will be sure to be on the look out for this. If you have acne or irritated skin, this is a mask to try. It's also good for people who are sensitive to scented skincare, this has no scent.

Skinfood Lettuce & Cucumber Water Essence Mask Sheet

Water essence-type mask sheet that contains lettuce & cucumber extracts to keep your skin feeling freshly moisturized.

What I noticed: It had this cold, cooling sensation when I put it on. It was nice feeling especially after a hot day. In the morning, I noticed my skin was moisturized and the active acne had gone down in size AND redness, something always nice to wake up to in the morning =) Not sure if I will buy this again... It worked well but I've had others that worked even better.

To me, my skin needs more and I've had better results with other masks. But if all you want or need is for your skin to be cooled and moisturized, then this is the mask for you! Or if you have HOT summer days and/or nights, this will feel so good and it will be more beneficial than just putting a cold paper towel on your face =P

and to round off my weekend....

The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Aloe Mask Sheet
'Aloe for comforted and revitalized skin"
- The benefits of aloe: Aloe soothes and hydrates sensitive skin without irritation.
- Made from all natural pulp for the gentle delivery of aloe extract, this refreshing juice- like mask sheet comforts and revitalizes skin.
Aloe soothes and heals damaged skin. Great for sunburm skin irritation.

What I noticed: My skin was plump and glowy in the morning. Irritation seemed to have subsided, but it left my face a little sticky which aloe usually does. I did have a breakout on the side of my nose but I'm not sure if that is from overdoing it on my part ( I used a The Face Shop's Honey Black Sugar scrub AND a Biore nose strip). I've used this mask a few times now and will continue to do so. I think aloe sheet masks are always a safe way to go if you are trying sheet masks for the first time.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I'm using these right. All the masks suggests using it 2-3 rimes a week. I should have used the same mask 3 days in a row... not 3 different masks, 3 days in a row! DOH!! Oh well, I'll start next weekend....

What mask are you using? What is your favorite mask?