work in progress

Wow...

2014-06-18T19:02:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since the last time I wrote. I will keep this simple and let you know I started a new blog with my dog Ava, I think the link is avatheshibainu.blogspot.com, not sure because I just made it. I have my YT beauty/life channel, you can watch the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/babyspark. I haven't completely abandoned this blog but still not back at it yet.

xo
Sam

On hiatus...

2013-09-24T21:01:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

To anyone who reads this, gosh bless you. I have neglected this blog horribly. To be honest I cannot commit to this like it should be. I still do YT videos but even that has slowed down. I am taking a hiatus but I hope to be back soon.

Thank you
Sam (and Ava)

Another update

2013-07-05T09:45:00.001-04:00

I have moved house and just begun to feel at home after about a month. It was very stressful moving but things are improving. Ava is doing well and adjusting to her new home. With the move I havr had to reevaluate everything I own, I had a lot of stuff! Right now I am going through my nail polish collection and getting rid of ones that are old and I never use.

Hope you are all staying cool during this very hot summer!

Sam and Ava

Time Flies

2013-05-19T13:34:00.001-04:00

This is another post apologizing for my absence. But I think I have a good reason. I got a puppy! Her name is Ava (took me awhile to come up with that name) and she was born December 24, 2012 how awesome is that. Her breed is the Shiba Inu, the fox looking dogs aka the smiling dog. I have been hard at work training her but it's been a slight struggle as this breed is known to be very stubborn and not for first time pet owners. I am technically not a first time dog owner having had dogs around most of my life although it was always a family dog. Anyway not to boggle you with unimportant details, where are the pictures I can hear you asking.

I am going to be busy, new adventures and such with the pup and other things but I will try to maintain this blog better. I update more on my Youtube channel, username babyspark, many videos of Ava bear.

Sam

CoverGirl Outlast Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation + Broad Spectrum SPF 20

2013-04-06T22:58:00.000-04:00

I decided to try out the new CG foundation everyone has been buzzing about. As you can see below it gives decent coverage but I feel I need a concealer and it feels a bit drying on the skin. It's an OK foundation but I wouldn't repurchase. I had the shade Nude Beige, 832.

-Sam

Original Beauty Box

2013-03-29T18:32:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend surprised me with the Original Beauty Box which made me SO happy. I already posted on my Muji and wanted to share with you what I did with this box. I love both but think the OBB is a better option for me because I wanted to declutter my vanity area and this fits my foundation and larger products. It is more expensive than the muji but you can also do more. You can also remove the dividers which is a nice option if I needed the space.

I am a visual person so if I don't see something, I will forget about it which is a sad but true thing about me. My memory is poor :) but this helps out a lot in that department.

I didn't store away the Muji but used it for my lipsticks.

LOVE LOVE both of these products and recommend them.

Links:
Original beauty Box
My Muji Post

-Sam

Maybelline "the Rocket" Mascara

2013-03-21T15:37:00.001-04:00

I am giving you my first impressions on Maybelline "the Rocket" Volum' Express Mascara. I got the shade very black and waterproof.

I am loving this mascara, it holds my curl. You know this is tough to do on asian pin straight lashes. Only downside might be it clumps a tad but this is after three coats.

-Sam

Embarassing Topic: Cold Sores

2013-02-24T22:34:00.000-05:00

Embarassing Topic:
So I wanted to talk about cold sores, why? Well because I have one right now actually. I call it an embarrassing topic because I want to cover it up and people say you have herpes. While it is a form of herpes , it is not of the sexual nature. Anyway I don't want to get into the background of it because whatever form you have, it's annoying and embarassing. I get it around my mouth and for my most recent one, I got it on my actual lip.

My Background:
I usually get them when I am stressed or when I get my period. Guess what? I am both right now and whammo, I was eating and I felt it. I haven't gotten one in a really long time and was surprised when it appeared.

Possible Solutions:
Now you can try lots of things, going to the doctor and getting a prescription or Abreva, a very expensive drugstore product. I have actually gone to the doctor for a cold sore a long time ago when it was really bad and wouldn't go away. You have to determine whether or not your situation warrants a doctor's visit. As for Abreva, I tried it and I don't think it warrants the expensive price tag especially being a drug store product. If it was a overnight cure I would say go for it but I have found my solution works just as well if not better and doesn't cost a lot.

My solution:
What do I do? Right away, I use anything with a petroleum nature to it (Vaseline, Carmex, Aquaphor- nothing with scents in it). Right now I am using Elizabeth 8 Hr Cream. Any of these products I listed works for me. The problem is keeping the cold sore covered with the product at all times as soon as you realize you have one. The cold sore needs air to breathe and if exposed to air will keep living. I got my cold sore Thursday and cold sore is almost gone as I write this on Sunday. If I could do it, I wouldn't eat solid foods because every time I eat, the cold sore is disrupted whether it's on my lip or around my mouth. If you can handle it, a liquid diet would be ideal but not recommended.

Because the cold sore is on my lip, I put the product all over my lips like a lip balm so you really couldn't tell I had a problem. This is obviously much harder to do if it's around your mouth.

Dont do's:
Do not wear makeup or put lotion on the cold sore. I have done the whole put on foundation to cover it up, this is a bad idea and will only delay the healing process. And you are not fooling anyone, they know.

Do not pick at the cold sore even if you think it's time and crusting over. Crusting in my opinion is a good sign, it means the cold sore is dying. DONT PICK!

The end:
I have had cold sores come and go for a long time and have done everything and anything to get rid of them. These are my experiences and felt since I had some opinions on it, I would share them with you since I know I am not alone. I hope I could help one or some of you.

-Sam

Etude House Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream #3 Sheer Flawless Skin

2013-02-07T23:29:00.002-05:00

I know looking for the right shade of Asian BB creams is tough especially for those with a darker skin tone. I am in the MAC NC 25-30 shade range which makes me lucky I guess because I am so close to being too dark for BB creams. But sometimes I feel I am too dark. I tried the Missha Perfect BB cream in No. 23 and that was way too light so it kind of turned me off Asian bb creams. My sister ( I requested the darkest shade they had) brought back Etude House Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream #3 Sheer Flawless Skin from Korea and I LOVE it. It is still light but I love the coverage. It works well with the face powders I have used.

I hope asian companies make darker colors because this is my skin in the winter so it is the lightest it's going to be so in the summer not sure how this foundation is going to fly.

-Sam

New Favorite Classic Movie: Two For the Road

2013-02-06T00:16:00.000-05:00

TWO FOR THE ROAD

Image from Britposters.com

I fell in love with this movie after catching it on PBS a few nights ago. With movies I like, I tend to watch them over and over again until I'm sick of it. I am currently watching this movie as we speak, lol. It stars classic style icon and fantastic actress Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, supposedly they had an affair during filming. True or not they had great chemistry. In a nutshell, this film is about a married couple who look back on their troubled 10 year or so marriage, do they last? Gotta watch it :)

Love Audrey Hepburn and am surprised I missed this film. Other Audrey films to check out: Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's (did this really need to be annouced), The Nun, My Fair Lady.

For those wanting more information, I put the IMDB and Wikipedia links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062407/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_for_the_Road_%28film%29

-S

Muji 5 Drawer Acrylic Case

2013-02-01T02:37:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that my Muji storage came in the mail recently. I got it for my vanity makeup area. Before buying I knew my foundations were not going to fit but that was fine with me. My makeup area was a bit disorganized because I am into containers for storing everything. It got to be a bit much and decided the Muji or clear cube was the right path for me. I am the type of person where if I don't see it, I won't use it. The price was not too bad, it's the shipping that gets you but I still thought it was worth it. The 5 drawer was $27.95 and you get more room if you count the top. I might purchase the larger cases when they come back in stock. These cases are impressive in both how they look and how sturdy they are. In love!

Here is the link: http://www.muji.us/store/storage/acrylic-cases/acrylic-case-5-drawers.html

BEFORE

AFTER

-S

Also I linked my youtube video that shows you how I organized the drawers.
Muji Storage Video

nails nails nails

2013-01-17T02:17:00.000-05:00

Try this combo out if you think Sally Hansen Gentle Blossom is a bit weak
Sally Hansen Gentle Blossom + Maybelline Green with Envy

I also wanted to try out some nail polishes I acquired over Christmas. Sephora by OPI The Golden Age, OPI The Living Daylights and Essie sand tropez. I am loving all of these polishes. The Golden Age is my new favorite glitter nail polish, move over Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me. Although an oldd mix of colors, I really like The living daylights, its a fun glitter polish. And you can't go wrong with a good nude, sand tropez is a true nude with maybe a hint of gray.

-S

My New Years Eve Nails

2013-01-02T02:21:00.000-05:00

I had plan to wear my new James Bond OPI nail polishes but decided I needed to step it up for New Years Eve. I went with all glitter although it's gonna be a pain to remove but the foil method has made it so much easier then before.

The line up:
Essie Beyond Cozy
OPI Only gold for me
Essie set in stone
Essie a cut above

No top coat but this has lasted 2 plus days without any chipping.

-S

James Bond OPI Nail Polishes

2012-12-29T03:39:00.000-05:00

I was at Wegmen's and saw OPI had a display with James Bond/007 nail polishes and got super excited. I love James Bond, what female or male doesn't. My favorite 007 of course is Sean Connery and next would be Daniel Craig. I have watched all the movies and SkyFall was awesome. Anyway back to the nail polishes, I wish I could get all of them but I decided to get the 2 below, Goldeneye and SkyFall. All the bottles are named after the movies. Each nail got two coats except for the accent color, it doesn't go too well together but both colors on their own are gorgeous.

-S

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!

Last minute gift ideas

2012-12-20T02:49:00.001-05:00

It's almost Christmas time and you know what that means, getting gifts for the people you love.

I have gotten things for my family that I know they will use. For example this year I am giving my family an aerator, they are wine drinkers and I know they will use and enjoy this. Last year was the Sodastream. Getting one gift that the whole family can enjoy is nice and cost effective.

I like making gifts so body scrubs are a great inexpensive gift to give someone. You can also make your own brush cleanser and give to the make up lover.

I also give gifts to help people out my own sneaky way :)
for the messy person- some organization tool whether it be a address book or pencil holder, this can be anything.

I think giving someone a gift that has changed your life in some way is a good route to go. I like the turbie twist- saves hair drying time. Another idea is a extra battery for a digital camera or Also a camera mount for the car is nice because so many of us use our phone as gps nowadays. This year I got my mom an ipad case charger, she is always forgetting to charge her ipad.

Anything at the drugstore is great, a set of nail polishes by revlon or sally hansen, etc. A lipstick and matching gloss is nice too. Or maybe get a drugstore kit full of your favorite products to the makeup newbie.

The dollar store is another great place to find gifts- I found a great Christmas cannister that I can fill with the recipients favorite candy or put money or makeup, endless possiblilites.

-S

I will be going to FL for Christmas and since there is no internet connection where I am staying, this will be my last post until after. I hope you have a great Christmas/ Holiday/ Winter Break. Thank you for visiting my blog and Merry Christmas!

Kaboom Foam-Tastic: Does it work?

2012-12-11T01:42:00.003-05:00

I got into super cleaning mode these past few days and decided to review the Kaboom Foam-Tastic by Oxi clean. This stuff works pretty well but I got the same results from a dollar store product called LA Totally Awesome all purpose cleaner Link to product. So it's up to you which product go get. The pictures below shows the Kaboom in action. This product comes out blue than turns white when ready. I need to go another round with my floors but this did a great job first time out. And no chemically smell (LA has a smell).

-S

DIY: body scrub (christmas/holiday gift idea)

2012-12-09T00:21:00.000-05:00

I love making homemade gifts for people. There is something about putting your love and work into a project and giving it to another person. I also know money is a worry for some people so this DIY helps the wallet conscious as well as the DIYselfers. For myself I spent no money because I had everything on hand. If you do need to purchase some items, I would recommend the dollar store, they should have everything with the exception of the fragrance oils.

This DIY was so easy because you can add or not add the ingredients below. I got some inspiration from the internet but the measurements and other choices were my own.

1st body scub: gardenia

ingredients:

gardenia fragrance oil
jojoba oil (gives it the yellowish hue)
baby oil (baby oil has a distinct smell, the gardenia oil overpowers it though)
baking soda
epsom salt

(use lots of epsom salt and as much or little of the other stuff)

2nd body scrub: tangerine

ingredients:

tangerine zest (gives it the orange hue)
jojoba oil
argan oil

note: I used baby oil but I would skip it because it overpowers the tangerine zest.

alternatives for:
epsom salt: raw sugar
tangerine zest: lemon zest
any type of body oil can be used (baby, jojoba, argan, etc)

notes:
I got the gardenia oil from Whole Foods, they have a huge body oil selection. This was only for fragrance so if you only have baby oil or jojoba oil, that is fine.

I used old candle jars I cleaned out (with boiling water, the oil rises) so no cost there. You can also use mason jars, I would have preferred that but I didn't have any on hand. I like the mini ones I made so I can give multiples to one person but you can give one big one to someone.

I saw on some sites people used food coloring but I would skip this step. I know when I bake cookies with food coloring, it stains my hands. I made a batch with green food coloring to see if it would stain and although my hand did not turn green, I could see the color on my hands. I didn't want to take a chance my recipient would become kermit the frog. I will keep this batch for myself. If you do decide to use the food coloring, use a light hand!

-S

Pixi Correction Concentrate Brightening Peach

2012-12-08T12:54:00.002-05:00

Yey, I can upload photos again without linking from another website.

I got the Pixi Correction Concentrate Brightening Peach from Target, cost around $15. I haven't used other salmon/peachy correctors but I feel this covers my dark circles pretty well. Not sure if it's worth the cost, in the future I will invest in other peachy correctors from high end to test out if this is better or not.

-S

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

2012-12-04T04:41:00.002-05:00

I got an email from UD about their new palette last week. I was pretty excited at first glance because all the eyeshadows are matte. I am going to wait before I buy which is what I did for the previous 2 naked palettes. The first naked I waited so long, they no longer gave pencil liners but brushes instead. The second one I just bought with a $15 Sephora coupon, score!

It's a really cute looking palette, I'll put a link for the UD website. It's $27 and has 6 colors. The only thing is the first 3 colors look very similar, wish their was more variety. I also don't see any freebies like liner, brushes or primer but maybe they will include as a surprise.

http://www.urbandecay.com/naked-basics-eyeshadow-by-urban-decay/355,default,pd.html

-S

Wet n Wild Where's the Party Holiday 2012

2012-11-30T02:53:00.001-05:00

UPDATE 11/30/12:
I figured out how to share photos through flickr, very time consuming I must say, still going to see if I really did reach my photo limit.

Shimmer the Night Away

Drinking a Glass of Shine (all matte)

And the long sought after Sparkle til Morning

_____________________________________________________

11/29/12
I did it! I got my hands on the elusive Sparkle til Morning palette from Wet n Wild. I had gotten Shimmer the Night Away earlier and didn't need to buy Drinking a Glass of Shine because I already own I Heart Matte.

Here are the swatches!

womp womp.....

Oh no, apparently I have reached my limit on photos. Until blogger fixes this issue because I'm pretty sure I didn't reach my limit yet, I will link to my YT videos, which I normally don't do. Please check out this recent video for swatches.

Drugstore Haul

-S

Milani Multitasker Face Powder- Light Tan

2012-11-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

Like I have said before, reviewing a product isn't my forte, I like to tell you if a product works in picture form.

Product: Milani Multitasker Face Powder
Shade: Light Tan
Store: Walgreens
Price: $6.79

-S

How to get your white haired makeup brushes white again

2012-11-17T01:28:00.000-05:00

In this post I will show you how to get your brushes from looking like this

to this:

I find white haired makeup brushes are probably one of the hardest things to get clean and look like how they did when you first got them.

All you need is some type of shampoo and olive oil.

This is the process in picture form:

This isn't a quick process because liquid foundation really gets into the brushes and since this was the first time really cleaning them out the right way I found I had to repeat the process quite a few times. But it was well worth the effort.

Here is another set I cleaned the same way:

The only problem I ran into is when I go to use the makeup brushes, some of the brushes can be a little oily. You can fix that by dipping your brush into powder and that soaks up the oil.

I found this solution by researching on the internet and this seemed to be the consensus on how to get the brushes to their original white and this is proof it works.

-S

How to make your furry rug back to normal after washing

2012-11-14T02:48:00.004-05:00

I had to wash my furry rug from Ikea because it got dirty and a washcloth was not going to cut it. I did not expect it to come out the way it did.

So I started to comb it out with a brush.

It was a long process and I needed to get the fur out of my brush pretty often.

This is the finished result and it's almost as good as new.

-S

Update

2012-11-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

I have neglected this blog and my YouTube for the past few weeks and I apologize for that. I haven't been inspired to make posts and videos. Some of you might know that I live in NY and Hurricane Sandy hit the NY/NJ area like nothing I've ever seen before. I was very lucky and my family and friends are safe. But many families have lost their homes and that's so mind boggling to me because this area has been my home since I was 6. There is a lot of devastation but NY (also NJ and CT) will rebuild again.

Please donate anything you can whether it be money, clothes, toiletries, services, etc.
http://www.nyredcross.org/

I will be back with new posts.

view from the SI Ferry

Thank you
-S

Influenster Beauty Blogger Voxbox 2012

2012-10-18T22:34:00.002-04:00

I was so excited to receive my voxbox from influenster. These are some great products (most I haven't tried) that come in deluxe or full sizes.

Influenster website http://www.influenster.com/
This is a site where members can write reviews and share experiences of products.

My box!!:

Products:

-NYC New York Color® IndividualEyes Custom Compact (tried other colors)

-Kiss® Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit (never tried)

-Bath & Body Works® Mini Candles (never tried)

-Goody® Simple Styles Spin Pin (never tried)

-EBOOST® (never tried)

-Not Your Mother's® Smooth Moves™ Frizz Control Hair Cream (never tried)

I can't wait to try these products and report back to you.

-S