Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Beauty Review: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Hi everyone! Working full-time has really taken its toll on me. I'm still adjusting and adapting with the situation and all that, but here I am, managed to finally write a new post.

This foundation has been in my wish list for quite a while, and I finally got one after reassurance from a friend that this is great stuff. I've watched many videos to see how the foundation is in action. The high price tag of $43 really hindered me at first, but then Sephora offered its VIBs $20 off last December.

I have to say that the silk creme foundation really sounds so, hmm, promising and indulging. It made me imagine this dewy, glowy and beautiful looking finish for the result product. After using it for several weeks, it is time for me to share my take on how this product lives up to its hype.


Shade
It comes in 10 different shades. The lightest is called soft ivory and the darkest is Hazelnut beige. My shade is sand beige, although I then realized that it is a bit yellow for my liking, but nothing that can't be worked with.


Application
Since it comes in a tube, you have have to squeeze it out, but don't squeeze too hard otherwise you will waste valuable product. It doesn't take much to cover your whole face.
The formulation is really thick but easy to blend. I always use my F84 brush by Sigma to apply it.

How it feels
It really smoothes onto the skin really easily. Because of its thick consistency, I do have a definite feeling of wearing foundation, but it doesn't really look heavy or anything.

Finish
It really provides glow and satin finish. It perfects your skin overall. I use this throughout my road trip last month and whenever I saw my pictures using it, I know it is a great product.

Coverage
I'd say it has a medium to full coverage. The coverage is for sure buildable. The more you apply the more coverage you get. But again, it naturally is thick in formula so it doesn't take much to cover up redness or imperfection.

Price
The retail price is $43. I know, it is a lot even for a foundation. Sephora and other retail stores have occasional coupons so look out for those. The best way is to subscribe to their mailing list so you will not miss it.



Conclusion
For $43, I didn't know if I would have ever purchased it in the first place without some kind of reassurance. Foundation is really tricky. For quite a high price, make sure you know what you're gonna invest in. Go to Sephora or your department store and ask for a sample or demonstration on the product application. See it for yourself. As for me, I love this foundation. I love the smoothness and glow it gives to my skin. However, it tends to fade a little throughout the day especially on oily skin so make sure to layer on a primer before you apply the foundation for a long-wearing product.



What great foundation have you tried lately? Share in the comment below =)

♥ ♥ ♥       

Monday, January 14, 2013

Travel Diary: Road Trip - Los Angeles, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Las Vegas

Hi everyone. Several days ago I posted some pictures of my holiday, but I don't think they were enough to share with you how amazing the places my friends and I visited in the course of one week. I really had a blast regardless of the long hours on the road. So here I compiled some great shots of a couple of my friends and mind to share with you. 
Enjoy!

Urban Lights, Los Angeles, CA

These beautiful structures of urban lights are located in front of Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I have seen many pictures of my friends taken here and this is my second time here. The lights are open for public, and it is most beautiful at night because you can see the lights shine with the beautiful white pillars all around.

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA
                          

This is the "it" shopping place for designer label and haut couture fashion. The area is basically about three-block long stretch of boutique and shops. Again, with the lights and everything, it is really beautiful at night.

Hollywood sign - 3000 Canyon Lake Drive, Hollywood
My effort of having Donald's picture taken with the Hollywood sign. 

Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

                                       

The canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone. I was told the only way to visit the place was through tour services. The destination is divided into two, upper and lower canyon. Here, we visited only the lower canyon and it was really a beautiful creation of nature. We went to the canyon by an open pick-up truck that is converted to passengers vehicles. It was about 20-minute drive from Page to the canyon itself, and the tour lasted for about 50 minutes. It is said to be the most visited and most photographed slot canyon in the American southwest.

Horseshoe Bend, AZ
 Here, we were on our way down to see the horseshoe-shaped meander of Colorado River, still located near the city Page, Arizona. It was about 15 minute drive from our tour place. 

Despite of the bright sun light, the wind was really cold. The temperature was as low as 34°F. Due to our limited lens capability, we were unable to get any worthy-post pic =(. 


Bryce Canyon, UT

From Horseshoe Bend, we were back on the road for 3 hours to go to Bryce in Utah. The temperature was below freezing. It was around -4°F when we arrived at night. We spent the night and went to the Bryce Canyon National Park the very next morning.

This is my second time here, and I was still amazed at the grand view. 


 It was a lot of fresh powdery snow!!! Yay! 


The real winter wonderland (ˆヮˆ)



Las Vegas, NV

Almost 5 hours after our hike at Bryce Canyon, we arrived in Las Vegas. We started our vegas experience with dinner at Tacos El Gordo, our favorite taco place in San Diego is now open in Las Vegas. 
We stayed in Las Vegas for 3 days and spent a low-key new year's eve there.


The Venetian Hotel

Bellagio Hotel

Thank you for reading! Have a great week everyone!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Beauty Review: Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion

Still from Sephora Favorites Draw the Line collection, I think this Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof liquid eyeliner deserves its own blog post. I don't consider myself as a liquid-liner person just because it can get messy when I'm in a hurry. I still need to work on my stability, too. But this liquid liner is really easy to work with. 

It does pretty much similar job with any good liquid eyeliner in general, but what special about it is that it doesn't run down under your eyes or your upper lids throughout the day like some liquid liners do. It dries pretty much matte with no shimmer, which always good for everyday use. I don't use it everyday though, because liquid eyeliner can make your look more harsh that usual just because the intensity of black it provides. When I want a more natural look, I always go with a matte black eyeshadow (panther from wet 'n wild is great) and smudge it with my $1 elf smudge brush. 

It also comes in 11 different shades which is pretty awesome for those who like to experiment with colors. For $19, I'd say it is a pretty good deal, although I'd prefer to save the money for the Kat Von D instead. 



Drugstore alternative for liquid eyeliner with similar lasting power is Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner.  
                                                                                                                       

It is Emily-recommended, and her recommendations rarely let me down. Just sayin'. Although, I have to say, the stiff-er brush could be an advantage or a downer depending on your preference. I find it easier to work with because I don't have the stablest hand when it comes to applying liquid eyeliner, but it also limits the 'flick' flexibility if you know what I mean. You have to draw the line thoroughly when you want to create that "winged" effect. 

Thank you for reading!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Beauty Rave: Kat Von D Tattoo

Several months ago, I purchased Sephora Favorites Draw the Line - eyeliner sampler with my 20% VIB discount. I had been looking for a perfect eyeliner - smudge proof, long-lasting power, straight black and ease of control - for a while, and now I can safely say that I have found my ideal liner. 

I started using eyeliner when I was in high school. I remember my very first eyeliner was this automatic pencil liner from Face Shop. It smudged like crazy after several hours and left me with panda eyes, but since I didn't know any better, I sticked with it for several years. Then I turned to Etude, still a Korean beauty brand, automatic pencil liner. It was more smudge-proof even though it didn't stay very long on oily eyelids ( I didn't know that eye primer existed!). 

I had always thought that I was more of a pencil-liner kinda girl because I didn't seem to get the hang of liquid eyeliner. It was messy and hard to control , at least for the ones I have tried. Years later, eyeliners keep getting better, and I am so happy that I have found pen liner.It's not pencil nor liquid. It's more like a pen liner. It runs on ink. It's like pencil and liquid in one! 

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper

This particular Kat Von D tattoo liner is very special for me. It is smudge-proof. I have worn this from rainy days for hours, and it doesn't smudge on me. Of course, using an eye primer as the base doesn't hurt either. The very fine-tip point allows you to trace a thin line across your eyes and creates beautiful perfect cat eyes effect. 

It dries within reasonable length of time, which means that it doesn't dry too fast so it is easy to erase with a q-tip when you make a mistake, but it also doesn't try too slow that it gets messy when you blink. I don't know if that makes any sense to any of you, but it works on me. All I have here is only the sample size, and I am buying the full size for sure. 


What's the best eyeliner you've tried? 

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Haul! ❤ Loft - Work/Casual Attires

I hope I haven't bored you guys with my obsession of Loft (thanks to Veronica). These are the things I got over the holiday, and some you might have seen from my last blog post. Approximately 8 days until my first day of work, and I have prepared myself with professional attires. Thanks to Loft for its cute, good quality yet affordable clothes, and thanks to Veronica for introducing it to me. Also, thanks for extrapetite.com for her sense of style. =)
I just discovered that being a 5'2" is included under petite sizing category. It is a new revelation for me to find clothes that actually fit better. If only I knew better in high school...
 *sigh*

Forever 21 Shirt
Cotton On Denim Jacket
I'm sorry for the inconsistency of lighting. You can't really see the beet or oxblood color if I may, in the pairing, but I really like how it turns out together. I didn't get the royal blue that I featured in my last post, but now I am inclined to buy it. 


Mossimo Blazer from Target
H&M High Wasted Pencil skirt
I just love this blouse. I don't think I would wear it untucked though because of its loose fit (left). 
In the middle, I paired the blouse with the corduroy pants, and I really love the combination. I added the black scallop-cut blazer for a dressier touch.
It works great too with high-waisted skirt which is perfect for office wear. 

Bow Print Tie Neck Blouse, $18, no longer available
left:H&M High-wasted pencil skirt
right:Loft open cardigan 
This is the exact same blouse with the previous one except for the prints, and the color of course.
 It can look pretty childish with the bow prints, but with the right styling I can make it work for a casual Friday.

Kitten Print 3/4 Sleeves Cardigan, $16, no longer available
I love the material. It's soft and thick with cute prints, too. I bought these just before Christmas when my friends and I did online shopping together to gather enough items to take advantage of the free shipping. 


left:Rober Rodriguez Shell from Target
middle and right:Calvin Klein Shirt + Mossimo Blazer from Target
I am having a mixed feeling about these pants. On one hand, I love the trendy vibe its giving with the prints and all, but I'm not sure whether I like how it gets wrinkly every time I move my legs. 

That's all folks! I'll update more when I have new great finds. 

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Fitting Rooms: Loft, Forever 21, Target

Greetings from my desk! I spent about 3 hours at the mall yesterday wandering around and trying clothes on (don't judge).

As usual, Loft was having an additional 50% off of its sale items. I walked into the store and saw more sale items than ever before. It must be the 'after-holiday' sale that they want to get rid all of the current season's items and give space to the new ones.
 I have been wanting a pair of royal blue pants and found one at Loft's sale rack.
It was originally $ 59.50, and now it's $20.

left: I paired it with a pink lace blouse $64.99 $37.50
middle: Blend cable sweater $59.50 $25
right: Pretty Presents graphic tee $39.50 $19.75

left: Stripe flutter sleeves blouse $49.50 $22.50
middle: optic dot tiered wedge tee $39.99 $20
right: colorblocked sequin shell $44.99 $22.50

I don't really care for this cocoon style. It just looks weird for me and makes me look like I have a hunch on my back. Not what I was going for. 

I can't find this blouse online anymore. I really love the fabric and the loose style, too. 
Too bad it was too big for me. 

I love this adorable bow tee. The model on the website pictures this tee as a pyjamas top. I can see why. Its loose fit and comfortable material would be a good night wear, but I personally wouldn't wear this for sleep. It's just too darn cute to be hidden in the bedroom. 


I just love myself a cartoon sweater. Guilty as charged. I love Toy Story, too!

I also went to Target and found all the Neimann Marcus + Target Holiday collection was 70% off. I don't know whether the collaboration lived up to its hype. I guess not looking from still plenty to choose from. 

Lela Rose Dress $99.99 $29.99 
I can't hate this dress any more than I do right now. It doesn't look sophisticated as it is on the display, and it certainly makes me looks at least 20 pounds heavier. 
Again, not really the direction I am going for. 

Prabal Gurung Cape  $79.99 $23.99
I pictured this cape to be a classy and chic cover-up for my party dress, yet it failed to do so. I just find myself looked like a mushroom with a head. I doesn't work for me. 

Thanks for hanging out with me in this post! 
Have a lovely day everyone! 
づ ̄³ ̄)づ ❤

Friday, January 04, 2013

What's in My Travel Makeup Bag? - Holiday Road Trip 2012


As mentioned in my last blog post, I went on a road trip for 8 days straight. There were 11 people on the trip in 2 cars. You can imagine how packed it was. With that in mind, I tried to bring minimal makeup products since we had quite tight schedule and would be on the road most of the time. I brought what I think essential to perk up my look only. I avoided makeup on certain days when I was on the road for hours. I felt more comfortable in "my own skin" like that.


I brought with me one makeup bag for all my makeup product and I stored all my brushes inside this container that I got for my birthday. I brought all the essentials for me except for my E25 brush. I really wish I hadn't forgotten this brush. So sad. It is hard for me to work without my favorite brush. =(
Regardless, I still am grateful to have these tools with me.

from left to right:
-Real Technique Foundation Brush
-Sigma F40 Blush brush
-Sigma F Powder brush
-Sigma E crease brush
-ecotools crease brush
-ecotools shadow brush
-myglam angled eye brush
-myglam eyeshadow brush

Face

Again, I kept things on the minimal side. I had with me my relatively new Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. My shade is sand beige although later I found that it is a bit too yellow for me under certain light. I remember going to Sephora and asking for assistance in finding the right shade for me. The lady who helped me grabbed two shades and worked them on to my skin. I don't know whether it was the lighting or she was just off that day, but the shades were clearly too light for me yet she told me like I was a makeup newbie and assured me that one of them was the right shade. Anywhoo, I love the finish and coverage this foundation gives me. It has that glowy effect without making your skin look oily/shiny. I don't really use concealer with this foundation.
I also brought Maybelline Lumi  for my undereye area that tends to get darker.
I forgot to bring a powder, so when we stopped by at WalMart I decided to grab this Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder. I've heard Tanya Burr/pixi2woo raved so much about this and she uses it on a lot of tutorials. I have to say for about a week I used it, it did a good job keeping my face stay matte throughout the day.
For bronzer, I went with matte bronzer as I always do. I chose theBalm Bahama Mama purely because its compact packaging. The same goes with blushes. I chose theBalm Hot Mama and Tarte because they were small enough to fit in my makeup bag and the colors were pretty versatile.
I also put my Urban Decay All Nighters into a mini spray bottle to set my makeup.

Eyes

I prefer neutral shades when it comes to eye makeup. That is why my customized MAC palette  (Arena, Twinks, Embark, Satin Taupe) is perfect for me when I travel. I used to bring my NAKED palette, but this one is more suitable for everyday use because the shades don't deposit a lot of shimmer like most NAKED shadows do. But I have to admit, I wish I had brought other shades because I got quite bored after a while. Eyeshadow primer is a must, and I brought my mini sized Urban Decay

Primer Potion that came with the NAKED palette. I finally tried out Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay mascara per Emily's recommendation, and I liked it. I still like Almay Get Up & Grow slightly better, but this does the job quite well for wimpy lashes like mine.

I have been using matte black eyeshadow for my eyeliner instead of gel or pen because I find this type of product doesn't smudge at all. At least the one that I am using which is Wet 'N Wild Panther. This is even darker than MAC .. from the swatches I saw on youtube. Sometimes I use this as a base for my eyeliner, but I find it work great on its own. I just use my angled eyeliner brush to create wing effect.




Last but not least, my makeup remover towelettes from Target. This didn't fit in my makeup bag, but it sure played major role in cleaning my face and prepare it for tomorrow's look.

Thank you everyone for reading this post. I hope you all have a great first week in 2013. Weekend is coming up. Have fun! Ow, and don't forget to subscribe! =)

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Happy New Year Road Trip

Hello fellow blogger buds! I have been MIA for the last couple of weeks. I was caught up with my vacation. I had two separate road trip with my friends, and now that holiday is over, I am back to my regular schedule. 

3 days toward the end of the year, I was in Las Vegas. It might sound all party and all, but I had a very low-key new year's eve instead. I chose to avoid the crazy crowd at The Strip and stayed in. I watched the fireworks on TV in my hotel room. Regardless, I feel grateful that I am here today and have the opportunity to celebrate the new year. I don't really make any resolution on new year because I know that I would end up ignoring them by the end of the year. But I do evaluate the past year and introspect myself on what I need to improve and fix. One thing that I know for sure is that I want to strictly hold on to my budget and not splurge. I also know for sure that I want to post at least 3 times a week on my blog. Fingers crossed =P

I went on a road trip with 10 friends. We drove all the way from San Jose to Los Angeles to Antelope Canyon to Bryce Canyon to Las Vegas and finally back to San Jose. It was a total of 8 days, and I had a great time. 
Here are some pictures from my recent road trip. 
LACMA Urban Lights

Santa Monica Boardwalk

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Met Donald Duck! 
My boyfriend surprised me with this Donald Duck when we visited Disney store at Downtown Disney.  He is our favorite Disney character, and it's just such a sweet gesture of him. Thanks for the love token!

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas