Beauty Review: em by Michelle Phan

Guess what? I finally got my hands on the EM products, a new makeup line by Michelle Phan. First of all, kudos to Michelle Phan for making it so far. I'm just so inspired having listened to her success story. 

I gotta admit I had my doubts whenI first heard about her launching a makeup line. I thought it would be another gimmicky products that's not gonna worth the hype. When it launched, I browsed online for reviews and it does have  its pros and cons. Being a beauty enthusiast that I am, I  decided to give it a try and see  it for myself. 

L'Oréal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

Hi everyone!
 I'm back with another first impression for you. I got a little tiny sachet of L'Oreal BB cream. This is not a new product. It's been out a while, but I just haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I was digging into my pile of sample sizes and found this. I think it was from a magazine or something I can't really remember.
The shade I got was light. 

I forgot to take a picture right after I did my makeup, my bad. The pictures below were taken after a full day. I had my makeup on for a good 9 hours at least.

 I didn't use any powder because I wanted to test its lasting power. I did apply some blush and bronzer, which is hard to tell by looking at the picture. The coverage it provided still looked good after a hot summer day in north California. I noticed my T-zone became slightly oily, but it should be okay with powder.

Random lipstick swatches. I was trying on different shades for my friend's makeup starter kit. Basically I helped her pick out products for her to try out since she's new into this whole makeup thing. She wants products that she can wear everyday and appropriate for work. A blog post is coming up!

By the way, this is the second BB cream I've tried ever. The first one was from Maybelline. I did a blog post about it a while back. BB cream is said to be somewhere between tinted moisturizer and foundation, but really I just think the whole idea of BB cream or CC cream or whatever is just another marketing gimmick. They're basically foundation, something you wear as a base for your makeup. 

Anyway, back to the product, I've only used it once since that's the only amount of product I had from the sample. I like how it doesn't completely fade out at the end of the day. My face still looked even and you still can see slight color which means that the product doesn't oxidize badly. The only problem I had is the shine. My face isn't really on the oily side, so when a product makes my skin oily than it's not really for me. It doesn't dry out my skin, which is a good thing. 

Overall, I'm surprised at how well the coverage of this bb cream. Yet, I don't think I'm gonna buy the full size but not because it's bad. It's just not really an outstanding product in my opinion. It might be a good product to try if you don't want a heavy, thick foundation. This feels light on my skin.

Have you tried L'Oréal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream? 

What do you think?

First Impression: L'Oreal Advanced Haircare Power Moisture

Hello everyone! Long time no post here. I've been swamped with work, but hey, what else is new?
I want to give a quick shout out for my new shampoo and conditioner duo. Haha.
I've promised to post first-impression type of blog post, so here's my first.

What attracted me first with these products were mainly the pastel colors. I know, I am guilty as charged when it comes to pretty colors. I'm quirky like that. My shampoo has been out and I didn't have time to go to the store to pick up a new one. I used the only one I had at my bathroom cabinet at that time, baby shampoo. I use this sometimes to clean my brushes, but mainly I keep it just because I love the smell of it. Anyway, on Sunday when I finally got a chance to go to Target, I saw these.

I've been eyeing these from the advertisement and of course the giant ad on the store "new products" section. I've used it twice so far. My verdict? I love 'em! Especially the conditioner. It really makes those hair mask thing unimportant anymore. It makes my hair smooth and tangle free. It infuses moisture that hydrate my dry hair due to heat-styling for so long. I love them. They do weigh your hair down a little bit because of the moisture it provides but not to the level of flat or oily. I have fine hair but it's been quite damaged by the weather and all. It feels nice not to tug and be at wear every time I try comb through my hair after washing it.

So, what's great haircare product do you recommend? =)

MAC Archie's Girls Collection

I have now become aware that MAC occasionally launches limited-edition collection like this for special occasion. I was reeeaaaallly excited when I found out that MAC lauched its Archie collection for Valentine's day. I was so excited that I rushed to the mall after work on the  store launching day on February 8th. I tried to order them online but some of the stuff I wanted was already sold out. How crazy is that?! 

I was a big fan of Archie's comics. I used to buy the them every time I was in a bookstore with my mom. She was actually the one who introduced me with the comic.

Although I am tempted to buy every single thing in the collection, I'm still able to control myself and bought only the things I know I want and can use. Not all colors are wearable for me. I know some people would buy them just for the sake of their collection, but I try to avoid building makeup collection of the things I'm not gonna use. Especially when it's a bit pricy like these. 

If you go to MAC website you can see the whole Archie's Girls collection, but for convenience purpose let me list them out here for you =)

Face

• Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Face Powder - Flatter Me 
• Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Face Powder - Veronica's Blush
• Betty Powder Blush - Cream Soda
• Veronica Powder Blush - Prom Princess

Eyes

• Eyeshadow Quad - Caramel Sundae
• Eyeshadow Quad - Spoiled Rich
• Betty Pigment - Cheers My Dear
• Betty Pigment - Lucky in Love
• Veronica Pigment - Black Poodle
• Veronica Pigment - Magic Spells
• Archie's Girls Pearlglide Intense eyeliner - Lord It Up
• Archie's Girls Pearlglide Intense eyeliner - Black Swan
• Archie's Girls Pearlglide Intense eyeliner - Petrol Blue
• Archie's Girls Pearlglide Intense eyeliner - Designer Purple
• Betty Opulash Optimum Black mascara
• Veronica Opulash mascara

Lips

• Betty Lipstick - Girl Next Door
• Betty Lipstick - Betty Bright
• Betty Lipstick - Oh, Oh, Oh
• Betty Lipglass - Stay sweet
• Betty Lipglass - Summer sweetheart
• Betty Lipglass - Kiss & Don't tell
• Veronica Lipstick - Daddy's Little Girl
• Veronica Lipstick - Ronnie Red
• Veronica Lipstick - Boyfriend Stealer
• Veronica Lipglass - Mall Madness
• Veronica Lipglass - Strawberry Malt
• Veronica Lipglass - Feelin' So Good

Nail Lacquer

Betty:

• Comic Cute
• Pep, pep, pep

Veronica:

• Past Curfew
• Double Trouble

Accessories

• Archie's Girls Brush Kit
• Young hearts mirror
• Yours forever tote
• Jingle jangle coin purse
• Just a flirt makeup bag

And here's what I got

Spoiled Rich Eyeshadow Quad

left to right:
pin up purple,spoiled rich, ron ron ron, gravel

Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Face Powder

Betty Bright lipstick 

Kiss & Don't Tell lipglass

Couldn't get enough, I also ordered a couple more products online. I decided to get the 

Betty Oh, Oh, Oh lipstick and Veronica Mall Madness Lipglass. They'll be 'home' on Wednesday. I'll update the blog once they get here. 

So are you Betty or Veronica?

MyGlam Bag ✦ September 2012 (Ipsy.com)

 Hey people! It's that time of the month again. Time for myglam bag. But this month is a little bit different. MyGlam is now Ipsy. I don't know what 'ipsy' means, but the website has now new look and everything. Its slogan is now "beauty by you." I guess what it means is more personalization. They also promise to have more makeup.

This month's bag includes $20 off for JustFab, which is a beauty subscription for shoes. It's pretty amazing!

Carol's Daughter MONOI Split End Sealer

I'm pretty skeptical about this. I'm not sure whether there's a product in the world that can mend a broken (hair) end, but we'll see. I've been having pretty severe split ends. I trimmed my hair about 3 months ago, and the split ends have regrown. I don't know why. My Tresemme Split Remedy Conditioning Treatment has helped me a little bit, but we'll see if this split-end sealer will do wonder just like the site says. 

Jane Sparkle Gloss in Sparkle Pink

Another hot pink gloss is included. I haven't tried it on my lips yet, but it's for sure not sticky and the color is pretty bold. 

                           

Mirabella eyeshadow - semiformal

I love Mirabella's permanent eyeliner pen which was included in the myglam bag a couple of months back.

 I'm not too excited about the shade, but when I swatched it the texture was pretty creamy and smooth. I has satin finish. 

Circus Nail polish - Tightrope

I don't have anything to say about this particular product except that it's Andrea's new line of nail polish, and Andrea is one of the myglam, oops, Ipsy girls. 

Smudge brush by Soho

My initial reaction was "Cool, it's a pink brush!" After I actually felt the bristles, I wasn't too impressed. I don't know if I'll use this brush since I still find my Sigma brushes are the best. Let's just say, once you go Sigma, there's no more dilemma.  =p

So this is my very last myglam bag. I have unsubscribed because I think that for $10 month I can get stuff I actually like instead of piling on things that I might or might not like. Anyway, when I unsubscribe on the website, somehow I accidentally subscribed for a year. I immediately contacted the customer service, and they said that they wouldn't charge me if I cancelled the subscription before the next billing date which is the first of every month. It was the 30th and I confirmed with one of myglam people that I wouldn't be charged. Few weeks ago I checked my back account and I found a charge of $110. I was pretty irritated. I contacted myglam again and they told me the have issued a refund of me and I could expect to receive the credit back to my account in 3-5 days. And now 8 days later, still no sign. I went ahead and contacted them again, and they said the have reissued my refund. So hopefully I receive the credit back soon. 

 ♥  ♥  ♥ 

Hello Kitty Palettes

Hi everyone! 

I was busy enjoying my birthday weekend.

 My friends threw me a surprise dinner and we also played tennis. On wii. (Hey, it counts!) 

It was really fun, and I'm really grateful to have them by my side on my special day. 

I don't typically justify my shopping by cuteness, but these two Hello Kitty Palette are exceptions. I swatched some of the shadows at the Sephora store, and they were pretty pigmented. So when I saw these on sale online, I decided to buy them. Plus, I had a gift card, a present for my graduation, so it was a no brainer. 

These two were limited edition, so you might have to act fast if you want them. 

Hello Kitty Mon Amour Palette

$42.00 $13.00

I love the pastel colors and how pigmented they are. The shadows and blush have matte/satin finish which is good for a day-to-day wear.

Hello Kitty Shimmering Powder and Eyeshadow Palette

$36.00 $11.00

Pretty uncreative name if you ask me, but that's what's written on the site. I really love the highlighter. It has a gold undertone, but it's not glittery which is perfect for me since I don't like glittery makeup. As for the shadows, the black one could be a little darker, but overall they are pretty good. I tried them out, and I liked it. 

Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to subscribe =)

Sigma Paris Palette

Hello friends! 

Sigma just recently launched limited edition Paris Palette. The palette is the product of collaboration of Sigma with 6 youtube beauty gurus. Each of them are assigned one color inspired by one place in Paris. 

What you get:

8 shades of eyeshadow

2 shades of blush

1 shade of highlighter

1 eyeshadow brush

1 contour brush (F40)

Overall, I love the pigmented shades, and how you get some neutrals and some colors. You can really get a whole lot looks with this palette. 

The perk of having different beauty gurus make a makeup palette is the tutorials, of course. 

MakeupByTiffanyD

xteener

DulceCandy87

frmheadtotoe

The only downside is the price that's pretty expensive, $59 ($10 off with code TiffanyD). 

If you are new with makeup, I suggest you start with something less expensive. But if you're in love with makeup just like I am, it is a great palette to add to your makeup arsenal. 

♥♥♥

MyGlam Bag ✦ May 2012

It's time for glam bag again! Gosh, time flies so fast!

Despite its hits and misses (more misses than hits if I might add), I continue to keep my subscription. 

This month's theme is Love is in the air. I feel like it's valentine all over again. The bag is so cute. It's baby blue with pink kisses all over it, two of my favorite colors combined =)
Bethany's in on the card, and she looks so pretty as always.

What you get in this month's glam bag:

♥ Philosophy's love sweet love fragrance sample

♥ 2 MyGlam makeup brushes (eyeliner brush and concealer brush)

♥ Miss Beauty Nail Bling sticker

♥ Studio Gear Lipstick in Pink Blush 

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Jibber Jabber:

♥ Graduation is exactly one month from now. Excited and anxious all at the same time. I'm excited to finally finish with school, yet I'm anxious with what will happen next. 

♥ I've finally saved up and bought Sigma brushes. Yay! Can't wait for them to arrive soon. 

MyGlam Bag ✦ April 2012

Despite what I said to stop subscribing to MyGlam, I decided to give it another shot to live up to what they claimed they were doing - 

"Every month, you receive a brand new Glam Bag with 4 to 5 of our top beauty finds! These full-sized products or deluxe-sized samples are selected by our stylists for you to enjoy"

I literally just got this package on the mail today, and I'm excited to share with you all. 

I must say this month's glam bag is not bad at all. No more not-so-deluxe-size samples. 

This month's MyGlam theme is Girls' Night Out

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Ransom

I've heard a lot of good things about this eyeliner, but I never purchased it myself since I'm pretty much satisfied with my Maybelline Master Drama. I'm thrilled to finally get to try it out myself!

DermStore Lip Quench

This product is said to be "using a blend of nourishing oils, this treatment softens and smooth lips".

It does not sticky at all. You have to quench it harder to get the product out.

All-Belle False Eyelashes

And the last product - well, two products  are MyGlam eyes brushes that I personally think pretty good quality.

♥ ♥ ♥

Jibber Jabber:

♥ My hair's got so long, and I can't get rid of the split ends =(

♥ Having a basketball muscle sore. It's been a loooonnngg time since I last played

MyGlam Bag ✦ February 2012 - Fail

I finally got myglam bag today. It's only been my second month subscribing to MyGlam, and I'm already disappointed with it.

First, I got an email that the last glam bag would be shipped on February 14th. Until February 17th, I didn't get any shipping confirmation, and when I did it was already 2 days later. I tried to contact the customer service by email but they didn't really help.

I opened the package today, and I am totally disappointed in what I found inside. I know I had already known what they were through some videos on youtube, but it didn't really occur to me how lame the stuff is until now.

                             

Basically, this month's glam bag contains:
NuMe $100 Gift Certificate
X Out Shine Control
NYX Roll On Shimmer
Premier Dead Sea Cinderella Mask (2 small sample-size products)
Freeman Facial Mask Sachet
Ghirardelli Chocolate

There's only one makeup item, and the rest of the beauty items are, how I put this, disappointing. I'm not saying that they are bad products because I haven't even tried them out yet, but considering it's Valentine's month, what would be more makeup-y that Valentine's day? The way that they put these products altogether is just bad. $100 gift certificate for hair styling tools is just worth nothing to me since I already have a couple, and I love them. I wouldn't spend on so much for something I already have and love. I checked online, and the products cost around $150.

The only thing that I like from this month's glam bag is the bag itself. It's pink, and it's cute.

Anyway, I'm gonna stick around with the subscription for at least 2 more months hoping it'll get better.

 What do you guys think about this month's glam bag?

Jibber Jabber:

• I just got back from a 4-day conference. What an amazing weekend!
• I have a really weak stamina lately. I get tired all the time. 
• I need to exercise!