YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Lipsticks

It's been a long time coming for me to finally try the YSL lipsticks. I have always adored the packaging, but for some reason I always backed out from purchasing. This time, when the VIB 15% sale came up, I caved and bought several. I just wasn't sure which shade will work for me, so I picked out 6 shades that look appealing from  Sephora website. 

I have to say, I was blown away at the first swatch of number 9. It only took the gentlest stroke on the back of my hand to get a very pigmented swatch. It also lasts a long time too. Other shades are very similar in pigmentation.

left to right: shade no. 3, 8, 9, 29, 43, 47

Some of them are buildable to have a more opaque application. I'm talking about shade number 8, 43 and 47.

 I just adore the packaging. They are so beautiful, I just can't stop looking at them! And yes, it's an episode of FRIENDS at the background =)

What is your favorite YSL lipstick?

What's in My Travel Makeup Bag?

I used to travel light. Really. Now? Not so much.

It's hard to choose which makeup products to bring, even though I know for sure that I won't use them all. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do - in this case, choose!

I try to bring products that I know I will use every single day.

♥ Maybelline B.B Cream (Click here for review)

♥ Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten Powder Foundation

♥ SheerCover Concealer

I bring BB cream instead of foundation because foundation can sometimes be a little to heavy, and I want something that is light-weight since I'm gonna be outside for hours. I also bring a powder foundation instead of a regular powder because powder foundation can give extra coverage that a BB cream lack of. This particular one by Laura Geller really fulfills to its name - Balance-N-Brighten. =)

Having a two-tone concealer makes it practical to cover up your imperfection and dark circles under your eyes. 

 ♥Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale

♥Cover Girl Cheekers in Sierra Sands

♥ theBalm Hot Mama! blush

♥theBalm Bahama Mama bronzer

♥e.l.f bronzing powder

Okay, I know I don't need more than one blush and one bronzer but I can't help it. I love blushes. I love bronzers. The Dream Bouncy blush by Maybelline lasts for a long time. It's like a cream blush but has texture like a play-dough. It's so cool! It is also a great base for your powder blush.

As for bronzer, the e.l.f bronzing powder gives you a golden-y finish. The Bahama Mama one is darker, which is a nice contour to give definition to your face. So what I do, I lightly tap my brush on the e.l.f bronzing powder and put it all over my face. Then with the Bahama Mama, I put it under my cheekbones, forehead, and on the jaw line. 

♥Urban Decay Primer Potion

♥Rimmel Quad in Smokey Brun (review and look with this quad click here)

♥e.l.f Quad in Day to Night

♥Maybelline Master Drama eyeliner in Midnight Master

♥Almay one coat get up&grow mascara

I'm not a big fan of overdoing my eyes when I'm travelling. I usually just go with a black eyeliner and mascara. But to 'umph' up your look, eyes are very important. You can go by with just smokey eyes and look completely different. I bring neutral palette by Rimmel. Love this quad so much. It's a great substitute for the Naked palette. I bring e.l.f quad which I personally think good pigmented eyeshadows but a little bit too powdery and they oxidize really easily after few hours. 

♥Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm in Petal Glow (smells good and looks good! - Click here for swatch)

♥MAC Tendertone Lip Balm in Purring

♥Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Liner in 1C (FOTD: Neutral Matte Lips)

♥Wet 'N Wild Liptsick in 902C (featured in my LOTD: Nude Nude Natural)

♥Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brule

♥Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 730-Coral Gleam 

♥Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 235-Warm Me Up

Remember when I said I love blushes I love bronzers? Well, I looovvveee lip products. Really. I always have one in my purse and re-apply it through out the day. Lipsticks/Lipgloss was the toughest one for me to choose because I think they can give your face a nice touch even without the other products. For travelling, I bring neutral colors that go pretty much with anything. 

What's in YOUR travel makeup bag? ;)

♥♥♥

Jibber Jabber:

♥ 2 more weeks until graduation. Argh!

♥ My family is coming in next week. Yay!

♥We're going to Vegas after my graduation. Can't wait. =)

♥A lot of makeup shopping I did. Haul coming up.

♥Really really really reaallllyyyy want this bag - Celine Trapeze in Terra Cotta

Mascara 101

Do you know that a mascara that works great for your friend does not necessarily mean it will work the same way on you? If you do, then way to go! I didn't realize it until I've tried several different mascaras and watching people reviews on youtube.

I'd always thought that if someone has claimed one to be a bad mascara, then I wouldn't bother to take a second look at it. Mascara works differently for every person. As for me, I have a short, thin and wimpy lashes. Because they tend to face down all the time, I can't wear mascara with wet formula. The wet mascara will just weigh my lashes down. I need mascara that offers volume which usually contains building ingredients like polymer and wax. Those building ingredients will help hold my lashes longer and give them volume without weighing them down.
As for people with thick lashes, they're so lucky! Haha. They can wear wet mascara because the wet texture can help build their lashes high.

I haven't found a mascara that really wows me, but I have found a couple that works for my lashes. From the drugstore, I have Maybelline Great Lashes Lots of Lashes. The almost-heart-shaped brush help to coat each lash and the formula doesn't make my lashes wimpi-er.
From high end, I like Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara. You can check my review on the mascara here.

Let me guide you step by step on the two mascaras

My wimpy Eyelashes

I held on to the curler for 20 seconds and here's what I've got

Mascara: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes!

Look at the different between my right and left eyes. Look at the volume the mascara gives me!

Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash - Lots of Lashes

Compare to Tarte, the maybelline Great Lash mascara doesn't give me as much volume, but it holds pretty well.

Left: Maybelline Great Lash

Right: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes!

What is your best mascara so far? Leave a comment below to let me know so I can try it out. Thanks!
May you find the best mascara there is! 

Jibber Jabber:

• I have been reading my Tax textbook for 5 days now 
• I had Taiwanese food for dinner tonight
• I went to a lollipop factory called Kendon Candies for my project
• Subscribe for more beauty posts =)

Eyelash Curler 101

Hey everyone! Do you  know that eyelash curler plays a huge role in shaping your eyelashes and not all eyelash curlers are the same?

Left: e.l.f Essential Eyelash Curler
Right: Up&Up Eyelash Curler

I used to think that an eyelash curler is just an eyelash curler. Any one would do the same thing, curl my lashes. I remember my very first eyelash curler was this cheap unbranded one I got from an accessories store in Jakarta. Every single time I tried to curl my lashes, the curler hurt my eyelids! I had tried to be very careful putting my lashes in between the curling blades and  squeezing the handles slowly, but it always hurt my lids no matter what.

Then, several years later, I picked a curler from Target. It was from its up&up brand. Still, I never thought that a curler would be different from others, so I just picked up the cheapest one I could find since my old one had just lost its grip. I tried to love the Target curler. I really did, but it's just awful. My lashes have always been facing down, and with this curler, I don't even see any different. It didn't hurt my lids as much as my first one. I realized now that eyelash curlers are different (Duh!). You just have to find the right one, and it doesn't mean it has to be expensive.

I have finally found my favorite curler, it's the $1 e.l.f Mechanical eyelash curler. Yes, it's only $1. And no, the price doesn't do any justice to what the curler can do. It really curls my lashes just like my previous two should have done. I noticed the difference between the e.l.f and the up&up is that the up&up curler doesn't have the spring to keep the blades open making it not as bouncy/elastic as the one from e.l.f. Notice the picture where the e.l.f curler's 'mouth' are open without me squeezing the handles.

One trick to give more long-lasting curl to your lashes is by giving the curler a little heat using hair dryer. Be careful not to burn your lid. Make sure that the heat is moderate enough, so it won't hurt you when you use it. The heat is supposed to hold the curl longer, just like what you do with your hair and curling iron.



Thanks for reading! What's your favorite eyelash curler? Leave a comment below and let me know =)