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 =)

Ulta Haul + Makeup review/tips

Hey everyone! I hope you guys had a great weekend. I went to Ulta earlier today, and I'm excited to show you guys what I got. Most of all the products I got are based on @emilynoel83's recommendation. She's my favorite beauty guru, and boy am I glad I found her channel! For those of you who are not familiar with Emily, go check out her channel and you'll find amazing videos about makeups and beauty related stuff. Guaranteed! I've spent most of my spare time watching her videos, and I've learned so much from her.

So here are the stuff I got

Laura Geller balance-n-brighten Baked Color Correcting Foundation in Medium

 I had been aiming for this for quite some time because every time I went to Ulta, it was always out of stock. It's a basically a baked powder foundation, but it really does a great job in evening you skin tone.
If you can see in the picture, it has some sort of dome-like shape, and from the reviews I've seen it will last a really long time. I've tried this out, and I'm happy with how it makes my skin look.

 I've noticed this mascara has been very popular, so when Emily also claimed it to be her favorite I decided I have to try it out myself. (I really trust her reviews, and they haven't disappointed me so far =) )

My lashes tend to face down, and even though I've hed my eyelash curler for 20 seconds they're still going downward everytime I apply mascara. It still happens with this mascara, but what I like about this is that it doesn't dry too quickly allowing you to apply several coats to your lashes. And when it does dry out, your lashes are not stiff, and they're still flexible making them look more natural.

It claims to increase your lash volume by 424%. I don't know about the percentage, but it does give you a nice volume.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Free Love

We all know that Urban Decay's eyeshadows are good quality, and they are really pigmented. The texture are great, and you don't have to keep reapplying the shadow over and over again to get the color show up on your lid. It's really easy to apply and smoothes onto your skin. Free Love is shimmery peach color. You can dress it up or dress it down, depending on your mood.

I learned about highlighting your face from also Emily (I've told you she's taught me a lot!), and I want to pass this on to you guys who don't know about highlighting before.

 I'd always thought that matte look is the way to go for every occasion, but now that I've known better, giving a little glow to your face doesn't hurt at all! If you can tell from the picture, the product gives you shimmer but not glitter, which is perfect for day-to-day look. I put this just above my cheekbone area, my brow, down to my nose, my cupid's bow and just under your lips. Basically, you want to highlight those areas that you want to emphasize.  You want to highlight the triangle area

If you're looking for a long-lasting, black eyeliner, this is the one to go. It's easy to glide on, and you don't need to sharpen it. My only complaint about this liner is that is too creamy. The good thing is that it smoothes onto your skin resulting easy application. The bad thing is that you have to be careful not to twist the product out too much because it's so creamy it's easy to break if you put too much pressure when you apply the liner. Also, you can't twist the product back once you've twisted it out. So be very careful. I've learned the hard way when I first bought my first master drama liner, and I used up on the same day because I didn't know it wasn't retractable =(. Other than that, it's very long lasting, and it won't smudge when you accidentally rub your eyes or something.

I've been eyeing for this since I really need new brushes. My old ones are just horrible. The hair's falling out, and they're not smooth. I've always thought that every makeup brush is the same. They're just used to apply products to your face. I've never thought the quality really matters.

After experiencing how low quality brushes are really a pain. Mine are rough and the hair keeps falling out. So when I went to Ulta I finally bought this. I was going to buy powder brush also, but they were out of it so I ordered online.
This brush is soft, and the hair is intact. Plus, it's under $10 - what a great bargain for such a good quality brush!

Thanks for reading! Hopefully you find this post helpful and don't forget to click subscribe. Have a great day =)

Jibber Jabber:

• It's Chinese New Year tomorrow! I miss spending this time of year at home. 
• I'm tempted to wear sweatpants every day because it's warm and comfortable.
• I can't nap anymore. I just can't fall asleep during the day.
• Was up till 2 am last night to do a beauty look for you =P