fuyumini

Queen Magazine Scans

2009-09-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

I picked up the Fall issue of Queen Magazine over the weekend. The cover girl (sorry, I don't know her English name) is the spokesperson for Hanskin in Taiwan. I love Hanskin! ^_^

Here are the 3 makeup looks for Fall.

Sweet

Elegant

Modern

I'm loving the sweet look. Which one is your favorite?

My entry for Fuz and Mel's contest + Recent Buys + Mom's care package

2009-09-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hey loves! How are your weekends so far? I bet most people are still out of town since tomorrow is Labor Day! I’m home alone and the BF is visiting his granny in San Francisco before he leaves to work in Munich, Germany! And as for me, my application for the transfer to Hong Kong is still uncertain. I’ve only gotten a general email response from the HR. Hmmmm… Anyhow, I had nothing to do today I made a video slide show for Fuz and Mels contest. :D Hehehe…. :P I had so much fun making the slide show. Haha and I took all the pictures myself on a timer. I was running back and forth and trying to make a pose within the 10 second limit. If someone was watching me, they would think I was crazy haha.

Yesterday, I received a care package from my mom in Taiwan. I asked her to get me contact lenses that I was running low on stock and a back support vest thingy to improve my posture since I was having back pain from work for working too long in front of a PC. I tend to slide my head forward unconsciously which is really bad for my neck and back...

I wear these 1 day Acuvue Defined lenses on a daily basis. They're circle lense but much more natural and subtle. I asked my mom to get me the newest color they offer. It's black with gold accent. Haven't tried it yet but it should be better looking than plain black ones. The vest really works on improving the posture. So far so good!

And this was my recent purchase from Target and Sally’s. I got the Cover Girl Lash Blast. It’s a repurchase so I guess I like it. And some Olay body wash (on sale) and cleansing sheets to try. I got the hair scissors (one regular and one with the teeth for thinning/texturing) from Sally’s because I want to start trimming my own bangs… I had a bad experience at the salon not too long ago. T_T I didn’t know which ones to get but since I’m a beginner, I just got the cheapest one they had. These scissors can be $$$.

Also in the mail, I received the Panasonic heated eyelash curler that Eki recommended a while back. I can’t wait to use it tomorrow. *^^* If you are interested, here’s the link to buy it. Click me. It’s the same link that Eki mentioned on her blog. :D

Okie loves, I hope all of you are doing fabulous. Tomorrow is another day off for me (and for most of you). Yippee!!!

Shop N' Chomp's giveaway + Rediscover the Nail Stash

2009-09-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Shop N' Chomp is having a giveaway on reaching 100+ hotties! (Congrats babe!) The giveaway end's today at midnight PST! Go enter NOW! --> Click me <--

In other news, I went through my nail stash and dug out two pink polishes to paint! I've had them forever and sometimes you have so many you just forget about some of them... -_-;;; Thankfully that OPI polishes are quality stuff and the polishes still work nicely. I always order polishes from this site: transdesign.com.

Got a Date to Knight! - 2 coats over the OPI Ridge Filler. No top coat. Such a sweet color. *^^*

Then I painted Princesses Rule! at the tips and seal it with Seche Vite top coat. What do you think? :)

My BB Cream Collection

2009-09-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

I’m sure most makeup junkies have been struck by the BB cream craze and own at least one or two in their collection. Blemish balm cream a.k.a. BB cream was first developed and introduced by German dermatologists for people who have undergone laser treatments to help conceal blemishes and heal the skin at the same time. BB cream was made popular by Korean celebrities who claimed that blemish balm was the secret to their “no makeup look”.

There are tons of different BB creams on the market to choose from catering to your personal needs. My first BB cream was the Missha BB Cream (silver tube). I love the way it made my skin looked. It gave sheer to medium coverage and a glowy radiance but it broke me out really bad! I would get zits right when I applied the BB cream… it was that bad and of course I got rid of it on ebay. :P But I believe like all the beauty products out there, you will have allergic reactions to some products. So that’s why I didn’t give up on BB creams, instead I went on a hunt for the perfect BB cream for myself.

My collection (from R to L):
1. Skin Food Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream SPF 20 PA+ color #1
I love Skin Food in general and this product did not let me down. It provides whitening, anti-aging and sun block. I have the lighter color and it’s a good match for my skin tone (NC20 for reference). The texture is thick but it’s easy to spread. It evens out the skin tone nicely. It has a smell to it… it doesn’t smell like mushrooms to me though.. when I think of the smell of mushroom I think earthy smells but it has a flowery smell. Rating: 4/5

2. Etude House BB Magic Cream SPF 30 PA++
It’s too yellow based for my liking. It gives sheer coverage and dewy finish but maybe way too dewy and looks kind of oily and it slides right off of my skin. It could be better in the winter when my skin is drier and begs for more radiance. The Taiwanese Queen Magazine suggests using this as a primer under foundations. Rating: 3/5

3. Hanskin Perfect Super Magic BB Cream SPF 30 PA++
This is my favorite BB cream to date. It provides medium coverage and is buildable if more coverage is needed. It provides whitening and wrinkle care. I get compliments on my skin when I wear this. ^^ I’m definitely checking out more products from Hanskin. Rating: 5/5

4. BRTC Perfect Recovery Balm
Not crazy about this one. Lacks SPF so I don’t reach for it… I bought it because of all the raves. No score rating because I don’t use it enough… ^^;;;;

5. Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm SPF 15 (I read somewhere online that they write Beblesh instead of Blemish because of copyrights?)
It’s suitable for darker skin tones. It’s more fluid than my other BB creams. Coverage is sheer to medium. Provides whitening function. I would like this more if the color isn’t so dark. SPF is a bit low compared to other BB creams. Rating: 3.5/5

6. Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm SPF 25 PA++
I like this BB cream from Skin79. It provides whitening, UV protection, and wrinkle care. The color is lighter than the DermaRX one. It controls sebum production so it’s good for those hot summer days. Rating: 4/5

I love BB creams but they’re definitely not magic potions. You will still need to maintain your skin by good lifestyle, healthy diet, and proper skin care routine. So don’t be fooled by the media that BB cream will fix all your skin problems. :P However, I love BB creams for the convenience of applying my base makeup when I'm on the go and the non-cakey feel which is good for those lazy no makeup days but an even skin tone and SPF protection is desired. Anyway, what’s your favorite BB cream? I’d love to know!

1 surgery down, 2 more to go.

2009-08-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend everyone! :D Thank you all for your nice comments in my last post! The surgery went well! It was so much easier than I thought and best of all it was painless. The doctor is a really good surgeon and has a great knowledge in her work and she’s cares about her patients a lot too. I got several calls from her to check up on how I was doing. Anyways, I want to tell you guys about my experience. I was there at 8:15am to check in. Then the nurse brought me inside the office by a sink and gave me a mouth rinse to clean and prep my mouth for the surgery. Then she took me to the surgery room and they started hooking all the medical devices on me to see my heart beat and stuff. I couldn’t wear contacts or glasses to the surgery so everything was a blur to me haha which was good as I was kind of getting nervous and did not want to see things in vivid details.. Then the doctor gave me a sedation shot and the nurse put a cushion in my mouth to hold my jaw open. The cushion was a bit uncomfortable so I asked the nurse to reposition it for me… the next thing I knew was waking up with a cotton ball in my mouth. The nurse said I was done. It only felt like 2 seconds later… I just couldn’t believe how easy it was! I haven’t experienced any puffiness and pain in my cheek or jaw yet. *happy* and of course I had to go shopping after. Retail therapy beats any medicine ha!

I went to Forever 21 and everything came out to be just below $100.

It's my first haul from Forever 21! Can you believe it? I used to be a Abercrombie & Fitch girl..

Some basics from for layering.

1 babydoll and 1 tunic.

3 tops. Can you tell I am loving the blues. ^^ It's such a pretty color.

The Snoopy sweater is too cute!

My lunch today. Yup, I can still chew food on the right side, thank god! I love lychee anything so hence the drink and gummy candy. The gummy contains vitamin C. A good excuse to snack. :P

Paul and Joe #4 Pressed Powder that I got to cheer myself up before the surgery. ^o^v

Just a quickie update.

2009-08-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How are you guys doing? Hope everyone’s doing great! I just want to post a quick update. ^^;; These days I lack motivation to blog because I’ve been anticipating for my wisdom teeth extraction surgery! Tomorrow is the big day but no teeth are being extracted yet… :( they are performing a surgery to remove an infection around the impacted tooth! Gross, I know but I trust my doctor and I listen to whatever she says. I will get 2 more surgeries to extract the wisdoms after the infection is healed. So feeling totally miserable, I bought myself a Paul and Joe pressed powder in #4 to cheer myself up a bit. Yay! Hehe. It’s a lavender colored powder with the finest shimmer to give a pretty glow. No pictures today, maybe tomorrow if I’m not too knocked out. :P Wish me luck! xoxo.

Beecreative and Beauty Snap’s giveaways.

2009-08-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Kym at Beecreative is hosting a giveaway. I’m loving this one because it’s in appreciation of handmade creations! Please support and show your love for this giveaway and all the handmade items by joining here.

Mika at Beauty Snap is hosting a giveaway on reaching 150+ followers. Congratulations Mika. :D I just found out about Mika’s blog through Zoe. Mika’s blog is so informative and she’s cute! I’m sure I’ll be a frequent visitor. Please check out her giveaway/blog here.

Recent Purchases

2009-08-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

My second purchase from Eki's handmade store arrived. Eki's packaging is really cute! She takes time and puts a lot of love into her handmade items.
I ordered the cupcake makeup bag with the zipper charm. Isn't it cute? It's bigger than I imagined which is good because it will fit all the things I carry with me. The bag is very sturdy and well made. The strap has tiny pearl detailing and lace! So cute and girly and I totally LOVE it.

Eki is the sweetest girl and her customer service is outstanding. I got the package really fast and she included so many gifts for me (check out the matching cupcake bow!). And I've always wanted to try Laura Mercier (how did she read my mind? hehe). Thank you Eki! *kisses*

Recently, I am loving cosmetics brands from London like Barry M and Sleek. Well, we don't have those brands here but we do have Rimmel and I went out and picked up some items from Walmart and CVS. :D I must admit, Rimmel has become my fave drugstore makeup(sorry Maybelline.. but you can be the 2nd favorite... :P). It's my first time trying out their mascaras. It was cheap so I got 2 to try.
The brush for the Sexy Curves is interesting. It says it holds curls but I don't think it did a good job on that. Perhaps the waterproof one will do better... but it was sold out and I didn't want to wait or go to another store.

The Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt is a new mascara from Rimmel I think. The brush has wide teeth and will deposit more mascara onto the lash so the lashes look thicker.
The Sexy Curves lengthened a tad bit longer than the Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt but not a big difference. The Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt looked fuller and more lush than the Sexy Curves. Both are great mascaras for the price! Not bad! (If you're wondering, my fave mascara of all time is by Helena Rubinstein. I own 3 from HR. I'll try to make a post on that. ^^)

I got 3 Rimmel lipsticks at CVS for 40% off. They often go on sale which is good. Who doesn't love sales. :P These lipsticks are my fave drugstore lipsticks. I like the simple packaging and I love the little clicky noise it makes when you put the lid back. haha I am weird. :P

Temptation is blue toned red. I put Missha lip gloss next to it so you can see how cool toned it is. Pink Champagne is a nice cool toned pink. Airy Fairy is really pretty!!!!!! Gotta love the pretty name too. *Love*

Pink Champagne

Airy Fairy

Temptation

Temptation with Missha RD001 lipgloss on top.

I got a nude nail polish in Milk Chocolate. Pretty nude color.

I love Nivea but I don't like this lip product. It tastes so bad! (I also have their strawberry lip balm and I didn't like that one too... ) :( But I will keep using it for the Q10 benefit.

At Target, I picked up this Boots eye makeup remover. I love this! It's my second bottle. :)

Then in the mail, I got my MAC purchase of Porcelain Pink MSF. I just couldn't pass up the free shipping offer. ^^;;

At Sephora, I got the Fekkai Glossing Cream. I think my hair is getting used to the Tsubaki leave in conditioner and I thought I would switch it up and hope to restore some luster back to my hair. Haven't use it yet.

I finally got the Dior Addit Lip Glow! I am excited about this one because it has been on my wishlist for the longest time... ever since I saw Pixiwoo's video on it. Every time I would pick this up in the store, swatch it on my hand and put it back.. Don't know why I waited and waited on purchasing haha. I saw Jamilla's and Fuz's pix with this on and looked so pretty on them. ^^

I got 3 packets of this blotting linens (1 for me and 2 for friends) because my HS buddies are coming to visit me from San Francisco. I am putting together goodie bags for them. :)

Also got 2 of the Rosebud Salve for the goodie bags.

And finally Victoria Secret Beauty Rush lip glosses (also for goodie bags). I love these glosses. They smell and taste so good. ^^

Hope you enjoyed my collective haul.. haha. Thanks for reading loves.

Tagged + Awarded + Amore Vintage's Giveaway!

2009-08-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Amy for my current 5 obsessions of the moment. Thanks for the fun tag, Amy. I am tagging these wonderful bloggers: Miss Friendz, Shop N' Chomp, Jamilla, Eki, and Yumeko.

1. Barry M and Sleek Cosmetics. Lately, I find myself drooling all over these fun and spunky makeup brands online. I don’t own any items but they seem so fun to play with!
2. Red lips. This is the trend for this fall. Too bad I can’t pull it off. I’ll just admire the red lip on other people.
3. Jamba Juice! My favorite drink is the White Gummy Bear. I’m so glad they’re opening a Jumba Juice by where I live. *happy*
4. H&M. I usually walk out the store empty handed but the autumn collection this year is actually not bad. Gotta love the prices too.
5. MAC 105 Brush. Makeup gurus on Youtube are right about this being THE foundation brush. It gives an airbrush look and the application is super quick and easy.

Thanks Zoe for the award!

Amore Vintage is having a giveaway. Please enter here.
Aileen's handmade jewelries are all so beautiful. Please go have a look. =)

Tagged & Awarded

2009-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by the lovely Shop N' Chomp and the kawaii Eki!I love them both to pieces. hehe ^+++^*

Open my first photo folder* Scroll down to the 10th photo* Post that photo and story on my blog* Tag five {or more} friends to do the same.

This is a picture of my cousin and I at one of those hot springs hotel in Japan during May of this year. I can’t remember the hotel name (it wasn’t a very good hotel so I didn’t pay attention, but it had a good view of Mt. Fuji). It was our first time to stay at a hot spring hotel and we enjoyed it very much! In this picture, we were getting ready to eat dinner and to enjoy a nice relaxing hot spring soak. We wore the yukata provided by the hotel and we were snapping pictures like crazy since it was our first time wearing a yukata.. hahaha. Oh and that night, we slept on the tatami and futon. It was so much fun and I hope to do it again soon! ^_^

I also received the MeMe blog award from Shop N’ Chomp and missmercurylady! Thank you gals! I feel so honored hehehe.

Rules of acceptance:1. Acknowledge the person who sent you the award.2. Nominate 7 other blogs.3. Share your 7 personality traits so we can get to know you better.My personality traits:

1. Shy – I give people shy impressions at first. I usually wait until the other person talk to me first if we just met. ^^;;; But after they get to know me better, they’ll see that I’m just a silly girl who love to make people laugh.
2. Time sensitive – I don’t like to be late and make people wait for me.
3. Artistic –I love engaging in creative activities like visiting the museum or making crafty things. I also have a soft spot for handmade items and can't resist buying them.
4. Responsible – This applies more towards work. I try to let loose on my personal life to balance it out a bit… like eating fast food, sleeping late till noon, not cleaning my room… etc. haha. :P
5. Adaptability – I can adapt quickly to new environments.
6. Online shopper – I prefer to shop online than in stores.
7. No sense of direction – I am really bad at my way around! I get lost easily and I don’t know how to read maps. ^^;;; The only time I know my directions is when I’m at the mall… no kidding! :P

And finally, I received 2 awards.
1st, the blogger buddy award from Zoe. I'm passing on the award to A little bit of eki, Shop N Chomp Daily, A*View*From*The*Edge, Amy Naree, Bittenbefore, BLAIR ~♥, missmercurylady, serenene, and back to Zoe. :D

2nd, the adorable blog award from Amy. I'm passing on the award to 13 December, ♥ FUZKITTIE ♥, Friendz Century!!, ♥akisalove♥, Milk & Cookiie, Makeup for Professional Asian Women, Hedonist, D a i l y B e a u t y B u z z, and back to Amy.
Thank you loves for tagging and awarding! ^3^ Kisses!

I tag anyone who wants to do the picture tag and the MeMe blog tag.

Next up, my current 5 obsessions of the moment tagged by Amy Naree. I’m on a tag roll~! ^o^

Yumeko's Brush Roll Delight~!

2009-08-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi loves~ Today I have a package to share with you. It's Yumeko's super cute brush roll!!! *LOVE* I was lucky enough to snatch one from her #6 batch as they sell like hotcakes! ^+++^ v I hope everyone will check out her sale blog and personal blog! I was so lucky to stumble across her blog and read about her life in Tokyo, Japan. She always has something interesting and fun to show her readers. She's really outgoing and friendly and she was the first person to leave me a comment on my blog. hehe..

I got the KiKi & LaLa brush roll. Yumeko's packaging is so cute! She's really generous and gifted me an eyeshadow palette in purple and some candies. I ate one of the strawberry candy and it was so yummy!!

I had to show you guys this cute panda tape haha. How cute is that?!

Yumeko's craftsmanship is superb! The materials are cute and top quality.

She lined it with goldfish fabric inside. Loves it!

It holds a lot of brushes!

Nicely tucked in.

I'm in LOVE with this brush roll! ^_^
Thanks Yumeko for everything! *kisses*

Amy and Blair’s Giveaways

2009-08-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Amy is having her first giveaway on reaching 50+ followers. Click here to enter.

Blair is having a giveaway on reaching 150+ followers. Click here to enter.

Congratulations to Amy and Blair on reaching their follower milestones. Well done ladies! =)

Mitsuwa + ViVi

2009-08-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Bf and I had dental appointments this morning. We're so bummed to find out we both need our wisdom teeth taken out. We each have 2 impacted wisdom teeth at the bottom. Oh thinking about it makes me worry... the excruciating pains... :(

Anyways, after the dental appointment, we went to Mitsuwa Market for lunch. Here are some pictures to share with you. :)

My lunch. Miso Ramen and Ikura Bowl. It was salty but so good. :P

The beauty aisle and display at Mitsuwa. I was very good and didn't pick up any beauty items but I got a bag of Pudding KitKat! So yummy.

It says limited edition on the bag... lol.
Why Americans don't have flavors like this... =/

I did pick up a ViVi magazine and a hime style craft book.

So cute and princessy! It reminds me of Eki. :D

New Fall colors for Balenciaga. What do you think?

How to do red lips. I tried it today and yikes! I am not used to seeing myself with red lips...
Anyone wanna recommend me a red lippie to try?

What do you think about Lady Gaga's hair? Yay or nay?
Here's a YT video that shows how to do the hair like her. The girl in the video is amazingly talented. Please also check out her other videos!

Okie, that's it for now... getting sleepy... Have a good one, loves!

July Favorites and Mini Reviews: Reviva Labs + Beautymaker

2009-08-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

I have 2 favorites for the month of July. Both are skincare products and I highly recommend these 2 products.

First is the Reviva Labs Rosewater Facial Spray. It can be purchased at vitacost.com. That’s where I got mine and vitacost has the best price at $4.69 for 8 fl oz. That’s a steal!

The Reviva Labs Rosewater Facial Spray is loaded with lots of nice natural ingredients like aloe, herbs, minerals, and hyaluronic acid. It can be used to refresh the skin and set makeup. It is moisturizing and can be used as a toner to aid absorption of facial creams. I don’t just use it on my face, but all over my body where it’s dry, even on my hair. Great for the summer and the rose scent smells so gorgeous.

Ingredients: Distilled rosewater, glycerin, aloe juice, polysorbate 20, tocopheryl acetate, vegetable oil & Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and Vitamin B (ergocalciferol), fennel (and) hops (and) balm mint (and) mistletoe (and) maticaria (and) yarrow extracts, mallow (and) ivy (and) cucumber (and) sambucus and arnica extracts, trace mineral concentrate, methyl paraben.

The second product is the Beautymaker Skin Repair Wakening Gel. It can be purchased on imomoko.com. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Fuz’s reviews, I would never even give a it a go on this brand. The main reason is that this is an inexpensive brand in Taiwan and is sold on websites. I don’t believe they have a retail store yet. So that being said, I feel like I won’t get quality stuff at an inexpensive price. You get what you pay for, right? But surprisingly this is a fantastic gel moisturizer. It’s soothing, refreshing, and absorbs quickly into the skin. It’s great under makeup and it doesn’t pill up like some of the other gel based moisturizers. It’s got a great scent (like lychees). I’ve already hit pan on it (I started using on 6/28). That’s so fast, don’t you think? So that means I really like this product.

Ingredients:
Purified Water, Ethyl Alcohol, Cabbage Rose (Rosa Centifolia) Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pineapple Extract, Gamma-Polyglutamic Acid, Glycine, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol & Yeast Extract, Codium Tomentosum Extract & Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylisothiazolinone, Serine, Hydrolyzed ulva Lactuca Extract, Aqua & Chondrus Crispus, Fragrance, Squalane.

What are your favorites for the month of July?

Tagged: 6 things that make me happy.

2009-07-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

1. My Family

I know they will always be there for me.

A pet is a family member too. *^^*

2. Travel

The world is so big and full of surprises. There are so many places I want to visit.
Here’s a picture of me at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The Hello Kitty terminal was so cute! =^.^=

3. Dolls

They inspire and motivate me. Inspire = being a slave and designing/making new clothes for them. Motivate= being a workaholic so I can afford this expensive hobby. Hehehe. ;-)
This is a picture of my Pocket Fairy Yoko.

4. Christmas
I love the snow, the joy, the smell of winter during this time of the year. The weather may be cold and freezing but my heart’s full of warmth. I just love it! This is a picture I took in Korea.

5. Love
The experience of love is the greatest joy one can ever feel.

6. World Vision

Sponsor a child in need is a happy thing to do.

I know my list isn’t very different from others but… hey, we girls laugh at the same things and see life the same way. ;-)

Thanks for the tag, Zoe.
I tag:
Begsbee
Blair
MilknCookiie* (2 for 1. I'm getting a good deal. :P)
Ceecile ~Priscilla Clara~
miRaCLe
serenene

Review: MAC Amplified Crème Lipstick in Saint Germain

2009-07-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

A review requested by the lovely Zoe. (My first request. Thanks girl! ^_^)

Also, please do check out Zoe’s blog giveaway. I love her aesthetic and she’s got a cool blog full of eye candies! The prizes are so good!

Ok, now on to the review~

Saint Germain Lipstick was first released with the Sugar Sweet Collection by MAC back in… I can’t remember when exactly. It is re-launched recently as part of the Euristocrats 2 Collection.

I will be honest that this lipstick color is not an everyday color and not one of those lipsticks that flatter most skin tones. It is a true blue based creamy, pastel pink without any shimmers or glitters. The color payoff is amazing and when applied the color looks true from the tube. The texture is smooth and creamy but can be a little bit dry looking. Also, I find this lippie to be a bit hard to work with as it streaks and I look like I have more lines on my lips… -_-;;; but a gloss on top will solve this problem.

This color makes me look surprisingly tanned (I’m NC20) and I feel like I’m on vacation at the beach when I have this lippie on. :P It sort of reminds me of Malibu Barbie haha… so definitely not a lippie for the office environment but it’s a great color for going out. I would imagine Saint Germain looking stunning on a girl who has blue tinted black hair. :D

I will not repurchase this lipstick not because I don’t like it but it’s because it takes me forever to finish a lipstick... Although this lipstick a bit hard to work with, I still do think it’s a unique color and worth checking out.

Bare lips.

Saint Germain on. A bit streaky. Boo...

With MAC clear lipglass on top.

I hope this review was somewhat helpful.

Thanks for reading.

Haul: J.Crew, Nordstrom Rack, MAC

2009-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

I went shopping last weekend and I have a haul to share with you ladies. I’m a cheap person when it comes to clothes shopping. :P I never buy clothes at full price unless it’s stores like forever21 or if I’m on vacation in a foreign country. However, with makeup and skincare, it’s a different story! I’m such a failure at resisting makeup and skincare… ^_^;;; What are your spending habits?

I got 2 skinny belts at J.Crew. They were on sale for $8 each so why not? Great items to add details to your outfit. I love the colors so much.

A J.Crew headbad. Again on sale for $8. I snatched the last pinky purple one. *happy*

Then I went to my favorite store, Nordstrom Rack. I got a Juicy Couture headband. I picked this blue one instead of the pink one which is rare of me but I find this color look better against my black hair. I will be wearing this with a plain T-shirt dress from Banana Republic that I have.

At Nordstrom Rack, I also got a pair of Coach Barret sneakers. My bf said to get this since he thought the print was nice. :P I like it too. I have always been a Chuck Taylor fan but I can't seem to find chucks in the prints I like.

A strand of long pearl necklace because I lost the other one I have... Good thing it was only $7 something at Nordstrom Rack. I love this so much. You can do so much with it. Wear it alone, doubled, layer it with other jewelry, on your wrist as a chunky bracelet.

Then I got some undies at VS Pink. The Pink Dog was a GWP.

At MAC I picked up Brush 227. I saw suzit86 (love her btw) used this brush for nose contouring. How interesting I thought so I got it.

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Saint Germain. MAC describes it as a clean pastel pink. I love cool toned lippies so no surprise that I love this one haha. This lippie makes me look tanned. The color payoff is superior. Texture is very creamy and smooth but I still like the cremesheens better because it gives more luster to the lips.

That's it from my haul. Thanks for reading. :)

Eki Love Kawaii Package!

2009-07-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hi dearies! I’ve got lots of cuteness in this post! Can you handle it? XD

By now, I’m sure everyone here knows how cute Eki’s creations are but wait until you see them in person, you’ll be amazed! They’re too cute for words. *^_^*

I actually received the package yesterday but my housemates left it on the dining room table and I didn’t see it until this morning. So I woke up really early at 4am today, dreading going to work cuz I was sleepy as hell! >_<;; As I walked to the kitchen to pickup my lunch for work and lo and behold, *gasp!* my order from Eki is here! Woohoo~! It seriously made my day. :D (and the sleepiness was instanly gone, lol)

Arrived sound and safe.

A goodie bag filled w/ Eki love. Thank you so much for this, Eki. *tears*

Nicely wrapped and a lovely note. =)

Hmmm.... What's Hello Kitty trying to do here?

???

She blew me a kiss! XD Too cute!

I got a kawaii cherry bow.

A flower bow. I love how she substituted the pearl strand with a crystal in the center of the flower. How did she know I love sparkles? ^^

A baby pink himebow headband. Very sweet. I love it!

Close up of the headband. *pretty*

The extra goodies. Look at the little darling heart bow hairclips! Thank you so much Eki. You're a wonderful person and I'm glad that I met you here.

A picture of everything together.

For instant cuteness, just add some eki love! :P

Get yours here >> eki love kawaii

♡

Review: Fresh Rose Face Mask

2009-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today I’m doing a review on one of my favorite masks by Fresh called the Rose Face Mask. It can be purchased it at Sephora for $55. It comes in a 100ml glass jar. I first found out about this mask on a Taiwanese beauty show, 女人我最大. It took me a while to find out the brand is called “Fresh” because the show did not say what brand it was… They would rave about a certain product and then won’t tell you the brand. So annoying! LOL. :P

Anyways, here’s the review:

Fresh Rose Mask is a very delicate and luxurious face mask. The texture is gel based with real rose petals. The scent is a natural, pleasant rose aroma so it also serves as a nice pick-me-up mask whenever I feel tired or dull. It does not smell artificial to start a headache for me so that’s a plus. When applied, the rose petals melt when it touches the skin. It’s very soothing and refreshing. It hydrates the skin and leaving it super soft!

My favorite way of using this mask is in the shower after I wash my hair and face, I scoop out a dollop size and spread it onto my face. Then I just leave it on and go on with my business in the shower. The shower steam aids the mask to keep my face incredibly moist. After I’m done showering, I message the mask gently on my face before rinsing it off with luke warm water followed by cold water to close up the pores. I use a towel to pat dry and immediately I can see my skin is more supple, plump, and refined. I can see a nice radiance to my skin. This mask is definitely a treat for my skin.

If you have sensitive skin, you might want to try a sample first. It did tingle a bit but I like the tingling sensation because it makes me think that the mask is really working… haha… a placebo effect, maybe?

Pros:
Only need 5-10 minutes.
Gel based mask that doesn’t dry out the skin like clay masks or fall off like paper masks.
Smells divine.
Nice results

Cons:
Comes in a jar which can be unsanitary.

Ingredients:
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, PEG-60, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Carbomer, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Sea Water (Aqua Maris), Caramel, Rose Flower Oil, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia, Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben.

The Honest Scrap Tag

2009-07-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelies! How are you all doing? I finally squeezed in some blogging time because I got sick and have been feeling under the weather… grrr…

I was tagged by the lovely begsbee to do the Honest Scrap Tag. Thank you for tagging me Abee! It’s my first tag and I’m so thankful that this community has been so welcoming. Everyone has been so nice and I’m loving it. :)

1. I’m a crafty girl. I love sewing, knitting, jewelry making, … and the list goes on. So that means I support handmade goods.
2. I used to blog on livejournal about dolls a few years ago. I collected Blythe, Licca, Jenny and Blue Fairy BJDs. I had a website selling dolly clothes handmade by me.
3. I finally had the guts to tell my manager that I want to transfer to the Hong Kong office! She was very supportive about it and I hope to apply for the position in HK that I’ve been eyeing on soon.
4. I’m from Taiwan but I can speak Cantonese thanks to my BF. :)
5. I drive a stick shift car and dislike it… because it makes me feel like I’m not a girl. :P
6. I tried out for flight attendant but decided not to go through with the interview process because I think I have a fear of flying… ^^;;
7. I was robbed when I was working at a bank 3 years ago. T here were three robbers… all had a gun in their hand. They had the guys lay down on the floor and commanded the only girl, me, to get them the money. I was so freaking terrified and I hurried and loaded their bags with money. That night, I stayed until 12am talking to the police and the FBI. A few months later, the police caught the robbers because they were robbing another bank and got caught. Thank goodness!
8. I watch YouTube more than I watch TV… hehe.
9. Fuyumini means winter mini. Fuyu means winter in Japanese and mini is just mini. :P I got this screen name when I was reading a Nov issue of ViVi magazine and the look of winter mini (wearing short shorts and mini skirts in winter) was just so so cute!
10. I love Korean dramas and pop culture.

Hope you learned a bit more about me. Thanks for reading! :)

I think everyone have been tagged already but if you haven’t been tagged and are reading this please do this tag. I'd love to know more about you! ❤

DIY: Pinky Sparkly Nails

2009-07-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Saw this sparkly pink gradation nail look and pulled out my nail stash to see if I can use what I have to dupe the look. I'm not a nail savvy person, but I couldn't resist trying out this look. I'm not an expert so I don't know if I can call this a tutorial... haha. Let's start, shall we?

Click to see instructions from the magazine in Japanese. If you can understand it, lucky you! Hehe. If you're like me that can't read, you can see how I do it below... in my own way. :P

Products I used. Everything was already in my stash except for the crystals. I got them especially for this look. :)
Cuticle remover: this is a gel you put on your cuticles to soften and remove. You can use this if you like the clean look. I didn't use it this time, my finger were a bit sensitive.
Nail glue: to stick the crystal onto the nail.
Top coat: for a glossy look and prevents chipping.
Glitter nail polish: serves as a base.
Pink Glitter: to palce at the tip of nail.
Crystals: I got 3mm AB.

Paint the glitter nail polish on 2/3 of nail.

Pick up some pink glitter and put it at the tip only so it gives that gradation look.
You can also use a darker pink glitter polish instead of loose glitters.

Making a mess here... ^^;;; You can file your nails for a more uniformed and polished look before the painting process. I like squared nails but I didn't file mine.. too lazy... :P

Paint on 2 layers of topcoat to seal the giltters in. Glossy~ but ewww, my fingers look so dry...

Finally, use the nail glue and glue on the cyrstals. A little tip: wet a q-tip and use it to pick up the crystals.

Ta Da! Finished!
Very glittery and sparkly.
Hope you like it.
♥

More nail ideas.

Happy painting! :)

... and this is the result of getting out work early on Thursday. I ended up shopping at Nordstrom Rack! ^^;;

June Favorites + Sumo MAC Haul + NOTD

2009-06-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

I LOVE watching beauty gurus' monthly favorite’s videos on YouTube. I thought I'd share some of my favorites during this month too. I'm all about sunscreens this month. Remember to protect your skin by wearing sunscreens! (even when the weather is gloomy) Yes, the UV ray is that EVIL! :P

1. Nivea Sun whitening Immediate Sun Protection Collagen Protect SPF 30 PA++ - Have you ever noticed that drugstore products have the longest names? XD Haha. Anyways, I love this body sunscreen because it’s non-sticky, water resistant, whitens and protects collagen. Best of all, it provides immediate protection upon application. Great for people on the go. Nivea also makes the same sunscreen for face with SPF 50 PA+++.

2. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream for Face SPF 55 PA+++
3. Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream Sunscreen SPF 32 PA+++
Great basic sunscreens that absorb quickly into the skin. I like how the SPF is higher than the usual SPF 15 in most products in the US. I also noticed that I don’t get oily as easily when I use this.

4. Skin Food Red Ginseng Repairing Toner – contains red ginseng and royal jelly. The texture is thick but silky. It does smells like ginseng and it’s quite strong.. It doesn’t bother me though.

5. L’occitane Eau des 4 Reines – smells very girly and rosy which I love! Great for summer.

6. Integrate palette in PK760 – a great pink and purple palette for work and play. The shadows are silky smooth. It’s a good change from the usual browns I wear to work. And for play, I wear it with grey circle lenses.

7. MAC Hello Kitty Lipglass She Loves Candy – the only HK gloss that I still use. Haha the others HK ones I have got neglected… ^^;;;

8. NARS Orgasm and Laguna Duo – great blush and bronzer in one. Laguna is great for contouring.

9. Hanskin Super Magic BB SPF 30 PA++ - my fave BB cream of all time. Provides good coverage. Whitens and prevents wrinkles.

10. Fancl Washing Powder light – gentle and doesn't dry out my skin.

11. Orbis Oil Cut Cleansing Liquid – HG. Replaced DHC Cleansing Oil that I used to love..

MAC Haul:

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup. It's soooo pretty!!!

Swatch~

Took advantage of the SUMO sale and got some new brushes to add to my collection. Click pic to see numbers

NOTD:

Essie Vanity Fairest with pa glitter polish on top. I found the pa polish at marukai market. I got swarovski crystals at Michael's yesterday. Thinking about posting a nail tutorial over the weekend. Stay tuned! =)

1st Collective Haul

2009-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

My first haul post. It's a mini one. :P

BeautyMaker Skin repair Wakening Gel (imomoko.com)

Lunasol Water Cream Foundation YO02 (mihoko)

Coffret D'or Shine Accent Eyes eyeshadow 01 SP09 (imomoko.com)

My first Coffret D'or palette. Never too late to start collecting. Hehe.. :P

Swatches. I absolutely love the second color. I can wear it alone and still look fab. The gold cream glittery shadow didn't show up well (4th color). I use it on the inner corner to glam it up a bit.

Very light weight and airy. Although I don't like how it's in a pot...

YO02 is yellow based for warm skin tones.

Blended. Good match, yea? I'm NC20 for reference.

Gel based moisturizer. I got this to replace my clinique moisture surge extra that I ran out of. The BM doesn't pill up like some of the other gel based moisturizers like H20+ face oasis. So BM is great under makeup.

My Beauty Diary - Black Pearl Mask. I got this for everyday use. It whitens and moisturizes the skin. These are cheap in Taiwan. Now I kick myself for not getting any when I was there.... You can get this at Ohayousa.com or sasa.com.

And lastly, my Glitzy Glam keychain! Favorite item from my haul. It matches my Coach keychain and mini skinny perfectly. So cute! *love*

Achieving a translucent complexion with DHC Adlay Extract - Review

2009-06-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

Adlay (薏仁) or Coix Seed is a plant that can brighten the skin complexion. Like most of the girls in Asia, I admire the look of pale but glowy skin (think Korean actress) because I feel it suits me the best. I love the look of clean, white skin. ^^

Last month, I was on vacation in Taiwan and I picked up some of the DHC supplements. I got 2 packs of the Adlay Extract. Each bag contains 30 capsules which is sufficient for a month’s supply. You take 1 capsule each day, easy eh? You probably ask why should one take extracts instead of just eating the actual coix seed? Well, that’s because you will need to eat a TON of them to work, LOL, because these pills are very concentrated (up to 13 x). Wow~

After taking the Adlay Extracts for one month, I feel that my complexion is brighter, whiter, and more translucent. I’m really happy that it works for me (results vary from person to person) because these are not that expensive. $230 NT for 1 bag which is about $7 USD.

Pros:
Inexpensive
Easy to consume (only 1 a day).
Works for me and really whitens my skin.
Made in Japan (which means good quality!)

Cons:
Hard to get in the USA because it's only targeted to Asian countries.

Click above picture to see ingreidents (Chinese).

DHC supplements - I love them. ^^

You can find Coix Seed in beauty products like these:

Albion Skin Conditioner - whitens, soothes, calms, hydrates, refines, and kills acne!

Kose Q10 hand cream. I'm currently using this.

Kose Sekkisei

IMATS 2009

2009-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Who was at the IMATS Pasadena? I was! So this was my first time attending a makeup show. I must say that it was pretty awesome! There were so many brands that I've never heard of... l suppose they're targeted to makeup artists. I didn't take many photos since it was so packed... Anyways, I noticed that everyone was carrying a Royal Langnickel shopping bag so I had to get over to their booth to check it out. To me, these brushes are better than Crown brushes. Much softer and the quality is better IMO. The prices at the show were really great but I didn't go crazy. :P I got 3 eye brushes and the travel brush set in black.

Pencil Blender $3

Eye Detailer $3

Eyeliner $3

Travel Essentials set $10

Newbie

2009-06-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, welcome to my blog! :)