Archive for March, 2010
It’s so hard to say goodbye…. | Makeup Shelf Life
I know that you’ve all heard about the expiration life of makeup… BUT, have you taken action on it? It can be painful to part with your favorite lipgloss or eyeshadow ESPECIALLY when it’s discontinued… BUT ladies, it’s so very important that we don’t continue using expired products!
Why?
Expired makeup can cause infection, pink eye and skin break outs! SCARY!
If you research the shelf life of makeup online, you’ll find varying answers. Here’s what I go by:
Foundation: 12m
Concealer: 8-12m
Powder: 12-18m
Powder Eyeshadow: 24m
Cream Eyeshadow: 18m
Pencil Eyeliner: 18-24m
Liquid Eyeliner: 6m
Mascara: 4m
Lipliner: 24m
Lipstick: 24m
Lipgloss: 12-18m
Good Rule of Thumb
It’s time to toss it if the formula changes in consistency, color, texture and smell!
One other thing: Please be careful when you are testing products at the mall!! You don’t know who the last person was that touched that product! I prefer to do swatches on my hand. If I like it, I’ll buy it and try it out at home. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll return it. Easy Peasy! (^ v ^)
SO! I challenge you to go through your makeup collection and toss out those old expired products!! As a reward to parting with some of my expired favs I like to go out and buy myself some new replacements. 
Brown Smokey Eye
Not feeling well today. I’m thinking that I caught something from the office since lots of my co-workers are sick. I’m hoping to rest lots today and hopefully fight it off before it gets too serious.
Since my everyday makeup does not show on camera, today I cranked it up a notch and did a brown smokey eye look. Max (boyfriend) thinks that I look scary in this picture, but I need to experiment right? (^__^)
I was honestly a bit hesitant to post these pictures up… but I will be brave, hehe.
On other news…
I was originally wanting to go shopping today. I’m in need of a good face primer. I use Bare Minerals’ primer when I do use it but usually I don’t use one. I want to try this out:
Benefit’s Dr. Feelgood | $28
I remember trying this out a long time ago. It made my skin silky smooth but I was worried that it was clogging my pores… But you know? I think I’ll go pick this up this week. (^ v ^)
Another thing that I’m currently wanting is a good deep conditioner. Well actually, a new shampoo would be nice too. My hair is super long and it doesn’t look very healthy right now. I think I want this one. I’ve heard good reviews on it.
Neutrogena Deep Moisture Hair Mask | ~$6
Well, I’ll keep you guys updated and will do reviews if I pick these up.
Hope you had a beautyfull Sunday! <3
Saturday FOTD
My Saturday face of the day. I realize that my makeup applications are too light to show up on camera. How dramatic does it have to be to show correctly!? Time for more experimenting…
Eyes | Mac’s Warming Trend, Smokes and Diamonds, Blackberry
Lips | Mac’s Nude Rose
Cheeks | NARS Orgasm blush + Benefit Cosmetic’s Hoola
Face | NARS Sheer Matte Foundation in Fiji
I’m completely regretting not buying back-ups of Nude Rose… hopefully they’ll bring it back 
Fashion Inspiration | Yoon Eun Hye
I love this girl’s fashion… or maybe it’s that I love her! In case you don’t know who she is, she is a Korean singer turned actress/model. I think she’s gorgeous! Here are a few photos that I adore. I LOVE the looks… but would it look strange in real life? In this shoot, she wears lot of different color/wash skinny jeans. They look super cute on her but I don’t know if I could pull it off successfully. Look at her legs! They go on for miles… <3
Today I was in the middle of shooting photos when my camera battery died. I tried using my other camera but that soon died as well. I don’t even think I got any good shots in. I guess we’ll see once the batteries are charged. If they didn’t come out well, I’ll go for a second attempt Saturday morning when there is better lighting.
Hope your day is beautyfull!
It’s that time of year…
Today I went to the mall to make a couple returns at Sephora. When I got there I realized that it was indeed that time of year that the dreaded Easter bunny monster comes out and guards the entrance of my beloved store. Okay, he’s not really guarding it… but the Easter bunny picture kiosk is indeed only 15-20 feet away from the entrance of Sephora! AND for some reason, the mall I go to always decides to hire the overgrown kid to wear the costume, making the Easter bunny look like a 7-8 foot monster! And those eyes! They never blink but just stare at you, silently…. (O_O)
Anyway! I exchanged my Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden and Sin for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Wallpaper. I also got a new belt from For Love (Forever 21′s accessory store) for only $3-4! I’ll post pictures of my haul soon.
While I was at work, I was trying to help my bestie, Joanna, find some shoe deals online when I ran into this beauty! It’s the Nine West Buttermilk in Black (and maybe Taupe Leather). It’s originally priced at $79 but right now you get an additional 25% off at the counter. I’m uber tempted to buy it/them… It reminds me of my all-time favorite pumps that one day tragically disappeared.
Nine West Buttermilk (Black above, Taupe Leather below)
Should I get the black one? Both? Also, does the Easter bunny freak you out a little too? Let me know that I’m not alone! (^_^)
Have a beautyfull day!
Just 5 minutes for more beautiful skin in the morning!
I have a confession…
Sometimes… when I’m super tired… I fall asleep without washing my makeup off! Don’t judge me!! hehe
I know, I know. It’s horrible right? I definitely pay for it for the next few days as I break out. But not only that, my skin is visibly duller after washing my face in the morning and my foundation does not apply as smoothly to my face. On the days I go through my whole night-time routine (a majority of the time, I swear!), I am pleasantly greeted by beautiful dewy skin in the morning. For one night’s mistake, you will reap the consequences for hours or even days! dun dun DUN!
So if it only takes approximately 5-10 minutes to wash the makeup off your face, why do so many girls just fall asleep? Is it that your life is too busy and chaotic that once you get home you immediately pass out? Or is it sheer laziness? Haha.
Well for those of you that are super busy (or lazy ), try keeping a stash of makeup remover wipes by your bed. Then, right before you knock out into dreamland, you can wipe wipe wipe all that day old makeup off and let your skin breathe freely!
Are you good about never falling asleep with your makeup on? Or will you join me and admit that you’ve let dreamland take you away before you’ve completed your night-time routine? Let me know if you’re brave enough to admit it… or simply want to rebuke me for my skincare no no. :)
Hope your day was absolutely beautyfull!
Happy Spring! <3
Ah, beautiful flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and there’s a cool fresh breeze! It is definitely Spring!
For those of you lucky enough to have Spring break, I hope you had/are/will be having a blast! I wish I was in Tahiti right now (picture above)! I’ve never been but it’s one of the places that I must must visit! Hopefully sometime soon.. (^ v ^).
Legally Bronze, $35 | Get it Here
I saw this set at sephora.com and thought it was such an awesome deal and perfect for a Spring break trip! You get $105 worth of product for only $35! I paid $28 for my Hoola bronzer and I currently use it as my go-to daily bronzer. Considering the fact that I think it was totally worth paying $28 for my Hoola bronzer, this set is a STEAL!
I’ve also been looking around for Spring dresses and this is one of my favs from nordstrom.com. Pair it with these super cute sandals and you’re good to go!
Sky ‘Ducis’ Tunic Dress, $202 | www.nordstrom.com
Seychelles ‘Get Outta Town’ Sandal, $79.95 | Get it Here
Today Max (my BF) and I had lunch at a Brazilian buffet called Ipanemas. If you’re a carnivore and are visiting Seattle, you definitely should check out this restaurant. You go get your own veggies and fresh sides. Then once you’re back at your table, you have a little coaster like card that is green on one side and red on the other. If the card is flipped green on your table, the servers will come by with tender, just cooked, meats. When you want them to stop, or give you a break, you simply turn the card around to red. It was absolutely delicious! Afterward we walked around the Pike Place Market, got us some donuts, looked at the beautiful flower bouquets and then headed home. The day was perfect! (Thank you Maximus!)
What did you do today?
Tarte Cheek Stain Review
For the past several years, I’ve eyed the Tarte Cheek Stains. The adorable packaging, ingredients that are natural and good for your skin, the simplicity of the application- what’s not to like?? But every time I went to Sephora to check it out, I would turn away disappointed. I found the formula clumpy and the price expensive, $30. Now, this continued every few months for many years. FINALLY, one day I found a 50% off promo code and decided to put an end to the madness and just buy one to give me some peace. The verdict?
I LOVE IT!!
It’s quick and easy to apply. The formula is smooth, blendable and gives your cheeks a healthy dewy look. I think the testers get clumpy with all the abuse they get from being testers. The top of my tube is completely smooth with no clumps!
I purchased the cheek stain in Green Siren. On my light skin tone, the stain comes out as a tan peachie color. I adore this blush so much, I use it at least a few times a week!
What a beautyfull day…
M.A.C Mini Haul
Does 2 new items count as a “haul”? (^ v ^)
When I saw the packaging of the new line at MAC, Give Me Liberty of London, I knew I absolutely had to get at least one item.
The winner? The Cremesheen Lipstick, Ever Hip.
It looks more extreme in the tube so don’t be scared off. The color is sheer light coral, perfect for the Spring.
My current obsession right now is blushes. I’ve been trying to experiment with more visible hues and so the MAC makeup artist suggested Coygirl. I don’t have anything like it in my makeup collection so I picked this up as well.
So far, I’ve tried it for 2 days. Honestly, I’m not quite loving it. The blue undertone makes me feel like I have the “slapped in the face” flush to my cheeks. I will probably be exchanging this in the next week.
In other news, I received my Nars foundation in the mail yesterday! I will give it a few more days of testing before writing my review on it.
Hope you have a beautyfull Tuesday!
Listerine Whitening Quick (NON)Dissolving Strips
It had been over a year since I last tried whitening my teeth and it was time I gave white strips another go. I was at Target with a box of Crest Whitestrips in my hand when I glanced over and noticed Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips for $20 cheaper! The box claimed that the Listerine strips naturally dissolved in your mouth after 10-15 minutes leaving you with minty fresh breath AND whiter teeth in 2 weeks! Now, the one thing that I didn’t like about the Crest Whitestrips was the gross taste that I had in my mouth for the duration of 30 minutes twice a day. So I decided to give this new product a go.
On the first try I noticed the whitening experience was a lot yummier (^ v ^) But then 15 minutes past and I STILL had this goopy stuff on my teeth! I found myself using my tongue to try to get the excess gunk off. 4 days of that, twice a day and yes, I had a painful blister on the side of my poor tongue. I immediately stopped using the product and it took me another 2 days to fully heal.
If you are on a tight budget and are willing to use the Listerine White Strips before brushing day and night, it wouldn’t hurt to give it try. I can’t tell you whether it’s effective or not since I only did it for 4 out of the 14 days. For me, I’d rather pay the additional $20 and stick to the trusted Crest Whitestrips.