Spa and Wellness

New Makeup from Adorned with Grace Minerals

Hi ladies, Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekends? I am sure to look forward to it, after all I've been working hard this whole week and seriously need a break. Recently, Franchesca from <a href="http://adornedwithgrace.ecrater.com/">Adorned with Grace Minerals </a>sent me a sample package as a house warming gift for me. She is really sweet and caring and her makeup line is simply gorgeous. Now, if you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I have a love for Franchesca's makeup because the products are gorgeous, affordable, and practical. AwG is specialized in vegan makeup and the color products (eyeshadows and blushes) are usually in the nude and matte side. If you visualize Bobbi Brown makeup in the mineral form, you will get AwG makeup. Since the first time I tried it, I was blown away by the eyeshadows as she does nude matte colors very well! Most of the times, these types of colors are either chalky or not pigmented enough. However, with AwG, the nudes and mattes are really gorgeous! But guess what? Franchesca threw us a curve ball in her winter collection and I am one of the reasons for that! When she developed this collection, I happened to email her about a steel blue color after watching Zoolander so many times (Blue Steel, anyone?) She said she would consider my suggestion and the next thing I know is this winter eyeshadow collection that she sent me! <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjraBhYoFrjN_4-i1Mc_w-vW0ClcJ0GjXwxJ-x4w0LT-ApEqXtcgAkJTGgpq-anRR4NCv3NPuWLUc30YrBakJK0TN_nnNUqREPypN79Kb1pC6E3pe-PJI_UpjdBxDQP-ao9IVQExv-eCs/s1600-h/IMG_0779.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307216103150117410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjraBhYoFrjN_4-i1Mc_w-vW0ClcJ0GjXwxJ-x4w0LT-ApEqXtcgAkJTGgpq-anRR4NCv3NPuWLUc30YrBakJK0TN_nnNUqREPypN79Kb1pC6E3pe-PJI_UpjdBxDQP-ao9IVQExv-eCs/s400/IMG_0779.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Adorned with Grace winter 2009 collection Pardon the yellow hue of the picture, all my indoor pixs are like that :( <div style="text-align: left;">Now, I am very flattered to be included in this collection. Moreover, the colors are my type of colors: smokey, dark, blue, shimmering hues. Ooh la la, I am in cloud 9 already! <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLONwD0lzIuh9YU_2C0hbkEjlR-mfETazWTyif5pxwQIkrcnQwY_Ka4FYeh9ZADgwQXDZJx4EKZF9vA9lV7Ql-EQaVzx5EW7ii3lX8RgOalpe9RgzV3czE1ToerJv-jpYYOcR8kTPPBUc/s1600-h/IMG_0753.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307216116604925074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLONwD0lzIuh9YU_2C0hbkEjlR-mfETazWTyif5pxwQIkrcnQwY_Ka4FYeh9ZADgwQXDZJx4EKZF9vA9lV7Ql-EQaVzx5EW7ii3lX8RgOalpe9RgzV3czE1ToerJv-jpYYOcR8kTPPBUc/s400/IMG_0753.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Skin swatch of the eye shadows</div></div></div> Here is the break down of how the eye shadows look: <ul><li>Angelic is a snow white frosty eyeshadow that is perfect as a highlighter or an eyeliner. It really opens up my eyes when used as an eyeliner and reminds me of Cool Chill collection from MAC during the winter.</li><li>Dynamic is what Yoghurt from HK collection should be! It is a very pretty pale pink eye color with shimmer. Like Angelic, it can also be used as a highlighter or at the inner corner of your eyes. I love this color very very much!</li><li>Polished is a shimmery sandy nude eyeshadow that is perfect for those who only use one eyeshadow. As I mentioned earlier, AwG's strength is on the nudes and Polished is a hit in my book as it combines nudes with bling.</li><li>Empathetic is a light greyish blue eyeshadow that is so beautiful! This is my type of color and sure makes a smashin' smokey blue eyes combo.</li><li>Steadfast is darker than Empathetic and works really well for the smokeys. When applied wet, it really brings out the shimmers.</li><li>Valiant is gorgeous as an eyeshadow for the smokey eyes look or as a liner. It definitely is my blue steel color :)</li><li>Dramatic is as dark as charcoal. Without shimmers, it is perfect as an eyeliner.</li></ul>With this collection, the possibilities are endless. I played with Empathetic, Steadfast, Valiant, and Dramatic some days ago and I love them! AwG also has new blushes with shimmers called "Shimmer Blushes", which are gorgeous and appropriate to use. If you love blushes but do not like mattes or disco-ball glows, these sweet colors are for you. Franchesca sent me a pack with all of her colors but during my moving time, clumsy me happened to misplaced the pack! So poor Franchesca included some colors for me on the second time and thanks to her, now I have something to post online for you all to see. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGUej12-8OdxgQqg5ogp1ABVRvNhpzNUtmlGFaW-54rWLdi0Kaa7uDuz8-FFzbZBrQCly-CFjD08fQ5C_hnNTVkyn0HLFDlP9Bg4oYOy93D-Qd2dsPavWpoMX0BbaxDUOpfC8LWKtxNiR/s1600-h/IMG_0752.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307216107207266306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGUej12-8OdxgQqg5ogp1ABVRvNhpzNUtmlGFaW-54rWLdi0Kaa7uDuz8-FFzbZBrQCly-CFjD08fQ5C_hnNTVkyn0HLFDlP9Bg4oYOy93D-Qd2dsPavWpoMX0BbaxDUOpfC8LWKtxNiR/s400/IMG_0752.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Skin swatch of the shimmer blushes <div style="text-align: left;"> Here's the break down of how they look:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Glamorous is a bright apricot color with golden shimmer. It is very pretty on me, even when I am a cool skin tone person.</li><li>Tenderness is nude pink that goes like a whisper on my skin. The glow is soft and nice enough to give me a radiant look that I want.</li><li>Dainty is a soft nude pink color that is a bit too light for me. However, on the days that I just want to have a healthy, natural glow, this blush is for me.</li><li>Bemused is quite amusing to me as it is a soft lavender color. Although I would not wear it by itself, paring it with other colors definitely perks up my skin tone.</li></ul>These colors are very pigmented and if you love Everyday Minerals blushes, you will sure prefer AwG blushes even more. The staying power is amazing and I love how soft and silky it goes on my skin. These are definitely "must-buy" items. Currently, AwG has some really good deals on blushes (<a href="http://adornedwithgrace.ecrater.com/category.php?cid=569327">click here</a>) and limited edition eyeshadows (and <a href="http://adornedwithgrace.ecrater.com/category.php?cid=575146">click here</a>). You don't have to pay extra shipping when shipped in the United States. International shipping cost is very low and Franchesca ships out your orders fast. Also, she includes some samples in every order for you to try. How sweet is that? I am going to pick a winner for the giveaway this weekend and you still have time to sign up by <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> There will be another giveaway in the spring and I am planning for it. Take care ladies and have a wonderful weekend. Love, Your Makeup Blogger</div></div>

New Makeup from Adorned with Grace Minerals

Hi ladies, Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekends? I am sure to look forward to it, after all I've been working hard this whole we...

4:05 AM

A MAC Hello Kitty Lipstick and a Cremesheen Lip Glass

Hi ladies, Recently, I went to the MAC Hello Kitty event and indulged myself with two new lip products from MAC: a HK lipstick in Most Popular and a Cremesheen Glass lipgloss in Fashion Scoop. Walking into MAC counter made me feel ecstatic but at the same time, like a dinosaur as well. The whole makeup embargo thing I did last month really causes me to lose touch with new products and LE collections. MAC, as we all know, churns out LE after LE every 2-3 weeks and it is very hard to keep up with them. Originally, I was interested in only the lipstick but Cremesheen Glass is new and I wanted to try it out. By the way, the Cremesheen lipsticks are amazing: they glide very smoothly and feel like butter on my lips! <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumoCw7hqTyGTKecClAo7IZcIPv0c0h5VWPiEwYkk1VYQmgLTseDSfNHzP7OsLILWBTa1n3Yw5_JOFxCHCSenUzwKab2JHsbjSm8hao7wYUaYFWydn7rCeS3q2hMc_Yv-mqgqkcqwlSUju/s1600-h/IMG_0732.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834604335702706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumoCw7hqTyGTKecClAo7IZcIPv0c0h5VWPiEwYkk1VYQmgLTseDSfNHzP7OsLILWBTa1n3Yw5_JOFxCHCSenUzwKab2JHsbjSm8hao7wYUaYFWydn7rCeS3q2hMc_Yv-mqgqkcqwlSUju/s400/IMG_0732.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>The loot: HK lipstick in Most Popular, a pigment sample (Night Fish, I think), and Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop (can you see the typo?) Hello Kitty Most Popular Lipstick ($14 USD) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLpN4QG6PJ3U5TWj4vcNEZfxh6ErW92Z3mZv2wS_UyDVH44TjpAzx1GJuU4ylejAC0b7aiECwRtIvO_MkLH_FOEpe_1_fuAZpYIDN-HBXnYDHUgU4VcpOl9JV5_Zu3ajVlif0g0VgX4nR/s1600-h/IMG_0743.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834611873641650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLpN4QG6PJ3U5TWj4vcNEZfxh6ErW92Z3mZv2wS_UyDVH44TjpAzx1GJuU4ylejAC0b7aiECwRtIvO_MkLH_FOEpe_1_fuAZpYIDN-HBXnYDHUgU4VcpOl9JV5_Zu3ajVlif0g0VgX4nR/s400/IMG_0743.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>Cute LE packaging :) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QDXMCtug5zdaCInIWFZD-SHvAiwwQxT-oUeRYKOFhsZ0WuiYECrC3IQgaqlMo7i1l43ElZVAtUgN1FJ6XocxH6jjVpKbkhdqJPJtrk5mzjHlWgxJDK5FxhOI-2jNxhMwkDeO_XFbAcI9/s1600-h/IMG_0739.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834613497389634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QDXMCtug5zdaCInIWFZD-SHvAiwwQxT-oUeRYKOFhsZ0WuiYECrC3IQgaqlMo7i1l43ElZVAtUgN1FJ6XocxH6jjVpKbkhdqJPJtrk5mzjHlWgxJDK5FxhOI-2jNxhMwkDeO_XFbAcI9/s400/IMG_0739.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>Cute Hello Kitty ^.^ <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v1Hg9O8QBCIfYGubdiBORkjYO1anwoV5HBj1rHJzMGC1PkuhZO5HvS9Tj_RfmGZn_dXW7nXTnmUkwUQMm2rrphOD9OXShy6Yh48bmGg-pOr41f3OO61o9jICgZ1iSTicHIWr6WGmXPAS/s1600-h/IMG_0736.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834607191413666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v1Hg9O8QBCIfYGubdiBORkjYO1anwoV5HBj1rHJzMGC1PkuhZO5HvS9Tj_RfmGZn_dXW7nXTnmUkwUQMm2rrphOD9OXShy6Yh48bmGg-pOr41f3OO61o9jICgZ1iSTicHIWr6WGmXPAS/s400/IMG_0736.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>Really pretty lipstick with a HK face engraved on </div> "So how does Most Popular look like?" you may ask. To me, it is the lighter version of Clinique Black Honey, my favorite color. It is burgundy red but very wearable. I call it "power color" as I can see myself wearing it on important presentations. Most Popular is a lustre lipstick. However, it does not feel as moist as my other lustre ones but rather matte without any shimmer. I need to apply some gloss to get the shine but in situations that I only need a semi-matte lipstick, it is the one. My rating: A <div style="text-align: center;">Cremesheen Glass Lip gloss in Fashion Scoop ($17.50 USD, holy cow!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzglNI2ENQ6_QmwKZcXnLNp1imgIWTzqo6H3pgJN0qlZ3ZkKZxoahi346f7iz5rPVo7vWh7huxJFFY7jpXR3IJm_AltakoNEK1QcmcZCPPFI_1LXsc8I_7qs1ZNyJNXwlEip8546tdJ_M/s1600-h/IMG_0758.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834617659166114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzglNI2ENQ6_QmwKZcXnLNp1imgIWTzqo6H3pgJN0qlZ3ZkKZxoahi346f7iz5rPVo7vWh7huxJFFY7jpXR3IJm_AltakoNEK1QcmcZCPPFI_1LXsc8I_7qs1ZNyJNXwlEip8546tdJ_M/s400/IMG_0758.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>(L-R) Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop and Sugar Trance lipglass from Fafi collection <div style="text-align: left;">First of all, Fashion Scoop is very similar in color to Sugar Trance. So if you already have the later one from Fafi collection last year, you can save your money and get something other than Fashion Scoop. Since I love the cremesheen formula in their lipsticks so much, I wanted to try the lipglass version out and boy oh boy, I could have learned to save money by now. Cremesheen glass is nowhere as awesome as the regular lip glass as it does not shine that much. And don't even compare it with the other $17.50 lip glasses that MAC used to have, this one just simply does not have that much shine! However, if you are looking for something not as goopy as the regular lip glass, this formula is more comfortable to use. The lasting power, however, is weak once the stickiness is decreased. Since they are very similar in color, Fashion Scoop is going back to where it came from. Also, it is a dollar more expensive than a paint pot so it has to go! (I don't think lip glosses should be that expensive, by the way!) My rating: B <div style="text-align: center;">Some swatches: </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW8UcdoaC-qSMtGrKtWLamSqI8thL6UH0B85xyYyfzxggNZqBOcGGb5qEglgfMeQR4yfAHcQuwL3kXW8EdODRvO0yK8XHnhrRziQjKcpWA5eX-1GjX1SLdXFE7Cx-d_GkXwG6u4Ko9mi0/s1600-h/IMG_0761.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306835009072251538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW8UcdoaC-qSMtGrKtWLamSqI8thL6UH0B85xyYyfzxggNZqBOcGGb5qEglgfMeQR4yfAHcQuwL3kXW8EdODRvO0yK8XHnhrRziQjKcpWA5eX-1GjX1SLdXFE7Cx-d_GkXwG6u4Ko9mi0/s400/IMG_0761.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>Fashion Scoop lip swatch: it's my bare lips but better :) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTHDWjqn3eEBd6N4NEjD2vcbsxmE4it-TtutVVaFXNGORBmr5ZT_Lw4NbyKInuPHDVZ0bRRtoPyypL6DqkhaZcSufU5twrDa_3sy4T49bl0mvpb0qBsn3JMGSOBhgZPgv_UlZwiiHe9uz/s1600-h/IMG_0768.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306835013649050498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTHDWjqn3eEBd6N4NEjD2vcbsxmE4it-TtutVVaFXNGORBmr5ZT_Lw4NbyKInuPHDVZ0bRRtoPyypL6DqkhaZcSufU5twrDa_3sy4T49bl0mvpb0qBsn3JMGSOBhgZPgv_UlZwiiHe9uz/s400/IMG_0768.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>Most Popular by itself looks like a nice merlot stain <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP30Z3wlce47WIEcdQ8SDlaz6oUHF-kLyc5NLxzKUyEm0Nvc7sX3ymZT4EC8Q-eWBltNiYgdVR60YKWOWFMIOETE0MotuG0eyiQilEznxpZ7a0a8MWOmCvXZW_SsaWFB1lVArvONurJiKl/s1600-h/IMG_0771.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306835019382770002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP30Z3wlce47WIEcdQ8SDlaz6oUHF-kLyc5NLxzKUyEm0Nvc7sX3ymZT4EC8Q-eWBltNiYgdVR60YKWOWFMIOETE0MotuG0eyiQilEznxpZ7a0a8MWOmCvXZW_SsaWFB1lVArvONurJiKl/s400/IMG_0771.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>Fashion Scoop on top of Most Popular I actually love this combo but once I put Sugar Trance on...woa! </div> That's all for today, ladies! Although I really want to go back to our regular broadcasting schedule, I am really swamped with work! Thesis writing is the pain and it makes me feel...abnormal sometimes :) However, the tough part is over (the introduction) and the fun part is about to begin. I have lots of pictures sitting in my computer so as soon as I am free, they are going to be online soon. Take care and happy hum day. As always, stay gorgeous! Love, Your Makeup Blogger </div></div>P.S: If you like my blog, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

A MAC Hello Kitty Lipstick and a Cremesheen Lip Glass

Hi ladies, Recently, I went to the MAC Hello Kitty event and indulged myself with two new lip products from MAC: a HK lipstick in Most Popul...

12:26 PM

Monday Pep Talk

Well, hello again my dear lovely readers! It's Monday, again and I hope you are having a good start so far. (At least reading my blog is considered a good start in my book.) As we all know, last week I came back here to blog and because I was really swamped, I only blogged three times. So really, when it comes to blogging, last week did not count, at least to me. This week is a good start for me as my introductory is finished and I am about to give it to my advisor. From writing that piece of work, I understood a whole lot of things about science, myself, and the work I'm doing. Also, it makes me appreciate blogging even more. So why did I name this post "Monday Pep Talk", you may ask. For a long long time now, if you've guessed and read my blog closely, you notice my tendency not to blog anything serious on Monday and Friday (that's true!) Why Monday? Because it's the beginning of the week and I need to warm up. Talking about some serious issues such as La Mer vs. the rest of the world, in skin moisturizer- of course, is simply too overwhelming for Mondays. However, a little bit of pep talk is very encouraging. And being raised in geek-style science boot camps, I do appreciate the Monday pep talks (maybe a bit of exaggerating on the "boot camps" part but I guess you get the idea.) They keep me moving, make me feel grounded, and sometimes, even motivates me a little bit. I hope you feel the same way as well. By no means the Monday entries are all pep talks. I don't intend to do that, but once in a while a little bit of updates and motivations do not hurt, right? So what is going on in my world? Well, a lot, actually! I still can't imagine exactly a month ago, I did not even know where to live when the lease on my previous apartment expired. Now, I am situated in the new place, just finished my intro, and become a lot happier. The new place is very lovely: some days I woke up and thought I live in a hotel! It is more than enough for me and sometimes, I remember growing up in an apartment that was as big as the one I am living right now. That only is counted as a blessing. Also, I get to blog and meet some really wonderful people (you guys) online. In a sense, everything balances out nicely and I have nothing to complain. Now, here's the show and tell. Are you ready? <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiqdNFXQDJWMEmjSW-n_Yhyaa_ttf1G_pHbaxs_mqVHQEg3pDIOotnypfZIRfkX0Pnyk411aVAP286PP80nHt_JVzh259ZKRLPU4FFqIeQV2ifwkdRYL9fRyNm6X3wq1SMPGBT2MBGP_v/s1600-h/IMG_0675.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305395159443267970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiqdNFXQDJWMEmjSW-n_Yhyaa_ttf1G_pHbaxs_mqVHQEg3pDIOotnypfZIRfkX0Pnyk411aVAP286PP80nHt_JVzh259ZKRLPU4FFqIeQV2ifwkdRYL9fRyNm6X3wq1SMPGBT2MBGP_v/s400/IMG_0675.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>The living room The decoration in this apartment is made of wood and it feels a bit old-fashioned to me. It's a 1-bedroom apartment but there is a storage room as well. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9IFaRntmw0JFfpoOQt1GRzmPLwk5PGmabpVdBj429smV8mJGWg9rt0hZW5RCvV-psXVV3C4jq9vbrdi7Gw_rhxOopY0fjOqgto-s-Ns2v3L8qEiPVdxyquk4TMJ1sAH2kjj68orJG5Ho/s1600-h/IMG_0676.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305395159298087170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9IFaRntmw0JFfpoOQt1GRzmPLwk5PGmabpVdBj429smV8mJGWg9rt0hZW5RCvV-psXVV3C4jq9vbrdi7Gw_rhxOopY0fjOqgto-s-Ns2v3L8qEiPVdxyquk4TMJ1sAH2kjj68orJG5Ho/s400/IMG_0676.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>Tea for two and two for tea :) I sit there to watch TV, drink some tea, and unwind at the end of the day. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ5BCsYeqIlHrwDLaEl6sxl-6HYIBZQEzJ5ds1oThUFwNQ_xCh9yiDfXung_ZVXLQTQ2DxT81OSt-OV3mOMS6El3w9006iB9Aha-eWZRIkjwEkOPAgZDpc75umAKZ1zlyqm1KOehz8cwf/s1600-h/IMG_0678.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305395156818734722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ5BCsYeqIlHrwDLaEl6sxl-6HYIBZQEzJ5ds1oThUFwNQ_xCh9yiDfXung_ZVXLQTQ2DxT81OSt-OV3mOMS6El3w9006iB9Aha-eWZRIkjwEkOPAgZDpc75umAKZ1zlyqm1KOehz8cwf/s400/IMG_0678.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>The kitchen is very spacious for me. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKaBhr7RkUiH3vwM2N5gEADJBn26DEDuPvXl5_63cPQUlMYqw7iqEZzipOi4QG9I_1a0l16mIpgwVCxZrHEP3MPttpvlA6LmkyPNIPERbGTnS94dD8P7KGEzAO56u3bnk-Sl6G_nV9dtI/s1600-h/IMG_0679.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305395164219896786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKaBhr7RkUiH3vwM2N5gEADJBn26DEDuPvXl5_63cPQUlMYqw7iqEZzipOi4QG9I_1a0l16mIpgwVCxZrHEP3MPttpvlA6LmkyPNIPERbGTnS94dD8P7KGEzAO56u3bnk-Sl6G_nV9dtI/s400/IMG_0679.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>The bathroom :) I always feel like living in a hotel room, thank to this bathroom. It is very pretty! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wMz_pJrAyX6i-u4xpTN2btdR6eYbOOTyN6J-4Hfexfk_htzP-JSnx4yi72_tmWrEG9bW_MQdw8bROkUWIzw0lQmx1_LV9gcBWUe6gUEo9svFLx2uXG4sFhY3mkXfdHjMo8_Kmi0B9cUq/s1600-h/IMG_0685.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305395167879344130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wMz_pJrAyX6i-u4xpTN2btdR6eYbOOTyN6J-4Hfexfk_htzP-JSnx4yi72_tmWrEG9bW_MQdw8bROkUWIzw0lQmx1_LV9gcBWUe6gUEo9svFLx2uXG4sFhY3mkXfdHjMo8_Kmi0B9cUq/s400/IMG_0685.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>The view outside my place. It looks like a forest out there but I very close to the main road. <div style="text-align: left;"> I am planning to grow some herbs and plant some seeds to have vegetables for spring/summer since I have such a lovely space at the front. My neighbor is Target (no joke!) and I can walk there to check out makeup anytime I want. To the lovely ladies who added me to their follow lists: first of all, I am very thankful! In the beginning when I checked my stat every fifteen minutes, I did not see a lot of changes at all. Just when I decided to care less, my page count increased! It has been steady recently so at least I know there are people out there who read my blog on the daily basis. Secondly, if any of you want to link me or vice versa, just let me know. I am always interested to read new blogs and more than happy to get to know you. One more thing: my last <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-our-2nd-giveaway.html">giveaway</a> was such a flop! After picking out lucky reader number 14 as the winner, I contacted her via the email address she used to get my feed and guess what? I got no replies! So here's the solution: I have to pick another person as a winner. If you're already in my mailing list, you are fine. If you are not, you can subscribe to my feed via email and be a part of this giveaway. I will pick the winner again this weekend and notify you via email. So please, lucky winner, please reply my email! Again, the detail of the 2nd giveaway is <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-our-2nd-giveaway.html">here</a>, please check it out! It has been a long blog and I am thankful for your support through emails, subscriptions, and comments. As long as I still find blogging fun, I will continue to do it. And it's more fun with you guys so please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Take care, have a good week, and as always, stay gorgeous! Love, Your Makeup Blogger </div></div>

Monday Pep Talk

Well, hello again my dear lovely readers! It's Monday, again and I hope you are having a good start so far. (At least reading my blog is...

4:38 AM

MAC Hello Kitty Event: a FOTD

Hi ladies, As I told you last Friday, I went to a Hello Kitty event at the only MAC counter in town. About a month ago, I made a resolution not to spend any money on makeup until the HK collection dropped. And guess what? I kept my promise! Not a dime spent on any new makeup at all! It was tough but also necessary. During my move, I had to sort out my stuff and realized I have a lot of makeup I haven't used in a while. Some were brand new and untouched! Needless to say, I was more than excited to go to the mall and signed for the event. If you are not aware of it, once in a while when a new LE comes out, MAC stores as well as counters have these events that you can sign up to have a makeover using products from that particular collection you're interested in. It is free to sign up and a MAC makeup artist (MUA) is going to give you a makeover and walk you through the steps he/she is doing. The purpose is to make you interested in the products enough to buy some. You absolutely do not need to tip the MUA but it is nice to buy some products as he/she gets sales commission from MAC. I usually get 2 products (because buying 3 would be more than 50 dollars, which is my buying threshold at the moment.) The MUA who did my makeup was super nice and did not pressure me to buy anything, which is the first for me when it comes to MAC MUAs. She took her time to do my makeup and was very willing to let me try new things as well as answer my questions. Of course, being a beauty blogger, I have a lot of questions and she answered them accordingly. I got an eye makeup look, which I chose as a part of my makeover, and then she also did my foundation as well as lip look. The whole makeover took about an hour and I got two products from her, one from HK collection and another one from the new Creamsheen one. Today is all about the look and I am going to review the two products later. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jvYm5ktKspQbF5kAA2tzYvsXfKsk0lA97zkhV8LCy6fQ8HAqQS1p_jf2rhEkw-Ua5pGA1CZEezUHHgcys5UXG7BlVS3lDn8mWDeXJyIgn3ec_keFBv9ugl0PXDOYrws_smQKv-KAtexZ/s1600-h/IMG_0726.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305412447901613794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jvYm5ktKspQbF5kAA2tzYvsXfKsk0lA97zkhV8LCy6fQ8HAqQS1p_jf2rhEkw-Ua5pGA1CZEezUHHgcys5UXG7BlVS3lDn8mWDeXJyIgn3ec_keFBv9ugl0PXDOYrws_smQKv-KAtexZ/s400/IMG_0726.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Are you ready for Hello Kitty? Then click "Read More" to find out, ok?</div> The look was not based on any face charts, she just gave me a cool smokey eyes look. This look is not how I would normally wear smokey eyes. (Mine actually looks more <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/tutorial-will-real-smokey-eyes-please.html">like this</a>.) This look is more feline and I did feel like a cat after she showed me the new eyes look. In the picture, I wore a new foundation called Studio Sculpt which feels like a lotion to me. Here's the break down on the look: Eyes: after applying Bare Canvas paint pot as a base, she used the Too Dolly palette on me with the lightest color (Yogurt) all over the lid, the darkest color (Stately Black) on the outer corner (outer-v) of my eyes, the lighter blue (Too Dolly) blended in, and then Yogurt on the inner corner of my eyes. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7z9vvQ4Rf_nXHAsRXbaZ9a9LFU8mrfmcPy7E8-BZDSUVPVkG9dNWTJrNgdjlkg5yD5fDR33TEwQy6FU5E5PrcjSMY4TrRR3PvV55u7AyIFwxbiucVumJtxva75DGFUt0kn5yEgVOUq6FD/s1600-h/IMG_0711.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305412446224417986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7z9vvQ4Rf_nXHAsRXbaZ9a9LFU8mrfmcPy7E8-BZDSUVPVkG9dNWTJrNgdjlkg5yD5fDR33TEwQy6FU5E5PrcjSMY4TrRR3PvV55u7AyIFwxbiucVumJtxva75DGFUt0kn5yEgVOUq6FD/s400/IMG_0711.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>How the eyes look when they are closed <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnjLPBbBlhatHjmubLDgSMhSajQ63U-QaQRnL7gnJyQ7BoaWPV1XXWiuOmfFq1HzbSUr-6JbrNYnbKyDDKid6poImHymS4x6PldJVm-L37pt2v5_XTZ61LFXRY7VzoHlMjsUm6oLbyefK/s1600-h/IMG_0716.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305412446990860786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnjLPBbBlhatHjmubLDgSMhSajQ63U-QaQRnL7gnJyQ7BoaWPV1XXWiuOmfFq1HzbSUr-6JbrNYnbKyDDKid6poImHymS4x6PldJVm-L37pt2v5_XTZ61LFXRY7VzoHlMjsUm6oLbyefK/s400/IMG_0716.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Details on the eyes Products used: Too Dolly quad, Penultimate liner, and Pro Lash mascara. <div style="text-align: left;">Lips: originally, she applied Strayin' lipstick and a lipglass on my lips but the color was too bright for me. So I went home and applied the new Creamsheen glass lipgloss in Fashion Scoop. It fared out much nicer. Cheeks: she used Tenderling blush on me, which is very pretty! I love that blush a lot :) Face: Studio Sculpt in NC25 and a darker blush to contour. As I mentioned earlier, Studio Sculpt does feel like a lotion on me. However, as all MAC foundations do, the pores on my face looked huge as she did not put the Prep+Prime lotion on me before applying foundation. I was intrigued to learn that my face is reverted back to NC25, which means I am a lot lighter now than a while ago. The last time I used MAC, I was NC30-something and it was about 2 years ago. Then I switched to mineral makeup and totally do not know how dark I am in the MAC scale. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7rI3dkH2y1yzZ379mLgxq7XxtdStLzMY6VDqUHQJeR2aLL9uND553vSYjOrrIIG53S3-0HURka7TzGFfUuQ1tsz6mF6-sHTmJxLd0KVm7Kjqehpj6EfGfY976PEeWQyeS1MmwBjconOO/s1600-h/IMG_0723.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305412450897978946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7rI3dkH2y1yzZ379mLgxq7XxtdStLzMY6VDqUHQJeR2aLL9uND553vSYjOrrIIG53S3-0HURka7TzGFfUuQ1tsz6mF6-sHTmJxLd0KVm7Kjqehpj6EfGfY976PEeWQyeS1MmwBjconOO/s400/IMG_0723.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Another look at the FOTD, please pardon my hair! I think this is the "You don't know zip 'bout me!" look :p <div style="text-align: left;">Overally, I was happy with the makeover. The MUA advised me to exfoliate and prasied on my skin. "Your skin is so nice, you don't need a lot of coverage at all!", she said. Now, this is the first for me and I am counting all my blessings so far. I am not known for my nice skin since I hit puberty and zits has become my fateful companion. However, recently I've had fewer and fewer blemishes which means (a) I must have done something right and (b) God finally answered my prayers for a blemish-free skin. And let me tell you this: don't give up on your skin ever! I have tried a lot of things and somehow it worked out for me. On the other hand, this eyes look is not something I would wear at all. Since my eyes are small, it does not make them any bigger or brighter. However, the eyes do not look so bad in the pictures (thank you, Canon!) It's just not my cup of tea, I guess. Would I get another makeover again? Probably, but the next time it won't be as bright or bold. I would try a softer look and ask for pigments. This look is not blingy enough for me, I reckon. Also, the texture of MAC eyeshadows has changed. It is no longer as smooth as it used to be but become grainy and God bless MAC's heart, chalky as well! The whole HK collection is quite underwhelming to me as most of the items are similar to previous LEs. This collection reminds me a lot of the Heatherette collection from last March. Compared to its previous cartoon collections (Barbie and Fafi), HK lags pizzazz and fun that the other two had. I just wish once in a while MAC produced some ground-breaking colors like C-shock or Parrot instead of a sleauth of LEs that look so similar to each other. Until then, I guess we can all rediscover their regular products.</div></div> Take care and stay gorgeous, Your Makeup Blogger</div></div> P.S: If you like my blog, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

MAC Hello Kitty Event: a FOTD

Hi ladies, As I told you last Friday, I went to a Hello Kitty event at the only MAC counter in town. About a month ago, I made a resolution ...

4:14 AM

E.L.F Elements Custom Compact: Let's Make a Quad

Hello my lovely ladies, Happy Friday, everyone! Are you excited for the weekend yet? Since this has been a long and productive week for me, I am really looking forward to it. Today I have an appointment at MAC for the Hello Kitty event. I promise to take lots of pictures and share with you on Monday, so please come back on Monday, alright? Although I've heard of Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F) cosmetics for a while, I did not get a chance to try it simply because my town does not carry that brand in any stores at all! In other places, I've heard that E.L.F can be found at Target or K-Mart but not in T-town. Also, to try to order it from <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/">its website</a> is quite a hassle. I've heard stories of how people's orders went missing/were not sent/sent with missing items that arrived after months. Also, the shipping cost is quite high: $7 USD per order! The free shipping only kicks in when the order is $75 USD and beyond, which is ridiculous as most products are priced at a dollar a piece! With all that said, I did not order anything from E.L.F for a very long time, although Kaolee did suggest it to me once. Also, the thought of applying a one dollar product on my face quite puts me off a bit, although I'm not a snob. Then one day my dear Alienman was so kind to give me a gift code to get stuff from E.L.F on her. Needless to say, I was so happy and got 3 custom compacts for free! So Alienman, thank you for the code girlfriend! <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9k6XxOq4K5uweKSVN2OsDcjjeIlbbORt723bMzHF2mpwQJ-Aob6AYARvNGp4NLXRzSn1LTbyHLWIqpoCMCtN7qyZy6AgxCvAlc55D2I2Ly8qhaClXEaXs2MnCGrnrW8lQzb6_UkRT7sGu/s1600-h/Jan09+169.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303138042844510130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9k6XxOq4K5uweKSVN2OsDcjjeIlbbORt723bMzHF2mpwQJ-Aob6AYARvNGp4NLXRzSn1LTbyHLWIqpoCMCtN7qyZy6AgxCvAlc55D2I2Ly8qhaClXEaXs2MnCGrnrW8lQzb6_UkRT7sGu/s400/Jan09+169.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>The custom compact in a box Nothing too fancy! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAlO1GWAPTvWNnPirit0H64aWNnevmY21UH0yfQZHSVl6TMV-5iPNEDQOMmpwKdhI3eOWa1E-C0XmUBVZntcsHwRoUwwsBL6OEzXjJBLIsSAQ3UKv1qPWtxkunrjeKc4Exh5m6vXYJALU/s1600-h/Jan09+170.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303138042663222098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAlO1GWAPTvWNnPirit0H64aWNnevmY21UH0yfQZHSVl6TMV-5iPNEDQOMmpwKdhI3eOWa1E-C0XmUBVZntcsHwRoUwwsBL6OEzXjJBLIsSAQ3UKv1qPWtxkunrjeKc4Exh5m6vXYJALU/s400/Jan09+170.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>The compact, taken out of the box It's white and quite pretty, I have to admit <div style="text-align: left;">The compact is a part of E.L.F's <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/element_refills">customized compact series</a> where you can make a quad of lip glosses, eyeshadows, and blushes at a dollar a piece. With the compact itself, a quad can be packed for $5USD! That's way cheaper than a drugstore lipstick, y'all! </div></div> Naturally, I would not even bother with this type of quads since I already have quite a few of my <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-home-made-cd-eyeshadow-palette.html">home-made CD palettes </a>myself. However, the CD palettes are not very sturdy to travel and truth be told, do I really want to lug around 12 eye shadows in a CD case for an overnight trip? A quad is more practical when it comes to events like that. Usually, MAC has their pre-packed quads during certain LE collections but being able to pack my quad is a lot of fun. <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagQmBqnU9zS8Ww47K_o5_I-sCAfIM5JCdF93qRc9Cw0tSf3sjHAnyt4cWRiGSqJ1cMKflk1TYQB-lLkNQuCVdqKAiB0YnMMBnSA24KFcIN7XibPVgn8R4T2qdp2FyhMK6M2JczpIyg7WS/s1600-h/Jan09+171.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303138043656390274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagQmBqnU9zS8Ww47K_o5_I-sCAfIM5JCdF93qRc9Cw0tSf3sjHAnyt4cWRiGSqJ1cMKflk1TYQB-lLkNQuCVdqKAiB0YnMMBnSA24KFcIN7XibPVgn8R4T2qdp2FyhMK6M2JczpIyg7WS/s400/Jan09+171.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>The opened compact has a mirror and an applicator <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGChCgm3l1pNRkrd7zRaLpylO6FSXRa1wOMgVd1I_6qAy-YjNZHLWh5RkrNRtTqWQdXjf7t_Z1WoxY0Eqs3MYFuLPveF4l9wMOKd6REQwpYbz7CBnUqqtPdpYbrEP-kAmfrSnq44NNJfbL/s1600-h/Jan09+174.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303138050052910802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGChCgm3l1pNRkrd7zRaLpylO6FSXRa1wOMgVd1I_6qAy-YjNZHLWh5RkrNRtTqWQdXjf7t_Z1WoxY0Eqs3MYFuLPveF4l9wMOKd6REQwpYbz7CBnUqqtPdpYbrEP-kAmfrSnq44NNJfbL/s400/Jan09+174.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">My packed quad (L-R, top-bottom): Warm Chill (from Cool Heat collection), Amber Lights (my go-to color), Steamy (because I don't want to depot Parrot), and Flashtrack (love this color!) <div style="text-align: left;">Yes, you got that right! The E.L.F compact does fit MAC eye shadows. Since it does not have magnets, I attached some magnets to the bottom of my depotted eye shadows and voila, a chic quad for moi! During the time that my makeup decided to play hide and seek with me, this quad is the only thing I used and did I have fun! Warm Chill and Amber Lights make such a good and simple duo that I keep on coming back for them. Steamy and Flashtrack are fun colors that compliment each other quite nicely. With them together, I do not even miss Parrot at all as the effect is similar. So there you have it: a budget compact for a quad. I would recommend you to get it only when E.L.F is available for purchase off-line. Purchasing online is not worth it as most of the money is spent on shipping. The compact is sturdy enough to be toted around with you for a trip. Although I did not purchase any of their makeup, I've heard the custom colors are more pigmented than their regular ones. Have a nice weekend, ladies. And please come back on Monday to see my Hello Kitty-fied makeover from MAC. Take care and stay gorgeous, Your Makeup Blogger </div> </div>P.S: If you like my blog, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

E.L.F Elements Custom Compact: Let's Make a Quad

Hello my lovely ladies, Happy Friday, everyone! Are you excited for the weekend yet? Since this has been a long and productive week for me, ...

4:16 AM

Everyday Minerals Finishing Powders: It's a Powder Thing!

Hi everybody, Happy Hump Day! As much as I love to update everyday, I am up to my neck with work so for now, let's settle for a tri-weekly publication schedule (not "try weakly" or "try weekly", ok?) During the first week or so after the move, my makeup routine was utterly simple: sunscreen and some powder applied by a sponge! I thoroughly enjoyed it, believe it or not, as my brushes were no where to be found. Once I found them, I could not find any eyeshadows to play with except my faithful quad that I pack for my carry on luggage (just in case I travel!) It did take me some time to find them and now I'm glad to apply makeup with brushes and real eyeshadows. It was during that time that I developed a love for EDM finishing powders, as they were the only ones I could locate inside my tiny train case. Before that, I was not a fan of powder at all because they are quite chalky and can make my face look dull. However, with the ones from EDM, I am quite happy with the result. Also, I do not need to use foundation on the days my skin is well-behaved. Since I did not order from EDM for about a year, there have been a lot of changes within that company and the formulas are significantly better now. My long time favorite powder called Natural Silk Dust bit the dust (pun intended) shortly after my last order in 2007. I mourned its loss a bit and sworn to use it sparingly...or not! Truth be told, it takes a long time for me to finish a jar of powder, regardless its size. EDM powders turn out to be very economical as a little bit goes a very long way. To replace the silk dust powders, EDM brought some formulas that are new to me such as the regular Start to Finish as well as the other versions with rice powder and oat powder. It was a lot of fun shopping at EDM after a while, to discover new products that eventually became my favorites. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnVzWhBhS6UcBjDpvo7AFOE1jGQ9cNV_6qbJcjM_abJv6arAHxj3v3Ks_it5oB8xvOOtUYnGIGpKc_z2FNvEgtJZPCDBaxLOc7p1RX3hhtvxVkq87Vr6hLB1OxThDHiUl1N0DsTiy1IBs/s1600-h/Jan09+145.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302770882801056066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnVzWhBhS6UcBjDpvo7AFOE1jGQ9cNV_6qbJcjM_abJv6arAHxj3v3Ks_it5oB8xvOOtUYnGIGpKc_z2FNvEgtJZPCDBaxLOc7p1RX3hhtvxVkq87Vr6hLB1OxThDHiUl1N0DsTiy1IBs/s400/Jan09+145.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>(L-R) Current green container vs. old purple container for the mini size <div style="text-align: left;">The current container is thinner than the old version and the logo is etched with regular paint instead of silvery embossed color. I guess it would be more economical that way for EDM to stay afloat and maintain the price. Word on the street has it that EDM is going to nix the mini sizes out of their line up to save space for the full and sample sizes. I feel sad because (a)most products I got from them are in minis, and (b) I would never finish a full size product and I do not want to be wasteful. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Kd7tX_hvUgicb1kpMaqd-T-2HxYeIB9mvDanWxakaLUsl6KpK4P8QnOP1mpRbSrYgeDJK-RIrLMsNuUOfYqC_ShY3-MKcBFfTmYSn1z6CMsv3TgTVxlOPtsHjHP3S-U82fXbF9-TJot/s1600-h/Jan09+146.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302770885445598306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Kd7tX_hvUgicb1kpMaqd-T-2HxYeIB9mvDanWxakaLUsl6KpK4P8QnOP1mpRbSrYgeDJK-RIrLMsNuUOfYqC_ShY3-MKcBFfTmYSn1z6CMsv3TgTVxlOPtsHjHP3S-U82fXbF9-TJot/s400/Jan09+146.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Comparison of the new and old containers: the old one has bigger holes to dispense powder faster.</div></div></div> I think I am the only person who really complains about this: the new version has tiny holes that make my life a lot more difficult. To get enough powder, I have to tap really hard and then powder fly out everywhere! The alternative route would be opening the sieve and dispense powder from the jar, which is a risk to waste and spillage. Although the containers are not as desirable as I wanted, the products are really good. I got 2 powders on my last order and love them both. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6i7yvx_HLgFaIvFi0jHXX8-BhlteyASLqq6gBbwX_P9hqfPiNVoP_GO4NBpoHA56Cn8s6D8lLRsWUMBwArXQkdV1tjyB3g22k7wLC_0YavUX3maIM9qz17Yrhs6IOF21dSRWS_b2tGBQ/s1600-h/Jan09+148.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302770891851736706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6i7yvx_HLgFaIvFi0jHXX8-BhlteyASLqq6gBbwX_P9hqfPiNVoP_GO4NBpoHA56Cn8s6D8lLRsWUMBwArXQkdV1tjyB3g22k7wLC_0YavUX3maIM9qz17Yrhs6IOF21dSRWS_b2tGBQ/s400/Jan09+148.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>(L-R) Natural Reflections Fair and Start to Finish Sunlight <div style="text-align: left;">Natural Reflections powder is something I really wanted to try for a while, since Silk Dust bit the dust. Although EDM touted it as Silk Dust's replacement, its oil controlling power is not as good as the previous one. However, NR has an edge over the other powders out there as it has physical sunscreens included in the formula. I got the one in "Fair" as it is the closest shade to my skin. On the days that I do not wish to wear foundation, I apply NR on top of my sunscreen lotion and call it a day. It gives my skin a powdery look without me using foundation, which is a big bonus for me. <blockquote>Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides. May contain Ultramarines.</blockquote>My rating: A, could have been A+ if not for the difficult dispenser. Start to Finish powder is a perfect primer for mineral foundation. As it is a silicone-free powder, Start to Finish powder can last for a very long time without worrying about its perisability. Although it can be used as a primer as well as a finishing powder, I find it to be too heavy to use that way. Instead, I use it only as a primer and with kaolin clay, Start to Finish powder does help my skin from being shiny by noon time. Sunlight is a nice soft yellow color as it gives my skin a more perky and luminous look. <blockquote>Ingredients: Kaolin clay, Mica, Iron oxides.</blockquote>My rating: A, it is the primer I've been looking for! If only the dispenser is easier :( That's all for today, folks! The day that I finish a jar of powder will be a big day for me. I'm counting to it, and how about you? Have you ever finished a jar of finishing powder? Take care my ladies and stay gorgeous, Your Makeup Blogger</div></div> P.S: If you like my blog, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

Everyday Minerals Finishing Powders: It's a Powder Thing!

Hi everybody, Happy Hump Day! As much as I love to update everyday, I am up to my neck with work so for now, let's settle for a tri-week...

4:36 AM

Well, Hello Again!

Hi ladies, Long time no see, how are you doing? Boy oh boy, the last move took me longer than I expected to get back on my feet and blog again. I am very sad about that as blogging is like air for me :) However, right now I am getting back on the internet and hopefully can blog as frequently as possible. Did you miss me while I was gone? I was sure missing y'alls a whole lot, too! The new place is swell and I have the whole place to myself. It is very peaceful and quiet, just a place for me during this time. I've been exercising more frequently because of the very spacious living room and after this move, I realized I need to exercise! My body that was so used to being in a seated position, became stiff and the stress of moving made me feel like an old person. So here I am dusting off my yoga and pilates DVD to rebuild my core strength. Let's hope this time I develop an exercise habit and stick to it. During the move, I felt the stress creeping into me and this tiny bottle from Origins has become my saving grace: <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhwRCBZS97ZohGRQHGOS6HjQ-JvXcnFDQAHHftl3ErmdOlTGsRuaVS93W2RfDYlJc1WtH1qvW-D9OGRBERW91SmlJxtJmInLo06dT91Umrkp5oWK6e_ZabXK8lbAzUCoa4RcJSXF43A0e/s1600-h/Jan09+165.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302761359020493250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhwRCBZS97ZohGRQHGOS6HjQ-JvXcnFDQAHHftl3ErmdOlTGsRuaVS93W2RfDYlJc1WtH1qvW-D9OGRBERW91SmlJxtJmInLo06dT91Umrkp5oWK6e_ZabXK8lbAzUCoa4RcJSXF43A0e/s400/Jan09+165.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind on the spot relief <div style="text-align: left;">One day I was overwhelmed with everything and felt like the weight of the world was in my should. So I went to the mall (ha!) to look for some stress relief and ran into the Origins counter. After some sniffing, testing, and dabbing, I took Peace of Mind home and felt much better. </div></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil_qwaXwRdF2maTvRjks4w474M0gD-mGG0Wuhe6Mrco0vfj1U6Ac1OD1mX0V8dhBIqvUEkow9PEw30KA4TLDZJD9fnT0XUWIyG0qVY7hnK90EUCsG2NhTTqrzZKiA0gSgFOye05ZFqRt8/s1600-h/Jan09+166.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302761358209799698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil_qwaXwRdF2maTvRjks4w474M0gD-mGG0Wuhe6Mrco0vfj1U6Ac1OD1mX0V8dhBIqvUEkow9PEw30KA4TLDZJD9fnT0XUWIyG0qVY7hnK90EUCsG2NhTTqrzZKiA0gSgFOye05ZFqRt8/s400/Jan09+166.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a>The bottle is quite small, which makes it easier to tote around </div> Like other Origins product, Peace of Mind is made from natural ingredients and without parabens as a preservative. The price is very friendly: only $10! A little bit of this gel applied on the back of your neck, your earlobes, and your temples immediately melts the stress away. After testing at the mall, I walked around to some other counters and the smell of peppermint really relaxes me. It feels tingling at first and then became warm after a while. Although the relaxing effect is immediately, a surprise came in a bit later: I became more alert and was able to focus to the task I was unable to finish moments before that. Despite being designed as a stress buster, Peace of Mind also works well as a headache and cold fighter. A friend of mind had a cold and after applying some bits of Peace of Mind to her forehead, her nose opened up and she felt much better. Once in a while when I had a headache, a dab of this gel also worked very well for me. Although $10 does not make such a big dent in my wallet, I tried to recreate the euphoric effect of Peace of Mind by using other products with peppermint but failed miserably. With its cost, I do not feel so bad because a little bit goes a long way and Origins does make really wonderful products. <blockquote>Ingredients: water; rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf water, rosa damascena (rose) flower water, mentha piperita (peppermint) leaf, mentha piperita (peppermint) leaf oil*, ocimum basilicum (basil) oil*, eucalyptus dives (piperitol) oil*, citral, linalool, eugenol, limonene, bis-peg-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, methyl gluceth-20 , glyceryl polymethacrylate ,peg-7 glyceryl cocoate, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, oleth-3 ,glycereth-26, sorbitan stearate, oleth-5, oleth-10 phosphate ,butylene glycol , ethylhexyl hydroxystearate, polysorbate 60, peg-150 distearate, cetyl alcohol , xanthan gum ,tea-carbomer , phenoxyethanol ,methylparaben ,propylparaben, butylparaben * essential oil </blockquote>So my dear ladies, if you have $10 to spend on your well-beings, I highly recommend this product. Peppermint is known to improve alertness and is one of the main ingredients in this product. I barely smell rosemary, rose, eucalyptus, or basil in this product but other people do pick those scents up. Sniffing peppermint oil while studying does improve your mental alertness and Peace of Mind is small enough to tote around. So get it if you can, it's a keeper! That's all for today, ladies! I hope you are having a good week ahead and as always, stay gorgeous! With love, Your Makeup Blogger P.S: If you like my blog, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

Well, Hello Again!

Hi ladies, Long time no see, how are you doing? Boy oh boy, the last move took me longer than I expected to get back on my feet and blog aga...

3:59 AM