Sunday, February 28, 2010

GILTY Pleasures Weekly Blog Tour: Vol 6, 2010

Hi everybody,

This week's blog tour comprises a variety of makeup and beauty tips, tricks, and tutorials. I hope you'll enjoy our effort to give you the best of this week.


Alison of the Advice Sisters has picked her favorite show of fashion week (so far, more to come on the advice sisters blog). It is "THE BLONDES" runway show featuring everything from sexy dresses with golden spikes and glittering, sky-high Louboutin pumps, to a gorilla suit!

Talented hair and makeup artist Altjana Banja created the hair look for emerging designer Carmelita Martell a sophisticated, braided bun.

Lisa from Bridalease has great skin protection advice during these crazy cold and windy days of winter.

Ageless Elaine explains cosmeceuticals and why you want them.

Gio from Beautiful With Brains talks about the benefits of olive oil in skincare.

Missy of Luxury Beauty Products reviews Sun Botanicals SunScreen with SPF 30made by women for women specifically designed to protect against the sun’s harmful UV radiation from damaging the skin.

Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews DHC Skincare, including DHC Olive Oil Cleanser.

Dao from My Makeup Blog found an easy and fool proof way to apply false lashes that guarantees an eye opening result!

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Fun with Black and Red FOTD

Hi everybody,

New York Fashion Week is gone but its essence still lingers in the air. This year, the colors are stronger in both eyes and lips, which makes it my favorite fashion week ever! For every woman out there, once you master the art of painting the smokey eyes, you are set for life. Seriously, clothings can get in and out of style but every single season, the smokey eyes are there to stay. You can play it up for a sultry date night or play it down for a fun day at school. There's no limit to the smokey eyes.

Normally, smokey eyes are paired with nude lips. But not this year, sisters! People go all out for strong and bright colors these days. I like my smokey eyes with cherry red lips. The combination reminds me of the 50s, or Angelina Jolie. Brad Pitt's baby mama pulls this combo extremely well.

But so can I :)

Look, I can do sultry, too!

 The hand trick was an attempt to cover a flaming zit. Watching "America's Top Model" did pay off.

 
I've done the smokey eyes so many times in this blog but for those who are curious, here's the link to a tutorial. What's different this time around is I use more matte eye shadows from a limited edition L'Oreal quad called "Starlet". I doubt you can find it anywhere now. Also, I brought the black eyeshadow up a lot higher. For my original tutorial, the dark eyeshadow just hovered around the lash line.

Difference number 2: the silver eyeliner (L'Oreal HiP chrome eyeliner in Silver Lightning, good stuff!)
I drew some fake lashes to the bottom lash line and did a kind of Egyptian eye

Close-up at the semi-close eye
I also dabbed a bit of the silver liner to the inner corner of my eyes

The eyes have it

But then, I had some fun: I painted my lips geisha style
Red lipsticks: NYC Retro Red and NYX Gardenia
Blush: EDM Snuggle

And wiped it off for some paler lips

Played with my hair and had a Snookie moment :)

And went down the rabbit hole to be Alice in Wonderland
Lipstick used: Quiet, Please!

Red lipstick is very addictive. Everytime I removed my red lipstick, I felt naked and empty. It's like the allure was being washed away or something. It is a strange feeling. Don't you feel the same, too?

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Fun with Marie Louise Restoration Clear Gel

Hi everybody,

At the end of last year, I got a chance to sample Marie Louise Restoration Clear Gel from Japan. Marie Louise Aberdein, the mother of modern beauty, created the first beauty creme in Japan to become a favorite in the Imperial Court. In 2004, Marie Louise skincare was debuted and sold only in professional spas and salons. Now, it is available online for everybody and I was very honored to try their exfoliating gel.


I have always been fascinated by Japanese skincare since Japanese people have the most beautiful skin in the world. Also, since my skin does not exfoliate itself very well, a little help goes a long way. This exfoliating gel is a novel product to me since it does not use mechanical (tiny exfoliating beads) or chemical (AHAs or BHA) exfoliators.


I pumped once to my finger
It is just a clear gel, there's nothing special about it. Or so I thought. After washing my face, I dispensed 3 pumps to cover it. After that, I massaged the gel gently to my skin. Dead skin started to slough off and mingle together...

...like this!
It was the day my skin felt congested and a lot of dead skin cells came off my face.

The whole process was interesting! The first time I used it, the dead skin cells came out in tiny balls. Once the gel dried, nothing came out anymore and I washed my face one more time to remove the gunk. The direction indicated to use 2-3 times a week but since my skin became sensitive this winter, I use once a week to maintain. After exfoliating, my skin felt smoother and more radiant.
Ingredients: water, glycerin, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, dicocodimonium chloride, steartrimonium bromide, butylene glycol, sea salt, sea water, algae extracts, isopropyl alcohol.
Since it contains glycerin, this exfoliating gel is moisturizing. Also, isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) was included to make it vaporize faster. Sea salt, sea water, and algae extracts add a nice touch to this product and they are quite common in Japanese skincare products. It is targeted to all skin types except for sensitive skin. While my skin is still sensitive from the cold weather, I can use it once a week with gentle pressure to my skin. It is very addictive to rub harder once you see the beads forming.

The price is $51 USD for a 100ml bottle, which is not so affordable to some of us. However, a little bit goes a long way and if you use once or twice a week, a bottle does last a long time.
And now, a disclaimer: the above products were sent to me from a kind representative of Marie Louise Cosmetics for reviewing purposes. For more information, please visit Marie Louise Cosmetics website. Click here to read My Makeup Blog disclosure policy.


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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

How to Apply False Lashes

Hello beautiful people,

When I did the Baby Doll tutorial, I got some comments about false eyelashes and how to apply them. Gee, you guys made me feel like I am an expert in applying falsies or something. Or maybe it's the result of me pulling MAC editorial's leg? (Lookie here if you don't know what I mean.)

Truth be told, I was scared of falsies for years. Applying eye shadows: yes; wearing mascara: yes; grooming my eyebrows: yes. Applying falsies: heck to the NO! There was something about the fake lashes that made me feel uncomfortable and one day, I found out I was not afraid of wearing fake lashes. I was afraid of the application process, precisely of being poked in the eyes.

After doing my own research online and watching an episode of Rachel Ray repeatedly, I concluded there's nothing to fear but fear itself. So, I went to Sally's Beauty and bought my first pair of Ardell lashes and a tube of lash glue. The rest was history. While I don't wear falsies on a daily basis, I prefer to use them when I need to take pictures. They make a huge difference and today I am going to show you how to apply them, too!

First thing first: the necessary items
You will need an eyeshadow primer (I use Bare Canvas paint pot), an eyeliner (I use Blacktrack gel liner), an eyeliner brush if you use gel liner, mascara, eyelash curler, and a pair of falsies of your choice.

Also, don't forget the lash glue
For those who read palms, that's my left palm :)

First step: curl your lashes
That's me with intense concentration

Then, apply a thick line of eyeliner
This step is crucial to conceal the backbone of your falsies

And then, apply two coats of mascara
I prefer a mascara that can hold the curl and somewhat flexible to curl after it is dried.

Now, the fun part starts here:
Get your false lashes and flex them a couple of times. Then, place the lashes near your lash line to see if they fit your eyes. If they are too big, trim from the outer corner of the lash.
Then, apply lash glue to the backbone of the lash strip
Some people prefer to apply lash glue with a toothpick, I just apply directly from the tube. Wait for the glue to get sticky. This may take 30 seconds to a minute, depending on what brand of glue you use.

Once the glue gets sticky, carefully apply the lash strip from the inner to the outer corner of your eye. You can use a tweezer to hold the strip and the end of a brush to apply pressure to the backbone of the falsie.
If you make mistake, it's time to correct it when the glue is not dried.
Note: does this look familiar to the MAC editorial picture? Ya?

The lashes are not blended together
But don't worry, we can fix it...

With an eyelash curler!
It would be easier if you have a heated lash curler, since it is designed to use to lashes after mascara. If you don't have it, a mechanical lash curler works as well. It just takes a bit more work.
Curl both your real and false lashes together and voila...

No double lashes!
Two becomes one, yo!

But on the other note, I should have removed those clumps of mascara.
Oh well, we keep it real around here!

End up looking like a deer with falsies :)

Note: practice does make perfect. You should have seen my first few attempts of applying false lashes. They were "epic failures" (words used by my nephews!) Also, the types of false lashes I used made a big difference. For starters, shorter and smaller lashes are easier to work with since they don't need a lot of trimmings. Ardell "Baby" lashes at Sally's Beauty is the best set for starters since they look so natural and pretty.

From what I've gathered, Ardell, E.L.F, and Revlon make good and comfortable lashes that are less than 5 dollars a pair. Ardell and Duo glues are favorable among makeup enthusiasts. If you just want to make your lashes look a bit fuller, shorter lashes are perfect (and they do look more natural, too!) However, they may not show up very well in films. Longer lashes can look scary in real life but in films, they look so whimsical. I like criss-cross lashes since they look more natural than the other types, but that's just my preference.

So, what do you think? Do you wear falsies? Or have any extra tips and tricks? Comments, ok?

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Belly at Large: Made in China?

Greetings,

"Gimme back that lipstick!" said Mr. Belly, My Makeup Blog's Editor-at-Large

Yo, what's up my home girls? It's Belly time! Last week, my numero uno biggest fanista commented on my post about fake makeup. La McNunu wrote:
I once sent a message to one of the Ebay sellers notifying her that what she's selling in her shop is fake, she had the guts to email me back saying that she's reporting me to Ebay for malicious behaviour! and that her products come from MAC's factory in China, and that they're the colours that did not make their way into the official collection!!
Can you believe that?
McNunu dear,

I, Mr. Belly the cat, can't believe that. It is outrageous! But your comment made me think hard. Did MAC ever make anything in China? Hence, stash raiding time >^.^< Of course, I directed Dao, the human handler, to do all the hard work while I take the full credit, meowhahahaha.

Thanks to Temptalia's supply of MAC makeup to Dao, I was able to track the country of origin of several MAC products. Let's see:

Pigment: Made in the U.S of A, yo!

Glitters: Made in Japan

Nail polish: made in USA again


Lipstick: made in Canada, MAC's motherland

Eyeshadow: Canadian, too!

The paint pot is also Canadian

And so is the lip gloss

The full-size brushes are made in Japan
So, is there anything from MAC labelled "made in China"?
I continued digging hard into the brush stash and Dao was getting very mad. Her brushes are expensive and precious to her. Uh oh, I'd better not getting myself in trouble here!

And here it is, a MAC brush that was made in CHINA!

The special edition brush set is made in China!

I can't get my paws on the mineralize stuff because Dao does not use them since they contain bismuth oxychloride and she is allergic to it. However, I'm sure those stuff are not made in China. Only the SE brush sets are from China, the rest of them come from Japan (mostly brushes), the U.S to the A, and Canada.

So kittens, if you see a non-brush or non-holiday* item from MAC that's labelled "Made in China", chances are it is a fake. (May said she got some lip and eye palettes that were also Made in China, did they come from a holiday collection?)

As a cat, I hate fake stuff and prefer propriety and honesty in my life. How about you? Don't you agree with me?

Sorry for the late post today. Internet was so demeted at Border's and Dao had to move to another location for free wi-fi. I hope you like this post and please subscribe and follow this blog to see moi again.

Peace, love and meow,

Mr. Belly >^.^<

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Scientific Names and Beauty Products

Hi everybody,

Since I have been trained geek-style for so long, I get used to scientific names of species. When it comes to product labeling, manufacturers use scientific names for sources of natural extracts. For example, instead of writing aloe vera, they would use Aloe barbadensis. For common sources like aloe, most people can recognize the scientific names. However, for uncommon ones, you can feel lost and in most case, confused. I don't blame you, it takes forever to remember these names since they are long and hard to pronounce.

When it comes to naming species the scientific way, it is quite similar to naming people: you have a first name and a last name. However, in scientific naming, it is first name last, last name first.

Using aloe vera as an example: Aloe is the last name, or gender, and barbadensis is the first name, or species. The first letter of gender is always capitalized while that of species is not. There are two ways to write scientific names: italicize (Aloe barbadensis), or underline (Aloe barbadensis).

Ok, to be fair, Aloe barbadensis is an easy one. But can you guess the common names of Hamamelis virginiana or Simmondsia chinnesis? They are common plant extracts found in beauty products and I guess it's a good idea to comprise a short list of scientific and common names of plants, fruits, and flowers used in beauty products.


Achillea millefolium: yarrow
Actinidia chinensis: kiwi
Aloe barbadensis: aloe vera plant
Althaea officinalis: marshmallow
Anthemis nobilis: chamomile
Arctium lappa: burdock
Arnica montana: arnica
Avena sativa: oat

Borago officinalis: borage
Butyrospermum parkii: shea butter


Calendula officinalis: calendula
Camelia oleifera: oil-seed camelia, tea oil camelia, or Lu Shan snow camelia
Camelia sinensis: tea, the kind we drink. Green, black, white, red tea come from the same plant but the process of making them are different. Green and white tea are not fermented.
Chamomilla recutita: matricaria chamomile
Citrus aurantium dulcis: orange (it has 3 names, the last one is the sub-species, as we have many different types of citrus fruits.)
Citrus medica limonum: lemon
Commiphora myrrha: myrrh
Cocos nucifera: coconut
Coriandrum sativum: coriander
Cucumis sativus: cucumber
Cupressus sempervirens: cypress
Cymbidium grandiflorum: a type of orchid

Echinacea purpurea: coneflower
Equisetum hyemale: scouringrush horsetail
Eucalyptus globulus: eucalyptus
Eucalyptus dives: piperitol
Eugenia caryphyllus: clove

Ficus carica: fig
Fucus vesiculosus: bladderwrack

Gautheria procumbens: wintergreen
Glycyrrhiza glabra: licorice
Glycine soja: soybean

Hamamelis virginiana: witch hazel
Hedera helix: ivy
Hedychium coronarium: ginger lily
Helianthus anuus: sunflower
Humulus lupulus: hops (the name has 6u's)

Jasminum officinale: jasmine
Juglan regia: walnut
Juniperus communis: juniper

Laminaria digitata: kelp
Lavandula angustifolia: lavender
Limnanthes alba: meadowfoam
Linum usitatissiumu: flax seed
Lycium barbarum: goji berry

Mangifera indica: mango
Melaleuca alternifolia: tea tree, the kind oil from the leaves are extracted to make tea tree oil.
Mentha piperita: peppermint

Ocimum basilicum: basil
Olea europaea: olive
Orbignya oleifera: babassu
Orchis mascula: early purple orchid

Phoenix dactylifera: date fruit
Persea gratissima: avocado
Punica granatum: pomegranate
Primula veris: cowslip
Prunus amygdalus dulcis: sweet almond

Rosa canina: rose hip
Rosa damascena: rose
Rosmarinus officinalis: rosemary

Salvia sclarea: clary
Sambucus nigra: black lace elderberry
Santalum album: sandalwood
Simmondsia chinensis: jojoba
Symphiytum officinale: comfrey

Theobroma cacao: cocoa, seed extracts to make cocoa butter
Thymus serpylum: wild thyme
Triticum vulgare: wheat

Urtica dioica: nettle

Viola odorata: violet
Vitis vinifera: grape

Zingiber officinale: ginger

So, what are you going to do with a list like this? To me, it is a good reference since not all companies give you the common names next to the scientific names, which may confuse and scare you. Who knows if Zingiber officinale is safe or not? But we all know ginger is good, right? I hope to include the commonly found items in this list; if I miss anything please let me know.

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

GILTY Pleasures Weekly Blog Tour: Vol 5, 2010

Hi everybody,

This week's rendition of GILTY Pleasures weekly blog tour is a fun one: we have makeup tips from Johnny Weir, an interview with Napoleon Perdis, many other reviews as well as tips and tricks. I hope you'll enjoy it!


With the Olympics in full swing, Alison of the Advice Sistersget answers to makeup questions from Johnny Weir" who gets artistic support from M.A.C. Cosmetics. He is on the US Figure Skating Team (check out his amazing performance to Lady GaGa's "Poker Face"-- from before the Olympics).

The Informed Makeup Maven hangs out with fellow Aussie, Napoleon Perdis Backstage at NYFW Fall 2010

Ageless Elaine explains how to deal with large pores

Dao from My Makeup Blog reviews the lovely NYX Champagne and Caviar palette from the Runway Collection.

Is your foundation too dark? Gio from Beautiful With Brains shares some tips on how to make it work for you.

The Beauty Blog continues the Eye Shadow by Eye Color Series with makeup tips for Makeup for Green Eyes.

Suzanne at RN Guide to Skin Care reviews her favorite Philosophy Skincare Products.

Trendy Plus Size Clothes picks this season's best Plus Size Casual Dresses.


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