Spa and Wellness

Blushes High-Low: Benefit Coralista vs. Rimmel London Autumn Catwalk

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Belly was such a charmer: after bossing me around for years, he gave me Benefit Coralista blush as a <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/belly-at-large-three-products-to-make.html">Christmas present</a>. I can't complain: home boy has good taste. Coralista is one of those blushes that gives me a healthy glow without being too bright. However, after being a beauty blogger for almost 2.5 years, a lot of colors have become similar to me. When I did some necessary post-Christmas stash cleaning, I realized I have another blush that is somewhat similar: Rimmel London Autumn Catwalk. $28 vs. $5, which one would come out on top?<br /><br />Let the High-Low battle begin!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs8wkV6KNGPHFjfr4S69riqRW8zVI6MkK0JjZddzeL5IFmzPd_K3d8HV983N3mv9xojCL-jOoTq-Aih9exwPp2ufNfEJtcO_MgmMzJsFm_l1ndvbFwZjO-kCACtY-KxB-EOTpiZSNEXPm/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs8wkV6KNGPHFjfr4S69riqRW8zVI6MkK0JjZddzeL5IFmzPd_K3d8HV983N3mv9xojCL-jOoTq-Aih9exwPp2ufNfEJtcO_MgmMzJsFm_l1ndvbFwZjO-kCACtY-KxB-EOTpiZSNEXPm/s400/IMG_0041.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P229206">Benefit Coralista blush</a> ($28 USD): "a warm coral-pink powder that warms up your complexion"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzG-RrebdVSq34YcJ0Uxt9IrVeYWT2BDSed68ol5be2qAyzQouQTpiaj9YsbCwROqpp7BFraqqKYlCc0wthLlgb6QgX89qdyXcBBo6TURN78LBTy4w2xhntxGICDD4o8zHd9eNKxgtc4N/s1600/IMG_0045+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzG-RrebdVSq34YcJ0Uxt9IrVeYWT2BDSed68ol5be2qAyzQouQTpiaj9YsbCwROqpp7BFraqqKYlCc0wthLlgb6QgX89qdyXcBBo6TURN78LBTy4w2xhntxGICDD4o8zHd9eNKxgtc4N/s400/IMG_0045+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It comes with a cute Itahake kabuki brush made of goat hair</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0LifXfegb_UGkNSY6oTbQ0HBO_vDIwpneFxzL4M0mV6vPO52zY-qFr4Ni5DGFtJM23CTNcjpAqcEsZb_WD8thvzR7o1xFc-LC4JgZvvD5NXIODmA_Iv_zAENU4nePRkBNlk-V6N0-GDi/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0LifXfegb_UGkNSY6oTbQ0HBO_vDIwpneFxzL4M0mV6vPO52zY-qFr4Ni5DGFtJM23CTNcjpAqcEsZb_WD8thvzR7o1xFc-LC4JgZvvD5NXIODmA_Iv_zAENU4nePRkBNlk-V6N0-GDi/s400/IMG_0046.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up at Coralista</td></tr></tbody></table> Wanna see what Autumn Catwalk looks like? Jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWD64gsrBBzRl0A7X9nhc-VEnbU2o8HdMD0q4JzIqeH46WxdSAuq_Oe-lE58PmZo-Rl_Fvim4lQRVnjGd89M4cglG6SgL7mmbks2pihaxC4rVSFEvwHMA3NEWZ2Zc0EpFuWDITom6Q9AW/s1600/IMG_0048+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWD64gsrBBzRl0A7X9nhc-VEnbU2o8HdMD0q4JzIqeH46WxdSAuq_Oe-lE58PmZo-Rl_Fvim4lQRVnjGd89M4cglG6SgL7mmbks2pihaxC4rVSFEvwHMA3NEWZ2Zc0EpFuWDITom6Q9AW/s400/IMG_0048+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rimmellondon.com/uk/products/face/Blushers/Multi-tonal+Blush.aspx">Rimmel London Lasting Finish blush in Autumn Catwalk</a>: it is a multi-tonal blush and highlighter ($5 USD)<br />This blush comes with a small brush: cute but quite useless to me</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG25Z3tDjtssaVbe5JbeoDo1W_l4qZLcQcCDoS-llT59-Cy_GSFSP0LkiaQFSiK7BgReKGH-2I6UPBUELCv-lwFedF7jjJ5IkjTmGpF3365deBf5tF-EVxjtTtVcfomTAVZWbtdSU4zWfL/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG25Z3tDjtssaVbe5JbeoDo1W_l4qZLcQcCDoS-llT59-Cy_GSFSP0LkiaQFSiK7BgReKGH-2I6UPBUELCv-lwFedF7jjJ5IkjTmGpF3365deBf5tF-EVxjtTtVcfomTAVZWbtdSU4zWfL/s400/IMG_0051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up at Autumn Catwalk<br />Gotta love the embossed crown</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzIWsIUdUgIpx43v9eORTU74b13wHDFitGBsX1h60Jv7CcrpIJX1tUfl4nDCiVWFHA4f8pQAilc2X0enk_3WSV7Kg1liv_vV0x4ZCLSuidzc7MkKo3i70V3wSmTGRO-tbDqDd-etEUuHc/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzIWsIUdUgIpx43v9eORTU74b13wHDFitGBsX1h60Jv7CcrpIJX1tUfl4nDCiVWFHA4f8pQAilc2X0enk_3WSV7Kg1liv_vV0x4ZCLSuidzc7MkKo3i70V3wSmTGRO-tbDqDd-etEUuHc/s400/IMG_0054.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swatch</td></tr></tbody></table>As you can see, <b>Benefit Coralista</b> has only one color. Also, it is a lot lighter than Rimmel Autumn Catwalk blush, which is a multi-tonal blush and highlighter combo. However, this is where things get a little bit tricky: to some people, Coralista is not really a blush but an all-over face color that gives your face a nice glow like you just came back from the beach. <b>Rimmel London Autumn Catwalk</b>, on the other hand, is a full-blown blush and highlighter combination with two blushes and a highlighter. The lightest color is a highlighter while the middle and darkest shades can be used as daytime and night time blushes. See, I told you this is tricky!<br /><br />With all that said, the shades are quite comparable, with Coralista being more on a peachy side. However, as I did the swatch, I realized the middle shade of Autumn Catwalk is very close to Coralista but with a pinkier tone.<br /><br />Pigmentation-wise, Autumn Catwalk wins hands down. I still can't get over how pigmented this color is. Every time I use it, I have to remind myself to use a very light hand. Otherwise, I would end up with pinky clown cheeks. If I place my slanted blush brush properly, I can get the lightest shade on top to highlight and the darkest shade at the bottom to contour. The lightest shade has shimmer while the two other ones are matte, which is nice for the days you only want matte blush. Swirling the three shades together will get you a nice warm pink color. Again, use a light hand, this blush is very pigmented!<br /><br />Au contraire, Coralista is more of a natural and buildable blush. In fact, it is the only blush from Benefit that shows on my cheeks. Dandelion and Thrrob, although are very nice colors, did not show up on my skin at all! A sales associate from Sephora advised me to go with Coralista, since it has a more golden tone. This blush has some really fine shimmers that end up looking very natural on my cheeks. Whenever I wear it, reality is blurred: I can't tell if I'm blushing or if it's Coralista. This color matches my natural flushing cheeks, y'all!<br /><br />Weight-wise, you get more stuff from Coralista. Like many other Benefit blushes, you get 12 grams of powder. Autumn Catwalk, on the other hand, has 4.5g of material. Cost per gram, you pay $2.33/g for Coralista and $1.11/g for Autumn Catwalk. However, you get a cute goat hair Itahake brush with Coralista (it's soft but like many other goat hair brushes, it's sheddy, too!)<br /><br />The packaging of Coralista is more environmentally-friendly but since it's big and bulky and made out of cardboard, it is not the best option for people who travels a lot. Autumn Catwalk's packaging, on the other hand, is very sleek, albeit a little bit cheap-looking. However, I love the embossed crown at the center of the blush. It makes this blush looks a lot more regal.<br /><br />Rimmel London multi-tonal blush came out at the same time with MAC Spring Colour Forecast collection from last year. Azalea Blossom ombre blush was a big hit and immediately sold out right off the bat. A lot of people, and by people, I mean reputable sources *ahem* Marie Claire *ahem* singled out Rimmel London Lasting Finish multi-tonal blushes as good dupes. While Autumn Catwalk is not an Azalea Blossom dupe, its sister Summer Fever is. Since Summer Fever is too cool-tone for me, I did not bother buying it. However, recent trips to the drugstores showed me no sign of Summer Fever. I don't know if it's been canned (highly unlikely since it just came out last year) or people got wind of the dupe and bought it with ferocity.<br /><br />My verdict toward his high-low battle: <b>it's a tie!</b><br /><br />Hey, don't roll your pretty eyes at me. I have to admit this is a very tough venture. Both blushes are very nice. One is a budget blush that is very pigmented yet not quite finely milled while the other one is more expensive but has nice packaging and comes with a cute mini itahake blush brush. Most importantly, they make my cheeks look glowy. That's why it is so hard to declare one a winner to the other.<br /><br />So, what do you think about Coralista and Autumn Catwalk? Do you like them? Please let me know in the comment section, ok?<br /><br />Disclaimer: Coralista was a gift from Belly the cat, aka El Gato Supremo. I bought Autumn Catwalk with my own money while it was on sale with a coupon.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P.S: If you like my blog, please </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><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></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Thanks a lot!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>

Blushes High-Low: Benefit Coralista vs. Rimmel London Autumn Catwalk

Hi everyone, Belly was such a charmer: after bossing me around for years, he gave me Benefit Coralista blush as a Christmas present . I can...

5:45 AM

Revlon Fire and Ice Nail Polish and Lipstick Swatches

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Last week, I wrote a post to tease you about my <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/thank-you-revlon.html">prize package</a> from Revlon. If it were last year, it would have taken me ages to do the swatch since my Canon Powershot A590 is not that good in capturing colors. The new G12 is a beast: I took very close up pictures of these colors and they came out brilliant! Since I didn't have to do any post-shot color correction, this batch of swatches was done pretty fast. I hope you'll enjoy them!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1. Nail Polishes</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4EwdmiaHb3zMqBMLRyOtvaFquLkY7eT0qHavUSbyf6u-Lb-k9bzxUOloJwIrQaPyC33gzMAZIBYuWWVI_YDxKdHe_iOnKvXU_BPEsO_WC9SCSaRmK44PiMLpNm4jO7YvUdp6TLruEwD/s1600/IMG_3924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4EwdmiaHb3zMqBMLRyOtvaFquLkY7eT0qHavUSbyf6u-Lb-k9bzxUOloJwIrQaPyC33gzMAZIBYuWWVI_YDxKdHe_iOnKvXU_BPEsO_WC9SCSaRmK44PiMLpNm4jO7YvUdp6TLruEwD/s400/IMG_3924.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): All Fired Up, Temptress, Demure, Siren<br />(picture from last week's post with old camera, notice how the red showed up in this picture.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7pwOXthMEndluIlPOdRsOz-z9hC9bD11JY1E3DOtnj_4_xFzOhrUrzfNvbvLzhy0RTs6Aa4mbXPXjscnfi3KQASubZjwSC4X3znBSKd1RRkkySN-5Y_0aBcSGifcm44bYgL7gAf3HPjP/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7pwOXthMEndluIlPOdRsOz-z9hC9bD11JY1E3DOtnj_4_xFzOhrUrzfNvbvLzhy0RTs6Aa4mbXPXjscnfi3KQASubZjwSC4X3znBSKd1RRkkySN-5Y_0aBcSGifcm44bYgL7gAf3HPjP/s400/IMG_0343.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thumb: Fire and Ice, 1 coat; pointing finger: Siren; middle finger: Demure; ring finger: Fire and Ice, 2 coats; pinky finger: Temptress<br />Except for thumb, the rest of the nails were painted with 2 coats. I used Nubar 2010 on top of it.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbb0p_-bW2sJyusRdjxik3uxbY4W158GTW5cvpNNQCSesDEx02KmRrwW53FoL1Pksrc4XAio3HCNFZJqDPvHbGRg9Rmz2toJUBux1HIMtvebZbjn7rLVshNyxxFEDVlDHO3KNJg8hQoyl/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbb0p_-bW2sJyusRdjxik3uxbY4W158GTW5cvpNNQCSesDEx02KmRrwW53FoL1Pksrc4XAio3HCNFZJqDPvHbGRg9Rmz2toJUBux1HIMtvebZbjn7rLVshNyxxFEDVlDHO3KNJg8hQoyl/s400/IMG_0348.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without Nubar 2010 top coat. All fingers were painted with 2 coats.</td></tr></tbody></table> The nail polishes are easy to paint, albeit Revlon brushes are tiny! The juices are creamy, which remind me of OPI cream formulas. Of the four, Temptress is the thickest. It was hard to spread the second coat. However, the rest of them spread out very nicely. The only downside I encountered was how slow the nail polishes bonded to the quick dry top coat I bought from Sally's. I made a scratch on Siren and when I fixed it by adding more top coat, I ended up messing it up even more!<br /><br />With one coat, these nail polishes look quite nice and sheer. Two coats and you have more opacity. All Fired Up looks very nice with one coat, as I still can see the texture of my nail. I've been wearing them for almost a week and since my nails are short, I haven't seen any chips at all.<br /><br />The lipstick swatches are after the jump. So jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2. Lipsticks</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxVol5YXKMMohMldkHa7tJrGE4QW2QqAL2JDVZZA-0amU7M3P0lL6WhIQahPHu3XvHF0bAS2wYJwoJyAfpg2ywymbJA8uMaVpt_PqlO9srLocXX8i33fUh29w8layjOII_HU_sILEX_nB/s1600/IMG_0395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxVol5YXKMMohMldkHa7tJrGE4QW2QqAL2JDVZZA-0amU7M3P0lL6WhIQahPHu3XvHF0bAS2wYJwoJyAfpg2ywymbJA8uMaVpt_PqlO9srLocXX8i33fUh29w8layjOII_HU_sILEX_nB/s400/IMG_0395.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): All Fired Up, Siren, Temptress, Demure</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8XcQbdMwApvPrw6xmFKRKrdkwdFVzhM1qn4WdzgRK59zbGyFToAKb8FvbPyQ6HM6MhyphenhyphendXjqNaRmGvLZFQABQLZynpVYXNjNRpsXmA7tSwbrMdoFOJVFf4A7Ry4t1PJBCbSaiXCdfMTEj/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8XcQbdMwApvPrw6xmFKRKrdkwdFVzhM1qn4WdzgRK59zbGyFToAKb8FvbPyQ6HM6MhyphenhyphendXjqNaRmGvLZFQABQLZynpVYXNjNRpsXmA7tSwbrMdoFOJVFf4A7Ry4t1PJBCbSaiXCdfMTEj/s400/IMG_0355.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demure, aka "My Lips but Better" lipstick</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrbUgT_KElJteV3KIH3w30Dm5Dj0J3h2lBQR1XruajHAZX9JZ4X0tCInhzWieCVN4SJcaOwXijDMp96Ii0ptnq5oz_67Yqwe9A54Mqs9vOOk2vAWIEvg9X2s2eyZzylZ8dLj_OaATobAi/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrbUgT_KElJteV3KIH3w30Dm5Dj0J3h2lBQR1XruajHAZX9JZ4X0tCInhzWieCVN4SJcaOwXijDMp96Ii0ptnq5oz_67Yqwe9A54Mqs9vOOk2vAWIEvg9X2s2eyZzylZ8dLj_OaATobAi/s400/IMG_0358.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temptress<br />These two lipsticks look similar on my lips. Temptress, however, has more pink while Demure is more nude with a touch of peach</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sNyq8ltT37JJdTPZJNMdCrxOG6jL8JiWpDVg_Xp6vhvD1wQFg9642TTWPOsGRW1CaEnOI9Z6axKKO3-JH6AvzO8Ze9tpDY-lJIy5EqtFIT3uJSNroSSZcBR9mtF1qZGAbc3M7tI-hjV6/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sNyq8ltT37JJdTPZJNMdCrxOG6jL8JiWpDVg_Xp6vhvD1wQFg9642TTWPOsGRW1CaEnOI9Z6axKKO3-JH6AvzO8Ze9tpDY-lJIy5EqtFIT3uJSNroSSZcBR9mtF1qZGAbc3M7tI-hjV6/s400/IMG_0362.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siren<br />Have you seen the FOTD I did with it? <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/fotd-baby-lets-meet-queen.html">Click here</a>!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdwZoDdYirSDUDu7-ucUCuXodZtGAUZ2Ilp1CGnfB6ky4V2atP8ccS7MxKmIT9hD6s4oqFwIJHKl-MSLrB2fcOxYlFgccYuo38eGTM8TyYaCz-rIXYSemu7TJmash3j0rg2ZawAAp_jB5/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdwZoDdYirSDUDu7-ucUCuXodZtGAUZ2Ilp1CGnfB6ky4V2atP8ccS7MxKmIT9hD6s4oqFwIJHKl-MSLrB2fcOxYlFgccYuo38eGTM8TyYaCz-rIXYSemu7TJmash3j0rg2ZawAAp_jB5/s400/IMG_0368.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Fired Up<br />"In your face" red lipstick with blue tone</td></tr></tbody></table> Here's the thing: you don't notice the shine, do you? Yes, this is true: despite the "Super Lustrous" name, there's no luster in these lipsticks. The old ones (All Fired Up and Siren) are a bit dryer than the new ones (Temptress and Demure.) The texture reminds me of old-fashioned lipsticks where the wax content is high and you have to drag it back and forth around your lips in order for it to spread. Yup, these are the ones. However, what all that said, these lipsticks have good staying power. I can eat vigorously through a big lunch and still have some lipsticks left on me. In order to add shine, I layer clear lip gloss on top and it solves the problem.<br /><br />Siren and All Fired Up are true retro shades. Every time I wear Siren, I imagine myself as Christina Hendricks  in "Mad Men." This could be her color. All Fired Up is the red for those who love red. I've heard stories of makeup artists being harassed by clients simply because the red lipstick "is not red enough." Well, dahlin', the next time I hear that story I'll suggest All Fired Up to the poor <s>sucker</s> client. There's red and there's RED. And this is it, baby! MAC Russian Red has nothing on Revlon All Fired Up. This is fiery red, "push your claws out and paint the town with red" red.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Demure and Temptress are nice additions to the Fire and Ice family. They are like granddaughters of All Fired Up and Siren who have their hair on pigtails and eat cotton candy. These two colors are cute and wearable. Had they not associated with this collection, Demure and Temptress would be quite passable.<br /><br />How much do I like them? Very much! The whole matchy-matchy thing is still new to me and I hope to wear these nail polishes and lipsticks more often. The lipsticks are my first Super Lustrous lipsticks I've ever had. My mom is a fan but for some reasons, I didn't buy any for myself until now.<br /><br />So, what do you think? These products are affordable: lipsticks are around $6-7 USD while nail polishes costs around $3-4 USD. Also, drugstores seem to have Revlon on sale all the time.<br /><br />Disclaimer: I won these products in a giveaway from Revlon.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>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!

Revlon Fire and Ice Nail Polish and Lipstick Swatches

Hi everyone, Last week, I wrote a post to tease you about my prize package from Revlon. If it were last year, it would have taken me ages t...

4:58 AM

2010 Beauty Favorites - A Tag

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Stephanie from <a href="http://beautyandgardens.blogspot.com/">Beauty and the Gardens</a> tagged me to do a beauty favorite on products I used in 2010. Her answers are <a href="http://beautyandgardens.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-beauty-favorites-tag.html">here</a>. Truth be told, 2010 sounded like such a long, long time ago but I also realized that I haven't done a tag in such a long time. So here we go...<br /><br /><b>1. Which lipstick/ lipgloss did you use most often in 2010?</b><br /><br />Gee, this is a hard question! I have a lot of lipsticks but I don't use any one too often. I'd like to rotate my stuff but if I have to choose, the nude/pink ones are my regular. MAC <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/lippie-week-day-2-mac-viva-glam-v.html">Viva Glam V</a> and VI seems to get more air time than others.<br /><br /><b>2. What was your favorite eyeshadow this year?</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxl4B2oVyF48nPszc_H3HkNR8dD03p37eKu8VuBFOI0TsPp5dVPsaLC3nCgOrdUqPR5L5a2wHbwr3d3g-t0n9vl8gR760ygy_z2loFwQwLjRhyUQJxLM_T9_Ep2PWbJPerQvYvXuiC3jW/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxl4B2oVyF48nPszc_H3HkNR8dD03p37eKu8VuBFOI0TsPp5dVPsaLC3nCgOrdUqPR5L5a2wHbwr3d3g-t0n9vl8gR760ygy_z2loFwQwLjRhyUQJxLM_T9_Ep2PWbJPerQvYvXuiC3jW/s400/IMG_3689.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />*Scratch head* Really, what kind of question is this? I can't single out one eyeshadow. It's not fair! But if I have to pick, I'd take my <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-heart-urban-decay-book-of-shadows-vol.html">Urban Decay Book of Shadows 3</a> with me anywhere I go (which is a heavier task than I thought!)<br /><br /><b>3. What product for the complexion (foundation, blush, etc.,) did you use the most?</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Z6ICQND0bnawz5nNRDp4yZMYWgLYJtr7M3YbE0qxcR3cmwBJG7yPpy-A3Ig53iPYieyeUpiFfBlfb9bPsbmsdfvxqlUaEq8yDSnhzklnPWsqLrsPk-OigoqujLxDoYgd8Gw_czZ7wXGr/s1600/IMG_2593_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Z6ICQND0bnawz5nNRDp4yZMYWgLYJtr7M3YbE0qxcR3cmwBJG7yPpy-A3Ig53iPYieyeUpiFfBlfb9bPsbmsdfvxqlUaEq8yDSnhzklnPWsqLrsPk-OigoqujLxDoYgd8Gw_czZ7wXGr/s400/IMG_2593_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Formula D foundation (available upon request)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjja2mSG8LC_PFFfvOZ1bu0ostIJVRvT_wk-n35-gt6AL41RaO966nitSArqQYH1zLYiUZKg9JKUEG4vo3jvDbbi-ZMLJhFYYlQil9lC2XrK_AeVeMufVLmF5qBjp0ebA5uMMekFIWkkY/s1600/It+Girl+Trio+jars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjja2mSG8LC_PFFfvOZ1bu0ostIJVRvT_wk-n35-gt6AL41RaO966nitSArqQYH1zLYiUZKg9JKUEG4vo3jvDbbi-ZMLJhFYYlQil9lC2XrK_AeVeMufVLmF5qBjp0ebA5uMMekFIWkkY/s400/It+Girl+Trio+jars.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ultimate Powder is the tall profile jar on the left</td></tr></tbody></table>*smile bashfully* Formula D foundation and The Ultimate Powder! I truly can't do makeup without them. Also, The Ultimate Powder has become a favorite among my friends. They duped it "the crack powdah" :D as it has the capacity to blur pores like no other.<br /><br />More Q&A after the jump. So jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><b>4. Your favorite nail polish color of 2010?</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IU3WoMaj0fTEew8g9ux3q1oE61xioUegGW2a18kJ5nYDuLubGx3YVnApig7JK2JwIN4l4rvmdHSYRFqRPc8cxytXDFSahmEjmbJ7-3wwjs6CUNecpq8FuQDnw8d6dhwZQVZ_YFn4mvuU/s1600/IMG_2696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IU3WoMaj0fTEew8g9ux3q1oE61xioUegGW2a18kJ5nYDuLubGx3YVnApig7JK2JwIN4l4rvmdHSYRFqRPc8cxytXDFSahmEjmbJ7-3wwjs6CUNecpq8FuQDnw8d6dhwZQVZ_YFn4mvuU/s400/IMG_2696.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/sinful-colors-nail-polish-in-secret.html">Sinful Colors in Secret Admirer</a></td></tr></tbody></table><b>5. Which skin care product would you not give up under any circumstances?</b><br />I'd say my sunscreens. Can't live with them, as my skin has the tendency to freckle pretty fast.<br /><br /><b>6. What is your favorite personal care product?</b><br />Believe it or not, I use baby wipes to remove makeup. I used up a travel pack and a full pack of the scent-free baby wipes from Wal-mart. They are soft and non-irritating. Also, they are cheap as hell! The travel pack contains 40 wipes and cost you a good old dollar. The full-size version would cost you 2 bucks if you buy the one with the plastic container. Right now, I am using 7th Generation baby wipes and they are softer than MAC wipes (I swear!)<br /><br /><b>7. Your usually worn fragrance in 2010?</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO2bz2J1BuwfctNm47Xlxfxn52mcnacnsM7icIHxZdtdmOARS0JL8DhSQUDkEiEo5HHUQITkJVJOl7IZrGdnKqK50YUJ6Dqm7DyxBL7WIUMWgsq5YiGxGWXkI7kaavj_ajJZe4R_eZXGO/s1600/chanel-eau-premiere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO2bz2J1BuwfctNm47Xlxfxn52mcnacnsM7icIHxZdtdmOARS0JL8DhSQUDkEiEo5HHUQITkJVJOl7IZrGdnKqK50YUJ6Dqm7DyxBL7WIUMWgsq5YiGxGWXkI7kaavj_ajJZe4R_eZXGO/s400/chanel-eau-premiere.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I don't have a constant perfume, either. But at some point in 2010, I was hot and heavy with Chanel no. 5. Eau Premiere is nice but it's really not my thing. I prefer the classic version a lot more.<br /><br /><b>8. What was your personal favorite jewelry piece?</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7YE4Y7QRvLfL_L9TcEm90lgrClGHGdMSk2flD5jneI8_aPoC99d5Cx573DNsnJ7br8FURKP6z7iK-vcrU6oLkxaLguTXXW06YQLAZEsBpNBWnDefapK7x328pEB_VvLu4oZ5vAfLWA7H/s1600/IMG_3102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7YE4Y7QRvLfL_L9TcEm90lgrClGHGdMSk2flD5jneI8_aPoC99d5Cx573DNsnJ7br8FURKP6z7iK-vcrU6oLkxaLguTXXW06YQLAZEsBpNBWnDefapK7x328pEB_VvLu4oZ5vAfLWA7H/s400/IMG_3102.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />It's a big ass seahorse pendant I got at Michael's! Really, it's HUGE and the tail is movable, too! I think I got it for $4 since it was on sale. The chain is mine, btw.<br /><br /><b>9. What have you discovered in 2010 that is new for you (new products, inspirations, blogs, hobbies, etc.,)?</b><br /><br /><ul><li>quick-dry top coat and a reliable base coat from Sally Beauty</li><li><a href="http://750words.com/">750words.com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>: I'm waiting for their Windows edition to come out</li></ul><br /><b>10. Do you have resolutions for 2011? If so, what are they?</b><br />I stopped making new year resolutions a while back already. I'm notorious for breaking my plans, you see. Usually, it's the unplanned things that worked out beautifully for me. However, this year I set my intentions on a few things:<br /><br /><ul><li>Learn to take better pictures: now that I have a new camera, taking pictures shouldn't be that hard anymore. However, I still learn to take artsy photos.</li><li>Bring my butt back to school: the more I think and procrastinate about it, the more I realize I should be in school. This year, my primary goal is to get back into the education system and finish schooling once and for all.</li><li>Have a healthy relationship: this is going to be a real challenge but I deserve to see if the Schroedinger's cat is alive or not.</li></ul><div><b>11. Tag other people</b>: this is a lot of fun and I hope you'll do this.</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/">Gio</a></li><li><a href="http://www.makeupfiles.com/">Trisha</a></li><li><a href="http://www.aquaheart.net/">Stephanie</a></li><li><a href="http://ahleessa4realz.blogspot.com/">Alyssa</a></li><li><a href="http://makeupmorsels.wordpress.com/">Makeup Morsels</a></li><li><a href="http://www.macnunu.com/">McNunu</a></li><li><a href="http://www.jennysuemakeup.com/">Jenny Sue</a></li></ul></div><div>That's all for now. Happy MLK Day, everyone!</div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P.S: If you like my blog, please </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><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></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Thanks a lot!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>

2010 Beauty Favorites - A Tag

Hi everyone, Stephanie from Beauty and the Gardens tagged me to do a beauty favorite on products I used in 2010. Her answers are here . Tru...

5:04 AM

Belly at Large: the Perfect Facebook Profile Picture

Hello humans,<br /><br />First of all, am I handsome or what?<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6XYqjcCeRLUXrd9f2_jvCS3GLOGKqaYmZ_hZNOvgCBIR9z9610sM4oYsV9OKYpEE_3-54fL-xCEKE-r4pRtWllVpOkP6UIU550FuWF9GdsdWvOjgDsC3FuobAgF27mqXpHomExzwEUUr/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6XYqjcCeRLUXrd9f2_jvCS3GLOGKqaYmZ_hZNOvgCBIR9z9610sM4oYsV9OKYpEE_3-54fL-xCEKE-r4pRtWllVpOkP6UIU550FuWF9GdsdWvOjgDsC3FuobAgF27mqXpHomExzwEUUr/s400/IMG_0254.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Look into my eyes, you will see<br />What you mean to me<br />Search your heart, search your soul<br />And when you find me there, you'll search no mo'..."</td></tr></tbody></table>So yeah, I just quoted Bryan Adams, so what? Can you guess the name of the song? (If not, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGoWtY_h4xo">click here</a>! Yes, I'm giving you an easy way out.) After you're done drooling to the old skool music, let's get back to our main topic of the day, shall we? We need to talk about how to have the perfect profile picture on Facebook.<br /><br />I know, life is hard. It's hard out there for a cat. Whatever. But a perfect Facebook profile picture can be done. If I had a Facebook account, I would totally use that picture as my profile pix after turning it 90 degrees to the left, of course. I mean, what's wrong with it? I looked gorgeous in the photo!<br /><br />But again, la mamarazzi is a somewhat decent photographer on a good day. One day, she is going to be the Anne Geddes-slash-Annie Leibovitz of the kitty photography world. But I guess she needs to change her first name to Ann/Anne/Annie first, now that I see the correlation.<br /><br />Again, I digressed. Let's meet after the jump to discuss about the perfect Facebook profile picture, shall we?<br /><br /><a name="more"></a>"How to get the perfect Facebook profile picture" is a hard knocked question. The profile picture is a reflection of you to the world. Most times, humans put horrendous pictures of themselves on social websites and it's a shame. I know you don't have la mamarazzi to take pictures of you but still, some of the profile pix are downright horrible.<br /><blockquote>To get a decent picture, you need a decent lightning, a good camera and a human with opposable thumbs to operate it, and yourself. Stand straight, look attentively at the camera, and smile (with your eyes or with your mouth, it doesn't matter. Just smile!) Take as many pictures as you can before selecting the very best as your profile picture.</blockquote>Yes, it's <i>that</i> simple. Why some humans fail to do it, I don't understand. I guess humans are more interested in the don'ts than the dos, so I'm going to do some reverse psychology and give you a don't list:<br /><br /><ol><li>Don't act crazy: unless you keep the profile private and don't add any friends, people are going to see you. Why making them think you are crazy? Therefore, no poses with crossed eyes or tongue sticking out. No, just no.</li><li>Don't wear too much jewelry, unless you are the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy?v=app_140110016010680">Queen of England</a>: What? The Queen can drip in diamonds because she lives in a castle with body guards surround her. Unless you have the same level of security, you shouldn't flaunt your wealth online. People can rob you, you know. </li><li>Don't turn your back to the camera, especially when you face a water body AND you are a dude: like, srsly, just picture it in your head and you'll realize how wrong it looks. (Clue: it looks like you're doing number 1 to the water body. Yuck!)</li><li>Wear clothes, meow it!</li></ol><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghbIsKfTWDMv2IpNhCVlo7kO3c6J0bg8T3nqUQDf8FdkaQ2CCcZce1VMmjHpU5jd6jgd094ZDojUl49CHWtzXcVU-BuMZAUIoPVilkiP6AypYYZzlgzUIGFvNxKW0-eEk8uNeAreDyUfB/s1600/Pavel_Prokopchik-Theatre_of_the_Absurd-04of10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghbIsKfTWDMv2IpNhCVlo7kO3c6J0bg8T3nqUQDf8FdkaQ2CCcZce1VMmjHpU5jd6jgd094ZDojUl49CHWtzXcVU-BuMZAUIoPVilkiP6AypYYZzlgzUIGFvNxKW0-eEk8uNeAreDyUfB/s400/Pavel_Prokopchik-Theatre_of_the_Absurd-04of10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture perfectly illustrates point 3 and 4. Don't do it. Just don't.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKF6yCwqwlO6GXhylSyQ4XTJYQSjPttNvuVlcOyVIwOWN6bTJfy9hzZ_e_pL8jGDR07WvOUkOz4hK6fB1NiTCVtZUNkLapep9CFPAABftoUTiy_0x_46BeKKU4f0wae1w8IKV_D5_YUsu/s1600/Pavel_Prokopchik-Theatre_of_the_Absurd-04of10.jpg">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That's all the tips I have. Now, pay up! My 2 cents aren't free! I need my Meow Mix, yo!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some pix that didn't make the cut:</div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX21ydhY93kWYu3cgmshwYTM74XfzsTD_MJ_iIa25tLZrQ0sz51gkTPbtxh3-b9PQV5IVMAWydanHv6QYZLGoOoHOx-5kR5IAIkwzmnKEeg78nHJOm_KDm0BBsgsQ0LnmFwMOB9zwCEtVS/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX21ydhY93kWYu3cgmshwYTM74XfzsTD_MJ_iIa25tLZrQ0sz51gkTPbtxh3-b9PQV5IVMAWydanHv6QYZLGoOoHOx-5kR5IAIkwzmnKEeg78nHJOm_KDm0BBsgsQ0LnmFwMOB9zwCEtVS/s400/IMG_0216.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish eye effect makes me look like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wombat">wombat</a>.<br />No, no, no, no, don't funk with my face!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSPgt57QJ0ZChXq9zUhd3Us-iwctXh99Zd5ddUgtRMgI38fkAQW5JQgluN5ew0GJYRj38bEFVNw2BWKIYevjTBjd-GLv0vnjbAjQNiYU1Hf4S5pErZ2i2bzpmnMznriBLVI_6O7FLwkXd/s1600/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSPgt57QJ0ZChXq9zUhd3Us-iwctXh99Zd5ddUgtRMgI38fkAQW5JQgluN5ew0GJYRj38bEFVNw2BWKIYevjTBjd-GLv0vnjbAjQNiYU1Hf4S5pErZ2i2bzpmnMznriBLVI_6O7FLwkXd/s400/IMG_0220.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Shepherd">McDreamy</a> went waaay wrong, huh!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e8vcf0SZkC3inmwpwHbNcJ744unNxpbbzbo4_jnWdjG7yijDN8EuquNAhWeVBKR2JpALGgJ0umZlO9CroGkZhfbrA9UUgW0g5ZhEgr-rCPWKAyymkGMSLgBedg0EJLrtA2Hfj7FE2TLk/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e8vcf0SZkC3inmwpwHbNcJ744unNxpbbzbo4_jnWdjG7yijDN8EuquNAhWeVBKR2JpALGgJ0umZlO9CroGkZhfbrA9UUgW0g5ZhEgr-rCPWKAyymkGMSLgBedg0EJLrtA2Hfj7FE2TLk/s400/IMG_0245.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whassup?<br />I actually love this pix but la mamarazzi said it doesn't reflect my full potential *pout*</td></tr></tbody></table>That's all for now, kittens! Have a wonderful day, ok?<br /><br />Love, peace, and tuna fish,<br />Mr. Belly<br /><br />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!

Belly at Large: the Perfect Facebook Profile Picture

Hello humans, First of all, am I handsome or what? "Look into my eyes, you will see What you mean to me Search your heart, search your ...

5:11 AM

FOTD: Baby, Let's Meet the Queen!

Hi everybody,<br /><br />It's funny that a lot of things started with a simple idea that snowballed into something bigger. I bought a butterfly hair clip last December in a whim without thinking of what I should do with it. Then, one day I clipped it in my hair and went to hang out with my friends. The friends liked it, although it might have a lot to do with their tolerance of my quirks. Nevertheless, I love the butterfly hair pin but could not manage to incorporate it into a FOTD-worthy post.<br /><br />Then came Revlon Siren lipstick. I applied this tomato lip color and deeply fell in love. Yes, Siren is bright and orange. It's not for everybody but when I applied it, I was transformed into a more ballsy person who wanted to meet the Queen. Whether the Queen is ready to meet me, I not sure. However, I wish to meet her looking like this:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6Wh7FF7Vj_l-rSIc1jLUEiJJTXXGcOHctwoYAYZoirM6vasSl7CmExE-EY8vZy-qfkRwAmhKkcNbaCua2tW3KWwLFst67kOkOTOmR4yL1EF1THFrZ7ZKuf-qIpTX9WvkesrC7bM2a5JU/s1600/IMG_0261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6Wh7FF7Vj_l-rSIc1jLUEiJJTXXGcOHctwoYAYZoirM6vasSl7CmExE-EY8vZy-qfkRwAmhKkcNbaCua2tW3KWwLFst67kOkOTOmR4yL1EF1THFrZ7ZKuf-qIpTX9WvkesrC7bM2a5JU/s640/IMG_0261.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby, Let's Meet the Queen!<br />Photos shot with my new Canon G12 :)</td></tr></tbody></table>This is an utterly simple look. Wanna know how I did it? Jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxq7DduCE_pzR5A7D7gO73ICKvNoCAhvD44pGDrk1BoyydCN_u1oyMReqSftILEN9JTxLkZb3XEYmDDwd74N8sRxM2i6grsuqeQmNIjbfx6yYim7LiYbCYlqYIuBqsAAZKeIfZycqMZK1/s1600/IMG_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxq7DduCE_pzR5A7D7gO73ICKvNoCAhvD44pGDrk1BoyydCN_u1oyMReqSftILEN9JTxLkZb3XEYmDDwd74N8sRxM2i6grsuqeQmNIjbfx6yYim7LiYbCYlqYIuBqsAAZKeIfZycqMZK1/s320/IMG_0259.JPG" width="258" /></a></div>Stuff I used:<br />Face:<br /><a href="http://www.chanel.com/en_SG/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-Foundations-WHITE-ESSENTIEL-107976">Chanel White Essentiel</a> foundation in Beige Cendre applied with StudioTools dual fiber brush;<br />CoverGirl Simply Ageless cream blush in Lush Berry (not shown), applied with ELF stipple brush;<br />The Ultimate Powder<br /><br />Eyes:<br />MAC Bare Canvas paint pot as a wash and Rubenesque on eyelid, using Sonia Kashuk blending brush<br />MAC Blacktrack fluidline as an eyeliner with Coastal Scents slanted eyeliner brush<br />White and silver eyeliners on lower lash line<br />Mascara primer and mascara<br /><br />Lips: Revlon Siren and ELF 2 in 1 Conditioning gloss in Bedazzled, applied with a lip brush.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvyWbQGFWrz3Cpcp1hRavwzIkiS8aw9ol4lKQDJVMjS0aXxi1e1WIqCHY4GHiP6HLCCm6y51ZlMPd6H_SRaeqlnU256DmM7b6GY0JVnDDUfP6hkbcEaHJRot0BwiqiIoEyUEc7m7CdB0J/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvyWbQGFWrz3Cpcp1hRavwzIkiS8aw9ol4lKQDJVMjS0aXxi1e1WIqCHY4GHiP6HLCCm6y51ZlMPd6H_SRaeqlnU256DmM7b6GY0JVnDDUfP6hkbcEaHJRot0BwiqiIoEyUEc7m7CdB0J/s640/IMG_0269.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By keeping the rest of the face simple, Siren has a chance to shine.<br />Also, the nail polish on my pointing finger is "Siren". Yup, it coordinates with the lipstick but since my lips are really pigmented, the color looks redder.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Some artsy shots that the G12 managed to produce:</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2uHBHzL2a1o90UvxG7ZnBzC4-0yyClAEhnyruAobHQ5WOUah3rXXpP_BuwjfUHqbn38P1Iupn0GS7ZqiMyDUnteNS3yNJqZks-FEv0sKMfp8nyuDPbEWh426RcHXbKPfr0ZBdTnULFRg/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2uHBHzL2a1o90UvxG7ZnBzC4-0yyClAEhnyruAobHQ5WOUah3rXXpP_BuwjfUHqbn38P1Iupn0GS7ZqiMyDUnteNS3yNJqZks-FEv0sKMfp8nyuDPbEWh426RcHXbKPfr0ZBdTnULFRg/s640/IMG_0304.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the Queen...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvDbo-5cn2zX6x0s8I-ETVB4LPGey60M0WJ4FK6CczRGMFZtcUnv3iRICn0mrmpo5tUIGuRdstBX82Ute7Lfn8PbYRVg8Oxen063LdmJ6MLsvMdFc-T8geqJv6g_uGZ6VbEAycSinye10/s1600/IMG_0306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvDbo-5cn2zX6x0s8I-ETVB4LPGey60M0WJ4FK6CczRGMFZtcUnv3iRICn0mrmpo5tUIGuRdstBX82Ute7Lfn8PbYRVg8Oxen063LdmJ6MLsvMdFc-T8geqJv6g_uGZ6VbEAycSinye10/s640/IMG_0306.JPG" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I'm still waiting... :D</td></tr></tbody></table>Needless to say, I had a lot of fun doing this FOTD. When you have a lipstick as bright as Siren, you don't need to do a lot of things for the rest of your face. This lipstick will make you look good. In retrospect, I should have used some falsies but then, I had to go outside and I didn't want to scare the locals with my flaming bright lips and falsies. The butterfly didn't make it out of the door, btw. Halloween is still 9 and a half month away!<br /><br />So, what do you think about the first FOTD of the year? I'd love to hear from you.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P.S: If you like my blog, please </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><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></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Thanks a lot!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>

FOTD: Baby, Let's Meet the Queen!

Hi everybody, It's funny that a lot of things started with a simple idea that snowballed into something bigger. I bought a butterfly hai...

5:44 AM

Have a Spa Day with Caviahue Thermal Mud and Thermal Water

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Last year, the kind folks from <a href="http://acquaessentials.com/">AcquaEssentials.com</a> contacted and sent me a package of samples to try. After trying the samples, I liked <a href="http://www.acquaessentials.com/products/Caviahue-Thermal-Mud.html">Caviahue Thermal Mud</a> very much and they were kind enough to send me full size containers of Caviahue Thermal Mud and Thermal Water to use and review. For those who are not familiar with AcquaEssentials, this website sells exclusive spa products.<br /><br />The Caviahue skincare line contains ingredients from Neuquen Province, at the heart of Pantagonia, Argentina. This remote area is considered to be one of the ecological reserves on Earth. The entire region contain a varied and complex thermal activity that results in highly mineralized water and muds. People spend a lot of money to travel to Pantagonia to enjoy their exclusive spas. Now, with the Caviahue Thermal Mud and Water, you can bring the spa to your home.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRyjs06dgfqn2TTVjTB0DfDsVc3TtT-by5yfXprpPQY6ixpLdAj92N5MLwu8HFz5cZYKS5MZbkVUvM9GlsoNgBVxS7XpR3UmXOlaIQHjM4Lu1GEUHZ6oOHS82JIWJlk3XhMXsc84gSeqc/s1600/IMG_3704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRyjs06dgfqn2TTVjTB0DfDsVc3TtT-by5yfXprpPQY6ixpLdAj92N5MLwu8HFz5cZYKS5MZbkVUvM9GlsoNgBVxS7XpR3UmXOlaIQHjM4Lu1GEUHZ6oOHS82JIWJlk3XhMXsc84gSeqc/s640/IMG_3704.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): Caviahue Thermal Mud and Thermal Water</td></tr></tbody></table>Wanna know what I think about these two products? Jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF3R9GPVaaA5apPSSXgZ6S755iKcothulfPLVoJSwkDqsleywzvZQwTk2BJ02yGakjUp8QP0zjF2HOWb0SZoILoFaRlhKZWK_mn0fqGNsxwlIKNL-2YOi0W0-Qat-o5DDF26sHGAUZu6r/s1600/IMG_3705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF3R9GPVaaA5apPSSXgZ6S755iKcothulfPLVoJSwkDqsleywzvZQwTk2BJ02yGakjUp8QP0zjF2HOWb0SZoILoFaRlhKZWK_mn0fqGNsxwlIKNL-2YOi0W0-Qat-o5DDF26sHGAUZu6r/s400/IMG_3705.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.acquaessentials.com/products/Caviahue-Thermal-Mud.html">Caviahue Thermal Mud</a> </b></span>($74.90)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix89qg6NK3-M4NRtmb7ayD-6FkPfB9ckNULI_9NhV-CXS-XwvaFULrz2-ix30JjYqPa7VJOeqwMTx6sHGYDr5n9FoPLTZ6qUBRi-f40sOmP_UT6y_OigyHME77_BbNoPms0FnY28bg8igh/s1600/IMG_3709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix89qg6NK3-M4NRtmb7ayD-6FkPfB9ckNULI_9NhV-CXS-XwvaFULrz2-ix30JjYqPa7VJOeqwMTx6sHGYDr5n9FoPLTZ6qUBRi-f40sOmP_UT6y_OigyHME77_BbNoPms0FnY28bg8igh/s400/IMG_3709.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jar is large (300g of products) and the sponge is used to remove the mud once the mask is dried</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoIsyASxWTbTP6j4UjBgbxvuPtFkLGOq0ANdmdKk3GMpS8YqDyUhtYgi6rwU95Z3d6GxLc30BjghcghZ3OWTzAhbCAz2UPFfur2uv5pkK6R9bm-iLn6i_udbKOQvvNp45warJBdxxREbm/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoIsyASxWTbTP6j4UjBgbxvuPtFkLGOq0ANdmdKk3GMpS8YqDyUhtYgi6rwU95Z3d6GxLc30BjghcghZ3OWTzAhbCAz2UPFfur2uv5pkK6R9bm-iLn6i_udbKOQvvNp45warJBdxxREbm/s400/IMG_3710.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mud is dark and smells slightly floral</td></tr></tbody></table>After trying the sample, I chose the Thermal Mud as a product to review. Every time I used this mask, I had to suppress the urge to quote Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder (in strong Australian accent: "I'm a dude playin' a dude disguised as another dude.") Since I'm used to the green or white clay masks, this black mud mask took a while for me to get used to. Unlike clay masks, the texture of Caviahue Thermal Mud is not as smooth. You can feel the earthy texture. However, it spreads out quite nicely. While the company scented this product, I can still smell the sulfur in the bentonite clay and volcanic earth.<br /><blockquote>Ingredients: bentonite, volcanic earth, kaolin, petrolatum, glycerin, cetilic alcohol, isopropyl myristate, triethanolamin, ethoxylated lanolin, polysorbate 20, carbopol, pentaglycan, methylparaben, propyparaben, parfum, deionized water.</blockquote>This mud mask is clarifying, thanks to betonite clay and kaolin. The top 3 ingredients contain a lot of minerals and with bentonite being the most abundant ingredient, sulfur is also available in this mud mask. This means those who are prone to acne may benefit from this mask. The moisturizing properties come from glycerin, isopropyl myristate and petrolatum (an occlusive.) So far, this mud mask haven't made my skin break out yet. However, if you have congested skin, you may want to veer away from petroleum-based skincare products. Ethoxylated lanolin is the soluble form of lanolin, which is a moisturizing ingredient. Polysorbate 20 is an emulsifier while carbopol is a thickening polymer. What interests me is the presence of pentaglycan, a combination of glycosaminoglycans that has an ability to <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20626444">reduce hypertrophic scars</a> when used with allium cepa and allantoin.<br /><br />The instruction stated that you should wait for 10-15 minutes to dry before removing and in my experience, this mud mask takes that long to dry. Upon drying, my skin felt tight and I splashed water on my face to loosen up the mask. If I jumped right into the shower, I would not need the orange sponge since it is quite scratchy. However, the sponge makes removing the mud a lot less messy. Once, I came out of the shower realizing splatters of dark mud spots were all over it.<br /><br />After washing the mud off my face, I follow up with this:<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ85iGIREc6NISZ4fjHFfnxs4zH-AHsJAGBmiH6iHh6va4ZkO_hz87fUYgIRPYHASEesAVW-38OQbXphhGhXCu0hyF3x3BO4Amhwalhzmtf6J9OJIsHbRbOXOhT0td3IQ4c2n7A9ihEpp/s1600/IMG_3713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ85iGIREc6NISZ4fjHFfnxs4zH-AHsJAGBmiH6iHh6va4ZkO_hz87fUYgIRPYHASEesAVW-38OQbXphhGhXCu0hyF3x3BO4Amhwalhzmtf6J9OJIsHbRbOXOhT0td3IQ4c2n7A9ihEpp/s640/IMG_3713.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.acquaessentials.com/products/Caviahue-Thermal-Water.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Caviahue Thermal Water</span></b></a> ($24.90)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaDVe8fjyxH58WlIoao1G-SMTB2aMhXrLafGsP9kTvLY8tHgahCjWWeQaNMkGd3Fo-jBeKc4YXMkXypLiGFn9RCgCBFZhkhl0pRV3JF_pkDvdYGFCsiL7xz6304VpwemAS2BjFxMT_zWN/s1600/IMG_3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaDVe8fjyxH58WlIoao1G-SMTB2aMhXrLafGsP9kTvLY8tHgahCjWWeQaNMkGd3Fo-jBeKc4YXMkXypLiGFn9RCgCBFZhkhl0pRV3JF_pkDvdYGFCsiL7xz6304VpwemAS2BjFxMT_zWN/s400/IMG_3714.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />For those who are familiar with <a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P2043">Evian Mineral Water Spray</a>, the Caviahue Thermal Water is very similar. Basically, it's a can of pressurized water to spray on your face when your skin feels dry or overheat. The source of water in Caviahue contains zinc, selenium, aluminum, cadmium, chlorides, sulfates, and boron. The instruction stated to spray 15-20cm (6-8 inches) away from the face and wait for it to air dry.<br /><blockquote>Ingredients: water, HFA-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluorethane), EDTA, chlorhexidine digluconate.</blockquote>Tetrafluorethane is a gas used to increase pressure inside the can to help propelling water into mist form. EDTA is a chelating agent used to bind to metal ions and add stability of the product toward air. Chlorhexidine digluconate is a powerful antimicrobial agent that is effective against a wide variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.<br /><br /> While the Thermal Water feels nice, I would prefer an actual moisturizer after I did the mask. For the size and price of this product, it is actually more expensive than Evian mineral water spray. A can of Evian spray contains 10 oz of water and costs $15 at Sephora. This one contains 7.78 oz and costs almost $25. However, for a short period of time, when you buy the mask from AcquaEssentials, you get the spray for free.<br /><br />Since I'm in the middle of winter when it's cold and dry, I don't use these two products as much. The mud mask is a nice product that I can enjoy over and over again while the thermal water spray is a nice add on. Would I buy them again? Probably not, since the prices are expensive. These two products do make me feel pampered without having to travel all the way to Argentina.<br /><br />Disclaimer: the products were provided for PR purposes. The opinions and experience, however, are my own. I thrive to provide honest product reviews to benefit you, my readers.<br /><br />So, what do you think about these products? Do you have a favorite mud mask or water spray? Please let me know in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.<br /><br />Addendum: The kind folks at AcquaEssentials kindly pointed out to me that they have a sample pack that costs $6 that includes a sample of Thermal Mud. I received the sample pack before and the sizes of the samples are quite generous. For those who are interested, the link is <a href="http://www.acquaessentials.com/categories/Samples/">here</a>.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P.S: If you like my blog, please </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><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></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribe to my feed.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Thanks a lot!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>

Have a Spa Day with Caviahue Thermal Mud and Thermal Water

Hi everyone, Last year, the kind folks from AcquaEssentials.com contacted and sent me a package of samples to try. After trying the samples...

9:37 PM

Thank you, Revlon!

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Some time at the end of last year, Revlon hosted a giant giveaway of their "Fire and Ice" collection with 500 winners. With a stroke of luck, I tweeted and a couple of days later, Revlon contacted me for my mailing information. Yay, I won something! Time passed and last week, I received a package that brightened my day. Revlon is so generous to send 4 nail polishes and 4 lipsticks of the whole collection to their winners. The colors are bright and cheerful, which are appropriate to celebrate the new year.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4EwdmiaHb3zMqBMLRyOtvaFquLkY7eT0qHavUSbyf6u-Lb-k9bzxUOloJwIrQaPyC33gzMAZIBYuWWVI_YDxKdHe_iOnKvXU_BPEsO_WC9SCSaRmK44PiMLpNm4jO7YvUdp6TLruEwD/s1600/IMG_3924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4EwdmiaHb3zMqBMLRyOtvaFquLkY7eT0qHavUSbyf6u-Lb-k9bzxUOloJwIrQaPyC33gzMAZIBYuWWVI_YDxKdHe_iOnKvXU_BPEsO_WC9SCSaRmK44PiMLpNm4jO7YvUdp6TLruEwD/s400/IMG_3924.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Products/Nails/Nail-Color/Revlon-Nail-Enamel-Limted-Edition.aspx">Revlon Fire and Ice nail polish collection</a><br />(L-R): All Fired Up, Temptress, Demure, Siren</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeZkRGlBkzqXevCkOjxMF4ehzm28Lv1FyDBm35MaEDBuFR08h3GLZEq7Tw2hFR85PCsJoWxgL6EEIbbwaPoyBUJmuDcCCP2LPVl5MSF9lIKINvS_vh-vAG9nNcn_DbjUrX5_Gz9LIPeu0/s1600/IMG_3928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeZkRGlBkzqXevCkOjxMF4ehzm28Lv1FyDBm35MaEDBuFR08h3GLZEq7Tw2hFR85PCsJoWxgL6EEIbbwaPoyBUJmuDcCCP2LPVl5MSF9lIKINvS_vh-vAG9nNcn_DbjUrX5_Gz9LIPeu0/s400/IMG_3928.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Products/Lips/Lipcolor/Revlon-Super-Lustrous-Lipstick-LIMITED-EDITION.aspx">Revlon Fire and Ice lipsticks</a><br />Left: Siren, top: All Fired Up, right: Temptress, bottom: Demure</td></tr></tbody></table>This collection has something old and something new. All Fired Up and Siren has been around for a while. In fact, All Fired Up was a part of the original "Fire and Ice" collection in 1952! I remember when I was a kind, my mom used to wear an orange lipstick that looked so gorgeous. In retrospect, I think that lipstick was Siren. The matching lipsticks and nail polishes are "Mad Men"-esque to me, which makes me feel very lady-like.<br /><br />Demure and Temptress are new colors that stand beside the veterans. While they are not as bright, these two colors are equally gorgeous. The lipsticks are in cream texture, which glides like buttah! This texture reminds me that of MAC creamsheen without the sheen. It's between matte and glossy with good staying power. I don't recall any smell at all (but I may be wrong so please don't quote me on this!)<br /><br />The nail polishes glide smoothly and are quite pigmented. Since I still have Nubar 2010 on my nails, I haven't had a chance to try them out yet. I will post the swatches as soon as I have them. I love the retro packaging. My mom and gradma's old Revlon nail polishes looked like that but with the metal case. It's good to walk down the memory lane once in a while.<br /><br />Thank you, Revlon for hosting such a wonderful giveaway. I am so glad to have these awesome products!<br /><br />Disclaimer: I won these products in a giveaway. 'Nuff said!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/?action=view&current=endcredit.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/shortylam/endcredit.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>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!

Thank you, Revlon!

Hi everyone, Some time at the end of last year, Revlon hosted a giant giveaway of their "Fire and Ice" collection with 500 winners...

5:20 AM