Pretty 'n About

A bit of Bragging...

2009-12-28T00:25:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday the past Christmas weekend, Mr. Pretty got me this uber cute bracelet. It is of stainless steel and had four solid steel bears with two lone colored bears. It is SO cute and I love it so much.

The camera absolutely doesn't do the colors justice. The bear on the left is a light pinkish color while the right is a burgundy color. I love it, did I say that already???

Sephora Boxing Day Sale: A disappointment as expected~

2009-12-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a good holiday! I've been pigging out lately which explains the lack of posts...that might continue though as I need time to recuperate~ But I'll to post new stuff in a reasonable timeframe!

I'm sure a bunch of us Sephora fanatics have received an email doting "Sephora's First Ever Boxing Day Sale! Select Items 20-60% off!"

I carpooled with Mr. Pretty to work so I had to wait for him to get off. Unfortunately, he works at a mall so I got a pretty good reminder as to why I don't do Boxing Day shopping anymore. As long as I don't have to lineup to get in.The parking headaches, the crowds, the lineups, the never-amazing deals, I don't know why people bother. For all you Americans out there, Canada really doesn't do BD very well. Anyways, as I was really, really, REALLY lucky to actually find parking, I thought why not pay Sephora a visit?

However, it was quite underwhelming for me, to say the least. Really it's just a bunch of stuff from the "Sale" section of their website. It was quite weird actually, as they have some stuff on the sale racks that they don't normally carry.

For example, they had DDF products but the store I was in doesn't usually carry that brand.

But in the end I did pick up some stuff:

- Korres Jasmine Lip and Body Butter Duo ($13CAD) x 3

- Lavanila Lip Shine in Pure Vanilla ($9CAD)

- Sephora Glittering Nailpolish in Beige Topaz ($3CAD) x 2

I've actually been eyeing this set for quite some time. It had always been sold out at my local store but they actually restocked a lot this visit. So I picked up 3 of these, one for myself and 2 to giveaway as a belated present.

It's such a wonderful scent. I love how it smells exactly like Jasmine green tea. I'll try it soon and tell you all how it is.

I really like Lavanilla's Vanilla Grapefruit scent, and I appreciate the fact that this is a pretty natural product, and it was on sale, so why not?

As for the nailpolish, it's a pretty nice color. A bunch of coworkers and I actually tried it before and we all liked it but it was $6 at the time and it really was too expensive for such a small bottle, so we didn't get it. Now that it was on sale, I got 2, one for myself and on for said coworker.

Review: HAHE Manicure Protector

2009-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

I've always been lazy painting my nails because of the amount of time I have to wait for the paint to dry completely. It seems like I always manage to get dents and/or sheet marks on it, or I'll just be on the computer and hit the table or something and ruin my manicure.

But I recently got this manicure protector and it's the best thing ever! It allows movement but at the same time protects the nailbed from any collisions. Needless to say some of the caps pinch slightly but nothing too bad. It works wonders for me.

It also looks funny doesn't it? I think I might even be able to use it next Halloween as part of my costume!!

Review: Juice Beauty To Clear Skin

2009-12-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

It was such a nice surprise to open my inbox and see a $20 coupon from Sephora. I didn't want to get anymore makeup so I went browsing in the skincare section. It took quite a while to pick something but I finally did.

It sucks that the prices in CAD are so much more than in the States. This Juice Beauty kit is $51CAD but only $39USD, and with the current exchange rate they are really making a profit. However as I had my $20 coupon, which exchanged to (HA!) $21CAD, I purchased this kit for $30CAD.

I thought it was still a pretty good deal, as the products are actual sizes shown on the box. I've always wanted to try organic products and see how they fare. This is a 30-day trial pack so I'll report back in a month to tell you all how it worked out!

The Cleansing Gel was the biggest size. It gave me quite a surprise when I used it though.

You see, when I see something called Juice Beauty and that it's made with some sort of fruit juice, I expect a citrusy, fruity scent right (I know, I've been spoiled by all those artificial products out there)?

That was not the case at all with this gel. It's actually quite an offending scent, comparable to Chinese medicine. It just smells really bitter. But I guess that really means that there's not fragrance added, which makes it organic right?

It does clean very well but leaves my face a bit tight, but I contribute that to my dry skin overall.

Next is the Blemish Clearing Serum. Now this had more of a fruity scent, but it's like an apple core that's been out for a while. It's not offending but not your typical scent for sure.

It applies very easily. It stays a little sticky on my fingers but not on my face. I've been using it for about 4 days and haven't seen big improvements yet. Again, I'll report back in a month.

I will introduce the last two products in a bit!

New Drugstore Products: Maybelline EYESTUDIO

2009-12-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Saw some new Maybelline eyeshadows at my local Zellers. I've been frequenting Zellers in hopes of seeing some E.L.F. products there and finally they've arrived, but only the pink packaged gift sets. I took a look but didn't get anything. These Maybelline shadows caught my eye instead.

They're placed them really high up on the shelves which explains the angle of this picture. It was quite a reach for me to get them, especially the top ones.

I have to admit though, they look beautiful. Shimmery and each color had undertones of another color. But they were more expensive than the conventional Maybelline quads, which were priced at around $7-8CAD each. These ones were $11CAD for smaller pans.

These two quads really caught my eye. The top one is calle Taupe Temptation and my pictures really doesn't do it justice. The third color from the left is this fabulously beautiful taupe color. As for the bottom on, I was only really interested in the lovely turquoise, which had golden undertones.

I had previously promised myself to not get anymore eyeshadows since I already had so much, but I don't know if I can hold off on these...but I think I can justify getting the turquoise one because I don't have a turquoise color!!!

Review: MAC Dazzle Lash

2009-12-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

I purchased MAC Dazzle Lash during the Bay's Holiday Gala as I felt like finally trying some department store cosmetics. Also, I needed to use the $8 coupon that was part of the gala's ticket price. I really love the packaging though. It's all glittery and shimmery, lid and tube alike.

But don't be fooled by the name and the packaging. The mascara is by no means glittery or shimmery. It is just a normal, matte mascara.

This is the claim:
A mascara that instantly creates a starburst dazzle effect. The trick lies in a new compact-sized, slightly sculpted brush applicator that singles out and pushes lashes to go bigger, bolder, longer, with a plush, glamorous curve. A rich application that delivers what you want: dazzling long lashes.

I must admit though, the small brush makes it easy for Asians like me to coat all my lashes with mascara. However, I do find the formula a but clumpy and you can see it on the brush. It all kind of collects at the base of the brush.

But as far as the actual effects go, I didn't find them that particularily spectacular.

It really does nothing to keep a curl though as you can see above. This was after 2 coats. I had to recurl my lashes afterwards to get the curl back.

They do look a bit more voluminous though, but still a bit clumpy. It's a good thing though that it's not that expensive at $15.50CAD. It's in no way as expensive as the other department store brands.

New Drugstore Products: Physician's Formula, Milani

2009-12-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

So I went for another round through Shoppers Drug Mart and Superstore. It seems like Physician's Formula has released a new, brighter palette of shimmer strips.

They do deviate from their original shimmer strips which were more of a neutral tone. But like the original ones they were separated to brown, blue, green and hazel eyes. They also put sample color suggestions on the side flap, but I took a look and they, well, looked pretty ghastly. Maybe it's just because I'm not a POP color person.

As for Milani, they weren't exactly new products but it's a whole new display altogether! It was at Superstore and I've never seen Milani products available here before, so of course they're new to me.

I picked up the Runway Eyes palette in Designer Browns. Review and EOTD coming!

It seems like Sally Hansen didn't take Scangie's complaint into account at all. This year, they continued to use the same horrible packaging that Scrangie complained about. It's still completely incased with no window at all to see what's inside.

However, London Drugs seemed to have taken that into account and displayed the contents for all to see. Kudos to LD!

Also L'Oreal has released a new nailpolish collection. I do believe it's meant for the holiday season but it's simply much too dark and gloomy, even though there are shimmers and glitter in the polish.

That's all for this round!

Review: Sephora Cream Eyeliner Palette "Earthtones"

2009-12-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

I picked up this palette because it was on sale on Sephora.com. I really wanted a bronze cream liner and I thought this palette had the perfect combination of colors. It was only $15USD.

The brush that came with it was beyond pathetic. See how tiny and minuscule it is? The brush tip was flimsy and small, it can't even draw a line. Trust me, I've tried. Right after taking this picture I gave it a nice home in my garbage can.

Here are the swatches with and without flash. Colors are pretty true and they are indeed very creamy.

However they were not smudgeproof at all, as you can see. In fact, it smudged pretty badly.

But it is waterproof though, as long as you don't rub it.

I think this would be better used as a cream shadow of some kind instead, I'm not sure how the smudge factor would affect my makeup though. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Review: Sally Hansen HD Collection

2009-11-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

(From left: Cyber Frost, Lite Frost, Hi-Def Frost, Pixel Pretty Frost, Hi-Res Frost)

If you remember my post on a previous US haul, this Sally Hansen HD polish collection was part of it. I know the reviews are long overdue but here it is~

These colors are not limited to this Limited Edition pack. The only reason why this pack is labelled Limited Edition is because they're mini versions of the full-sized product. You can get the full-sized bottles at drugstores everywhere.

I like the idea of these mini packs because you can try out 5 colors for the price of one full-sized bottle! Go to Nouveau Cheap to see the other packs they have.

I think my favorite so far is Hi-Res Frost. I usually don't wear such bright, flashy colors but since this pack was such a good deal and they were so cute I had to snatch it up!

I originally thought this was too bright but after a few days of wearing it it has grown on me.

Of the 3 colors I tried, they were all pretty sheer actually, but 2 coats should do the trick.

Hi-Def Frost is pretty unique. It's like a lime-green. It was my coworker that suggested me to wear this one. I originally again felt very weird since green nails really aren't my thing. However I've received a LOT of compliments from wearing this, so again this grew on me too. Compliments help a lot!

Cyber Frost happened to be my least favorite so far which was a surprise considering how I'm absolutely in love with purple lately. What I didn't like about it is that it is REALLY sheer and required 3 coats. It's also not an especially unique purple either.

However, all 3 polishes so far have been quick drying. The brushes, even though they're not the original versions, were actually quite good with application.

I'll probably try the last two colors soon and when I do I'll be sure to post the pictures. Overall, I highly recommend these sets. I'm not sure but these may only be available at Walgreens.

Review: Dylan's Candy Bar Re-Treat "Birthday Cake Smoothie Body Lotion", Indulge, without the calories!

2009-11-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

OMG. OMG. OMG.

I chose this as one of my three samples from my Sephora order. Boy was it a nice surprise.

As this was a lotion it wasn't thick at all. It was quite runny actually. But from first whiff, it smelt exactly like vanilla icing. God it smelled SO GOOD. I couldn't stop sniffing it and I could taste vanilla icing in my mouth just from the smell haha!

Upon application, the scent changed from vanilla icing to like a vanilla butter cream. It just smelt so yummy. The price range for the full-sized products aren't terribly expensive either. I would be interested in trying other ~~flavors~~ scents of the line for sure.

If you would like to indulge yourself with chocolate cupcakes, cake batter, chocolate ice cream, etc, but don't want to regret the calorie intake, try some of Dylan's products and you won't be sorry! Best of all, most, if not all (I'm not sure) are made without parabens, sulfates, and all that nasty stuff, they're actually good for you, and the environment!

Review: Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens

2009-11-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

Oh man I finally got my H1N1 vaccination from work yesterday and MAN that vaccine is a KILLER!!! Mind you when it was administered it didn't hurt as much as the seasonal flu vaccine (Yep, I got both at the same time), but the after effects are MEAN! The injection site is swollen and tender to the touch, and my body aches! Last night I got the chills then the sweats, I guess that means my immune system is doing it work, but my back was so sore and my heat pads became my best friends.

Anyways here's a review on the Boscia Blotting Linens in Green Tea. It was included in a sample pack that was 50% off at Sephora.

I guess they were clearing out their inventory since this pack is not available anymore, which was great 'cuz this was only $20USD, which was a great deal I thought. Why? Well, this blotting paper pack would've been $10USD itself.

So here are the claims.

Like it says, it's infused with Green Tea and indeed I got a big whiff of Matcha when I opened the cover. It looks like there's some Matcha powder spotted here and there. It feels very thin and light. This is one of those blotting papers where you'll get oil all over your fingers afterwards. Icky but true. So how does it perform?

Haha sorry guys for showing you my greasy noggin~ Gross huh?

This is after one application. Pretty impressive huh? But any good blotting paper can do that, even those toilet seat covers in public washrooms (what? You've never heard of that??). Overall, it's really not worth $10 a pack. It's done nothing extraordinary that other, cheaper blotting papers can't do.

And this is what I mean by getting your hands all greasy. It's one of those where the grease cuts through the paper really easily and if you're oily like me your hand really feel gross afterwards.

All in all, save your money and get something cheaper that works just as well.

Review: Blistex Natural Cooling Comfort Lip Balm

2009-11-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Aside from being a mascara fiend I'm also a lip balm fiend...gosh I have SO MUCH of the stuff. But like every good girl, even if you have a bunch at home, when you see something new and interesting, you'll get it anyways right??

I came across new Blistex Natural Cooling Comfort balm on a random Superstore walk. The fact that it's natural is what enticed me.

However, like most natural products, it's often difficult to know if the whole product is natural and organic or it just applies to some ingredients. It does say 100% natural and USDA Certified Organic on the package though.

Obviously this comes in a squeeze tube form. It is actually quite small. The tube is soft though and easy to squeeze, but that's where the problem comes in.

Let me rephrase that. It's not the tube that's the problem. It's the balm itself. I'm not sure if you can see from the picture but the consistency of the balm is very runny and watery, almost like a serum. That translates to short-wear and more reapplication.

As for the feel, it is cooling as the name indicates. If you can see it the tube also says "external analgesic" on it. But I think that's accomplished by the ingredient menthol.

But I like how it looks on my lips though. It brings a very moist, healthy shine, but I don't find it that moisturizing at all. It has a very mild scent that's fresh and citrusy. However, I wouldn't buy this again, it just doesn't last very long, and it's not particularly wallet-friendly either.

EOTD: Purple Gradient?

2009-11-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

I think it's about time I posted another EOTD. This time I chose to do a purple eye with various shades of light and darker purple.

I'm amazed how some bloggers are so creative in that they can come up with a name for every look they do. I think I might have to start doing that or else they'll end up being "EOTD Purple Eyes2" so on and so forth...

These are the products I used:
1) Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Wild Orchids
2) Forever 21 Love & Beauty eyeshadow duo in Burgundy/Teal
3) e.l.f. Eye Brightening Eyecolor in Drama

Also remember to use a primer!

I do have mascara on already as I did this look after a day from work...

After priming your lid, apply the 3rd color from the left of the Revlon palette (1) all over your lid. I covered the entire 'eyeball' area.

Then, using the burgundy from the F21 duo (2), I packed the shadow onto the lid all over up to the crease/fold.

Remember to pack the color onto the brush since as previously mentioned, this shadow duo's consistency isn't the easiest to work with.

Also, if you compared the color from this EOTD to the previous EOTD with the same eyeshadow duo, you'll see that the color is much more vibrant and true when used with a primer and a similarly colored creme shadow (as a sticky base).

Next I took the silver shade from the e.l.f. palette (3) and applied it to the crease area right above the darker purple. Blend well.

To add dimension and to contour, you can take a darker purple or burgundy and apply it to the outer corner of the eye and blend in.

Here's a hopefully better view of the outer corner.

You can also drag a bit of the darker contouring color down to the lower lash line, but just a bit. This lets this look to not be too dramatic or to go down the smokey eye route.

Then take the silver color and line the lower lash line too. Apply mascara, line your eyes if you want to, and you're done!

Hope you enjoy this look!

Beauty Blogger Giveaways!

2009-11-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

Halifax is giving away a Marcelle "Classic Elegant" prize pack. There's quite a few things in it, go there now and take a look!!

Enter by Dec 4, 2009.
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dot...dot...dot... is giving away one of these cute purse hangers. I've always been meaning to get one of them but I can't find them anywhere locally.

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The Polka-Dotted Apple has one helluva giveaway!! Just look at that!!

To enter there's some question you (and I) have to answer. Here's my answers, I hope they're not too cheesy but they're the honest truths:

What is your most prized possession? That would be my family and friends obviously, and life itself also~
What is your definition of beauty? Hmm...overall goodhearted-ness, nice personality, a blessed complexion would be great too~
What makeup item (Brand and name of product) would you recommend to me? I would definitely recommend the Canadian brand Annabelle's limited edition Supernova dome eyeshadow in Bling Blang!. I have it and it's great- great pigmentation, bright, shimmery colors, easy to apply.
What is your favorite KIND of makeup item and why? Definitely mascara. Easy to apply, easy to find, limited color choices (you know how hard it is to pick colors!), and even if that's the only thing you have on, it makes a BIG difference.
A weird factoid about you. :B I always have to sleep with my feet outside the blanket/sheets. Even if it's really cold and I'm all wrapped up otherwise.
What is the fondest memory of your childhood? Bday parties and Christmas, when my aunt would put so much effort into stuffing our stockings. *sigh* childhood's so good~
Describe yourself honestly. A bit anal, occasionally OCD due to my profession haha.
Tell me something I could do to improve my blog. More closeup pictures of EOTD's please! They're awesome!

Marc Jacobs "Daisy"

2009-11-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

The same gala I got my Ricci Ricci set, I also fell for Marc Jacobs "Daisy". It's such a fresh and light scent. Even Mr. Pretty liked it.

However, I didn't end up getting the eau de toilette though. Instead I got the solid perfume brooch/necklace ($40CAD). It's such a cute little thing, but I think I'll give it to my sister for Christmas since it'll likely take me a LONG while to finish off Ricci Ricci.

As I got this at a gala, there were some gifts also.

So here's what I was gifted with: a miniature bottle of the fragrance,and a Luminous Body Lotion both in a Marc Jacobs "Daisy" gift bag.

Oh and this delicious marshmellow flavored Daisy lolly.

New Drugstore Products: Twilight Beauty, Quo, N.Y.C., Rimmel,

2009-11-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

You would think that all the new products coming lately are glittery, shimmery and sparkly due to the impending holiday season, but that wasn't so. Of the collections here the only remotely Christmas-y stuff is the Rimmel palette and the Quo collection, but more on that later.

With the Twilight Beauty products, last month on my trip across the border I already saw the Bella/Alice/Rosalie/Victoria palettes (part of the Luna Twilight collection) at Nordstrom. Finally, that collection has arrived in Canada, seen in Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs.

Now, as the new movie is coming out, they have a new collection called Volturi ~~Beauty~~ Twilight. Honestly I find these products too expensive for what they are. They are totally riding the Twilight wave and trying to scam tweeners, teeners and the like of their parent's money. I believe one palette is $30CAD. A single eyeshadow is about $22CAD. I won't be wasting my money on those.

For those of you not familiar with Quo, it is Shoppers Drug Mart's own premium brand of cosmetics. Although I don't own any of it they are actually quite quality products. I especially love their holiday collection this year. If you can see the pictures on the top corners of the backboard, they are kind of treasure boxes with eyeshadows, glosses and blushes in one pack. They are both beautiful. The one on the left looks like baked shadows and the right one is just normal pressed shadows. Both are beautiful. I really had to hold back not to buy both of them. The rest of the collection are quite good too. Check them out if you see them.

N.Y.C. has a metallic Fall collection. Nothing really enticed me except for the metallic gel/creme liner in the bronze color. The polish was actually pretty enticing too but I've already got my Mr. Wrong.

I think this is Rimmel's holiday palette for this year. I remember they had one last year and it looked much prettier, with faux rubies all over the lid. This one's not too exciting either. The colors aren't really worthy of the word "gorgeous", I really won't spend money on this either.

Well that's all for now!

Review + Swatch: Annabelle a Dupe of MAC??

2009-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

The first time I laid my eyes on this year's MAC limited edition Mineralized Eyeshadow in Devil-May-Care from the "Magic, Mirth and Mischief" collection, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

But with a $23.50CAD price-tag, while not extremely expensive, it is still pricey for two colors.

So when I came across Annabelle's new limited edition collection "Super nova Winter 2009", the first thing to catch my eye was the Dome Eyeshadow in "Bling Blang!" (~$8.99CAD).

After all, both were dome shaped, purple, and sparkly! I wonder if Annabelle's version is baked and mineral too.

Not sure if you can see the texture but they are really similar. Both have shimmery bits of silver in it and are both quite soft.

Having said that, how do they compare? Here are some swatches. Both were applied on top of a base. I think the MAC one shows up better without a base but then why would you wear shadow without a base though right?

Depending on the angle of light hitting it, they may look different, but I think they look really close. Quite a few blogs have also stated that this particular MAC palette was easy to dupe too.

Here it is with flash. I really think I've found my dupe.

The silver part of the MAC shadow is quite the chunky, gritty glitter. It's like flakes of silver flecks as you can see. I think I have a dupe for that also.

With this Urban Decay shadow in Uzi. I had this lying around from part of a "Best of" set I got from Winners. It also has chunky glitter. The difference is that the UD one actually has a silver shadow base whereas the MAC on really is just silver flecks.

Review: Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci

2009-11-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

Wow that title's a mouthful isn't it? My first version was "Nina Ricci's Ricci Ricci" haha.

They have an interesting tagline too:

Ricci Ricci is an urban heroine.
She is glamorous and audacious.
She has a secret power: her fragrance – symbolized by her ribbon.

Now I don't have a ribbon to symbolize my secret power but I do have this fragrance~!

This is my first fragrance purchase ever and I chose to wait until The Bay's Holiday Girl Time Gala to purchase it since I think they give lots of gifts during that time.

This is the giftset I bought which cost $78CAD. It contains a shower gel, body lotion, and the eau de toilette itself.

This is again a sweeter fragrance but again very floral. I could get all technical but I really don't care for all that, I base preference on my own sense of smell as I'm sure most (if not all of you) do. However I guess one thing I should note is that it's based of the flower Belle-de-Nuit which is a nocturnal flower that only releases its fragrance from 4pm to the morning. I googled the flower and honestly it doesn't look too appealing.

It is a beautiful bottle, it really is. The picture makes the bottle look bronzy but it actually is a deep burgundy color. Absolutely stunning. I really like the design of the bottle, it's so feminine and girly.

Because it was a gala I was also able to get my bottle engraved for free. Such fun! It'll make a great gift. I think the organizers for this particular gala really got it right to get an engraver come in.

Along with my purchase I also go this gift which really is one big basket filled with cellophane, tissue paper, 4 perfume samples, a deluxe Nina sample, and Nina lipgloss, and a Nina phone charm.

The items I like the most is the lipgloss and the charm. They are so cute!

The gala is over now but at Shopper Drug Mart they still have the 20x the points event with purchases over $75. It's over this weekend though. But they always have these events, so it's a good deal!

Review: Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist and Dupes

2009-11-12T20:01:00.001-08:00

Bath & Body Works had a promotion last month where their whole Signature Collection line was Buy 3 Get 3 Free. I specifically went to check out the new BBW store at Richmond Centre (opened in Sep/Oct?) to check out the selection. That store turned out to be quite large, taking up about 2.5 stores.

Anyways, while I was there, I decided that I really didn't need 6 full-sized products. Even though it was a good deal, the total would've came out quite big too. Also, a staff member told me that the travel-size selections were 3 for $12, so I jumped on that instead.

Now I recently got into fragrances (Great huh...MORE things to tempt me to spend money...). I fell in love with Aquolina's Pink Sugar, and any other sweet, sugary scents of the sort like Lavanila's Vanilla Grapefruit and Vanilla Coconut. Also Kenzo's Eau de Fleur de Soie Silk (Limited Edition).

And I would like to say, I think I've found some dupes!

First I'll give my interpretation of the fragrances. Wild Honeysuckle does smell like honeysuckle, and also notes of magnolia and jasmine. I find this very similar to Michael Kors Very Hollywood. This scent is quite lasting even though it's just a fragrance spray.

Rainkissed Leaves is a very clean scent. It does smell like fresh cut grass with a slightly sweet scent. But it's a light scent and because it's a fragrance mist, the scent isn't strong and doesn't last. I would compare this to Elizabeth Arden's Sunflower (do they even make that anymore?).

Enchanted Orchid is a very sweet floral scent. I haven't figured out what it's a dupe of yet though. It's also quite strong and lasting.

Sensual Amber is my favorite of the four. It is very sweet and I think of it as my dupe for Aquolina's Pink Sugar. I really love this. I'm planning on getting the whole line once I'm done with my other lotions (good luck with that right??)

I went back today and the B3G3 deal wasn't advertised anymore, but now they have B3G2 and B2G1 deals, which could be better if you don't really want to stock up your house with these stuff.

Review + EOTD: Forever 21's Love & Beauty, playing with colors!

2009-11-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

A bunch of coworkers and I went shopping after work one day and we went to the newly opened Forever XXI at Metrotown. There, we saw the staff opening boxes and setting up two tables of FXXI's new makeup line Love & Beauty. As we just finished drooling at Sephora, we pounced on these right away.

Anyone recognize the catalog in the background??

I ended up purchasing 2 items- an eyeshadow duo in Burgundy/Teal ($3.80CAD) and a tube of mascara called Immense Mascara ($4.80CAD).

I really wanted to get a vivid purple color. When I saw this I really got it for that. We were a bit worried about the color payoff on these since it's cheap and made in China. But because of the price, we thought it was worth a try. Coworker J got a Blue/Silver duo.

As expected, color payoff wasn't good at all. J confirmed it with hers also. For this swatch, I had to swipe my finger back and forth quite a number of times before I was successful. Perhaps having a primer as a base will help.

The shadow seemed to be perhaps somewhat waxy(?) because when I washed my hands I saw the water slide off the colors.

I was disappointed that the purple turned out to be more of a raspberry color.

On to the mascara!!

It was such a hot pink tube! Love the flourishes around the top too.

* If this is your first time reading my mascara reviews, please go here to see the BEFORE picture *

It has a curved wand which is actually quite good to use to get all my lashes. It promises volume and length, so how does it perform?

Hmmm....it's nothing special. In fact, I will call it inferior since right out of the tube, it added big clumps to my lashes. The brush was good at taking those out though. But it's not a good thing to have the clumps ALREADY included in the tube. I wouldn't get this again. My Daiso mascara is much better.

So I was just playing with the shadow duo and messed around with the colors. This is what I came up with.

I did basically the same thing for both eyes. I didn't use a primer/base as I was only playing around.

For this eye, I lined the lower lashline with the teal using a damp brush. This helped the color payoff.

On the lid, I brushed the burgundy color above the lashline up to the crease. Then I took a golden orangey color and swept it just above the burgundy. I blended those colors very well.

Next, taking a dark brown shadow and one of those sponge brushes that are usually included in palettes, I thick-lined the top lash line. I find this method gives a softer, more natural liner look which effectively defines the eyes without being too stark or purposeful.

With my other eye, the top of the eye was done the same way. For the lower lash line, using the same sponge applicator, I lined the inside of the lower lash line (known as the waterline?) with the dark brown, then lined the outside of the lower lash line with the teal 1/2 to 3/4 of the way.

What do you think? Too much color? Do they clash? Which method looks better??

Blogger Giveaways: EZZIEBELL THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAY

2009-11-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ezziebell is doing a giveaway on her lovely jewelry. See all the details here! Here are some of the pieces I really like especially:

Anything with bows and crystals are especially cute and elegant don't you think???

Bourjois is Here!!

2009-11-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

I came across Halifax's post about Bourjois coming to Canada, specifically to Shoppers Drug Mart. I was ecstatic to hear the news and couldn't wait for it to arrive.

Finally today, I was at the mall waiting for Mr. Pretty to meet me for dinner. As I took the escalator down, I caught a glimpse of this display and I made Mr. Pretty get back up the escalator with me to go check out this all new display!!!

It was pretty awesome. They have most of the basic products including most of their line of mascaras. I was hoping they have the Shimmering Shine liquid eyeshadow but no, not yet anyways. Nonetheless they had a pretty impressive offering.

I was surprised that they even have the Smokey Eye kits! They were quite expensive though at $30CAD each with only three shadows in each palette. I really liked the one on the left though, it's a golden-grey/black color scheme. But $30 really was too much.

Their mascaras were at least $18CAD each also, which is also quite pricey (they cost more than MAC's mascaras!!!). I haven't splurged on anything yet but maybe I'll treat myself next pay day. I wonder if the price has to do with the fact that everything's Made in France??

Oh by the way I'm taking a chance in posting these pictures because as I was taking pictures in the store, a staff came and told me I'm not allowed to take pictures in the store OR in the mall even, and that security could come and delete all my pictures. Despite that after she left I took more pictures. I really wonder what is up with that though, as the display really isn't anything special (it looked pretty standard to me) and as with the mall policy, are you f**king kidding me??? Seriously???

Review: Hard Candy Ginormous Lash Mascara

2009-11-05T19:33:00.001-08:00

* If this is your first time reading my mascara reviews, please go here to see the BEFORE picture *

Don't you just love the packaging of Hard Candy's Ginormous Lash mascara ($6USD)? I am a sucker for flourishes.

This is one of 3 types of mascara offered by the newly resdesigned and released Hard Candy Cosmetics line. When I saw this at Walmart, even though the name of this color was Mudslide, it looked purple under the fluorescent lighting so I didn't believe the name, so I got it anyway.

It turns out it really is a brown color. No matter though.

As you can see, the brush has really small plastic bristles. It actually defines and separates and declumps quite well. You can also see that the mascara consistency is kind of goopy and stiff, plasticky. Let's see how it performs.

As you can see, 1 coat is pretty natural looking. It doesn't live up to the Ginormous Lash name. Also, as I add more coats, it does get kind of clumpy.

After 3 coats, I still wouldn't call it ginormous, but it does make a difference in my lashes though.

This mascara is pretty good in the smear and flake department though. As you can see, after 10 hours of wear, the color is still pretty dark and there is minimal to none flaking. Smearing is also not a problem even on my oily skin/eyelids.

As for keeping a curl, it does an okay job.

Would I buy it again though? Not sure. There are way too many mascaras out there I want to try. Having said that, I guess I've answered my own question~

Update! Blog Layout Change

2009-11-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hey pretties~ Please excuse the inconsistent layout and text sizes in the posts, I'm trying to change the layout of the blog to a more browser friendly version, and blogspot isn't really being helpful.

Thanks for the patience!

EOTD: Dark Peacock Smokey Eye

2009-11-01T00:14:00.000-07:00

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As promised here's the EOTD for the dark smokey look I wore to a Downtown lounge restaurant opening. I call it the Dark Peacock Smokey because it has shades of royal blue and green along with the black.

So here's the ingredients for this look:

- Wet n Wild (WnW) Cream liner in Black
- Annabelle Custom QUAD mono eyeshadow in Ebony
- Covergirl Eye Enchancers quad in Tropical Fusion

Apply the WnW cream liner over your lid up to a bit above the crease. I find applying quickly and swiftly with your fingers allow you to blend the upper edges more easily. Make sure you work quickly as this stuff drives super fast. Also line your lower lashes half way.

Then apply any matte black shadow (I used Annabelle) all over the cream liner. Blend upwards. Blend well. Remember to apply some to the lower lashline to set the liner.

Using a medium-sized eyeshadow brush, sweep the emerald green color from the Covergirl quad to just above where the black shadow/liner ends.

Take the same green shadow and apply to the middle 1/3 of the lower lash line (the outer 1/3 should still be dark black).

Next take the royal blue from the same quad and again sweep it on top of the green.

Point the brush downwards near the inner corner so that you don't go over your lid too much.

Also, with the brush, make a distinct sideways V at the outer corner of the eye and blend it with the green. This gives your eye shape. Make sure the V is in line with the natural shape of your eye (make it a continuation of the lower lash line).

Use the same royal blue and apply to the inner 1/3 of your lower lash line, blending it where it meets the green.

Then take any matte cream/off white shadow and blend from under your brows to the blue to soften up edges. Using a blending brush for this, and while you're at it, also blend the whole lid to mix the colors.

Apply liner and mascara, curl your lashes, and you're basically done!

It will be a good idea to apply false lashes for such a dark severe look, just to open up your eyes a little.

If you used shimmery colors your eyes should have a peacock iridescent effect! I really love this look and I only wish I had more occasions to wear it~

Review: Hard Candy Nailpolish in "Mr. Wrong"

2009-10-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

When I first saw Hard Candy's Mr. Wrong at Walmart a month ago I really fell in love with it. It was such an awesome color and I really had to hold back not to get it, all due to the fact that it's a glittery polish and those really are hell to get off.

However after I saw Nouveau Cheap's review and swatches on it, I couldn't get it out of my head.

It's a purplish color with what seems to be gold and green micro glitter in it.

Even though the polish was packed with glitter, application was super smooth with no bumps at all. However it did take me 3 coats to produce the color from the bottle. It was rather sheer and streaky with 1-2 coats.

Absolutely gorgeous, I think this is my new favorite. For now anyways. This color's perfect with LBD for a restaurant opening tomorrow that I've been invited to in Downtown. Yippie!

On the same note, because of the same event I've tried out a few new smokey eye looks and I'll post them soon. Stay tuned!

Mr. Pretty 'n About wearing the iconic Hard Candy ring.

Holy Haul Time!

2009-10-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just came back from the States and had a massive haul, really excited to show it to you all.

TA DA!!

To me this is a pretty massive haul. Let me introduce you to my new babies after the jump!

Clockwise from left (all prices in USD):
- Origins Mask Marvels gift set ($35)
- Origins GinZing eye cream ($29.50)
- DKNY Delicious Duo Roller Ball ($20)

- L'Oreal HIP Cream liner ($11.97, part of BOGO offer @ Walgreens)
- Wet 'n Wild Mega Eyes Creme liner in Eggplant ($3.99)
- Wet 'n Wild Mega Eyes Creme liner in Black ($3.99)
- L'Oreal HIP Eyeliner in Black Shock, Gold Charge, and Violet Charge ($9.99 each, part of BOGO offer @ Walgreens)
- Hard Candy Curl Up & Dye Mascara in Purple ($6)
- Hard Candy Nailpolish in Mr. Wrong ($5)
- Sephora by Opi Nailpolish in Absinthe Makes Heart ($9)
- Icing by Claire's Nailpolish ($4.50)

- Maybelline Dream Matte Powder ($6.49)
- Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten ($20)
- Sally Hansen HD Nail Collection Set ($4.99)

Haha now let's not talk about how much I spent. Serious, please don't. Now I really hope that I'll get off my lazy ass and review or do a look with each of these products, stay tuned!

Beauty Blogger Giveaways!

2009-10-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

Blovet Beauty is hosting a 100th follower giveaway! (When will my 100 follower come??? *sigh~*)

Congrats Lane on your milestone!

La Roche-Posay Daily Mattifying Moisturizer

2009-10-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

As I'm getting older, I'm trying to shy away from the teenie-bopper brands of skincare products and into the market of adult-oriented products. They may be pricier, but I'm also hoping that the price come with results. Wishful thinking, I know.

My first choice was from Le Roche-Posay. This brand really is more for extremely sensitive skin which I am not, but this came in a large size makeup bag that includes some sample sizes of their other products and all for just the price of the full-size product.

The product I chose was the Daily Mattifying Moisturizer because my T-zone get shiny. Now mattifying products had never really fared well on me but maybe this will be different.

I like it because it comes in pump form which makes it more sanitary.

Click the jump for my Before and After pictures.

So it does mattify at first. It worked pretty well but within 4 hours the shine was back. I'm not sure if that's good or not because I really don't have anything to compare it to. However it does moisturize the oily t-zone area adequately.

This was $29.50 but because they had the wrong price and label on it they gave it to me for $25.

In all I don't think I'll purchase this again since it doesn't really stay mattified that long, and there are some other options I'll like to try after this bottle is done.

In Canada this brand seems to only be available at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs.

Review + EOTD: Joe Fresh Blue Petrol

2009-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Joe Fresh is a cosmetics brand by the Loblaws/Superstore company if you don't know already. I think it might be exclusively Canadian but I'm not 100% sure.

I own a couple of their shadows and they are hit and miss. Some of the lighter colors are obviously not as pigmented, but the darker ones are pretty good, especially with a good primer/base.

One eyeshadow palette I really like is their blue one called Blue Petrol.

Its texture is silky and soft. It does "clump" up a little on your brush so your best bet is to pack it on, and it works really well.

Well if you can believe it I'm 25 and only started to wear makeup about 2 years ago. So I've been watching a lot of YouTube tutorials and found some really useful ones. One youtuber who I really like is Xteeener as she uses a lot of drugstore brands and is Asian so our eye shapes are really similar.

To dedicate to her, I've made this EOTD using her tutorial, albeit some different products, and the results were nothing less than amazing to me.

Xteeener suggests using Revlon's Illuminance Creme Shadows as a base, which is great as it comes in all sorts of color combination palettes and are relatively wallet-friendly.

For this EOTD, I used the dark grey-silver color on the right in the "Twilight" palette.

Apply the cream shadow all over your lid just past your crease. The higher you go up, the more dramatic it will be, so adjust to your own taste.

Using a dense, medium eyeshadow brush, pack on the medium shade from the Joe Fresh palette to the inner corner of your lid and to about 3/4 of your lid, leaving the last 1/4 free.

Pack on the shadow for more intense, vibrant color!

Take a fluffy crease/blending brush with a tapered end, dab the darkest color from the Joe Fresh palette to the outer corner of your eye, and drag and blend into the crease. Darken the outer corner more to contour the eye shape.

Next, take a dark navy eyeliner and line your lower lashes up to around where your iris is when looking straight. Also line your upper lashes.

Take some more of the dark shadow on a small precision/liner brush and just go over your liner to set it.

Then sweep the lightest shade to your lower tear duct area and the corner V around it. Blend it up to the lid shades.

All done!

Review + EOTD: Annabelle Smudgeliner 'Vortex Violet'

2009-10-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

I've fallen in love with purple lately. Anything I buy seems to migrate towards purple. So naturally the newest eyeliner I bought was purple, and it was a beautiful, true purple.

Annabelle is a Canadian company that makes pretty decent and budget cosmetics. They've recently added some brighter, bolder colors to their awesome Smudgeliners and I snapped up 5 of them. I haven't tried the others but so far I'm loving the Vortex Violet and I chose it for my first, easy "Eye of the Day" (EOTD).

For the reason of being a smudgeliner, they included a sponge-tip smudger at the end of the pencil. I actually haven't really smudged before so I'm not sure how good this is. I've always afraid I'll tug too much at the skin of my eyelids. It is actually quite firm.

On the other side is of course the actual color pencil itself. It is creamy and has minimal tug on the skin. It deposits a little less color when I try to line my lower lids though, I found I had to go over the line a few times.

For this look I just simply thick-lined the top lid as close as possible to the lashes, and lined 3/4 of the lower lid. Then I used the same color eyeshadow and patted it along the lines to set it. Add some (or lots!) of mascara, and the look is done. Easy-peasy.

I love it as the color payoff is quite vibrant. It also has a slightly metallic look to it which is so popular right now. I like how I don't really need any other eye makeup for this look and I was off to a birthday dinner in Downtown looking great.

The smudgeliner retails for around $8-9CAD here. But there are always sales at drugstores.

Review: Daiso High Curling Mascara

2009-10-11T13:34:00.001-07:00

* If this is your first time reading my mascara reviews, please go here to see the BEFORE picture *

I've never given the facial cosmetics and skincare section at Daiso any attention before. After all, how good or safe can a $2CAD product be especially when they're mostly made in China? I would never given them a second thought until I read about their High Curling Mascara from Skindeco.net.

And boy am I glad I tried it. This is the one mascara that was able to satisfy my wants in a mascara (see the 'About Me' blurb on the right). Like I said, I have oily skin everywhere on my face except on my cheeks. Even under my eyes it's oily, so I can't use waterproof mascaras. Regular wash-off mascaras do tend to smudge after half a day's wear. Now this mascara isn't waterproof, but it might as well be. It stayed put after a bout of crying, and I wore it on my summer vacation to San Diego and it did NOT BUDGE even after a whole day's wear on my sunscreen-and-facial-oil-slicked face. I was beyond amazed and totally fell in love with this mascara.

If I remember correctly, they have 3 different "formulas", one for length & curl, one for volume, and I don't remember what the third one is. If you don't read Japanese or your local Daiso doesn't label it with which formula it is, just remember what the brush head looks like.

It only comes in two colors- black and brown.

An interesting thing about the mascara is that I'm not quite sure what the actual name of it is. In the Japanese writing, it translates phonetically to "Beauty Cosme Mascara". However in the English writing, it is simply "High Curling Mascara" (all three formulas say this on the tube).

This is the brush head for the 'Long & Curl' formula. You can sort of see what the consistency is like at the end of the brush- to me it is kind of plastic-ky.

So how does it look on my lashes? Read on!

As you can see it definitely added a bit a length and a bit of volume to my lashes. This dries to a semi-rigid state though, so it feels a little 'crunchy' but nothing like it'll break your lashes in two or something. And although it dries rigid, adding more coats does not equal to adding clumps. Even after 3 coats there no clumping.

You might now think that it'll be hell to remove this mascara, but that's not so. I'm pretty lazy so I usually don't use eye-makeup remover (as most of my mascaras are wash-off) so I usually just jump in the shower and let the steam and warm water plus the pressure from the shower head do the job for me. And it does do its job even with this awesome mascara. After soaking a little bit just gently press your fingers around the lashes and little bits come off sort of like mascara tubes.

So like I said I really like this mascara and it's really good value. This will definitely be on my favorite products list and for $2 I'm definitely repurchasing.

Oh and it's made in Korea~

Review: Josie Maran Argan Oil

2009-10-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

I've heard good things about argan oil for a while now. The only place I've seen it offered was from the Josie Maran brand at Sephora. However, a 1.7oz bottle costs $48USD, needless to say it's a bit steep, so I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

So when I saw that the Sephora Favorites Naturally Gorgeous kit had it as one of their products, AND it was on sale for $20, I couldn't resist!

As you can see it's really not a big size. The size in this kit is 0.13oz. It's actually very cute as it fits in the palm of my hand!

So with argan oil, the benefits are said to be as follows:
- works wonders on wrinkles and dry skin
- reduces scars such as acne and stretch marks
- repairs dry, chapped skin (ie. elbows, lips, knees, feet, etc)
- soothes burns and scalds

It is supposedly rich in Vitamin E, which is how it can accomplish the above.

So my concerns really are dry skin and fine wrinkles on my cheeks. I'll try to weekly/monthly update with pictures to see if this argan oil really is helping or not.

This was two drops. I found that I needed 3 drops for my face, probably because I felt like I needed for those areas of concern.

Texture-wise, it was exactly as if I was putting oil on my face. Now it's supposedly good for acne so I'm hoping it won't break me out. We'll see how it goes in a week or so~

XOXO,
Wendy

Review: Nic's Sticks by OPI - I'm On Deadline

2009-10-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

OPI's Nic's Sticks had always been on the higher end of the spectrum price-wise for a drugstore product. In Canada I've really only seen them at Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart, and they were around $7-9CAD here. So when I saw that it was on sale for $3.52USD at Target, I quickly snatched it up.

Mind you, they were in a clearance pile and only 4 colors were available- a purple, a black, a pink, and a red. I'm sorta kicking myself now for not picking up the black also.

The color I chose was a shimmery purple called I'm On Deadline.

It's my first experience with these Nic's Sticks and honestly I did not have high hopes for them. First of all, I depend on the brush being dipped back into the polish bottle in order to not have dried up polish on the brush. That's my biggest problem when painting my nails, the brush always seem to dry up mid-polishing. So let's see how this fared with the traditional method.

First a bit about the brushes. You can see how it's more rounded than your traditional brushes.

A bird's-eye-view will show you that indeed the brush is very round. That led me to worry about precision.

The pictures is right after painting so cleanup wasn't done yet!

So the verdict? Honestly this fared better than I expected. I think this has a thinner formula so it didn't dry up so quickly. The polish on the brush stayed paintable but you do need a few more coats than usual as it easily can get streaky.

It also takes a bit longer to dry than your usual polish. Even though it seems to be dry, you can still easily dent it.

I love the color though. Look closely and you can see specks of fine magenta shimmer within the shimmery purple.

All in all it was a relatively easy paint job and I can see myself wearing this polish alot, even though it may not last very long (I can see wear on the tips of my nails by second day). With that said, I'll only repurchase if it's on clearance, full price really doesn't do much justice to the quality of this polish (namely it's 'long-lasting-ness').

XOXO,
Wendy

Review: Blinc Kiss Me Lash Tube Mascara

2009-10-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

* If this is your first time reading my mascara reviews, please go here to see the BEFORE picture *

Again this is another greatly reviewed mascara. Blinc's Kiss Me is the first mascara to boast tube technology. If you don't know what that is by now, basically instead of just coating your lashes with pigment, this mascara tubes your lashes in a polymer that doesn't come off until you apply pressure and warm water simultaneously.

To me, that is the attractive part. With my oily skin, even waterproof mascara smudges, making me looking like a raccoon in no time. Kiss Me is oil-proof and had never smudged on me. Mind you, I did find a tiny bit of flaking on off days though. But I gave it the benefit of the doubt just because I don't need a special makeup remover to remove it. In fact, it doesn't come off with your conventional eye makeup remover. Warm water and pressure does it, so it easily comes off in the shower.

The brush was just average, nothing to really rave about. This mascara also doesn't add much volume, but a little bit of length and definition. It really is only good for non-smudging and definition.

Would I repurchase? Probably not, not for full price anyways 'cuz ever since L'Oreal's Double Extend Beauty Tubes came out, I can get the same technology for half the price plus adding volume to the mix! However if you're interested, I do suggest trying Ebay first as you can sometimes find cheaper deals there.

XOXO,
Wendy

Review: Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe - Black Cabernet

2009-04-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much luck with CG's original Lash Blast, so why did I purchase this? 2 things: Pink and Shimmer. If a product looked/has those things I'll pretty much buy it. Besides, I saw the Drew Barrymore ad in Glamour and thought she looked beautiful (advertising does help doesn't it?).

I got three colors: Black Cabernet, Black Platinum, and Black Royale.

Out of the tube, you can clearly see the reddish tinge of the mascara, along with the micro-shimmer. One thing that worried me was the glitter. I'm a contact lens wearer, now I'm not an extremely sensitive person, but anything that gets into my eye has got to be irritating.

Another thing is that I see clumps on the brush already, and it's a newer opened tube of mascara.

Well I have mixed feeling about this. First of all, the color isn't very prominent, but I guess it wasn't meant to be since in the name "Black" comes first. But then, it's not very dark either.

The shimmer is only mildly noticeable on the lashes despite them being bountiful on the brush. If you click on the picture above you'll be able to see flecks of it.

Like Lash Blast, it holds a curl some of the time, but also like Lash Blast, I find that it doesn't add as much volume as many other reviews say it does. Maybe my lashes are just too sparse~ :-( It seems like it adds less length that the original too.

I wore it for the whole and found that it held up pretty well. It didn't flake that much but I did notice some shimmer on the bottom of my eye, although I didn't feel any irritation. It defines pretty well.

I'll likely use it again, it's not too flashy so it can be everyday wear.

Review: Covergirl Lash Blast

2009-04-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've heard quite a bit of buzz regarding this mascara. It's received great marks in the volumizing department.

Being Asian, I have no volume to speak of, or length. Or curl. Let's see if this mascara does wonders for me.

* If this is your first time reading my mascara reviews, please go here to see the BEFORE picture *

This is after one coat of mascara. My lashes are definitely more defined. Length seems to be the same though. I think it's just the coating of color that gives the illusion of longer length. Having said that, I guess it helped in the length department too.

However I didn't see the volumizing effect others raved about.

Side view looks better. Overall it looks longer, but not volumized.

In the curling department, it did not help. I had to curl afterwards too. It was iffy in holding the curl too. Some days it held longer, other days it didn't.

Overall it's an okay mascara, not to become my HG anytime soon.

Would I buy it again? Well, I'll have to try all the other mascaras that interest me first then decide.

Hope this helps~

XOXO,
Wendy

My Mascara Routine

2009-04-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here I'll record my routine for applying mascara, so you'll know how the results are obtained and you can compare for yourself.

I've tried using waterproof mascaras before. However, as I have oily skin, and the fact that waterproof mascaras are removed with oil-based cleansers, they are not a good match for me. By the afternoon I'll have raccoon eyes.

I have found that wash-off mascaras work best for me. They seems to smudge less and flake less. I find that curls last longer too for me.

This is my lashes clean and curled. I use Shiseido's Eyelash Curler.

I always apply to clean lashes. I curl before I apply, using the common method of pumping the roots, the middle, and the tips.

After I apply my mascara, I wait for it to COMPLETELY dry. Then I curl my lashes again.

Now I know some people don't recommend that, saying it'll break your lashes somehow. However, that's never happened to me. But it's important that you let the mascara dry completely before you curl again.

And that's it~ I usually use just one coat of mascara.

XOXO,
Wendy

Welcome~!

2009-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pretty 'n About! Now I'm no makeup artist, but the point of blogs is to record whatever it is you want to record and share with whoever you want right? Eating out and recently makeup are some of my passions, and so what better way to chronicle these experiences than to blog about them?

First a bit about me. I've only started to be interested in makeup about 2 years ago (I'm now 20+), so by no means am I a professional or claim to be good at what I do. Having said that, being a novice meant that I'll be trying a bunch of different products to find the ones that suit me. I'm also somewhat of a mascara fiend, as that's probably the most user-friendly makeup product of all. Consequently, I have a feeling most of my posts will be mascara-related.

Over the years I've been trying to find reviews of certain products online and find that a lot of the blogs, although extensive in product range, don't actually show real pictures of what the product looks like on the part of the body it's meant for (ie. eyeshadow on the eye). I just thought it'll be helpful if I actually chronicle my trial and errors whilst providing real pictures for comparison. Wouldn't that be great?

Another thing. I'm frugal. I can safely say that I'll very likely never buy a $20+ tube of mascara. My purchases will mainly be drugstore brands but I do allow myself a monthly splurge, and I do that with great discretion. Skincare, however, I do allow myself to splurge a little. We'll see what that'll bring.

To further help things out, I should probably describe my skin-type and similar information, so you'll know what my experiences pertain to. I am Asian with oily combination skin. Naturally I also have short, straight lashes. Waterproof mascaras and I can't seem to become friends no matter how many times we try. I contribute that to my oily skin. As we all know, waterproof mascaras come off only with oil-based remover, so I guess my face is one big vat of waterproof mascara remover. So, my arsenal of mascaras are mostly the regular wash-off kind.

Well, that's all I can think of that's of use right now. I will add more as things come up~

And that's what this blog is. My trial and errors. I hope you enjoy your stay.

XOXO,
Wendy