All About Eyes - Red, Gold & Black

So this look was inspired by the theme of our Christmas tree this year: red, gold and black. The eyeshadow shades aren't an exact match for the ornaments, of course, I just made do with what I had.

Products Used:

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Palette - Storm (gold) & Sunset (yellow-gold, shimmery red, & matte black)

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

CoverGirl VolumeExact Mascara - Very Black

To start off, I applied the yellow-gold eyeshadow all over the lid and up to the brow bone; then I layered the gold eyeshadow on top to create the exact shade I wanted. Next, I applied the shimmery red eyeshadow to the outer corner of the eye, tapering it off at the end. This eyeshadow was also applied to the outer half of the lower lash line. Then I applied the gold combination on the lower lash line as well, making sure to blend it with the red seamlessly. Next, I took a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend the upper edge out and soften any harsh edges. With Blacktrack Fluidline, I lined the upper lash line and lower water line. Lastly, I filled in any gaps in my brows with a matte black eyeshadow and applied a few coats of mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.

Hope you like this look :)

More Holiday Outfit Ideas With Urban Outfitters

(photos from Urban Outfitters)

How pretty are these dresses? 

Holiday 2010 Collection - H&M

Holidays are right around the corner; that means Christmas parties, lunches, dinners, what have you! That also means we'll all be asking ourselves the age-old question of, "what do I wear?" Hopefully, this post will give you some idea of what you can purchase for yourselves.

Here are my picks from H&M's Holiday collection:

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Winter Staple: Lush - Sympathy for the Skin Body Lotion

The temperature has dropped to below 0 Celsius here in Vancouver, something that doesn't happen often. That means the heater's always on and I'm always using borderline hot water for my baths/showers. 

Now my skin isn't normally dry. In fact, I can go through a typical Vancouver winter without having to use body creams or lotions. But this winter is going to be anything but typical, and I find myself needing to moisturize much more than I usually do. 

Sympathy for the Skin is my absolute favourite Lush body product. It moisturizes perfectly; sinking into my skin enough that it doesn't feel tacky but still leaving a bit of moisture at the surface so I don't feel like I need to apply more. Not that I mind the tacky feeling, I quite like it. But if I'm in not in the mood to sit around waiting for my skin to dry, then I reach for this product.

On top of it's amazing moisturizing abilities, it also smells absolutely delicious! It contains real bananas and vanilla pods, but it smells mostly like vanilla. I can seriously just sniff myself all day, it smells so good... That sounds weird...

If you plan  on purchasing it, keep in mind that it does have an expiration date. However, it's good for about a year so it shouldn't be a problem since there's only 240g of product in the pot. Which reminds me; mine expires in January so I really should use mine up. Not much more to go, by the looks of it!

What's your favourite body cream / lotion?

All About Eyes - An Everyday Look

Products Used:

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Original

MAC Eyeshadow - Naked Lunch, Shale & Satin Taupe

MAC Fluidline - Macroviolet

Cover Girl VOLUMEExact Mascara - Very Black

I mentioned in my October Favourites post that I've been wearing the same look on my eyes for the whole month and well, this is that look. 

To be clear: by "everyday," I don't literally mean every single day. I mean, I won't wear makeup if all I have to do is run errands! However, when I go to Church, or see a friend for a lunch date, or go shopping, this is the look that I do more often than not.

It's quite simple, really! I started off by priming the lid. Of course, you can use whichever primer you prefer; I happened to use the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Next up, I used Sigma's E25 blending brush to sweep Naked Lunch all over the lid. Then, I used an angled brush to apply Shale to the outer v of my eye and also to the crease for some added definition. With the same brush, I applied Satin Taupe just to the lower lash line and blended it in the outer corner. Then I used the Ecotools angled eyeliner brush to line the upper lash line with Macroviolet. I love Macroviolet because it works well with my brown eyes, is less harsh than a typical black liner, and makes the look more interesting by adding that pop of colour. Because the eyeshadows are neutral, you can use pretty much any coloured eyeliner that tickles your fancy. I chose Macroviolet because it plays up the slight purple tones in Shale. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied lots of coats to both the top and bottom lashes. 

Hope you lovelies liked this look!

Inspiration Sunday - Asia Major

(photos from Vogue)

As an Asian/Pacific Islander (semantics, won't get into it) myself, I find it's a rarity to see women whose ethnicities fall under that umbrella in major runway shows, let alone a full editorial in a prominent magazine publication.

But here we see not just a lone Asian woman in an editorial, but eight of them in their very own; seen in US Vogue, no less! Needless to say, it's a proud moment for me.

Of course, I still can't fully relate to them: they're tall, they're thin, they're gorgeous. But knowing there are models out there representing me in a way and knowing that they're being acknowledged by the fashion world, well... Let's just say I'm looking forward to a time when casting multiple ethnicities for a show/editorial will no longer be considered avant garde, but simply normal.

Happy Sunday, lovelies!

NOTD: Revlon - Sugar Plum

This nail varnish is from Revlon's new(ish) line called Top Speed. Like the name suggests, it dries very quickly! Make sure to add a top coat, though! I didn't... Let's just say there's a lot of chipping going down on my nails right now. Nevertheless, it applies very smoothly & evenly and is so easy to work with.

But my favourite part about this nail polish is definitely the colour; how gorgeous is it? The deepness of the shade is perfect for the fall/winter but the shimmer "dresses it up" and makes it an awesome choice for holiday parties or events.

Plus, how can you not love the name Sugar Plum? 

What are you sporting on your nails right now?

All About Eyes - Rainy Night

*Re-posted as I accidentally deleted the previous one. Good thing I had the text saved on my desktop!*

Hello, lovelies! Hope you're all doing well. Some of you may or may not remember, but I did a mini-review of products from Annabelle Cosmetics' Hype collection. It came with two eyeshadows that I didn't already own, so I decided to incorporate them into a look. It was raining a lot when I created it, so it was sort of inspired by the downpour as well :p.

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - (L to R) Revolver, Lagoon, Ultra Violet

Annabelle Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner - Mystic Black

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

First off, I applied some Blacktrack Fluidline on the lid, all the way up to the brow bone, making sure to leave the inner third free of product.

Then I applied Revolver (a silvery, lilac shade) on the inner corner and blended it towards the centre of the eyelid.

Next was Lagoon. If you look at the swatches above, you'll notice it's not very pigmented at all. However, when foiled or applied over a darker base, the colour looks more intense. This was applied from just past the centre of the eyelid to the outer edge, ending just at the crease.

Then came Ultra Violet, which was applied with a fluffy brush to the upper edge of the shadows. I concentrated on the outer half of the eyelid and made sure to blend it well with Lagoon. This eyeshadow also doesn't swatch very pigmented but the colour looks vibrant because of the black base.

Then I took an angled brush and applied Lagoon to the lash line and used a pencil brush to apply Ultra Violet below it.

The last steps were to line the upper lash line with Mystic Black (black with silver glitter), line the lower water line with Blacktrack, apply at least two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes, and fill in the gaps in my eyebrows with a matte black eyeshadow.

And voila:

Hope you enjoyed this look!

Inspiration Sunday - Icons

Grace Kelly - The Princess

(photo from: The Catacomb)

Audrey Hepburn - The Epitome of Elegance

(photo from: Obit)

Mitzi Gaynor - The Triple Threat

(photo from: We Got Bruce)

Cyd Charisse - The Graceful

(photo from: Images)

Rita Moreno - The Spitfire

(photo from: Filmbug)

Julie Andrews - The Voice

(photo from: Martini Pink)

Who are your favourite Icons?

Lush Cleansers - Review

My skin has changed a lot in the last few months. I used to have combination/oily skin with hormonal breakouts but thanks to a rather massive meltdown, my skin is now dry/combination with some pretty persistent breakouts. 

Back when my skin had horrible dry, itchy patches, I used nothing but soothing products. The Aveeno Moisturizing Bar and Korres' Wild Rose Moisturizer really helped to soothe my sensitive skin and get it back to normal. Yes, my skin type has changed, but no more itchy, burning skin!

So, now that my skin isn't so sensitive, I was looking to change my cleansers. However, I was still a bit paranoid about triggering another meltdown so I went with products that were more natural. Enter, Lush's Angels On Bare Skin and Coalface cleansers.

I know Coalface is for oily skin, but I wasn't really too concerned about it drying my skin out because I was going to moisturize anyway. I knew I wasn't going to be able to use it every day since it has gritty particles that can be quite abrasive, and depending on whether or not my skin was feeling particularly robust or sensitive, I would either apply the product directly to my face or rub one side on my hand to create a lather.

If you look closely, you'll see scratch marks and raised bumps on the surface. This is due to the ground charcoal that's in the bar (Coalface is basically Dark Angels in solid form). Like I mentioned before, I wasn't going to be using this cleanser every single day. But it's great for deep cleansing and the gritty particles exfoliate the skin pretty well. 

Since using Coalface (I've been using it for a little over a month), I've noticed less blackheads and some of my blemishes go away quicker. For the stubborn ones that don't go away as quickly as I would like, I've noticed that they don't get as big as my other blemishes have before. I also remember one particular pimple that stuck around for nearly a month and after a few days of using Coalface, the size reduced considerably.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that it does leave a residue after use so make sure to use toner afterwards.

I've used Angels On Bare Skin before and I liked it even then. Since I only use Coalface around 4-5 nights a week, I needed another cleanser to use in the morning. Actually, I lie... I didn't need another cleanser since I still have half a bottle of Cucumber Cleansing Milk from The Body Shop (which I still love), I just wanted another one :p.

Semantics aside, I think Angels On Bare Skin is a really simple but effective cleanser. It has ground almonds in it which are great for gentle exfoliation and whenever I use it, my skin feels very fresh, clean, smooth, and not at all dry or tight. I quite like the scent, too; it smells like lavender and something else I can't place, though it smells very earthy and is definitely not for everyone. However, it isn't strong or overwhelming at all.

One thing that can turn people off from this cleanser (and Lush's other fresh cleansers) is the fact that you need to mix it up in your hand prior to use. Personally, it's not a problem, but it can get messy. I find that the easiest way to use Angels On Bare Skin is by placing approximately a dime sized amount on the palm of your hand and adding a few drops of water. Once you mix it up, it's quite easy to use.

The Final Verdict

I'm definitely happy with these cleansers; Coalface gives me better exfoliation and a deeper cleanse and Angels On Bare Skin exfoliates in a gentler way and keeps my skin clean, but balanced. Another great thing about Lush cleansers is that you can spend only what you want to spend. Each cleanser you see in the photos above cost me $5.00 CAD apiece. So you can either buy a pre-packaged cleanser (usually priced around $10.00 CAD) or you can ask for a specific price and the Sales Associate will measure out a piece for you. But keep in mind that Lush fresh cleansers (these are the ones that come in a roll and aren't solid) expire after 3 months so only purchase what you can use. 

So will I repurchase these? Well, I'll probably try something else because let's face it, us junkies need to keep trying out other products :p. That said, I can easily see myself re-visiting both these cleansers in the future. In fact, this is the second time I've repurchased Angels on Bare Skin.

Have you tried any Lush cleansers?

What's your favourite?

Lest We Forget

Happy Remembrance Day to my fellow Canadians & to those of you from the UK, and Happy Veterans Day to my American friends. 

Most importantly, thanks to the veterans and everyone who is still serving our beautiful country today. We're thinking of you...

All About Eyes - Jazzberry

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset (maroon shade)

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - Jazzberry

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Another one of my "let's take two random colours and slap them together" looks :p.

So I started off with a maroon shade all over the lid and up to the brow bone. Next up, I applied Jazzberry (a muddy, purple colour) on the "outer v," starting from the outer third of the eye and applying the top part a little bit past the halfway point. Then I applied Blacktrack rather heavily on both the upper and lower lash line, as well as the lower water line. I also made sure to flick it out just a tad. Lastly, I applied a few coats of L'oréal Voluminous Mascara on both the upper and lower lashes.

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Inspiration Sunday - Colour Coordinate

(photo from style.com)

(photo from style.com)

(photo from InStyle)

(photo from style.com)

(photo from Lisa Eldridge)

Sorry I've been MIA; I've been pretty sick this past week. Hope you all had a lovely weekend and here's to a wonderful (and healthy) week up ahead!