Category: beauty

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beauty lipstick monthly faves skincare Uncategorized

February Beauty Faves: Lipsticks, Blushes and more!

Just a quick round up of my beauty faves! February went by so fast right?  Here are some of my favorite buys for this month and some that I picked up specifically for spring and the changing weather.


I picked up a few things from Pur Minerals as I’ve tried their foundation (that I love) but haven’t yet tried their makeup.  Just the perfect things for everyday wear.  A pretty pink blush and lips that aren’t too bright but just enough color.  So far loving all of these.  The color payoff for the blush is fab and can be blended pretty easily.  The lipstick goes on very smoothly and is not drying at all and the gloss is a perfect complement to the lipstick and not sticky.

 
Pür Minerals Chateau Cheeks Pressed Powder Blush – Kinky
Pür Minerals Chateau de Vine Mineral Lipstick  – Georgia Peach
Pür Minerals Chateau Kisses Plumping Lip Gloss – Glitzy
Get them all at Ulta (I love shopping there) or at Pur Minerals where they are currently running 20% off everything!

I love Murad’s skincare line and when I saw the Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips, I had to try it out. I worry about my skin as I get older and hate to see fine lines anywhere.  This is supposed to help take care of that can be worn by itself or underneath lip color and other makeup products (or as a lipstick primer!) and can be applied both on and around the mouth area.  It’s actually a great base for lipstick, I think it helps make it last a bit longer!  The Soothing Skin and Lip Care I use as a lip balm and this is my 2nd tube of it, it’s one of my favorite lip balms I own and that’s saying a lot as I’ve owned a lot!  It’s not too greasy, the tube dispenses just the right amount and it leaves my lips smooth and soft.  Definitely one of my favorite makeup basics that I always have to have on me.

Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion
Murad Soothing Skin and Lip Care

My obsession with Milani continues!  I grabbed another color of these blushes and lipsticks (review here)

Milani Color Statement Lipstick (Matte Passion and Matte Orchid)
Milani Rose Powder Blush (Romantic Rose)
The other color I have is Tea Rose which I got a few months ago and has been one of my most used blushes so I had to pick up another color as well.  And I love the rose design!

A few months ago the Clinique team invited me to a fabulous little get together so that they could show us some new products as well as some best sellers and so we could speak to the team personally about each of the products.  It was amazing to get a private showing of all the fabulous products that Clinique carries!  I haven’t broken out all of the products that I was gifted with until now and I love this set of Chubby Sticks.  I never thought of using a blush in stick form but I really do like it.  It’s easy to put on, very blendable and I think because of the cream consistency it ends up lasting longer than powder blushes.  I like it more as a base and put powder blush over so that my blush ends up lasting all day.  The shadow stick is great as an eyeshadow base with a pretty shimmery color and the baby tint is like a lip balm with a bit of color.

http://rstyle.me/n/xmyvdhmm
Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint 
Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes 
Chubby Stick Moisturizing Cheek Color Balm 

A product that I am absolutely loving is the Clinique Smart Serum.  I’ve been using this for the past few months and have seen a huge difference in the fine lines around my eyes and just generally around my face.  I don’t think I can live without this product now!  It is now one of my skincare essentials. 
http://rstyle.me/n/xppyhhmm

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beauty lipstick reviews Uncategorized

Lipstick Queen Bete Noir and Queen Bee

I think I mentioned this before but I’m on a lipstick kick so I’ve been trying out all sorts of new lipsticks.  I’ve wanted to try out Lipstick Queen forever as I’ve heard a lot about the line and I’ve always loved the name and the pretty packaging, I just haven’t had a chance to until now! 

 

This is the “Bete Noire” collection and the colors are a lovely deep “black cherry” shades.  Possessed Sheer on the bottom and Possessed Metal on the top.  Now I
typically go for the nudes or the pinks so this is quite a different
look for me but I thought it was quite the appropriate color to wear
during the winter while it is still so cold.  I been gravitating towards
all black in my wardrobe lately so I’m loving the darker lip paired
with the look.
The color of these lipsticks are not just beautiful in the tube they are just as gorgeous on.  I also love the formula, for Possessed Metal, it’s very smooth going on but then it slighlty dries to your lip (but not in a bad – I need chapstick kind of way) so that the color stays to your lips and lasts for hours.  Possessed Metal has a very pretty metallic gold to it so that when it catches the light it gives your lips a bit of a different shade.  Posessed Sheer is a much more lightweight lipstick, it goes on very smooth and creamy and very easy to layer.  
I take weird lip selfies so I don’t have any photos of it on me but I grabbed this from Ulta’s website and the colors are very true to this on me as well.
 
I also tried out Queen Bee which is a lip treatment.  Kinda like a super amped up chapstick.   It’s enriched with Royal Jelly and contains chamomile and sunflower to help soothe chapped lips.  This is now permanently part of my handbag essentials, I have to carry it with me everywhere.  The best part (I think) is that it’s a bit of a gold shimmer so even when you are not wearing lipstick and just need this to help with your chapped lips you’ll get a pretty shimmer to your lips!
 
(If you are wondering I got two Possessed Sheers, I didn’t try Possessed Intense hence why there’s no review on that color)

You can get the Bete Noir lipsticks at LipstickQueen and Ulta and Queen Bee at LipstickQueen and Space NK
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beauty lashes reviews Uncategorized

Mink Lashes Review – Esqido Lashes

I’ve worn false lashes for a really long time now but my experience has always been with drugstore lashes.  ESQIDO mink lashes recently contacted me to try out their lashes and when I clicked over to their website I was very much impressed.  They are mink lashes and the band is made of cotton so it’s really comfortable to wear.  What I also love is that they say you can get 25 uses out of these lashes!  The price is higher than synthetic lashes but when you compare it to the cost per use it’s actually pretty comparable.  I don’t wear false lashes every day so I love that these can last me 6 months or more.

They sent me the “unforgettable” style which is perfect for me.  Just long and full enough to create a natural look so it’s not too obvious that I’m wearing lashes.  I can these all day long and they don’t bug me at all.  They really do look very natural.  What I like most about false lashes is the fullness that mascara just can’t give you.  These give a very full look to your eyes and blend beautifully in with your natural lashes.

My final look with the lashes.  Also wearing Too Faced blush | Revlon eye liner | SHU UEMURA Eyelash Curler
| YSL Lipstick

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beauty mascara pacifica perfume reviews Uncategorized

Pacifica Roll on Perfume and Mineral Mascara Review

I got a fun package in the mail last week from Pacifica, a brand that I’ve loved for awhile now.  When I opened it up I saw this pretty box and got very excited!  What can I say, I’m a sucker for packaging!

  

Tucked inside was some awesome products that I haven’t tried before so I was excited to try them out.

A little while ago my friend told me that her daughter was playing with her makeup and ended up hiding her mascara and since she couldn’t find where her daughter hid it, she had to go without mascara that day.  It hit me that that would never happen to me unless my daughter were to hide all 15 of the mascaras I currently own!  LOL!  I love mascara and never can just have one.  I have ones that I use as a base layer and then a top layer, I have ones that are just for volumizing, ones for creating length and ones that do both. I mean I am obsessed!  When I saw that they included this mineral mascara, I was very happy to try it out.

 
One thing that I love about Pacifica is everything is vegan and made with all natural ingredients.  I think this might be my first mineral mascara that I’ve tried and it is amazing!  It totally gave my lashes volume and I can do 2 or 3 coats but it doesn’t give me clumpy or spidery lashes at all.  Love this formula and how pretty is the packaging too.
http://www.shopstyle.com/action/loadRetailerProductPage?id=436868488&pid=uid8201-77149-35

I’ve actually been a big fan of Pacifica perfumes for a really long time.  I buy their solid perfumes to keep in my purse and they are especially handy when flying, since they are a solid you don’t have to worry about the 3 ounce rule or about it spilling in your bag. Most importantly you can use it to freshen up a bit after you land so you don’t smell like the airplane! 

In my package were Tuscan Blood Orange, Tahitian Gardenia and Hawaiian Ruby Guava perfumes.  The blood orange is my favorite, it’s sweet and fruity without being overpowering and just smells so good!  But the others are a close second.  I really love their fragrances as they are all very light and airy and can be worn during the day or night.  It’s so hard to describe fragrances but my best description is just simply “delicious!” I mean it’s like smelling your favorite flowers or fruits it just smells so good that you almost want to taste it!

http://rstyle.me/~43RmL

These roll on perfumes are perfect to take anywhere as they fit into my handbag without taking up any room (they are about the size of a pen) and in my opinion they seem to last longer than the solid perfumes, so when I’m not traveling I’m taking these everywhere with me!  They currently are 15% off and at only $10 each, it’s a good excuse to try out a few of the scents.

I think I’m going to try French Lilac next!


 
And I thought I’d mention that you can get your very own pretty box as they are offering it free with a $40 purchase on their site.  I love the box as much as I love the stuff that came inside!  I’m currently using it to store these goodies along with a few other lotions and perfumes. 
http://www.pacificabeauty.com/
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beauty memebox reviews skincare Uncategorized

Memebox Collaborations – What’s in the box!

http://us.memebox.com/user/tiffanyish

I’ve talked about Memebox a few times before and it really is my latest makeup/skincare obsession.  This is actually my second and third box (you can see a few of the items I received in my first box in my post here).  Memebox is not a subscription box in that you purchase a subscription and then you just get a surprise box each month.  Memebox is simply just a box of cosmetics/skincare that you choose what you want, when you want it and you’re not committed to any type of subscription.  All the items are Korean brands and supposedly some of the more popular items in Korea that they pick to be in boxes. 

They’ve been doing some fun collaboration boxes with beauty youtubers and I got two of them.  I admittedly don’t watch youtube videos often so do not know the youtubers involved in the collaborations but being on their site, I know that these collabs go quick so I wanted to see what the fuss was about!  In fact, the collab boxes are currently sold out.  I just got my box last week so I’m really not that late on my review but I still wanted to show you guys just because their site has so much variety and it’s fun to see what’s in the boxes!

First is the Samantha Schuerman x Memebox.  I love that this box included a little bit of everything from makeup to skincare to hair.  I absolutely love what came in this box.  I’m not going to do a review of everything as I still have yet to use it all but for $23, you get all of this!  All full size products and just a fantastic variety of products to try out.  I just love Asian cosmetics, the packaging is just so fun!  So far I’m loving the “Too Cool for School” blush and the Butter Cream Lip Mask which has really been helping moisturize my dry lips from this cold weather.  The pigments are gorgeous too and add a fun bit of sparkle to your eyelids without being too much.

Here’s the Vagabond Youth x Memebox.  This one was just make up products, but still a variety of products.  I’m loving the glitter eyeliner.  It’s just a hint of gold which is fun to layer on top of my regular black liner.  And the lip color is super long lasting!

I am just a huge fan of Memebox.  I love trying out new products and especially with it being all Korean brands, it would be hard to get over here so it’s fun to try out things that I would never be able to buy here.  There’s so many new boxes that they come out with monthly and it’s fun to see the different themes.   I may order the All About Brows and the Hair Salon box next!  Each box is around $20-$30 which considering I usually spend that much on one or two products, it’s pretty awesome to get a whole box full of stuff for that price!

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beauty milani reviews Uncategorized

Milani EyeTech Liquid Eyeliner Review

I love eyeliner.  Without it, I look tired and my already small eyes look even smaller.  I’m always on the hunt for a good pen eyeliner and here are my two most recent buys!

I think I learned about Milani after watching some beauty tutorials on Youtube.  It has a bit of a cult following and I hadn’t tried it until I got a few lipsticks (seen in my review here).  These eyeliners caught my eye as I liked the small size and the fact that they are pen liners.  For some reason pencil liners smudge really badly on me and pen liners stay in place all day long so unless I’m doing a serious smokey eye, I still go with the pen liners.

 

The Eye Tech Liquid Eyeliner (the gold one) is just a great every day liner.  I love how easily it goes on, I don’t need to press down to much to get the line on my eye and it controls really nice, you can press a little harder for a thick line but the thin tip is great for just a minimal line if you don’t want too much.  It is water resistant and smudge proof – I really do get an all day wear with it which I love.  Removal wise – it is easy to take off with my makeup remover wipes.  For being under $10 – I highly recommend this little eyeliner.  It’s such a great size to keep in your bag in case you do need touch ups or if you just want to add more! 

The Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Eyeliner is shaped funny for a good reason, it’s supposed to be a more ergonomic way to put on your eyeliner and you know what?  It really works!  I was pleasantly suprised at how easy it was to use right off the bat.  I thought it would be one of those things that you kinda had to get used to and get the technique just right but I picked it up and it just felt comfortable in my hand and it really does help with putting your liner on.

Both liners in terms of the actual liner is the same consistency and everything so really the only difference is the handle.  I love them both and highly recommend if you are looking for a new eyeliner to try out.

Just thought I’d add this recent instagram photo in as these are my daily essentials, a little blush, eyeliner and lip gloss and I’m out the door.  Follow me on Instagram!



NARS Blush | NYX Butter Gloss
Prada Saffiano Double Zip Tote
phone case is a custom illustration – read my blog post here!
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beauty how to lashes reviews Uncategorized

Lashes for days (+ how to put on false lashes)

I love false lashes.  They are something that help my small eyes really stand out and I appreciate whoever invented them!  I know a lot of people are afraid of them or say they are time consuming but I’ve been wearing false lashes since my make up artist friend introduced them to me about 10 years ago! For me to put on false lashes takes about as long as applying mascara.  The biggest tip I can give you is practice, practice, practice!  You will learn the best way to apply to your eye and then it will become second nature to you.  If you are interested I will have my tips below on applying them and helping them stay on.

Joi, the owner of Lash Closet recently reached out to see if I’d like to try out some lashes from her store and she seriously spoiled me!  I love everything that she sent.  For everyday I go for the more subtle lashes – the Ardell 110 seen below – are perfect for the everyday lash.  In the past few years I’ve mastered the invididual eyelashes and I often will use 3 individual lash clusters at the outer edges of my eyes and it really makes quite a difference.  Layer mascara over your real and false lashes and nobody can tell the difference.

 

As you can see, the Lash Closet sells everything that goes along with lashes including glue, eyelash glue remover (you only need that when you use the stronger individual lash glue) and even eyebrow gel.  I love the selection of lashes she offers.  I usually buy my lashes at the drugstore and they always have a minimal selection so it’s nice to see how many styles there are in one place.

For those of us lash addicts out there, the Lash Closet offers a subscription service where you can customize your own sets of 10, 15 or 20 lashes and they will automatically send them to you and you save 10% on all those lashes.  Such a great idea as I know those of us who use lashes on a regular basis are always trying to stock up when we can.

I haven’t tried out these red cherry lashes before so am happy she sent a bunch for me to test out.  I’m already loving the styles.  I typically won’t do the heavier lash set like #101 but it’s great to have on hand for halloween costumes. 

My eyes are so small that photography does not really capture the effect of the lashes but in person you can definitely tell the difference.  Here’s a few recent selfies to show you the difference.
without lashes (just mascara)

with lashes
How to put on false lashes:
  1. Always do this first step!  Most lashes do not come sized to fit your eyes (especially small Asian eyes like mine)  Cut them to fit your eyes and I would say even aim to go smaller than your eye – this will apply to step 4.  Test them out on your eye without any glue on them just to get a feeling of where they will sit on your lid.
  2. Layer your glue on the lash strip carefully.  Put enough on just to cover the lashes but not too much or it will goop all over your eyelid. I recommend the Duo Dark Adhesive.  Wait about 10-15 seconds for the glue to get tacky.
  3. Curl your lashes so that the falses lashes will blend into your natural lashes.
  4. Looking down at a mirror (I prefer a tabletop magnifying mirror for this step) apply the inner corner first.  The reason why I said in step 1 to cut it smaller than your eye is that I often don’t pull my lashes to very inner corner as sometimes the lashes can get too close and irritate the inner corners.  I will put the lash as close to the inner corner without actually going in.  I hope that makes sense.  Basically do it at the point where you open your eyes and can see the lashes.
  5. Once the inner corner is placed you can carefully align it to the rest of your eye.  Adjust as necessary.  The glue will still be tacky enough to move at this point but do this quickly as you don’t want it to get too sticky that you can’t move it.
  6. Once it’s in place just hold the lash onto your eyelid for a few seconds to ensure that it stay.
  7. After the glue has dried, apply a liner (I recommend this Rimmel Eyeliner) on top of the lash strip and eye lid so that it all blends together and is not obvious you are wearing lashes.

Some people like to add mascara to the false lashes and natural lashes but I don’t do this step as I don’t find it necessary and the lashes last longer without the addition of mascara.  I actually use all my lashes at least 10 times before tossing them!