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Friday, April 25, 2008

EOTD: Goin' Smokin' Blue

The title says it all.

EYES: (All MAC unless stated otherwise)
UDPP
Moon's Reflection on inner 1/2 lid
Moonflower on outer 1/2 lid and inner 1/3 of lower lashline
Carbon on outer corner (blend in to crease and over Moonflower) and lower lashline
Zonk Bleu! on middle lid and blended up and toward Moonflower
Flashtrack over Carbon and lower lashline
Tilt over Flashtrack and crease and blend in towards 2/3 of inner eyes
Milania's Atlantic to line upper lashline
Shroom to highlight
Blacktrack to line
Spiked for brows
Ardell random false lashes

WARNING: HUGE & UGLY ZIT ON RIGHT EYE/PHOTOS! PLEASE EXCUSE!

With Flash

Without Flash

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

EOTD:Day-time Dark Brown Smokey Eye

This look is very wearable for a day-time smokey eye look. It is very pretty and quick. You can make this look more dramatic by adding more darker color to the corner eye and add false lashes. I don't usually wear false lashes because my contacts (clear) don't really last long on me. To end the look, go with nude lips as you want your eyes to stand out the most.

I finally had time to play around with my camera and was able to change the light exposure back and forth to capture the true colors of my eye shadows.

Eyes: (All MAC products)
-Bare Study p/p
-Saddle e/s
-Typographic e/s
-Brule e/s
-Graphblack e/l
-Spiked
-Estee Lauder MagnaScopic mascara




Tuesday, April 22, 2008

FOTD: Simple Brownish-Green

I don't know what to call this look so I'm going to call this a "simple brownish-green" look. It's very subtle and the green olive color is very pretty in person. I got tons of comments today about this eye look. I really like it!

I am still working on how to take a good eye or close up picture so that the eyeshadow colors will show up vibrantly. Also, I use the macro mode but it seems like every picture I took was always not as vibrant as I wanted to be. I am very frustrated that most of my FOTD photos did not really capture the true eyeshadow colors I would like you guys to see. I seriously need some photo-taking methods. Please!!!

Face:
-Smashbox Foundation Primer
-Studio Fix powder
-Blot Powder
-Trace Gold blush
-Buff blush

Eyes:
-UPDD
-Sumptious Olive 2/3 of lid
-Kid to crease
-Nylon to inner corner and lower corner/lash
-Rose Blanc to highlight
-Spiked to brows
-Blacktrack f/l to line uppper lash
-Mystery to trace over Blacktrack f/l
-Graphblack to line lower lash
-L'Oreal Voluminious mascara

Lips:
MAC Barely Lit
NYX Megashine l/g in Natural

um...My sexy pose... eh? behind my husband


Saturday, April 19, 2008

Hauls: Back-2-Mac and Fafi

So, today the hubby and I drove the kids and went to Sacramento Arden Faire Mall. I took 60 emptied pots to do the 'back to mac' and received 10 eyeshadows. On the way back home, we stopped by Modesto Vintage Faire Mall and grabbed the Fafi Eyes 1. I know, it took me a while to get that quad because I did a lot of thinking. Don't ask me why, I wasn't really interested when it first came out. Now, I think I kind of like it after one of a MAC MA tried it on me.

Top L-R: Antiqued, Plum Dressing, Flourishing, Velvet Moss, Bronze
Low L-R: Mythology, Jest, Knight Divine, Brule, Club


MAC Fafi Eyes 1 quad.
I decided to get the Fafi quad after two months of thinking!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Tag: Camera I use for my FOTDs/EOTDs

Hi guys! I don't know if anyone has already started a tag similar to this one but I'm going to tag my fellow bloggers for their camera types used for their blog photos.

The camera I use to take my blog photos are:

(I don't have any camera photo b/c I'm at work while typing this so I'm stealing from some sites)

Nikon SLR D40 for swatches, hauls photos, and full/half body shot
This camera is my hushand's! He loves to take pictures and he's good at it too!
Picture from: www.nikonusa.com

Canon Powershot 8.0 for close-up face/eye photos
Picture from: www.usa.canon.com


I tagged:
Christiana Divine
Vanessa
Lynne
Anne
Confessions of a Makeup-Addict
Christy Too Addicted
Lizz

Sorry if I didn't get to anyone but I would still love to see/read the camera(s) you guys use for your blog. Thanks!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

FOTDs: Simple Bronze Brown

Today I worn a neutral and simple bronze brown look to work. These pictures were taken before I needed a shower so I thought I'd post it up.

FACE:
Nothing

CHEEKS:
Trace Gold
Secret Blush

Eyes:
Shroom
All That Glitters
Woodwinked
Satin Taupe
Engraved l/l
Spiked
L'Oreal Voluminious mascara

Lips:
Barely Lit l/s
Uperpeach c/g



Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Tagged!

I don't know why but I like being tagged!

Things I'm passionate about: (not in any particular orders)
-my kids
-my husband
-my parents and siblings
-my education
-the welfare of children and adults
-MAKEUP!
-cooking
-SHOPPING!

Things I'd like to do before I die: (not in any order)
-obtain a doctorate degree
-Send my kids to college
-get backpain surgery
-buy a house
-pay off my educational loans
-buy my lovely and supportive parents new cars/a place to live
-become a beautiful grandma
-get eye laser/lasik
-grow old with my husband
-open my own business
-travel/expore South East Asian countries
-go on a cruise

Things I say often:
-Oh. O.K.
-Really?!
-No. no. no! (in a childish tone)
-I know
-Shit!
-You want to do it?
-Oh my goodness
-I need coffee
-What!

Books I've read recently:
-Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
-P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
-Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts (I love Nora Roberts!)
-a lot of required class textbooks and readers

Songs I could listen to over and over:
-Some love Hmong songs by my fave singer Somchay Yang
-'Rehab' by Amy Winehouse
-'I'll Be Waiting' by Lenny Kravitz
-'Who Knew' by Pink P!nk
-'Innocence' by Avril Lavigne

Traits I'm attracted to my friends:
-trustworthiness
-kindness
-honesty
-open-mindedness
-appreciate me for who I am
-passionate about children and the elders
-supportive
-caring and considerate (think before speak)
-respect
-humor
-be able to take jokes because the hubby and I joke a lot
-goal-oriented
-drama-free

I know most of my fellow bloggers and readers already been tagged so I'll tag who ever stumbles upon my blog that hadn't been tagged yet. Tag you're it!

FOTD: A Conservative Look?

Yesterday night, I went with a White friend to her parents' donation conference regarding the presidential elections coming up this year. We were asked to dress and act conservatively. To be honest, I can be both conservative and/or liberal depending on the situation I'm in. For this one, the gathering wasn't a bit deal about acting like a conservative person but the way we looked. I thought it would be an experience just to attend and observe the environment. During the gathering, I noticed that three-fourth of the 140 attendees were Republicans, very professionally dressed, and some were not friendly approachable at all. I felt a bit awkward being the only Asian person there. However, I loved the food and drinks (mostly champagne)! They probably had over 20 different kinds of food to chew on. I wish I could take pictures to show you guys (will be drooling as well) but it wouldn't look professional standing over the food taking photos. However, I did manage to sneak a few pictures of me in the restroom. Ha!




No, I didn't wear just this see-through cleavage shirt by itself. I actually had a light mini jacket over it. Otherwise, the old men will be eye-ing me all night and their conservative women would be too dramatized. Just kidding!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

FOTD: Purple and Blue

Here's a sloppy purple and blue look.

(All products are MAC unless otherwise stated)
Face:
Monistat Chafing Relief Gel
MSF Foundation in NC35
StudioFinish Concealer in NW25
Blot Powder in Medium Dark

Cheeks:
Sculpt/Shape Powder in Lightsweep/Shadester
Trace Gold blush
Secret Blush blush

Eyes:
UDPP
Zonk Bleu! on inner corner and lower lid
Moonflower on middle lid
Tilt on outter corner/v-shape
Fertile to contour over Tilt and line lower lid
Pink Freeze to highlight
Engraved liner
Spiked
Shiseido Mascara Base
A random Estee Lauder sample mascara

Lips:
Slimeshine l/s in Pleasing
NYX l/g in Natural


PEACE!

Monday, April 7, 2008

FOTD/EOTD: Quick Run-down on Vegas Day 2 Look

I was asked by Yummie411 to do a run-down on my second day look during my Vegas trip. You can view my Vegas pictures by clicking HERE.

Face:
Monistat Chafing Relief Gel
MSF foundation in NC35
Blot Powder in Medium Dark
Sculpt/Shade in Lightsweep/Shadester
Trace Gold blush
MSF in Light Flush

Lips:
Tinted Lip Conditioner in Stroke Kiss
Gingerroot l/l
Barely Lit l/s

Eyes: (used lightly)
UDPP
Shroom to highlight
Goldmine on lid
Amber Lights on corner eye
Seedling to crease
Mystery over Seedling on crease and v-shape
Blacktrack f/l
Graphblack on waterline
Spiked on eyebrow
random Ardell falsh lashes


Thursday, April 3, 2008

Depotting Eyeshadow/Blushes Story

Hey guys! I'm so proud of myself for SUCCESSFULLY depotted most of my eyeshadow and blushes (around 50 all together) for THE FIRST TIME. The method I used to depot my e/s and blushes was the heating (using hair straightening iron) method. Well, I tried following Enkore's method of using 91% alcohol rather than heating but I failed. I guess it was because my wire cutter was being stubborn on me. I was also too scared to chip any of the powder while trying to open the black pan apart so the alcohol can flow in. I found that using the hair straightening heating method was much quicker and easier although fume was coming out of the wax paper. The fume wasn't that bad and it was bearable. It took me about two hours to depot all 50 e/s and blushes. The sad part was that I still chipped off some of the blush powders (Secret Blush, Dame, and Buff) while trying to remove the black pan out of the pot, anyway. I was so mad but I still managed to work so hard on these things.

I still have more e/s and blushes to depot; unfortunately, I am running out of palettes. I can't wait to take my emptied containers to do Back To Mac for the first time. I think I probably able to get over 10 e/s because I have more than 70 emptied "Back 2 MAC" containers. That means I have to drive an hour and a half to Sacramento because that's the nearest MAC store from where I live. It'll still worth the time because getting 10 e/s is like free MAC (not really in a way)! I have to go to Sacramento anyway because I'm taking my sister to find her prom dress.

I planned to depot my Milani's eyeshadow and the NYX trios shadows. What's the easier method for depotting Milani and NYX eyeshadow?

Anyhow, please share the method(s) ya'll used to depot your e/s and blushes. Thanks!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Want Alternative MAC Brushes for Cheaper Prices?

Hey guys! Michaels is having their annual lowest prices of the season starting on April 6 to 12. Loew-Cornell brushes will be up to 50% off the original ticketed price. Make sure to detach the 40% off coupon on the ads if you do receive one in the mail.

click to enlarge
Sorry... the brushes are dirty!

My fave Loew-Cornell brushes (the brushes are made of natural hair):

1) 3/4 Maxine's Mop: I use this brush to contour/define my cheeks,jawlines, and sides of the nose. The brush works wonderfully and the bristles are really soft to blend out the coutouring color. I like this brush better than the MAC 168, which is also used for coutouring or applying blushes. This '3/4' brush is fluffed round tip and soft to contour on the sides of the nose. Yes, this brush is used for Art purposes but seriously I have used this brush for over a month now and it does not have any scratchy feeling. By the way, the handle is purple! I believe I got this brush for over $10 with 25% off. Ohh, I noticed that RenRen has used this brush couple times on her tutorials for contouring.

2) 3/8 Maxine's Mop: I love love love this brush. It is my alternative brush to MAC 239. It works well with e/s and pigments; really grabs the color and/or pigments. The bristles are very soft but firm enough to adhere pigments or loose powders. I got this brush for $3! Love it!! Ohh, purple handle too!

3) 1/4 Maxine's Mop: This brush is almost the same version of the 3/8 Maxine's Mop but smaller in size. I would say this brush is identical to MAC 231. I mainly use this brush to shade my inner eyes/corner. Very soft and dense bristles. Another keeper for a cheaper price *yelling* $2!!

4) 1/4 AMM Mini Mop: This brush is an alternative to MAC 225 but smaller than the 224. I like this brush for shading and blending eyeshadows. The fibers are very soft and it can be used to wash out bold colors or for light e/s applications. The handle is green! About $4-7... not sure!

5) LC #6 AmericanPainter in 4500 Filbert: This is almost similar to MAC 249 but much smaller and the bristles are longer. The texture feels the same as the 249 and it works well for lips application or concealer in small areas. I use this brush to apply MAC Tinted Lip Balm in 'Petting Pink'. It really digs into the lines of my lips. The handle is pinkish-tan color. $2.50.

6) 3/4 Expression Robert Simmons E52 Oval Mop: This brush is super duper soft and awesome for defining the cheekbones and sides of the nose. The brush can also be used for blush application using circular motions. I want to say this brush is almost similar to MAC 192 but not as full and softer, IMO. I love using this brush for my cheeks because it really picks up the color and I don't need to swipe three-four times to really get the color to show up. Also, this brush is amazing in defining smaller cheekbones or cheeks that most Asian girls have (like me). I think I got it around $12.

Now that you got a taste of my fave LC brushes, are you going to grab one during the sales? If you're at least thinking of getting one, I suggest the '3/8 Maxine's Mop' because it works as well as MAC 239.

You can also order the brushes online: http://www.rexart.com/loe_asst_nat_brushes.html
I still think it's cheaper to get the brushes online but if you don't want to pay for shipping then check out Michaels instead.

I'll be picking more brushes as back-ups.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Can't Get Enough of MAC: More Hauls

Happy April Fool's Day my fellow readers and bloggers!!

Here is another post of my recent MAC and CCO hauls. During the past weekend, the hubby and I took the kids to L.A. for Disneyland. I'm so proud of the hubby that he drove 14 hours round-trip to Vegas and 10 hours round-trip the next day to L.A. without a rest and did not complain once. I guess he could be a truck driver then. Well, at least that may part of his retirement plan, to be a truck driver so he can travel the world (wants me to go with him).
Anyway, my son got sick and the weather there was kind of dull so we decided not to go to Disneyland. Instead, the hubby and I checked out Camarillo Premiun Outlets and Desert Hills Premium Outlets. The hubby is such a shopaholic! Seriously, I was actually the one that always have to wait for him or nag him to leave when it comes to shopping. The hubby shops more than I do and he is soooo into LACOSTE. Anyway, since I am building up my MAC collection I thought I'd show you more of my recent hauls.
I know a lot of my bloggers already have these colors but I'm too proud of my purchases so I'm going to show it anyway. Happy reading/looking!

Click photos to enlarge for close-ups.

Purchases at the MAC counter
e/s top row: star violet, parfait amour, moon's reflection
e/s bottom row: expensive pink, greensmoke, & burnished brown from The Body Shop

Purchases at Desert Hills Premiun CCO
Eyeshadow Left-Right: Fertile, Moonflower, Flashtrack, Zonk Bleu!, & Falling Star
I'm so happy to get MAC 187 for $29.50. I'm so going to return my 187 ($42) back to MAC!!

My daughter's school picture day!

My daughter suggested that I do her hair this way. She is such a brat!
Daddy bought her the shirt! Sorry, hun... I can afford MAC but not Lacoste!

 

Chatterbox

I thought having a chatterbox here would be more accessible to leave comments/suggestions and for my replies. Or if you like you can always leave comments on an entry you find interesting. Thanks!