Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Ancient Computers

There's nothing worse than working on a computer which barely has enough memory for you to browse the internet. To heap salt on the wound, it doesn't have enough memory to follow through with my GMarket purchase! Why does GMarket only work properly with Internet Explorer? And why can't Internet Explorer make a browser app for smartphones?! If I finally get back to a computer from this decade and everything's sold out or increased in price, I will be devastated T_T

Friday, August 24, 2012

Save on Scents Sniffies Order

I've become quite curious about scents since I don't know how to properly describe them. Thus, I ordered myself a few samples from Save on Scents to train myself. They allow you 5 scents/ order of Sniffies, but I accidentally thought it was 4 only = made 4 orders and only listed 16 scents. Man! If I had been in my right mind I would have only paid for 3 orders and removed a scent. Alas, SOS (haha!) contacted me and asked that I list 4 more.



I hate these sample tubes because they're almost impossible to open for me (feels like the contents will spill everywhere). And some did spill in the bag anyways. Careful, if you have oil on your hands, the ink on the label will get all over.

So below, I attempt to describe them =P Uh oh.

Sandalwood Classic: OH.. that's what that scent is. Not sure how to describe except to say that it's warm and something I smell frequently paired with vanilla.

Jasmine & Primrose: Lovely floral scent. Something that I smell often as a bath product- soap/ detergent.

Guava Fruit: It does smell like guava, but has a hint of something else- kind of like a candy + perfumey, but not in a nice way. Not a clean guava scent. Blegh.

Honeysuckle Rose- Smells like honeysuckle and rose. Doesn't blend well nicely. The honeysuckle takes over. It's also too "clean"/ simple of a scent.

Green Tea: Doesn't smell like green tea. Smells like some other perfume

Green Tea and Jasmine: I smell the Jasmine, but there's something funky with their green tea, so the scent is strange.

Essential Oils-

Cedarwood: Like a cedar block. Sharp, hint of a "grass" type of smell.

Lavender: Smells like lavender scented things. You're hit with a strong pungent nose clearing scent, with an underlayer of something slightly sweet and floral.

Lemon: I know what a lemon smells like, I just wanted to see if I could make any interesting combinations. This one smells like lemon, a little hidden sweetness, and a hint of the bitter citrus peel.

White Grapefruit: Mmmm! Smells just like grapefruit. Fresh citrus scent.

The below are "keynote" scents, supposedly commonly used for perfumery

Chypre: Smells like baby powder (or does baby powder smell like it?) but fuller.  Also spelled wrong on the label (unless they gave me the wrong thing)

Pimento: Sharp, woodsy, kind of like the cedar block I just bought to keep moths away. This is what leaked everywhere, so my scents are slightly contaminated. I like it, but feel that it is more appropriate in potpourri. Maybe in small amounts?

Thyme: Sharp, herby, slight "mint" kind of effect. Smells like something we use on bug bites (asian thing). Not really sure what other scents can be paired. Although this with the Chypre/Pimento combination makes for a warm "spicy" scent.

Tonka Bean: Yum! It has kind of an almond scent going on. You just want to eat it.

Galbanum: Wow that is intense X_X. Sharp, smells like when you break off a piece of a juniper plant or something.

Artemisia Wormwood: Smells like spices. Can't really describe more...

Sparkling Aldehyde: It does smell like a "sparkling" drink. And a little fruity.

Cardamom: Haha, this one is funny. Another spicy scent. Hint of mint/cinnamon (ok not really) thing going on. Hint of sweetness. Smells like cough drops- so eucalyptus?


FAVORITES: Tonka Bean and Sparkling Aldehyde

Speaking of scents, I'm trying to pick one to wear for when I meet people from 10 years ago (vacationing). I need something that says I'm more mature and successful (and yet the "real" me is still so childish and prefers lighthearted things). .__. It's because all these other people have successful children (my age), and it seems like I'm the only dud of the generation. It's currently between Oscar de la Renta's Live in Love and my Hello Kitty fragrance. Maybe I should bring both just in case. I have a couple others but those are more "stuffy".

These impression ("face") things are no joke. You can bet I'm loading my bag with all my makeup gear and contacts (can't look like a dork when everyone else is all beauti/handsomified). My toes are getting another coat of Zoya Indigo before bed- hands are getting Pasha- I think. Don't even get me started on shoes. I know I need a pair of comfy walking shoes, then the bronze platforms are coming, but not too sure if I want my maroon heels. AUGH.

What Does Your Lipstick Say About You?

I came across this interesting post by Tarte Cosmetics attempting to relate lipstick shapes to your personality. http://tartecosmetics.com/blog/2012/08/23/what-does-your-lipstick-say-about-you/

"Ever hear of the lipstick index? It’s the theory that lipstick is an economic barometer. Hmmm, cosmetics predicting finance… maybe. But one thing we know for sure is that the way you apply your lipstick can predict key personality traits.
Need proof? Reach into your bag, pull out your lipstick and compare it’s tip to the seven most common shapes of used lipsticks, which are listed below. Then let us know how closely your personality matches up!"

Thus, I went hunting to see which one I was. For the most part, my lipsticks have different shapes depending on how used they are. For the older ones, I noticed they take on a flatter shape. Then I read the description:

"Flat top: The Diplomat
She has a carefree disposition, she is eloquent… a born diplomat. Friends often ask her for advice, because she is a good listener and always gets to the heart of things. She handles her lipstick just as straightforwardly as she goes through her life. It is worn off flat and reliably. Women do not consider her a competitor, and men do not consider her a sex object – no matter how pretty she looks."
HOW SAD IS THAT?! On the one hand it's like, oh, nice. On the other it's like... wait a minute...
Now, what does it say if your lipstick's melted (got a few of those recently)?? You know this thing isn't too far off. My economic barometer is indeed indicating correctly- finances are in the pits.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Zoya: FeiFei, Song, and Nova

Of course Zoya would release a BOGO coupon code the day I get my polish order. Ah well, now I really don't have enough polishes I'm craving to get the free shipping on that. Now I'm really holding out for the gold and white gold flakes that are supposed to be coming out.








Left to right: FeiFei, Song, Nova


FeiFei

I was most looking forward to this. I think I hyped myself up too much. It's described as a steel blue and appears that way on everyone's blog photos, but it actually has a hint of green in my eyes. I wish there were less of those green yellow glitters and more of the pink. That would give it an interesting twist. The color sparkles more under my yellow light bulb for some reason. Requires 3-4 coats.

Song

Absolutely beautiful. The blue is so intense and stunning. Reminds me of heels in cobalt blue. The photos really don't do it justice. Then again, it is level 5 in opacity.

Nova

The most feminine of my set. I thought it would be a boring color, but that wasn't the case at all. This particular shade of pink pops! Again, photos don't do it justice. It's a gel type of polish with glitters.

Overall the formula for all were really smooth.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

A Look at Allure September 2012

I had something I wanted to say beforehand, but as usual I forgot it all =P. EDIT: I remember! So something that I didn't realize annoyed me is when you mention a friend in a facebook post, then they tag someone else, then that person tags a whole bunch of other people. I know this sounds so silly and petty, but I can't help but think "dude! I don't know you! stop tagging all these random people!" Then again, I am a pretty private person.

Well, they're still sending me these darn magazines to fill up my recycling bins with. This is just a quick browse so the pictures are not going to be amazing and will have random flash spots (I just want to point things out).

Giorgio Armani's Acqua di Gioia is actually quite nice. It's an energetic scent. What I found most interesting is that there is a hint of mint! haha.


I'm actually liking the Vince Camuto Must better than the Peter Som Lust. The bag however has to be Alexander McQueen. The structured silhouette has my eyes fixed firmly (if only I had the money!). I could care less for the DKNY bag.The Derek Lam Lust is intriguing (although not on me, on a tall person), and the Alexander Wang boots are where it's at. Forget about these Nine Wests.


I squealed in delight at this pretty page of heels. They're all lovely, but I keep returning to look at the Derek Lam. Without the ankle strap, it would look a bit retro and dowdy for my tastes, but the strap puts and interesting spin to the shoe. I want it in a different color. That green is too hard for me too pull off, haha.


Love her outfit and the statement pieces!


Loving this dress. I do smell the citrus and florals in Isaac Mizrahi's Fabulous. It's a nice fresh clean scent. 


Chloe does indeed smell clean, sophisticated, chic- in a gentle way, not in a disgustingly cloying perfume way. It kind of reminds me of how asian cosmetics and skincare/bath items are scented. I'd get it if it weren't so darn expensive! Body lotion and shower gel are $50 a piece. Can you make a $20 rollerball version of this too?


Ah! I haven't even tried out the newspaper print manicure, but these barcode nails sound interesting. I will have to try them out.


My favorite part of Allure. LOVE the dresses and the coats.


Loving the Dior dress on the left. I'd need someone to donate it to me and somewhere to wear it to.


LOL!!


Oscar de la Renta's Live in Love made a sample appearance in this issue as well. It's definitely growing on me. I guess that's what separates good perfumers from the layperson- the scents they make just start smelling better and better. Personally I would use this as an evening scent, but I can see how it would work as a day scent for many out there.

That's it!

Oh, and there was a sample of L'oreal's BB cream Illuminator, so look forward to a review of that. It's in Medium though so I don't expect much from the color.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick- Toasted Almond

I'm still looking for the champagne nude lip color. I stumbled upon Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Toasted Almond and thought it might do the job.

This lippie is indeed very moisturizing. Really like the formula. It has a scent that fades away after application.

Unfortunately, this was not the color I was looking for. The shimmers are silver and become very prominent. I do, however, really love the transparent top. It's very sturdy and sleek.







Ah well, better luck next time!

Hello Kitty Roller Girl Eau de Parfum

So excited! I tested this out at Sephora for fun because of the huge hello kitty top. Turns out I really like it!

The main attraction for me were the fruity top notes. It smells like apple? lychee sometimes. Then it fades into a pleasant warmer scent- doesn't smell too old school perfume-y at all. I'm bad at describing scents, but you should at least go test it out. I kept debating whether or not to go back for the big one, but then I reminded myself that these scent things take me forever to finish.

How cute is the packaging?! The outer box has Hello Kitties all over.





Coastal Scents Haul!

I've been in dire need of a new gel liner for months now, and I'd read about Coast Scent's gel liner on a few blogs ages ago. The main thing stopping me from immediately purchasing is $50 needed to get free shipping. I didn't rack up $50 worth of purchases, but I figured this mini lot would make it more worth my while.

Really appreciated how CS just used a box large enough to hold everything. Not like all the other companies that use huge oversized boxes.





CS Divine Line Eyeliner- Black




The packaging is bulky, but I like how there's a brush attached. Unfortunately it is quite thick and my lines become uneven. It has been compared to MAC Fluidline and rated to be similar by other bloggers. The application is extremely smooth and the color is indeed a nice black. Unfortunately it does smudge with a big of water, and gave me panda eyes by the end of 8 hours. If you do check up/ touch it up throughout the day I think it should be no problem though.

CS HD Foundation

I was extremely interested in this product, but if you know me then you know my skin tone is weird. So I purchased 3 of their sample sets. I'm so glad I did get the Fair set after all- at first I thought I wasn't that light. People claim that the stock photos misrepresent the colors, and that the colors are actually lighter irl. I found the opposite to be true. The colors were darker irl for me.

The overall texture is nice, and would work for those with slightly oily skin to slightly dry skin. It does indeed give a nice appearance for photos.

I really don't understand the numbering. And some colors were so red and unfortunate looking.

Left to Right: 01, 02, 03
Left to Right: 3B, 04, 4B, 05
Left to Right: 2B, 5B, 06, 08
Top Row, Left to Right: 01, 02, 2B, 03, 04, 4B
Bottom Row, Left to Right: 05, 5B, 06, 08

I googled to see approximately which color I should be and arrived at the answer ST-4B for NW20 skin. When I first applied, I mentally screamed in horror as the color looked too dark and yellow. However, I'd forgotten that I tanned these past few days! The color is still a tidge too yellow for me, but it's barely noticeable.




I mixed 4B with the pink toned 01 and got something that would work for my winter color.


Coastal Scents Silica Powder Spheres



This product does help is smoothing out the look of the pores, but as you can see, it also has issues with flash. I'm lighter, so the effect is less harsh, but you will want to blend this product in very very well.

Coastal Scents Fragrance Oil- Sweet Musk

I think I must really be unable to detect musk. I do get a "woodsy" and candy "sweet" scent, but they are very faint and I smell nothing else.

Coastal Scents Fragrance Oil- Gardenia

Smells floral =), not the heavy cloying scent.

The other things I will maybe review another time!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Cami Secret: Clip on Cami Review

I bought a "one of a kind" dress for 50% off. With various coupons it ended up being just $20+. It looks pretty average, but what I love is the cut out opening at the back. The only problem is that it was obviously not tailored to fit me. The front comes down wayyy too low. I went in search of something that I could put/ sew underneath so that I wouldn't look scandalous and the dress wouldn't be "cheapened" too much by. Thus, I stumbled upon the Clip on Cami.

It comes in a pack of three with your basic neutral colors. People complained that the snap fasten couldn't hold thicker bra straps. It's pretty adjustable, and I don't know how thick your bra straps would have to be for it to not fit. Works for me.

One thing that you have to note is that it is a free hanging piece of cloth. To make sure it doesn't make odd shifts, I suggest taping it to your dress or something.




The dress looks better than this, but it was hard to get a good angling while cam whoring.  It is stiched oddly such that the breast area ends up looking kind of pointy though. I will have to make adjustments- perhaps bringing the fold all the way up.

Laneige BB Cream Review and Slice of Life

First things first. I finally finished reviewing the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Cleansing Oil (Love it!) and Schick razor HERE.

So the Laneige BB cream. This is going to be a different kind of review because, the reviewing circumstances are a bit interesting. What happened was that I had always wanted to check out the little cosmetic alcove at H-mart. BUT, I was afraid the sales associate would hawk me. So I finally went with a friend. Apparently she and her mother frequent the area often and the sales associates know her mother. As feared, the sales associate would not leave us alone (expected). She constantly kept asking what we were looking for and would not accept the, "Oh, just looking..." answer. In fact, she kept trying to push product onto us. I'm talking REALLY pushing product onto us (unexpected). It seemed like she was rushing us snappily and by the end of it all my friend ended up with a $17 pot of lipgloss and $28 lip treatment. I was like... uh, did you really want those? (or did she pressure you into it?). Even my friend thought the sales associate was unusually pressing.

I'm the type that likes to look around first, and try random things on my own. If I like it, I'll take it, if not, I'll leave. I HAD NO CHANCE TO DO SO. Sales associate rang my friend up and practically shooed us away (it wasn't lunchtime or closing time or anything like that). I just barely managed to get her to let me try on a Laneige BB Cream. Truthfully, I wanted to swatch them all and decide for myself. She picked one out and swatched it on my hand and face.

IT IS SOOO NICE. I told her I had dry skin and she picked out this one that seemed to have a traditional character/ design on it (didn't get a good look). Yes, that means that I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS BB CREAM IS CALLED! T^T oh the horror!! The texture is lovely, it doesn't sink into the lines and look strange. Very moisturizing- it's like I don't have dry skin at all. I asked her how much- it looks like a travel size so I thought at most $30. "$16" I heard. What?! Hey that's not bad at all! So I said sure and went to pay. "$64.20". "What? I'm sorry, how much?" "SIXTY-FOUR TWENTY. The $4.20 is tax". "UHHH, sorry, I don't have that much money- I'll come back next time" NOT!!

It's a lovely BB cream, but $60+?! I'm sorry for such a tiny thing, no. The lady looked really pissed off when I left >.> oh well. It's not like I wanted to waste your five minutes. You didn't pronounce it right. Friend: "Did you think she said 16?" "Yea..." "Me too..". We agreed that if I REALLY REALLY liked it (I do), then $40 would hurt, but would be ok to do. $60? No -__-.

Then I got outside in normal light and saw that the shade was off anyways. Good thing I didn't get it. It was the heavens blessing me. Color is too orange, can you tell? It also doesn't have good coverage.




Summary:

  • Extremely moisturizing.
  • Goes on smoothly and doesn't look strange in the creases.
  • Light-medium coverage
  • Expensive
We concluded that the lady does pick out nice products, just a bit snappy. She could probably use some products for her face too. Those eye bags make her look like in her thirties. For an asian that's not good- unless she's really in her fourties.

Do you have an idea of which Laneige BB Cream this might be? Let me know! If they have a lighter color I could probably do a more proper review after ordering samples. Meanwhile maybe I can try the cheaper Laneige Snow BB Cream.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Putting Empty Sample Boxes to Use!

These few months I've built up an arsenal of empty sample boxes. It seems wasteful to throw away into the recycling bin, and yet I didn't quite know what to do with them. Some I'm reserving to gift Christmas presents in. Yes, it is early, but I always manage to not get my gifts out on time- in my case it's never too early to start preparing.

I suddenly had an idea while trying to clean out my organizer (ha!).



Before, I just shoved these polishes into the drawer and that was that. Unfortunately they kept rolling around and getting in the way. This way, they're packed in more and stay more stable. I put a box on the left to hold all the samples I've accumulated thus far. And in the back is another box for polishes that I rarely use.

Thank goodness I cancelled one of my boxes. Just can't seem to use them all fast enough. And it was eating at my money too -___-.

Have you found other uses for empty boxes?

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Glossybox Recap

I cancelled my Glossybox, but thought it might be nice to do a recap of all my boxes.

May 2012 - Liked this box overall. The extra brush wasn't very useful because it's rough. Phyto wasn't that exciting, and Zoya Arizona I already have. Everything else was wonderful.





 June 2012- The only thing I really enjoy from this box is the Ahava.






 July 2012- The Almond lotion, foot cream, and the conditioner are nice. The conditioner may be drying out my hair though. Not completely sure.



$21 was too much to spend every month on something I like but don't love.