All posts filed under: Miscellaneous

5 Things Friday: Japanese Drugstore Finds

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Today’s 5 Things Friday (which I hope I will follow through on forever and ever) features some finds from a handful of Japanese drugstores on my last trip to Tokyo/Osaka. If you have never shopped around a Japanese drugstore, you have never known real joy. (Just kidding.) I think you can tell that I really held back this time around. These are actually pretty practical finds, except for the lipstick… so I’m pretty proud of myself. Heh. I actually have six things here, but let me explain. I picked up the MUJI Nail Polish Remover, which are basically just packets of sheets doused in nail polish remover. My polish was driving me nuts, so I was happy I saw these at a Family Mart! I think they might be acetone-free; the formula was definitely more oily than alcohol-y. Next up is the Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence, which is just facial sunscreen. They have an abundance of these. I just picked one up with a high SPF. I got a 2 for 1 deal …

Graduation

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I got a request for a graduation makeup look, so here’s an attempt. Just a disclaimer: I don’t think I wore a lick of makeup on my graduation day from uni, which was over four years ago. Here are some photos, to humor y’all. (I didn’t style my hair either. Lol. Basically I just didn’t care; I just wanted to get outta there!) And a swanget face with Marb, who I miss and haven’t seen since 2010. 😦 I did not show up for my high school graduation. (I watched She’s the Man in Glorietta instead.) So, you know, I don’t have a lot of experience under my belt, but here’s to trying! I’m going to put together a look that I feel like I would have worn that day if I gave a crap.

Brows

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I think I’ve already expressed my brow frustration many times on this blog. When I try extra hard, I usually overdo them, resulting in a not-so-attractive troll face. I have a naturally unfriendly face, and if I sketch my brows into a perma-furrow, then people will really think I’m out to eat them. I’ve always preferred to keep them natural (I don’t outline and fill in), and my current arsenal of an old favorite—a brow marker, but in a different shade—and brow powder is what gets the job done. I use the K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 24H in 02 instead of 01 and The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit in 02 together. I find that the wetness of the marker helps keep the powder in its place. I roughly sketch out additional hairs on my brows then fill most of the shape in with light strokes of the powder (I use a MAC 266!). Sometimes, I’ll use a clear mascara, but most of the time, it’s just these two. How do you do your …

Unboxing: Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP April 2014

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The April Box for the Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault contained only one product—one of their newest releases, the Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Pressed Powder. I think they sent out Shade 2 for everyone. This retails for $75, while the monthly box costs about $29. “Let’s smooth things over. Introducing a technological breakthrough in anti-aging face products, this luxuriously soft, natural-looking treatment powder seamlessly covers visible imperfections while working below the surface to enhance and improve the skin long term. Key ingredients Vital ET™, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and Sodium Hyaluronate, a major contributor to greater skin hydration, penetrate deeper and result in more pronounced skin improvement due to our proprietary delivery system, TPM®. A weightless powder so silky smooth it feels almost like a cream at first touch, this formula is easily blendable and will not settle into fine lines or wrinkles. Available in 3 universally flattering shades. Ideal for all skin types; paraben free. How to Use: Apply with a brush for sheer coverage, or with a sponge for heavier application. Key …

Spring

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Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday/420! You know, whatever you celebrate. I’m switching up my makeup for Spring (even though it’s decidedly summer over here), and I can’t help but reach for my pastels. It’s not that I look particularly good in them—on the contrary, some pastels can turn me quite ashy—but I just can’t help it. I feel fluttery! A quad that I’ve looked over the past few months is this Chanel Fleuries Ombres in Délicatesse. It was a spring release last year and great to use for brightening up the eyes! For the cheeks, I have a new-ish spring offering from NARS, a powder blush called Final Cut. And for the lips, I’ve got two perfect candidates—the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars in Lydia, an orchid, and Annika a pale pinky peach. What are some of your spring makeup picks? Follow me: Bloglovin' • Twitter • Instagram • YouTube • Facebook

Weekend Spa Session: Dermal Collagen Essence Masks*

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Late last month, I received a package from Barbi Chan (!), makeup artist and editor of BDJ Box’s Beauty Ministry. You can learn more about her here. (She has a lot of helpful beauty tips.) Inside the package were 5 of the 29 “flavors” of the Dermal Collagen Essence Masks*, which have been awarded as the best facial mask in Korea. The masks are specially formulated with high quality ingredients that penetrate the skin effectively to deliver essential nutrients. The 29 different flavors moisturize, clarify, regenerate, brighten, and firm according to what your skin needs. All flavors contain collagen and Vitamin E, which are both widely known as beneficial to the skin. The essence is a no-rinse formula. You can tissue it off before applying your makeup, or massage the remaining essence into your face before following up with your usual night cream. Using it before makeup application preps the skin. You can also use them cold (leave unopened mask in the fridge) to de-stress your skin or warm (soak unopened mask in hot water) …

Beauty Boo-boo: NARS + Washi

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It finally happened. The rubbery texture of one of my NARS compacts has finally melted off. I was waiting for it, and one of them started to succumb to this unholy heat. Granted, it was my first ever NARS purchase, and I wish I could say that it was something other than the ubiquitous Orgasm, but it wasn’t. I am so very beige sometimes. Anyway, I tried to get rid of the sticky, but it wouldn’t budge. So I just wrapped it around in sticky tape. If you’re not familiar with washi tape (how???), it’s basically printed masking tape that originated from Japan (of course). People use it for everything—they even developed larger tapes to cover larger surfaces, much like wallpaper and temporary paint. Basically, I just wrapped most of the exposed sticky surface in a variety of tapes and called it creativity. I think it turned out pretty nice. Pretty summery, which makes me feel like I have created a limited edition packaging for summer days, kind of. I think it’s pretty cute. 🙂 …