Festive Look for Christmas

This was going to be a very different tutorial but as I was editing the pictures I realized the look was more appropriate for a Christmas theme, so here you go! Gold and red are the key selling points of this look.

Products used were: 

- Holika Holika Face 2 Change Liquid Roller BB in #2
- Koji Eyebrow Pencil in Brown
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Gemey Maybelline Color Tatoo 24h in #05 Eternal Gold
- Urban Decay Eyeshadows "Half baked", "Smog", "Darkhorse"
- Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black
- L'Oréal Volume Millions de Cils mascara
- Lips: MAC Viva Glam I and Clarins Lipgloss (label got erased sorry)

- Start off with a clean moisturized face, and apply the BB cream. I barely ever use this BB cream because it's quite thick and very white (despite it not even being the lightest shade), but since I was going for ghost pale skin for this look, this was perfect. 

- Apply some shadow base on the eyelids and on the undereye zone, and while the base sets, work on your eyebrows. 

- Once the base is set, apply a light gold cream eyeshadow on the entire eyelid and underneath the eye to create a gold halo.

- With a brush, apply a darker gold shade in the inner and outer corner of the eyelid, leaving a space in the middle with only the light gold. This will create an illusion of rounder and 3D eyelids. Extend the color slightly on the outer corner.

- With a flat brush for more precision, apply a shimmery light brown eyeshadow on the outer V and underneath the eye, stopping a few mm before the inner corner. Blend in with the dark gold shade.

- With the same brush, and the shimmery dark brown eyeshadow, intensify the outer V and the underline to create a gradient look.

- With the gel eyeliner, trace your upper waterline and line your eye, extending the line slightly on the outer corner.

- Curl your lashes.

- Apply mascara. The one I used has specks of gold glitter in it, but you can't barely make it out irl, much less in pictures :D

xoxo

[Kpop Inspiration] CL Eye Make Up in Missing You MV

Continuing their trend of moody love songs, 2NE1 has come out with a new single, named "Missing You". While "Falling In Love" and "You Love Me" were more upbeat, this one is definitely more on the melancholic side and reminiscent of one of their biggest successes, "Lonely". I've always enjoyed 2NE1's MVs, because the make up and clothes are always flamboyant no matter the mood of the song. 

This is a quick tutorial on how to recreate CL's grey eyeliner look in the MV. 

Products used were: 
- Skinfood Red Bean BB Cream in #1
- Koji Eyebrow Pencil in Brown
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow "Tease"
- Too Faced Eyeshadow, gunmetal color from the "Glamour on the go 2" palette
- Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black
- K Palette liquid eyeliner in black
- L'Oréal Volume Millions de Cils mascara
- Lips: MAC Crème de Nude

Sorry for the lighting, the sun set while I was taking pictures. 

- Start off with a clean moisturized face, and apply the BB cream

- Apply some shadow base on the eyelids and on the undereye zone, and while the base sets, work on your eyebrows. CL's eyebrows in the MV are circumflexed, and reach a little outside the end of her eye.

- Once the base is set, apply a taupe brown eyeshadow with a fluffy brush, blending from the outside to the inside of the eye, to create a brown halo.

- With a flat brush for more precision, apply the gunmetal eyeshadow on the lower part of your eyelid, extending it slightly in a v shape like a very thick eyeliner. 

- With the gel eyeliner, line the waterline above and under, making sure to connect the lines at the inner corner of your eye but leaving a space on the outer corner. Apply more eyeliner on the outer corner in a triangular shape. The top line of that triangle should be parallel to the extended line of your gunmetal eyeshadow.

- With the liquid eyeliner, intensify the upper line and extend it slightly following the lower line of the gunmetal eyeshadow. 

- Apply some fake eyelashes.

- Curl your lashes.

- Apply mascara. 

xoxo

[Skincare Review] Skin Food's Steam Milk Mask Cream

Picture from Skinfood's English Website

Following my Sasa post, here is my review for this product.

I am nearing the end of one of my favourite products, Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack, and I liked the concept of an overnight mask, so I went looking into that direction for a new product. What attracted me to this one is the use of steam milk, which reminded me of steam cream, which is another product I'd like to try. I didn't have the opportunity yet because I want to finish other products. 

How does it work? On top of your night time skincare routine, apply a generous amount of cream for overnight hydration effects. Summer might not be the best period to try it since my normal skin gets so oily, but when I tried it the weather was still pretty cool. The packaging is a small pot so not the most hygienice but I use the little plastic sample spoons they give away at Sephora (very practical for all cream pots, I always make sure to grab a few when I pass by). 

The texture of the cream is similar to a thick yogurt (think greek yogurt maybe). It looks comfortable, with a soft baby powder smell, unfortunately upon application, it just sits on your skin. I didn't think much of it at first, since it's supposed to be absorbed overnight. However, by the time morning came it was still just sitting there. On my face. Which felt oh so greasy. Not the best feeling in the world. 

By the end of the day, I had the worst case of overhydrated skin reaction since forever. I don't know if many people encoutered this, and I don't know if I really want to describe it, but it's not pretty. Basically my skin was telling me: not happy. 

I didn't throw this away; I think it might be usable in case of extreme dehydration, maybe in winter after a week at a ski resort; I will give it another go if I have a chance. But for now, I will definitely store it away... And get another pot of Laneige's Water Sleeping pack. Why fix it when it's not broken?

The official pitch: 

A steamed milk-infused cream that immediately melts into skin, transforming dry skin into a soft, firm, smooth texture, like a facial mask does.

[Steamed Milk Story]
When steamed, milk turns into a mound of microfine bubbles that are sustained with all the benefits milk has, and yet feels silkier and sogter to the touch. 

*To Use
At the end of your daily skin care routine, apply an ample amound to the face with gentle strokes. 

xoxo!

[Skincare Review] Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum

Picture from Avene's official website

This is my HG serum. I've used at least 4 or 5 bottles over the past few years, and always come back to it. 

Serums are the one product you might want to invest in, because their formula is generally more concentrated and targeted at a specific skin trouble: pores, wrinkles, spots, etc. I think most younger skins don't really need any wrinkle or spot correctors. My main trouble is a dehydrated skin with fine lines (especially on the forehead and around the mouth) and slightly enlarged pores on the cheeks. My pores have never really bothered me, although a few times I've been told to buy pore refiners by some SAs. More concerning for me is the dehydration and the fine lines, and this serum helps in fighting them. The texture is a slightly watery gel, and the pump bottle delivers just enough product for the whole face with one push. I warm up the product in my palms and apply after lotion. It absorbs quickly and leaves a slight film on the skin (which I appreciate, because it makes me feel like my skin is protected from agression, or something, but I know some won't). I wake up with supple hydrated skin. I sometimes skip the cream afterwards, especially if the weather is more humid. I just had a near disastrous experience with the steam milk cream from Skin Food I mentioned a couple of post earlier (details to come in a future post), and a good skin diet with lotion-serum only in the evening helped my skin rest.

Other serums I've tried: Bioderma Hydrabio, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery, Clinique Even Better. The Even Better is the only one that felt confortable on my skin, absorbed quickly and leaving a bouncy feeling, but I did not see the spot correcting effect. 

The official pitch: 

Intensive soothing and hydrating care for sensitive skin, irritated or weakened by external factors (stress, pollution, unsuitable skincare…). The Soothing Hydrating Serum is highly concentrated in Avène Thermal Spring Water providing an immediate calming effect. The thermal water is carried by liposomes (patented system) to ensure an optimum long lasting diffusion in the upper layer of the skin. The glycerine improves the skin hydration, suppleness and comfort. Thanks to the delicate formula of the Soothing Hydrating Serum the skin is silky smooth and rebalanced. Paraben free.  

It retails around 21€. 

xoxo!

In Cosmetics Paris April 2013 Part 1: Upcoming Beauty trends

Last month was held in Paris the first In Cosmetics forum of 2013, where professionals of the industry meet to finds new ingredients suppliers and catch up on the latest trends. I attended as a visitor because I was interested in some of the conferences. Here's for you a little summary of the upcoming beauty trends to watch out for! I'll do a separate post for the make up part because this post was getting way too long.

BEAUTY

A changing view on UV rays and sun exposure

Do you use BB cream with SPF50 PA+++? Apply sunscreen as a make up base and never go out without a hat and dark glasses? UV rays are probably the biggest concern for a lot of us beautystas, terrifying riders of Doom and sunspots and early wrinkles. 

Well as it turns out, too much protection will lead to a "lazy skin syndrome", much as muscles will go flask without exercising, you skin will be more sensible to the slightest UV exposure if you never ever let it breathe. Moreover, as women, we are more sensible to osteoroposis and weakened bones. Sun rays will provide you with vitamin D, absorbed through the skin. Since my mother is a doctor she tends to be double careful when it comes to this and makes me drink a capsule of vitamin D every six months or so (you're supposed to be drinking one every once a year so I need to remind her that YES, I had it this year, thanks Mom). 

Anyway the explanation and comparison with muscles seemed pretty sensible to me, and despite having a skin very prone to sunspots (especially on the lips, sob) I do enjoy some days in the sun just so I can get that "healthy dose" of UV rays. 

New skincare and beauty treatments are aiming to turn UV into a positive light (Biolumen and Luminotherapy)

Of sensitive skin and stress

You've probably noticed how lack of sleep and hectic everyday life can affect your skin and cause unwanted trouble. Well there is a connection between the brain and the skin health, a no stress situation will cause the neurotransmitters to release endorphins which help your complexion glow and your skin to shine (à la Edward Cullen in Twilight?)  

Careful use of beauty oils

This one caught my attention because one of my dehydration relievers is Décléor's rose oil, which is lovely not only for the scent but also the great emollient feeling. So basically the latest research show that beauty oils might fry your skin under sunrays. Huh I know, not pretty, did they not think this thoroughly before launching the products? So i guess I'll use the rest of my bottle at night only. 

What do you think of these new beauty trends? 

xoxo

 

Sasa Order and First Impressions

Sasa is probably the best-known website for Asian cosmetic and skincare products. It offers a huge selection, not only of Asian brands but also European and American. The only drawback for me is the minimum order amount for free shipping to Europe ($100) which is just about the limit over which you get custom duties. From my experience, I've noticed anything over 100€ gets taxed, and I'd rather not risk it for $100. However, Sasa regularly organizes free shipping events for lower amounts (usually $19.99, $29.99 or $39.99). This is the latest order I've received from them. 
 

Skinfood Steam Milk Mask Cream

I was attracted to this for three reasons: 

1) I am running out of Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack, which works great against sudden bouts of dehydration (after sun exposure for instance) 

2) I've recently finished my Skinfood Avocado Rich Toner and Emulsion, and I was quite satisfied with them so I wanted to try another product from the brand 

3) I've been considering purchasing Steam Cream, and this one had Steam in the name. Lol yes I'm totally buying the marketing. I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but the packaging is super cute, it's a small milk carton.

From the official website:

A steamed milk-infused cream that immediately melts into skin, transforming dry skin into a soft, firm, smooth texture, like a facial mask does.

[Steamed Milk Story]
When steamed, milk turns into a mound of microfine bubbles that are sustained with all the benefits milk has, and yet feels silkier and softer to the touch.

* To Use

At the end of your daily skin care routine, apply an ample amount to the face with gentle strokes.

So basically the instructions of use are the same as Laneige's sleeping pack, apply a generous amount after skincare routine. 

K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h WP Limited Edition

I had a discussion a while ago with the super nice author of Bittenbefore who recommended this as a really waterproof formula which could resist through sweat. I tried it today and unfortunately, on me it doesn't perform as well as Dollywink's liquid eyeliner. Maybe it's a difference in formula between the Japanese and HK editions, or between the regular and limited edition, but Dollywink held up very well after my sweaty dance lesson with almost no smudging, and K-Palette couldn't last through a regular day (and very cold to boot, since winter has been awfully persistent this year around here). It smudges noticeably on my single eyelid and also tends to transfer on my undereye area. I'll do a more detailed review after I've tried it some more and compare it with the Dollywink. 

Koji Spring Heart Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown

Cheap + automatic + integrated brush, that's all I ask for in an eyebrow pencil. 

Shiseido Aqualabel Moisture Lotion R

This was my HG lotion when I was living in China. Amazingly I don't think my skin has ever been better as when I was there. Pollution you say? Apparently my skin loves it and thrives in it. Maybe I should do facials in the parking lot or something. So I've been wanting to go back to that time of skin bliss and recreate my skin care regimen of old (but I think good sleep schedule also played a huge part in that). It's also quite pricey for a lotion (about 15€) so if I find a suitable replacement in France I won't repurchase. I've only used it a couple of times so I'll update on that later. 

xoxo!

 

FOTD - Green and Coral

Greens and purples are great for emphasizing dark eyes, but they can be tricky to apply, the wrong shade can make your eye look bruised and people look at your s/o suspiciously! But colour is a great way to add drama to a day look without looking garish. Here I used Urban Decay's Book of Shadows II, Absinthe and Protest, and as you can see the colour is visible mostly when my eyes are closed, but people definitely noticed the enhancement. UB's eyeshadows quality have improved over time, since I use mostly the Naked Palette 2, I can feel and see the difference. BSII's eyeshadows have great colour payoff but they do crease by the end of the day, even with a base, whereas Naked 2 hold better. Still, I was impressed that the make up was okayish after an hour of sweating at my dance lesson - apart from the creasing, everything held pretty good. 
 

Other products used: Skin79 Oriental BB Cream, Japanese liquid eyebrow liner whose name rubbed off completely, Dollywink liquid eyeliner in black, MUFE aquaeyes champagne eyeliner, YSL Rouge Volupté #26, L'Occitane rouge à lèvres Corail Brocart, Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact #9

xoxo!