My minimal face for Fall

NARS blush in Deep Throat
L'Oreal Voluminous waterproof mascara in black
Maquillage by Shiseido eyebrow pencil (102, GY921)
Canmake eyebrow pencil (02)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 in NW-25
Prestige waterproof automatic eyeliner in 02 Expresso
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on eye pencil in Bourbon
Shu Uemura eyelash curler
Kiss Me Heroine Make volume & curl mascara 

I am a foundation girl all-season. I just need the coverage foundation gives me and I can't part with it. But recently I have been finding myself reaching for a slightly different routine than my typical liquid foundation face routine. Now, if there is one thing you should know about me, it is given any day throughout the year I am in a rush. That's just reality that I have to press the snooze button several times before I drag myself out of my cozy bed. Getting ready and turning myself into a relatively-presentable state with shortest amount of time is my daily goal.

To achieve that, I have rekindled my love for MAC studio finish concealer. It is a thick, high-coverage concealer and I use my fingers to warm up the product and apply to my skin directly. After covering my blemishes, acne scars, and any other imperfections, I turn right to MAC MSF natural to set the concealer. MSF natural doesn't give a lot of coverage but I like how it never looks cakey on my skin. To boost the coverage a little bit, I usually reach for my elf flat-top powder brush to apply the powder. And this is pretty much my face makeup. If I have an extra 30 seconds to spare, then I will apply a tiny bit of NARS deep throat blush onto my cheeks to give my face some life.


Face is done, now my eyes. Eyebrows have become a must in my book nowadays. My brows are a little bit sparse especially towards the arch, filling them in just frame my face so much better. Eyebrow pencil is the quick and easy way to go. Some people complain about not being natural when using an eyebrow pencil, I think doing it in small, light strokes is the key. My favourite eyebrow pencil at the moment is the Maquillage eyebrow pencil. Maquillage is a line from Shiseido but I am pretty sure it's not available in North America. I bought mine from Hong Kong but when this runs out, I will have to look for alternatives here. It's quite special because one end is a pencil, and the other end is a powder. The powder can be used more for the "head" of your brows to give a softer look and the pencil can fill the rest. Not only do I like this convenient design, the colour match is quite perfect for me. I used to use the Canmake eyebrow pencil, which is a dark brown colour. But through time I find it is a little bit too "reddish undertone" for my brows. I still use it sometimes because I am trying to savour my Maquillage pencil and trying to use this up. The Maquillage pencil is more of an ashy brown colour. But if you ask me, I will definitely choose the Maquillage eyebrow pencil over the Canmake one.

For eyeliner, I prefer brown eyeliners more than black. I think it is just softer and more suitable on a daily basis. I used to never wear eyeliner because I just think it's too much and doesn't fit my hooded eyes. However, recently it has grown on me. I still don't like doing a thick line all across the lid, but what I do is to tight line towards the end of my eyes and to do a half-line on my lids. This just gives my eyes more definition, and at the same time, still natural enough. The two trustworthy eyeliner pencils that do not smudge on me are Prestige waterproof automatic eyeliner in Expresso and Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Bourbon. Two different price points yet I love equally. Bourbon has a little shimmer in it so when I fancy some glitters on my eyes, I will choose Bourbon. (And when I say shimmer/glitters, it is really really really subtle.)

Lastly, curl my eyelashes with my holy-grail Shu Uemura eyelash curler and splash on some volumizing mascara. Yes, two options again, namely L'Oreal voluminous waterproof mascara in black and Kiss Me Heroine Make volume & curl mascara. I don't just stick with one thing all the time. I like some varieties. I really am not one of those people that will get into a rut with makeup. So this means, I am not sure how long this "routine" will last, haha. But that's the fun of experimenting with makeup.


p.s. I took these pictures on a very nice Fall day, definitely a day to remember......  

Something that you don't have to own, plus a little update

It has been exactly a month since I last updated and it is just the perfect timing to check in about my 1am-challenge progress..~ I was pretty good at making a "check" mark on my schedule when I went to bed before 1am, for the first half of the month. Although I failed to keep track on papers, I did manage to mentally remind myself to go to bed before the 1am "deadline". Sometimes, I failed by a few minutes. Some nights, I knew it was just meant to be a "fall-back-to-old-habit" kind of nights. Overall, I think I did meet my target 50% of the time. Still LOTS of rooms for improvement definitely and I can feel that I am starting to feel more lax about my 1am deadline. Time to pick it up and be a little bit more rigid! (Oh and did I mention about the daylight saving? The clock has turned back for an hour so that should have done some good to me too! Cause I feel sleepy earlier ;))

Ok, now that is being addressed, we shall talk about something else. Today, I wrote my final exam for one of my courses, and this marks the last exam in my undergrad life (hopefully). It's not like it is the first time and I really don't have any special feelings about it. But thought I should still make a note of it. Besides, what is better than enjoying a post-exam free Starbucks caramel brulee latte? ;) And the fact that no Starbucks staffs can spell my name? Haha, I appreciate their creativity.

My name has just gotten shorter, lol 

I always like to do a "little" shopping after some hard work has been done. I didn't get a chance to go shop today after my exam, so I thought I will pull out a dress that I tried on earlier. Surprise, surprise, I was at Winners again. The iPhone camera is totally not doing a justice here. In real life, the dress is a gorgeous chiffon type of material and a hot pink (rather than a red showing up here) fabric. It's so soft and so comfortable. And did I mention it's from BCBG? I am always drawn to BCBG but I can't afford the price tag. This dress retails for about $80 CAD at Winners and considering it is BCBG, this is not bad at all (and who knows the original price...)! I knew I wasn't going to get it before I walked into the dressing room. I just can't resist trying it on. At least I can have a picture of it. The price tag is a problem, but more of a problem is I don't really know when & where will I wear this. I have to occasions for this dress sadly.

That's all for my rambles today. I am excited about the holidays season coming!
But I know the upcoming months will be a very stressful period for me... well, well, well.

p.s. one more month till our 6th anniversary. 

Challenge me, today is the day...

Today's talk is a little bit different from the usual beauty rambles.

But, hey, this is life. 

Life is not just about beauty products (obviously). 

An old picture of Popo, wearing her boyish hoodie and not willing to get up....-.- 

Today marks the start of my "1am-challenge". 


I had an "intense" argument with the boy a few days ago about healthy living habits (why we started this talk and the details can be omitted. lol), and clearly, I have not been doing well on the "sleeping pattern" spectrum. I have long had this problem with not being able to go to bed early and wake up early in the morning, even during holidays when I am supposed to be less busy and more flexible with my time. In short, I have bad, irregular sleeping patterns that are NOT good to my well-being......

Root cause? Probably poor time management and lack of self-discipline. (I'm feeling exposed....-.-) I want to make changes and that's why I am here to set my very first goal: trying to go to bed before 1am each night. I am going to track for a month that how often can I achieve this goal and report back. I know this is a small, little step, but I would rather be more realistic and start small.

Well, I don't think there is much needed to be said. Wish me luck and let's see how it goes. ;)



P.S. I made this "challenge" public and now there is NO TURNING BACK!!!!!!!! 

Yet another beauty wishlist

What do you do when you are itching to shop? 

Make a wishlist and call it a day. 

1.) Dior Shimmer Powder in Amber Diamond 

Applying a highlighter is not part of my regular day-to-day routine but isn't this shimmer powder gorgeous even just to look at? I have heard numerous people raving about this highlighter and I have been wanting it forever! Not to mention this is totally a multi-task product because it doubles up as eyeshadows. I know Physician's Formula makes similar products called "shimmer strips" but I don't think my desire of wanting this powder will ever rest until the day I got it.

2.) L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil 

I have chronic dry skin due to eczema so a moisturizing, gentle shower product is a must-have, especially during the colder seasons. As Winter is approaching, this L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil sounds appealing to me. I believe I first heard about this product from Hannah (her youtube channel), and although I don't think I am a huge fan for almond scent, I am intrigued. I smelled it once in the store and there isn't an over-powering almond scent at all.

There is only one problem. 

I have been holding back because I just have way too many shower gels sitting in my cabinet....... -___- Two in use, eight still waiting at my beauty stash, hoping I will pick them up next..... I blame Bath & Body Works' semi-annual sale for this...... How on earth will I be able to to finish all of them before Winter hits? I don't think it's possible, but I will at least try my very best to use them up. I really don't think those B&B shower gels are moisturizing enough for my skin's need. Not to mention, I get super sick of those scents very quickly... (I must have lost my mind when I picked those up, clearly my brain was shut off. Sales are dangerous!)

So let's see when I will pick this L'Occitane baby up.

3.) pai camellia & rose gentle hydrating cleanser 

Not going to deny I have never heard about the brand pai before my fellow Canadian blogger/youtuber Sandra (her youtube channel) talks about this cleanser in one of her latest videos. She said she bought this upon A Model Recommends' (her youtube channel ) recommendation, and as a 3rd party here myself, it is simply impossible pass on this. As far as I heard, it is a creamy cleanser without any preservatives. And of course anything rose-related attracts me. pai is not available in stores here in Canada so I will have to order it online if I really decide to take the plunge.

Let the empties continue...

OK,
so let's just jump right in without further ado, we have lots of talk about!

(Left to Right)
My beauty diary peach soda eye & lip makeup remover (dual-phase)
MAC Fix+ skin refresher / finishing mist
Fancl mild cleansing oil (special edition bottle)

• My beauty diary peach soda makeup remover - I remove my eye makeup separately from my face makeup and I have come to the realization that dual-phase removers work the best. This is no exception. I like it a lot, doesn't leave a greasy film on my eyes yet effective! There isn't any special scent to it despite the name. It is pretty to look at though because the bottom layer is a pink liquid. =) I also like the scroll cap packaging, easy and do not have to worry about leaking. Good for traveling! 
• MAC Fix plus - a very popular product in the beauty community. It's an OK product to me, it works in terms of making your makeup looks more dewy and less powdery. Staying power? I am not 100% sold. I also am not too crazy about the mist, the packaging doesn't produce a mist that is fine enough. As opposed to what the salesperson said, I didn't think MAC Fix plus helps to fight humidity. I was using it during my stay in HK, where heat and humidity are all there is left in Summer months. Still, I think this is not a bad product and I might consider repurchasing for Winter. 
• Fancl cleansing oil - Holy Grail status in my book! My first cleansing oil and I always have this on hand no matter how many cleansing oils I try. 

(Left to Right)
Laneige water sleeping pack plus
Chanel Precision UV essentiel daily protection SPF 45/PA+++
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri anti-chip top coat
NUXE intensive firming cream
Origins super spot remover
Dior Miss Dior Cherie L'eau Eau de Toilette 

• Laneige water sleep pack plus - an overnight mask that gives moisture to your skin when you are sleeping. To be honest, I have used a few jars of it before even though I can't say I am crazy about it. However, I discovered it is quite good to use during long haul flights. May repurchase but I kind of want to try something else for the moment. 
• Chanel prevision UV essentiel daily protection fluid - big NO NO for me. Yes, you would think everything from Chanel must be good but I struggled to use this up. I hate sunscreen being thick and greasy and this is exactly how I feel about this. I used this up by applying it to my neck area. I do not recommend this at all. =(
• Sally Hansen insta-dri top coat - a great, affordable top coat and I did enjoy it a lot. Like the mega-shine top coat, it is no exception that towards the end of the bottle, the product gets too thick and goopy to use. Still trying to find my favourite top coat but I will certainly keep this in mind. 
• NUXE intensive firming cream - I love the smell of this cream! It came from a sample set and it claims to have bamboo, amazonian plants and kigelia africana in the product. Can't speak for the firming ability but I would repurchase just for the scent. However, I am unable to find this line in stores so I wonder if it's like a limited edition thing? 
• Origins super spot remover - I need to have at least one acne treatment on hand at all time and this serves the purpose. I actually already repurchased and am using the 2nd bottle of it. I find it hard to say if any of these acne clearing products really works, but my philosophy is to "keep holding on". This spot remover doesn't make my skin peels with 1.5% salicylic acid in it, and it works well underneath makeup which is critical to me. 
• Dior Miss Dior cherie L'eau EDT - I am trying to use up some of my perfume samples and this is first in line. I do not own the original Miss Dior cherie perfume so I am not sure how they compare. Scent is very personal and hard to describe but all in all, I am not intrigued to buy the full size. 

(Left to Right)
Prestige my blackest lashes mascara
Fairy Drops mascara
Lancome cils booster mascara base
NARS pro-prime smudge proof eyeshadow base 

Finally some makeup bits! 

• Prestige my blackest lashes mascara - heard a few people raving about this mascara, claiming it to be similar to the Makeup Forever Smoky Lash. First of all, my Asian lashes are extremely hard to hold curls so waterproof mascara is almost always a must. My blackest lashes mascara does not come in a waterproof formula but I was still intrigued to try this out. Well, my lashes went straight almost immediately after I applied this mascara... so needless to say, I won't repurchase this. 
• Fairy Drops mascara - a Japanese brand mascara and I often prefer Japanese brands when it comes to mascara. Maybe because our lash types are more similar. It has a very interesting wand with 3 "balls" on it and it was amazing at keeping my curls. I already bought a 2nd tube of this (with different packaging and slightly different wand) because I am a sucker for mascaras. Also, I found that with this mascara, it is best to wait for a period of time before it reaches its best performance stage (in other words, it might be too wet when you first start to use it). 
• Lancome cils booster mascara base - this was a gift from my friend, before I knew anything about makeup (I still don't know a lot of things of course). It was basically sitting in my drawers for years before I finally open it. Despite the fact that this is a "star" product, I can't say I love it. Again it made my lashes straight.... I don't know if they have changed the formula over the years (probably have) so I might try the new formula some day. 
• NARS pro-prime smudge proof eyeshadow base - got this sample size from Sephora in a mini NARS set. After finishing this little sample up, I ran to Sephora and bought the full size. It serves its purpose well and I think it performs even slightly better than my Two Faced Shadow Insurance in humid weather. The only downside is the packaging... it gets dirty so easily and I would prefer it in a tube like the Two Faced one or the newly packaged Urban Decay primer potion. 

Woooo, so this wraps up my super long and overdue empties post. I hope I can keep this spirit going and let's also hope that I won't accumulate that many to blog at a time again....-.-

Too many empties, too little time

Over the past few months, I have accumulated some "used-up" empties, in attempt to clear my beauty stash. Doing this kind of posts will definitely keep me motivated and on track. However, I just haven't been able to find a time to blog about them... In fact, I had an entire bag of empties that I wanted to write about. But before I had a chance, I have to throw them away. Anyways, let bygone be bygone. I really should just blog whenever I have a relatively small pile of products to talk about... That being said, please be ready for a "relatively long" empties post......   OK, I have decided to do two separate posts, this is just getting ridiculously long... lol 

(Left to Right)
Laneige Pore Clear Wash Off Pack
Cliniderm Gentle Cleanser
NUXE BODY Fondant Body Scrub
OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (Fast-acting/moisturizing)
Bath & Body Works Carried Away Shower Gel
Bath & Body Works White Tea and Ginger Shower Gel

• Laneige Pore Clear Wash Off Pack - a nice clarifying mud mask. May re-purchase. 
• Cliniderm Gentle Cleanser - I have used up multiple of this cleanser. One of my favourites! Very gentle and non-stripping. No parabens, dyes, perfumes, lanolin, formaldehyde and proteins. Not sure if it's available outside of Canada though. It's made by the same company as Neostrata. 
• NUXE body scrub - not a fan of this, don't like the smell, left lots of residues in my bath tub whenever I use it. 
• OPI nail polish remover - I want to give a shout-out to myself!!!!! That is 480mL (16 fl oz.) of nail polish remover!!!!! I can't believe I was able to use it all up!!!! Besides that, this is a very good nail polish remover, does the job quick and I found it relatively non-stripping than other removers. Will purchase if I can find it at Winners again at discounted price. 
• B&B Carried Away shower gel - like the scent at first, but as with all other B&B products, I get super sick of the scent quickly. 
• B&B White Tea and Ginger shower gel - OK, this is an exception. I ADORE this scent. It is nothing over-powering comparing to all B&B scents I have tried. Doesn't smell like ginger to me, but rather a very clean and fresh scent. I love this scent and I have back-ups of it. 

(Left to Right)
Neogence C+ Whitening Serum
Curel Intensive Moisture Cream
Sofina beaute SPF50+ PA+++
IPSA Foundation (shade 102)
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Sofina White Protect SPF50+ PA+++ (discontinued)

• Neogence whitening serum - Taiwanese brand. Unsure about effectiveness, at least I don't see any dramatic changes. Probably won't re-purchase but I think I still have a back-up at Hong Kong. 
• Curel Intensive Moisture Cream - Absolutely LOVE this cream!!! So moisturizing, non-irritating, yet non-greasy!!! I can feel my skin absorbing the moisture. Definitely will repurchase after I finished all my stocks and when I visit Hong Kong again. Not available here in Canada. 
• Sofina SPF - My all-time-favourite SPF. Nothing much to say except I love it and will continue to re-purchase. I think I should dedicate an entire post to it. 
• IPSA foundation - another shout-out to myself that I managed to finish a base product!!!! I use base product everyday but I'm not sure why it always takes forever to use something up. Maybe because I am always interested in trying other base products. Nontheless, IPSA is a very nice brand for making foundations. But this shade is slightly lighter than my complexion, not a perfect match. 
• Caudalie Beauty Elixir - used this up fairly quickly. I purchase this in August for my flight to HK and this stuff is just addicting! I love how it smells and how it feels. So refreshing! I can't speak for any skincare benefits yet with this travel size, but I will keep in mind re-purchasing this some day. 
• Sofina white protect SPF - I used this on my body during the Summer months. Again, a great sun protection from Sofina, but this particular line has been discontinued.    

When September ends... Outfit

I know, I know, it's October already.

But better late than never. =P

So here I present you my outfit on the last day of September.
Simple, all-black, with some extra touches.

I have to admit, I am quite surprised with the quality of this Forever 21 shirt. Not only is it flowy and comfy, the elastic band around the waist really gives some definition to my body. I also really like the cutting of the sleeves. To me, it definitely looks like it is more expensive than Forever 21. All in all, just a very nice shirt to dress up or down. And let's be real, black is never going to go out of style.

A closer look of the shirt (Forever 21)  & necklace (American Eagle)

Ring (Tiffany & Co.)
Watch (agnes b)
Jeans (Uniqulo, style no. T1000)
Flats (Zara)