Whisper and Butter

Summer is the perfect time to try out vivid lip colors. So I am sharing a couple of drugstore lipsticks that I love at the moment. They are Maybelline's Color Whisper Lip Color and Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butter. The colors are sheer and the application is smooth and moisturizing. I'm loving mixing my favorite two colors. 

My faves at the moment...

Color Whisper in Pink Possibility and Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Two colors combined (left), Pink Possibility (middle), Juicy Papaya (right)

Color Whisper in Pinup Peach

Think of them as lip balm with sheer wash of color. Vivid colors without being too heavy or waxy on your lips. The only drawback is that they don't last long, but I don't mind reapplying them. And YES, they are all different, and I couldn't just choose one!

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Mary-Lu Manizer

Ok, so I had declared that I would not buy any more makeup stuff for awhile. I LIED! I've been reading raving reviews on this face highlighter. I finally got my hands on it, and I LOOOVE it! This highlighter does not have glitters but gives you the beautiful dewey look. Very reflective with a pearly golden champagne color, your skin doesn't look scaly or oily. I'm so glad I found this!

Mary-Lou Manizer from theBalm

Not glittery

Sheer application

I put this lightly on my cheekbones, on the T-zone and the inner corners of my eyes. It gives you a really beautiful youthful glow.


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Make Up For Ever's Lip Gloss

This lip gloss looks scary-bright, almost florescent in the tube. But when I glide it on my lips, it just gives a vibrant sheer wash of color that's not too flashy. I always have trouble finding the right gloss for my skin tone because many of them look pretty in the tube but make me look washed out. And when I like the color, I often don't like the consistency. This one was a jackpot. It brightens up my face without being too loud. It's not goopy, almost slick in consistency and I love that. 

Glossy Full Couleur in #3. The most beautiful coral, and it tastes like mint.

This creamy color covers the blotchy lips just enough so the color comes out vibrant.

When you spread it, it looks sheer and smooth, not goopy.

It's glossy and non-sticky.

KAWAII!　CUTE!　かわいい！ 

I've been playing with my new apps to embellish my pictures. KAWAII!! Anything to make my life more interesting, right? Fun, fun!




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MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter Pen

If there is one thing I absolutely have to have in makeup, it would be an under eye concealer. I've had dark circles as long as I could remember, and I've hated how tired and aged they made me look. So I'm always on a lookout for a good concealer that could cover and brighten up the area without making it look like I have spackling paste on me.

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter Pen in light boost

Before blending.

After blending. Almost looks like light is casted on the area.

Then I came across MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter Pen. This formula is non-drying and has a very smooth consistency. It's so blendable and seamless. I usually use Bobbi Brown's corrector or Benefit's Erase Paste, then apply Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser to cover the dark circles. Now I'm adding to this regimen MAC Prep + Prime on the slightly wider area to brighten up.

I apply these underneath MAC Prep + Prime.

This highlighter gives me the dewey glow that no other concealers could. I have a feeling that I'll be buying this again.



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Chanel Spring Collection 2013

This palette by Chanel from the 2013 spring collection is called Raffinement, #39. It's my first Chanel eyeshadow palette. As expected from Chanel's makeup, the quality is wonderful; they feel velvety and buttery on my skin. I like using the darkest brown on the closest to the lashes, and blend it with the champagne color on the upper right. I use just a touch of coppery light brown for the crease. These browns compliment my skin tone.

Chanel's Raffinement #39

Swatches

I find that the darkest brown in this palette has a little bit of fallout. But it's a chic color and very blendable. It's the only matte color in this palette. Other colors have a slight satin finish.

A coral lip is a safe bet for these colors, but I love choosing a pink. The soft browns and pink make me think of azaleas that are in abundance right now.

Kurume azalea in backyard

Rhododendron in our front yard 

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Tear Eye Liner

I got this little bottle of liquid eyeliner for highlighting the bottom lids. It's a Korean brand and you can get it online. It comes with a brush-pen, so it's easy to apply on the small area. Sometimes I swipe just a tiny bit of this from the inner corner to about 1/3 way on my bottom lid just underneath the eyelash. It draws light to the eyes and makes them twinkle. Just a little goes a long way.

Tear Eye Liner

Comes with a thin brush

I like to apply it very thin.

There's tiny iridescent sparkles in it.

What can I say? This girl loves twinkles and sparkles!



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MAC Patina

I admit, over the past few years, I have acquired too many eyeshadows. When I go to Sephora or Ulta, my hubby teases me that I'm like a kid in a candy store. True, those eyeshadows come in all kinds of shades and they sparkle, and I just want to try everything! Out of all these shadows, I became quite fond of a few. MAC's Patina is one of them.

MAC Patina

Patina is a no-brainer, fool-proof eyeshadow. This beautiful shadow changes colors in different lights. Sometimes it looks more taupe, other times the gold comes through more. Keep layering this just a little at a time on all over the lid, and you really get the depth of color. It's no-brainer because I don't have to mess with complicated steps or think about color combinations, and it's fool-proof because you just need to sweep it across the lid without any skills. 

I use Cork for the crease and Vanilla/Brule for the highlight. 

Swatch for Patina. I can't tell you why my finger is so red...

When I don't know what colors to wear today, when I don't want to think about color theory, when in doubt, I go to MAC's Patina.

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It's All About Looking Natural FAST

Before you put on any makeup, you want to make sure you have a good canvas for it. Get rid of dark circles, blotches, and redness, maybe give a little glow to your face. But I don't want to spend hours for it nor do I want complicated steps. These are the items that survived all the trials and errors, and I feel comfortable using daily.

BB cream, bareMinerals and concealer

I've been using BB cream from several brands. This one by Missha, a Korean brand that started the whole BB cream fever, is SPF 42, and it has a good coverage as foundation with a hydrating property. It was originally created for people who had cosmetic procedures, so they can cover the blemishes while healing, hence the word blemish balm. So it's gentle even on your troubled skin. You can think of it as moisturizing cream, sun screen and foundation in one. Because of it's sheer application, your face doesn't feel cakey. 

You only need one pump to cover the face

My favorite concealer at the moment is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer. The creamy texture of this concealer is just right for my dry under eye area, and the coverage is pretty good. To finish off, I set it with bareMinerals' mineral veil.

Loving this...

Sometimes I use Bobbi Brown's corrector or Benefit's Erase Paste under concealer

This whole process takes only a few minutes for me. The best part is that this easy routine gives me a natural look. Sometimes this is all I do before I step out of the house, with a tinted Chapstick.



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The Scent That Moves You

Have you ever smelled fragrance that made you want to follow the person wearing it? A little while ago, I came across a cologne that reminded me of the days from my junior high school in Japan. I have some fond memories from those days, so I guess I associate the scent with good feelings. Ever since, I've had a thing for citrus colognes, but it's hard to find the right kind of citrus, if you know what I mean. Then one day, I found it. I knew right away, this was the smell from my memories! 

Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana

Interestingly, someone I know also said that this smell has the same effect on her, that it makes her want to turn her head and go, "what is that? " This is my second bottle now since I'm wearing it all the time. What is the scent that moves you?



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Swatches on Chanel Rouge Coco Shine

I like lipsticks that are sheer and vibrant without being gloppy. I don't like feeling stuff on my lips. I searched and searched and came across Chanel Rouge Coco Shine. I'm usually not a fan of Chanel lipsticks because they tend to irritate my lips. But these are moisturizing, glide on smoothly, and the colors are, what can I say, they are Chanel! I got them in Evasion #48 and Flirt #69. Evasion is an everyday color; understated but doesn't make you look washed-out. Flirt has that cheerful peachy pink color that brightens up your face. 

Evasion #48 and Flirt #69; my go-to lipsticks at the moment.

 Evasion on the left and Flirt on the right

They have the sheen and tiny sparkles in them that are not flashy at all. Very chic. The only thing is that they are not long-lasting, but I don't mind applying them often. No need for a lip balm before applying them; just swipe them on and go! 



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My Guilty Pleasure

About three years ago, I suddenly became obsessed with makeup products. It started out with an attempt to engage more in life, but I wanted to look and feel pretty first. Why not? Little by little, I accumulated lip sticks, eyeshadows, and other things until one of my bathroom drawers got completely full with makeup stuff. Good thing is I am done acquiring any more makeup stuff for a long time. In fact, I can't remember the last time I bought anything. Every season, I would pull out my go-to makeup stuff, and I rotate around some, but my drawer is always a huge mess. 

Messy makeup drawer

BB cream, bareMinerals and concealer

My go-to eyeshadows at the moment;
MAC Patina, Brule, Cork, Vanilla and Satin Taupe. 

This separates your eyelashes and defines.... No clumps.

Beautiful gradient peachy pink blush with a little gold shimmer in Ripe Peach

Very moisturizing Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Flirt #69 and Evasion #48

I might do a review on these items soon. For now, I'd like to mention that I like all of these because they call for simple applications but make you look like it took you lots of work. These colors will make you think of spring instantly.



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