Sunday, August 28, 2011

Products I'm loving

As I am patiently waiting for Hurricane Irene to pass, I figured it would be a good time to catch up on some blogging and show you some products that I have been loving recently. 

My blush obsession never seems to go away - no matter how many shades of pink, peach, or plum I may have, I've always got room for more. 
This is one I got while I was in China, Maybelline's pure mineral blush in what I think is shade N00. I've been looking for these everywhere, but could not find them in any of the drugstores around me. It's a mineral blush, the first one in my collection and it is everything that I was expecting.  It goes on smooth and it is easy to control how much you put on. The dusty rose color looks amazingly natural and also has a slight contouring effect.
The next blush is Milani's baked blush in rose d'oro
A little more shimmery than I expected, but still beautiful, this blush translates into a peachy golden coral. It feels very finely milled and has great pigmentation. 

I finally got my hands on the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette!
After hearing about this from Fleur De Force and Tiffany from Will work for Makeup, I really wanted to give this a try - even more so after I couldn't find it at my Target. I've only used it a couple of times, but I have to say, it lives up to the hype.
When it comes to blending the shades together, I have no idea what I'm doing, but it always seems to work out for my skin tone. I really like the idea of a neutralizer shade with green undertones (bottom left corner) compared to those very obvious bright green concealers out there. 
The consistency is a little harder than what I am used to. This is not one of those slippery, creamy concealers, but it is still very workable and I think this is what makes it stay on for so long. This is a great palette, it's got everything you need in one place. 

Another goody I picked up from China, the Missha perfect cover B.B. cream.
BB creams have been getting a lot of attention so naturally, I had to get myself one. There are tons of them out there, and it can be really confusing to choose one. Almost all of the ones I tried out were only available in one shade - a grayish one that made my skin look ghastly. 
This Missha one was the only one I found that carried them in different shades and blended in with my skin nicely. I got the shade No. 27 (Honey Beige) and it is a perfect match, as it should be because it is supposed to adjust to your skin tone. 
There are a lot of things that I love about this product. It seems to really sink in to whatever lines/cracks you may not even know you have and makes your skin look perfect and smooth without looking like you have any makeup on your face. It has a light-medium coverage and gives a really nice finish that is natural, but on the slightly matte side. It is also packaged in an amazing squeeze tube w/ pump. 
It sounds amazing, but it's not a perfect product. There are two things I don't like about this. One, it is scented with a "your mom's perfume" kind of smell. And two, although it doesn't really give a dewey look, it does feel very tacky on your skin. These two things combined give me a constant reminder that I have this product on my face. Other than that, it works wonderfully. 

Another hyped up product that I found at one of the hundreds of beauty shops in Hong Kong, the Bioderma Crealine H2O cleansing solution. 
This stuff is incredible. It takes every stitch of makeup off (except maybe waterproof mascara) and thoroughly cleans your skin, all while feeling like water and and keeping the skin smooth and moisturized. I love using this in the morning for a quick cleanse. 

I picked this new body cream up from Target, admittedly because of the pretty packaging. It is the Boots Original Beauty Formula body cream - patchouli & lavender. 
This looks like a thick cream, but it absorbs into your skin quickly and feels really light. I love the smell and the fancy glass tub =)

Lastly, I dug this up recently and I remembered why I loved it so much before. It is one of the Sephora lipsticks, lip attitude glamour in the shade G19. 
The packaging's a little weird, but the lipstick itself is really nice. It's a dusky pink that gives a nude look but with a more color and depth. This lipstick is VERY glossy and has a lot of slip. The smell of this also makes me crazy (in a good way).
 This is super old, so I don't know if it's still available, but I would be interested in checking out some of the other Sephora lipsticks. 

Here's some swatches of the products I mentioned:

This post has reminded me how much I missed blogging. My posts will definitely be a little less regular, but I'm still going to try to fit them in when I have time. 
Thanks for reading and sticking with me,

~Vida

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Product Rave: Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On

My blogging has been really slowing down recently, and I am sorry for that. In the midst of moving and starting school, I haven't had much time to think about blog posts, and with my makeup packed and scattered, I've had little inspiration. 
One thing I can comment about is a new mascara that I bought while I was in Hong Kong, the lash enamel glamour volume on by Majolica Majorca. Besides having the longest name ever, this is probably the best mascara that I have ever tried. Before this, L'oreal voluminous was my favorite mascara, and I still love it, but I think this one is just a little bit better. 
On me it gives a similar effect that the L'oreal Voluminous does, which you would never guess by looking at the flat, plastic wand. The side with the denser bristles separates amazingly and the sparser side thickens and volumizes. I tend to alternate between the two sides until I get the look I am going for. The best thing about this mascara is that it holds a curl like no other mascara I have ever tried. It is one of those mascaras that does it all - volumizes, lengthens, separates, and curls. 
It is also waterproof, which means it requires some work to take off, but it's not impossible and for the results that it gives I can deal with it. 

Here's a not so great picture of it on me:
The wand makes it really easy to build up the product at the root of the lashes making it look like your have eyeliner on without any harsh lines. 
Majolica Majorca is a brand owned by Shiseido, and I'm not sure where to buy it in the US, but it looks like I will have to resort to ebay or some other website if I want to repurchase this in the future. 
If you ever get a chance to pick this up, do it! It really is amazing. 

~Vida

Monday, August 15, 2011

Apothica Gift Card Giveaway - Closed

Apothica.com has sponsored me to do a giveaway for my readers, and I am very excited to give you guys the opportunity to win a $25 dollar gift card to their website!

If you haven ’t heard of apothica.com, they are an online cosmetics retailer that carries brands such as Stila, Too Faced, Smashbox, Clinique, Nars, and many other brands that are very popular in the beauty community. Their sister site is skincarerx.com which carries a wide range of top skin care products.

Stila cosmetics is one of apothica’s premium brands and one that carries some really great products. My favorite product of theirs that I have tried is the smudgepot – an eye shadow base/gel eyeliner type product that is super pigmented and creamy. Their kajal eyeliners are also really good if you want a soft, creamy pencil. The brand is fun and girly, but sophisticated at the same time.

So here’s a chance to get some makeup from Stila or products from a range of other brands offered by apothica. There are 3 ways to enter (you only need to pick one, but there is a possibility of 6 entries):
Option 1: Facebook
1.       Visit Apothica.com
2.       Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter
Option 2: Twitter
1.       Visit Apothica.com
2.       Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account
Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway
Option 3: Blog
1.       Visit Apothica.com
2.       Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica

Please let me know which options you have done in one comment below, along with your email address so I can contact you.
The giveaway will end on August 29th and will be choosing the winner using random.org.

A few things to note:
1)       Apothica will contact the winner to verify information is correct
2)       After verification, Apothica will email the a code for the gift card to be used at SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com, and SkinBotanica.com
3)       The contest is open internationally, but Apothica does not ship to all countries
Also save SkinCareRx as a contact in your email box so that emails don't go to the Spam/Junk Mail folder

I hope you guys enjoy this and good luck!

~Vida

Thursday, August 11, 2011

TLC

I am finally back to blogger after a two week trip to China! The combination of heat, humidity, sweat, and 15-hour plane rides left me in need of some serious pamper time. 

After going for a well-needed eyebrow threading, I gave myself a manicure with Essie's status symbol and a pedicure with Orly's lemonade. I love the yellow on my toes, it makes my already tan feet look even tanner and is the perfect tribute to summer.
Nothing makes me feel more polished than freshly painted nails. 

My skin was feeling especially congested, but luckily I've discovered a few new products to help the situation.
The No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is a really great cleanser. In combination with the muslin cloth that comes with it, this works to keep my skin smooth and clear. It is really gentle yet every time after I use it, my skin looks refreshed and glowing. You get a decent amount of product, but I seem to be going through it relatively quickly. I am dying to try the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser after I am through with this one. 

The St. Ives scrub is an old product, but a new tub of it - the blemish and blackhead control version, which I'm not really sure is any different from the original, but it sure sounds good. After two weeks without any exfoliation, this felt heavenly on my skin. 

To give my body a good exfoliation, I used the Sephora sugar body scrub. This product is okay - it smells good and leaves the skin with a slick moisturized feeling, but its not amazing. It's my first time using a sugar scrub, so I'm not sure how it compares to others out there. 

The Origins skin diver body wash is a shower gel that claims to draw out pore-clogging debris and dissolve surface impurities that cause breakouts. Yes, it is marketed for men, but if you get bacne or breakouts on your body, this is a must-try! I am prone to getting breakouts on my back and they are a pain in the ass to get rid of, but this really works for me. It is $15, which is pricey for a body wash, but I don't know if I could live without this now!

Finally, I lathered myself up with my Origins Ginger Souffle body cream and put on my favorite mask, the purifying mint masque by CVS. I found the Queen Helene version at walgreens today for buy 1 get 1 free, so I now have an extended supply of this mask. 
I am almost out of the ginger souffle, but I probably will not repurchase another one. It's just a little too pricey for a body moisturizer. 

I never really feel at home after a vacation until I've gone through some sort of grooming routine like this. 
Now that I feel refreshed and energized, I am ready to tackle my next obstacle - a move to the big city. 

~Vida