First Impression: L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinary Lip Color

I saw these beautiful little golden bullets on display in my local Walgreens and instantly went, "oooooh." After Maybelline released their Color Elixirs (impression on that soon!) L'Oreal followed suit and came out with their own version. It's their Colour Riche Extraordinary Lip Color. There are 16 shades total, ranging of nudes to pinks to oranges to reds to purples. Basically there is something for everyone. The packaging feels very luxurious but as with all gold/shiny things, it gets fingerprints very easily. The bullet displays the color on the side which is very true to the product color. Another thing I noticed and loved was the names of all the shades. Each had a play on music, like Rose Melody or Plum Adagio. How cute is that?

Out of all the shades, I chose the two that would be most wearable to me. I don't get fancy very often and on most days I just like to look put together so I decided on 101 Rose Melody and 601 Nude Ballet. I am so happy with the choices I picked. Both are very pigmented and apply beautifully. I was afraid Nude Ballet would not show up on my lips at all but it definitely mutes my pigmented lips just enough. Rose Melody is a warm rose-y pink that gives me a polished look. 

As with all L'Oreal lip products, there is a scent. I find it very pleasant but it can be overpowering for those who have sensitive noses. Compared to the Maybelline Elixirs, these tend to be more floral while the Maybelline ones are a little sweeter. Both don't bother me but it's definitely something to take into consideration if you are looking to purchase either one. The staying power depends per person. If you are a lip licker I don't see these lasting very long since they are not tacky at all. For me these lasted about two hours which is pretty decent for a gloss.

Rose Melody and Nude Ballet

So far I am really enjoying these. I have seen swatches of the reds and oranges and those are beautiful as well. Between the Maybelline Elixirs and the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinary lip color, I prefer the L'Oreal. It wins in pigmentation hands down and over looks more sophisticated. Have you tried these? Which is your favorite?

Review: Maybelline The Buffs Lipstick Review

After searching online and in my local drugstores, I was finally able to get my hands on two of these ever so popular Maybelline The Buffs lipsticks. To be honest, at first I was kinda meh about the line and was going to skip out on it. Of course after reading blog posts and seeing swatches on Instagram and YouTube, I totally changed my mind and the collector in me needed to add these to my already large collection of lipsticks.

The formula is the same as the original Maybelline ColorSensational line. This means that the consistency, scent and texture are pretty much the same as its predecessor. So if you didn't like those, I would skip these. I personally don't mind the smell and find the texture to be creamy and slightly hydrating. Both lasted at least three hours on me without eating. With eating, I had to reapply after the meal.

The Buffs has ten permanent shades to choose from. The old me would have purchased all ten but after much debate, I decided on 915 Blush Beige and 945 Stormy Sahara. Some of the other colors were more brown and I'm more of a fan pinky/coral nudes. Blush Beige is the lighter of the two and definitely accentuates any flakes or dryness on your lips so exfoliation and balm is a must! Stormy Sahara is more of a "peachy, orange" nude that I just love. Both can be paired with a smokey eye or a natural eye, it all depends on your preference. Out of the two, Stormy Sahara is easier to wear, since it doesn't accentuate flaws as easily. 

Blush Beige and Stormy Sahara

If you love or like nudes, I suggest you check out the line. The ten shades provide a variety that go from very pale to vampy so there is something for everyone. Plus the drugstore price makes it more wallet friendly (the BoGo sales always help too!).

Pros:

-Creamy
-Ten shades
-Part of the permanent line
-Afforable

-Available in drugstore and online

Cons:
-Scent for some
-Not all shades have same texture

Repurchase/Recommend? Yes and yes.

Tag! 30 Random Facts About Me

I was tagged by the lovely and beautiful Kar Yi of Angelic Betrayal (please check her out! Her blog is fantastic and full of very informative reviews). Now I had done a 50 things about me post when I wanted to get back to that blogger life but I love these! Let's see what things I can come up with.

1. I just celebrated my 10 year anniversary with the Mister! I feel very blessed to have him in my life.
2. I go through stages of purging things from my apartment. There are times I get antsy and need to clean or de-clutter.
3. I know I've stated I love the Lord of the Rings films but I have yet to read the entire trilogy. It's on my list of resolutions and I am currently enjoying it.
4. I LOVE sleep. Me and Snorlax are buddies.
5. I am very excited for the new season of Game of Thrones.
6. I was not impressed with the finale of Battlestar Galactica. I don't know if everyone's hype about it made me have greater expectations but, meh.
7. When I was little, I wanted to be an ice-skater, how Asian of me.
8. Speaking of, I played the flute back in grammar school. I was told by my music teacher I was a natural and had a solo in the Christmas concert.
9. I never realize how expressive my face is until one of my friends or my fiance laughs at me.
10. I'm very picky about my hair, especially how I want it to look and am usually disappointed when I can't get the message across.
11. I've always wanted naturally curled hair, I always feel that sleek straight hair makes my face look fat. So the more volume in my hair the better!
12. My favorite workout day is leg day. Grow booty, grow!
13. I love lifting weights, it makes me feel strong and pushes away the doubts I have of myself.
14. I am very stubborn. My grandma got it right when she called me her little cow (I was born the year of the ox). It can take me a long time to relent especially if I think I have a winning argument.
15. As much as I wanted to dislike Speculoos Cookie Butter, I love it. I could probably eat that ish in one sitting. Very dangerous.
16. I used to be a chocolate fanatic when I was younger. Everything had to be chocolate, but now I like to try different flavors, especially when it comes to ice cream!
17. My favorite pizza topping is pineapple with bacon. Nom nom.
18. I love Fanta! Don't give me Crush or Sunkist, it's not the same. Can you tell I have a fat kid living inside of me?
19. Nine out of ten times, when I go to a nail salon, they will ask me if I am Korean. A lot of people think I am, they also think my mom is Korean too.
20. It offends me when people think I don't speak English. Even better, when a guy tries to hit on me speaking in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc., etc., 
21. I have me some big ole' calves and finding a pair of boots to fit me is an event. That's why I like booties!
22. I am hoping that 2014 will be an amazing year. Last year wasn't too bad, I made some great improvements but I want to be better.
23. My favorite super hero is Thor. When it comes to to DC I really like Batman and Superman.
24. I love to pamper myself with face masks or taking time to paint my nails. I find it very soothing, I never understood how women rush through their paint job.
25. I read Jane Eyre after college and loved it! It's in my top five for favorite books. 
26. I love me a nice hot cup of tea, regardless of what time of year it is. I like my tea to be piping hot or ice cold, never lukewarm or room temperature (blah!).
27. I am a huge fan of Namco Bandai's Tales series. I was very impressed with Tales of Xillia and am very excited for the relaunch of Tales of Symphonia.
28. I am beginning to dislike Facebook more and more. It's like MySpace but with family members. Gah!
29. I hope to visit Asia one day. The Mister says that he won't go unless I speak fluent Mandarin. It's definitely incentive to re-learn what I lost!
30. I wish my blogger friends lived closer. That way we could all hang out and be awesome together!

Whew, that was a little hard! I don't have many people to tag, but if you want to do it, go ahead and then leave me a comment! I would love to read your post!

I Tag:

LdotCdot

DrunkOnShoes

RicAdeMus

xPpinkXx

Review: Shiseido IBUKI Softening Concentrate

During the winter months, my skin gets ridiculously dry. I think it's from all the dry heat indoors and windy conditions outside. So it was no surprise that even my heaviest moisturizer didn't work. I would slather the stuff on and still see dry patches emerge on my chin and cheeks. My simple morning routine became longer because I would have to layer my moisturizer before even thinking of putting on any sort of makeup. The problem with layering moisturizers is how heavy my face felt. I felt like my pores weren't breathing so I decided to find a solution to this winter skin.

In previous years, I used the Lumene Arctic Aqua Moisture Booster before my moisturizer and loved it. However once I moved further from New York it seemed my skin got drier during the winter months. Maybe it has to do with me getting older, haha (not really). I also noticed that if I used too much of the serum, it would feel very tacky. That's when I got desperate and decided to look in Sephora for an alternative.

After browsing the skincare section, I was losing hope in finding an alternative until I stumbled across Shiseido's IBUKI line. I wasn't interested in any of the face washes or lotions but I did take a big interest in the IBUKI Softening Concentrate.

According to the website this is a "deep-infusion formula that delivers powerful ingredients into the skin for a softer, smoother feel." It's basically a more frou frou version of the Lumene moisture booster. At the store, I pumped a small amount onto the back of my hand and continued to browse the store. After about five minutes, the back of my hand felt great. I was sold.

I have been using this consistently everyday for the past month and have been impressed with the results. While it is more expensive, a little goes a long way. There is 2.5 ounces and I haven't even used a quarter of this yet so I know this will last me quite some time. I don't even use a whole pump and it's enough for my entire face and neck. Any tightness I feel on my face goes away completely. I'm pretty sure that I can even use this in the summer alone as a light moisturizer. That's how hydrating it is to me. After application, I allow the serum to dry a bit before applying my moisturizer and my face feels smooth and soft. I haven't experienced any abnormal breakouts or reactions while using this.

There is a scent to the product. To me, it smells like a fancy high end skincare product. Nothing too invasive or strong, but I can some who might find this too perfume-y for their taste. Like I always say, test it in the store or be sure the company has a great return policy if you buy online.

I didn't expect miracles with this item, but I'm glad that the IBUKI Softening Concentrate did deliver some excellent results. I am a now a fan and will continue to use this product. 

Pros:

-Hydrating, especially for very dry skin
-Nice base for moisturizer
-Lightweight

-Refreshing

Cons:

-Scent might be overwhelming for some
-Expensive
-Only available in dept. stores, online or Sephora

Re-Purchase/Recommend: Yes and yes.

First Impression: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

When Hourglass announced they would release a line of Ambient Lighting Blushes, I tried my best to ignore the ads and blog posts about it. I mean, I'm only kidding myself when I tell myself I need a blush. Alas, I failed and decided to purchase one of the Hourglass blushes when Sephora released it early for the VIB Rouge holders. Fail whale.

There are six shades total, each color is intertwined with their ever so popular Ambient Lightning Powder to create a "seamless, soft-focus and multidimensional color." According to Hourglass, they are offering a different approach to powder blush, which can look flat on the face. With these blushes they claim you can achieve that glow from within.

Out of the six shades, I decided on Mood Exposure. It's described as a soft plum. When I received it and took a swatch it looked a little warm on me. I think depending on your skintone, the color will change from warm or more neutral/cool. The blush is mixed with Mood Light which on it's own is described as "a soft, sheer lavender pink that mimics the softest, most forgiving light and brightens the complexion."

I am absolutely in love with the texture of this blush. Like their Ambient powders, it's finely milled and applies flawlessly onto skin. It never looks caked on or too powdery, even with my dry skin. When applied, it gives me this beautiful glow without it being shimmery or glittery.

A single swipe, the top is natural light, bottom is with flash


This is quickly climbing the list of being on of my favorite blushes and I may, when it's released in stores take a gander at the other shades. If you missed out of the VIB Rouge sale, the blushes will be available in Sephora stores 2/21. Or if you can't wait for it to be in stores, the Hourglass website also has these available.

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

I am a firm believer that brows shape and complete the face. I've seen those internet memes of celebrities without their eyebrows and frankly, they terrify and creep me the f*** out. 

Look at that!

Now thankfully I was blessed with pretty thick brows (thanks Mom!) but yet I wanted to shape and define them more. Remember folks, you want refined, shapely brows, not untamed shrubbery. Over the past years I have tried all sorts of drugstore eyebrow pencils but laughed at the results it gave me. Every color was too red or brown for my hair coloring and I ended up looking like a hot mess. I don't know about you but black hair and red brows is not a good look.

After hearing the rave reviews from pretty much everyone, I decided to bite the price bullet and purchase the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Ash. Now in my indecisive way, it took me about ten minutes to decide which color to get. After a tireless battle in my brain, I settled for Medium Ash because I didn't really want to color them, I just wanted to shape them up a bit. I also rationalized that if the color was really off I could simply exchange it.

Well, if you came here looking for a negative review on this brow pencil, you're looking at the wrong place. I LOVE THIS! Overall, my brows now look more refined and natural as opposed to using drugstore pencils or eye shadow. 

This is a mechanical pencil with a wind-up mechanism, so you don't have to waste any product sharpening it. Which to me is great since it doesn't come with a ton of product anyway. You only get 0.003 ounces which will only last some people about two weeks with consistent daily use. So this is a bit of an investment especially if you need to fill your brows everyday. The pencil also comes with a built in spoolie to help brush the brow hairs in place and to soften the pencil if needed.

I think what really won me over was the color selection. There are a total of seven shades to choose from, allowing everyone to find a suitable color for them. The shades all have realistic undertones which add dimension and depth without looking fake or drawn on. You never want someone to say "you drew on your brows really great today!" Another plus was how long it lasted on me. I went to the gym after a lunch date and to my surprise, my brows still looked polished and untouched. I would say that if you have extremely oily skin, this may not be as smear resistant.

If you are sick of wasting money on failed brow pencils, take a gander at the Anastasia Brow Wiz line. You may sing praises like the majority of us!

Pros:
-Great shade variety
-Wind-up pencil
-Formulated with parabens, sulfates or phthalates
-Water-resistant and smear-resistant
-People with all brow types can use this (sparse or full)

Cons:
-A bit pricy (usually priced at $21 USD)
-Not a lot of product
-Not available everywhere

Would I Recommend/Repurchase? Yes and yes.