i did it! i did it! i’ve achieved the j. lo glow!

for months now, i have been in search for the perfect foundation to give me that glow that made j. lo synonymous with beautiful skin and complexion.  as it turns out, the perfect glow does not lie within the perfect foundation, but the perfect highlighter!  now that i know this, i must spread the word~!  when it comes to highlighter, it’s a whole another topic that i must dissect for you today.

first, if you have dry skin like me, then my current favorite highlighter would be the fluid sheer line from giorgio armani makeup collection.  this baby comes in variety of shades, some for highlighting, some for liquid blush, and some for the bronzer effect.  the great thing is it’s up to you and your skin tone on how you want to use it.  my 2 favorite shades for highlighting are #2, which is a more pale-peachy-champagne shade with visible sparkles if you get really close, and the #10, which is a golden-champagne shade with finer sparkles.  due to my super dry skin nature, i like to mix it with my foundation to achieve an all over glow, but if your skin is not that dry and it might look too shiny for you, then you can also just tap it lightly on top of your cheek bones, on your nose, and on your chin for more of a subtle highlight.  the key to any armani fluid application is the armani blending brush, which can be easily found on ebay for much less than the department stores.  its claim:

“Fluid sheer dresses skin in an illuminating veil of radiance. This unique, translucent formula is available in a range of versatile hues including makeup base shades, correcting shades, and radiance boosting shades. Blend your favorite fluid sheer with foundation to add radiance, polish and sculpting definition to your complexion. Or use it alone as a makeup base. All skin types. Perfects, sculpts and illuminates skin Complete and versatile shade range Sheer, lightweight texture and coverage

application techniques Application techniques: Wear alone as a makeup base. Mix with moisturizer for a boost of radiance and color. Blend Fluid sheers with foundation to achieve a limitless range of looks. Or use on top of foundation for added highlighting and contouring.”

giorgio armani fluid sheer - $55 is a bit steep, but it’s a pretty decent size bottle compare to other liquid highlighters i’ve seen.  also, do not trust the swatch on the website.  they do not even come close to the real shades.

people with oilier skin might want to stick with powder form highlighters, since it absorbs oil and won’t melt off as easily.  a trick i’ve learned from the shu uemura makeup artist on how to apply powder highlighters.  first dab a little powder on a soft blush brush.  then take a tissue and rub the hair of the brush into the tissue (i tried it with toilet paper, and the fiber in the paper just gets into the brush, so use something with fine fiber weaving).  next turn the brush upside down, so the hair is facing upwards, and tap the bottom of your brush against your wrist to work the powder into your brush.  now, you should barely seen any powder on the brush.  blow off any excess tissue fiber or powder.  after that, lightly brush it onto the top of your cheek bones, chin, and nose.  i especially love shu uemura’s face powder sheer in pearl.  the powder is really finely milled, so the texture is very smooth and not too glittery, and is easier to slowly built to the effect you want.

    “Loose powder that leaves skin luminous and glowing with vitality. Sheer & transparent finish. Good for highlighting facial structure & shape. Packaged with a velvet-textured puff designed specifically for sheer powder application. An InStyle Best Beauty Buy and awarded as one of Town & Country’s ‘Top 150 Best Beauty Product’.”

shu uemura face powder sheer in pearl - $32 is still a little pricey, but again they give you a good amount and still cheaper than giorgrio armani.

welcome to brazil

this invitation shit is finally over!  i'm free!!  ok, not really.  there are still lots to be done for the wedding.  i wish someone would just do all this for me, but alas, my cheapness over takes my laziness…

invitations are not the only things i did to prep for the upcoming wedding.  i also had my very first brazilian wax!  now you might say isn't it a little early to get that started?  but after hearing some horrid stories, i wanted to test the water, and see how my skin reacts to waxing.  after all, i don't want to walk around the beach with bruises and rashes down there, or even worse, scare the shit out of dave with a nasty surprise.  i'm no waxing virgin, but this was definitely virgin territory.  besides the exquisite pain, i think the most uncomfortable part of the experience had to be all the weird and awkward positions i was twisted into.  "put your hand down here, and hold it to the right," "arch your back," "face your butt this way," etc.  it also didn't help that here's this woman, whom i've never met before, was suddenly all up on my crotch.  when it was all over, i felt very proud of myself.  i didn't swear once!  after the sense of relief washed over me, i was able to finally appreciate the cleaniness that was appearing before my eyes.  everything looked magnified, but in a good way (yes, there is such a thing,) and i'd be lying if i said i didn't feel sexy for that moment.  in the end… i am hooked.  i will definitely be taking trips regularly to brazil from now on. 

yes, that was dave cheering.

the search for the perfect foundation…

for a while now, i have been searching for the perfect foundation for my wedding.  i am looking for something that will give me the "j. lo glow" (but not oily and greasy, there's a very fine line there,) medium coverage (enough to smooth out my complexion and even out my skin tone, but still allows my natural skin shine through,) nothing with spf (spf does not photograph well b/c flash will bounce off of it and create a very obvious white-face-dark-neck effect,) and something that is moisturizing enough for my dry skin.  that shouldn't be too hard, right?  well, not quite. 

here are some of the ones i tried: 

giorgio armani luminous silk foundation - instyle's best foundation is definitely close to its hype.  it created a very soft glow on my face, but surprisingly enough was a little dry for my skin.

laura mercier oil-free foundation - another super popular foundation.  being oil-free, it's a little drying for me.  it's not glowy on its own and the lady at the counter did not match my color correctly.  i might have to go back and try again.

shu uemura water perfect smoothing water-in fluid foundation - i love that this foundation is very moisturizing on my dry skin.  coverage is sheer to medium, which is good enough for me.  the makeup artist that worked with me did an excellent job in getting the right shade and making it dewy with the shu uemura face powder sheer in pearl, but by itself, it's not that lumunious.

there are some good contenders here, but i still haven't found the "perfect" one yet, so the search continues…  do you have any suggestions? 

touch me then try to leave …

besides the cute names they come up with, i've never been a big fan of benefit.  however, there is one thing i absolutely love from benefit, and that is their body cream.  i have yet to find a body lotion that is as smooth and non-greasy/sticky as the bathina "touch me then try to leave" cream.  at $28 a jar, it might be a little pricey compare to the jumbo vaseline lotion dave makes me buy from costco, but if your skin can be so smooth that people can't seem leave you, then i say go for it.  personally i think it holds very true to its claim: 

Smooth on Bathina's "Touch Me Then Try To Leave"…Cream when you want to show-off some skin. Feel the cooling sensation of this refreshingly fragrant cream as it's quickly absorbed, leaving your skin healthy, moisturized and sexy to the touch.

benefit's bathina "touch me then try to leave" cream

anti-raccoon… eyes

not that my under eye circles are so bad to the point where i look like got punched senselessly, but there are a little covering that needs to be done.  after hearing countless rave reviews, i was desperately searching for almay's amazing last concealer, and of course, unfortunately for me, i was too little too late…  it has been discountinued.  so i settled for the closest thing at target, almay's line smooth concealer. 

almay line smooth concealer $10.49

pro:  it's in liquid form, so it was very easy to blend.  the medium shade seems to be a pretty close fit to my skin tone.  the price is also very budget-friendly.  doesn't seem to cause break-outs and there's no strong odor to it.

con:  maybe because it's so light, it does not provide much coverage, which pretty much defeats the purpose of using it in the first place.  i don't really think it does what it claims to do, which is smoothing out lines.  i can still see mine… 

it's not great, but i would say it's an ok, cheap, temporary fix, while i keep searching for my holy grail concealer. 

next on the list:  becca compact concealer

welcome to america!

the much sought after shu uemura premium a/o cleansing beauty oil has finally arrived in the states.  now i dont have to get people to fly it back from asia for me.  this little baby will remove all those waterproof mascara, sunscreen, thick foundation, and any other makeup that just won't budge under normal cleansers, yet it does not strip your natural oil off of your face. 

their claim:

#1 selling shu uemura Cleansing Oil in the world. A premium, anti-aging and anti-oxidant skin purifier that thoroughly cleanses the skin while protecting it against the internal and external aggressions associated with aging. Features Green Tea Extract, known worldwide for its anti-oxidant properties. Leaves skin smooth and protected without stripping it of its natural oils. Removes waterproof makeup.

• Two-in-one cleanser and makeup remover
• Strengthens skin against oxidation associated with aging
• Contains Catechin – an element of Green Tea Extract that provides skin with anti-oxidant protection
• Ideal for those with anti-aging concerns; those seeking anti-oxidant benefits
• Suitable for all skin types
• 450mL

i don't know about the anti-aging stuff, but if that's true, then hell yah to that too!  i usually use it with a cotton pad to remove makeup, then wash my face with a regular cleanser, and then apply moisturizer.

shu uemura premium a/o cleansing oil for a whopping $70, but well worth the money

“the” eye shadow

it is my personal belief that every girl should have the shu uemura ME silver 945 (aka ME brown 850 in the new formula) eye shadow.  the shu uemura website describes this color as "gunmetal brown," which is exactly what it is, a beautiful pewter, aka dark silvery-brown.  it is the most flattering color on ALL skin tones, ever!  the texture is very smooth and silky, and the staying power is definitely more superior than m.a.c.  i usually wear it lightly during the day, and then built it up and smudge it with my black or charcoal liner for a sulty, smokey look for at night.  i recommand ordering this color right away, as it is one of their best-sellers and very hard to keep on the shelf.  trust me, this is the only eye shadow you really "need," but i'd pick up a few extra colors just because it's fun.

are those real?

as a self-proclaimed mascara junkie, i feel that it is my duty to report my latest findings when it comes to the endless search for the "perfect" mascara. 

if you are like me, who's cursed with the straight-down stubbles that we call "lashes," then you will probably be interested in the following products:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yves saint laurent volume infini curl mascara – curling power?  not much, i'd still use an eyelash curler first, but this baby will fatten those thin, sparse hair like no other.  clumps a bit, but nothing a spooly can't fix.  however, the biggest down side is that it dries out really fast (i close mine really tight, and it still dries out after a couple of months,) and at 25 bucks a pop, it can get pretty expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

shiseido makeup base – it lengthes, it volumes, it hold curls, there's nothing this mascara primer can't do.  directions:  use it after freshly curled lashes, wait until it's dried, then apply mascara and wait for the result that will have people ask you, "are those real?"  alas, nothing is perfect.  this primer is a bit drying for the lashes, also it's really hard to remove, i have to use shu uemura's cleansing oil to remove it at the end of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

fasio long extention mascara – this long lasting mascara makes the lashes look super long, and holds curls so well, it is truely waterproof!  i took a shower with it and my lashes still looked long and curled!  and so cheap!  too bad, it is next to impossible to find it in the states, i've only been able to find it in asia and ebay, and since the staying power is crazy strong, it's also really difficult to remove.

if you're lucky enough to be blesssed with naturally nice and long/full lashes, then….  i hate you…. and also these would be the mascaras i'd recommend for you:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shu uemura mascara basic – waterproof, holds curl, easy to remove, this mascara does a great job on defining and giving your lashes that natural extra boost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

maybelline full n soft mascara – another popular mascara that is suitable for people with already beautiful lashes.

 

 

be good to yourself (at least your skin)

i love makeup and i love to collect them, but as i start to get older, i realized that the first thing to looking beautiful is having great skin.  it’s the key to looking younger and healthier and you can never fully successfully fake them.  a great website i found is beautykat.com, which specialize in hard to find asian cosmetic brands.  they even have shiseido’s beauty voltage line (aka skin crack), which is only distributed in asia.  if you are an asian girl or you like asian beauty products, this is definitely the site for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shiseido beauty voltage milk recharge – this is my stable moisturizer.  unlike other products for dry skin, this one actually sinks into the skin, instead of just sitting on top of it, creating that nasty shine.  they also have another version for girls with normal to oily skin called, milk fresh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kanebo hadabisei hydrating face mask – besides the fact that my face feel so supple and soft after usage, it also serves as a great catalyst for mother-daughter peaceful bonding time, which is very hard to achieve in my house