Musings on MAC Limited Editions

Today is Friday, yay! I always feel more relaxed on Friday and as relaxed as I am right now, let's do something a bit different today. Let's not talk about FOTD, product review, upcoming LE, etc etc. However, let's discuss a little bit of what we want to see from our favorite Canadian makeup company MAC and their our LE's if we ever got to sit in the chair of a MAC creative director.

First of all, words on the street have it that MAC and Sanrio will have a colaboration coming out in spring 2009. And you know who's ruling the Sanrio empire, ya? It's Hello Kitty y'all. Imagine MAC and Hello Kitty, hello? Awesomely fantabulous girlish pinkish collection!

Image courtesy of NY Magazine

According to NY Mag and other sources, the release of this collection will follow the trend set by Barbie Loves MAC and Fafi collection which were released in February. However, "A M.A.C representative would neither confirm nor deny the deal." Interesting, I say. Morever, I really want to see it happen because (a) Barbie Loves MAC was da bomb, and (b) Fafi rocked my world. So if Hello Kitty decided to join team MAC, it would not be a bad thing for us, after all. Just imagine the cute Hello Kitty image on your lip glass, people. Just imagine.

Here are some other collaborations that I pray to happen, as I'm relaxed and bored happy:

1. MAC and Marc Jacobs:

Marc Jacobs and Selma Blair
Image from Zimbo.com

If MAC ever get to collaborate with Marc Jacobs, the great American fashion designer of our time, all of us MAC fans will go crazy! Technically, it can be a possibility because in the past, Alexander McQueen and Heatherette already did their collections. In September, Ungaro also will release his and Ungaro is a huge and mainstream couture brand. On top of that, MJ never did a makeup collection before so there's a possibility. However, MJ is already the head of his company and also the creative director for Louis Vuitton so he probably do not have time. Nevertheless, if you wish, it may come true.

2. MAC and Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham
Image from Expo Say

To me, Vicky B is a person whom you either love or hate. The Victoria Beckham we see today is a far cry of Miss Victoria Adams from the Spice Girls. The pob did not just happen overnight as well as that tan and that cold look oh hers. However, to be fair, this woman is packed full of ferocity and fierceness that I've ever seen in anybody else. Plus her husband David is just hot.

Fashion-wise, Victoria Beckham is on top of her game and has a great sense of style. I only wish she can translate it to a makeup collection somehow.

3. Mac for MAC

Mr. Jobs looked fierce while holding the MacBook Air

This one is for the geeks, I mean, science folks. How wonderful the world would be if Steve Jobs collaborated with MAC? Besides, "Mac for MAC" sounds cool, right? And on top of that, Steve Jobs is a marketing genius. Who would name a thin and lightweight laptop "MacBook Air"? Nobody but Monsieur Jobs, I say. Who would have thought of the iPods and iPhones? Nobody else but him.

Imagine what would happen if "Mac for MAC" were released? Multi-functional lipstick that can also works as a lipgloss, liner, highligher, blush, etc. Like an iPhone but in a form of a lipstick. And you can use it to check your email, listen to music, and text messages too! And it would be housed in that sleek and shiny white package that's actually smaller than the size of your regular lipstick. Awesome!

You know what's the best part of it? The lipstick will come with a monthly service plan, kind of like the iPhone plan at AT&T. Release date: sometime in July, then around Thanksgiving the price will go down just in time for the holiday season. Ah, I'm just having so much fun thinking about all these!

Who else do you think MAC should collaborate with? Give me a comment and we'll discuss about it. I think this topic is fun.

Take care y'all and have a nice weekend.
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

Maybelline Colossall Volum' Express vs. Cover Girl LashBlast: Mascara Drama!

Hello gorgeous,

How are you doing today? Are you ready for some mascara drama of the day? Today I shall present you something new and breath-taking: Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express vs. Cover Girl LashBlast. It's like Batman vs. Superman but with mascara. Ah, only that movie had ever been made, we would have seen both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent in and out of those spandex garments. Yummy!

Anyways, let's go back to our focus of the day, shall we? On Team A, we have Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express (aka The Colossal) and on Team B, we have Cover Girl LashBlast (or LashBlast for short).

Team A in yellow, Team B in orange

I reviewed LashBlast before and you can read it here. To me, this mascara is very awesome and I really love it. As I went along, the flaking was less pronounced and I think it's because the mascara got thicken up. However, as it fulfills my 3B's criteria (bolder, bigger, better), the only caveat is LashBlast does not curl my lashes.

The Colossal, on the other hand, is a great curling mascara. On my first try, I did not even curl my lashes and applied it straight from the tube. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I noticed how curly my lashes were and uttered a "wow!" If you have straight lashes like I do, you will say "wow" too as you know how agonize it is to curl your lashes and see it droop down within 5 minutes.

Unlike LashBlast, the Colossal has a regular mascara wand applicator, not a clump-free plastic version. The wand is quite big, I reckon, and reminds me very much of MAC Mascara X's wand. The shape is the football-size curve with lots of nylon bristles. When I put the Colossal and LashBlast side by side, the previous one looks a bit puny. However, if compared to a regular mascara wand, it's still much bigger.

The Colossal wand on top, LashBlast at the bottom
LashBlast is chunky, y'all!

The formula I purchased for the Colossal is Glam Black and I thought it would be shiny and glamorous. However, it feels like a regular black mascara to me. There are two other formulas: classic black and black-brown. When I opened the tube, there's this awful smell came out that made me winch. It's a cross between grandma's old powder and old rose water, just awful. However, it goes away fast but I do prefer my mascara to be fragrance-free.

Beside being a good curling mascara, the Colossal is also a good lengthening one. After 2, 3 coats of mascara, my lashes looked really long and skinny, not long and beefy like after being coated by LashBlast. You can see for yourself here:

Naked eye

After 2-3 coats of the Colossal
You can see some curls and length here

At a different angle to see the lashes curling up

As much as I like the length and the curl, this mascara gives me absolutely no volume at all! And you know me when it comes to mascara: 3B's- bolder, bigger, better. This mascara does not make my lashes any bolder, or bigger; maybe longer and better-looking in a natural way. It kind of enhances the way my lashes look naturally but does not make them look really dramatically beautiful. And I want drama!

So what a girl do? Apply LashBlast on top of it, of course!

One extra coat of LashBlast and "Hello, Clump city!"

Different angle and see how much darker and beefier the lashes look

To sum this up, let me jot down the pros and cons of Maybelline the Colossal Volum' Express:

Pros: this mascara is for you if you...

• want to enhance the way your lashes look naturally by giving it some extra length,
• do not need a volumizing mascara,
• have stick-straight eyelashes and want to add some curls,
• need a mascara that does not dry out your lashes: this mascara has collagen to nourish your lashes and it's quite gentle
• want a clump-free mascara

Cons: it is not for you if you...

• do not like a fragrant mascara (like me!),
• want dramatic, dark, and lush lashes: you'd better be off with LashBlast anyways,
• do not like raccoon eyes: this mascara smudges a little bit like all Maybelline mascaras does to me,
• love the plastic wand: in my humblest opinion, I think the plastic wands are much better in coating your lashes and making them clump-free. Nylon bristle wands, however, does not provide such a good application.

My rating: B+, points taken off from the smell and lack of drama.

After I took the last picture, the mascara dried out and separated quite nicely. I guess I should not take that picture when the mascara was quite wet. I'm totally happy with the result of these two mascara working together. My lashes look so long, curly, and beautiful just the way I want them. So if you're as lash-obsess as I am, I suggest you to get both mascaras and use the Colossal first to build curl and length, then LashBlast for volume and pigmentation. Besides, buying two mascaras is still cheaper than owning one Lancome mascara, am I right?

One more thing before we go on with our day: yesterday I asked you to name the brand of those two eye shadows, remember? The only person who got it correctly was Kia from Yummy411. Yup, you got it right, it's Iman Cosmetics eye shadows. They are really pigmented, silky, and long lasting. Target had a sale a while ago and I could not help myself to take home some of those. I already popped them out of their containers to put in my palette and I believe they fit in MAC palettes as well. Great buy: 2 of those are about the same price as 1 MAC eyeshadows. By the way Kia, I used to lurk on your site for a while ago, way before I started blogging here. You have a neat site girl!

This is for Kia, others who did not guess can only share if she agrees :)

A gourmet cupcake from Cups 'n' Cakes!

Once in a while I saw something interesting online that I had to save to my computer. Recently it was the wedding cupcakes that peaked my interest and I do like cupcakes a lot. If I get married one day, expect to see cupcakes instead of real cakes on my party. My lazy self does not like to cut the cakes and handling out cupcakes is neater and probably better for those who love icing!

There you have it. Thanks for reading the mascara drama, ladies. I hope you're having a good day.

Take care,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot! Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

MAC 129 Look-Alike: Winsor & Newton series 240 #3 Brush

As we all know, I really love brushes and also love to save money. Although I'm happy with my MAC basic brush set, the only complaint I have is MAC 129 SE is not fluffy enough to be used as a powder brush. However, to shell out money to buy a full-size MAC 129 or 134 is out of the question. I don't have that kind of money to spend on MAC brushes, at least for now. So what can a girl do? Hit the arts store, of course!

On one fine day, Michael's had a sale and I happened to have a 50% off coupon, ka-ching, ka-ching! Money saved! I was lemming for this fluffy white goat hair brush that is oh-so-soft and good lookin'. The problem: it's about $12 USD, full-price. With the coupon, it became $6.00 USD and the price is around the neighborhood that I can shop. So who's this beauty that I'm gushing so much?

Introducing Winsor&Newton series 240 #3 brush
This is one heck of a stunning looking brush in my opinion: did you notice the black and white pattern? So artfully done!

Compared to Loew-Cornell brushes, Winsor&Newton is more expensive and series 240 has 3 brushes, properly named #1, 2, and 3 with #3 being the biggest brush. This brush head is fuller, bigger, and softer than MAC 129 SE that I own. To calm down my inner bitchiness critique on the 129, I decided to get this lovely Winsor& Newton number.

The two fellas, MAC 219 SE and W&N number 3, are really similar so I had to take some head shots to compare them:

MAC 129 SE brush

W&N series 240 #3 brush
Similar, right? One's black, the other one is white (fibre, of course!)

Again, this brush is as soft as butter and distributes powder very well. I use it as my powder brush and love it very much. It does not shed that much and is a very well-made brush. If you love soft brushes, this one is for you. I bet you will love it as much as I do. However, the only complaint I have is the length of the handle: it's around 9.5 inches long from end to end, making it the tallest brush I've had. It may poke you if you apply makeup on other people but when I use it for myself, it's ok.

This brush will really save you some money as it performs the same way as MAC 129 does but costs you much less. I love it very much and hope you will experience the same way too!

Take care and enjoy the day,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

Teaser: State of the Hauls

Hello gorgeous,

How are you doing today? I'm doing fine, thank you for asking!

Geez, August is almost over already. Time flies regardless of what we're doing, right? For the month of August, I've been dragging in my little pad bits and bobs of makeup. Until I took all of the pictures, I realized I do not need to buy anymore makeup at least for this month! And while we're talking about hauling, you will never know how much makeup you've bought until you lay them all out on a flat surface.

Another funny thing is a human being only has 2 eyes, a pair of pouty lips, and two chubby cheeks. Yet makeup addicts manage to take in as many colors as possible. It's a disease, y'all!

So what did I get? Well, a whole lot!

From various drugstore locations in town


From the internet


From the House of Target
They look like the cream filling of Oreo cookies

Unbelievable! 22 items within a month! Now I really need to close the book on this. This entry is just a wink on things to come, not a review or anything. And by the way, can you tell me what brand of eyeshadows in the last picture? (Hint: I got them from Target!) Whoever guess correctly will receive a nice surprise.

Some items will be reviewed, some will be in FOTDs, others will just not be said at all. Stay tuned for more details. I'm just teasing you for now.

Ciao bellas,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot! Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

A Quick Guide to My Makeup Blog 2.0

Hello everyone!

Recently I made a change to my blog, switching from the old two column layout to the new three column version. As much as I miss the roominess the old layout gave me, I noticed all the widgets and add-ons became too crowded on the right column. That resulted in an unpleasant and unaesthetic view of the blog, both of which I do not prefer. On top of that, the old blog header was pure cheesy and unprofessionally done and I really wanted to change it since day one. Why I put up with it for almost 2 months is still unknown to me.

So today, I would like to take some time to show you the new features of my blog:


First of all, we now have a new column on the left. I downloaded a new template for my blog that was in black and white with 3 column layout. It allows me to personalize my blog whatever way I want after downloaded about 5 other templates before this one that did not give me such freedom.



On the left column, I install the feed button so you can subscribe to my feed. For those of you who prefer email delivery, there's a box underneath the cute feed button that you can type in your email address. Feed Burner will deliver new contents to you every time I upload my blog so you will never miss a beat of what's going on.

On the right column, if you click on my picture it will direct you to my profile. I added a search box underneath the profile picture for your convenience. Now you can search my blog with confidence. Also, I list all the labels used to classify the blog entries. This is a very neat feature for readers: if you want to search for a blue FOTD, you can simply click on "FOTD: Blue" and it will direct you to all the entries filed under that category.

After scrolling down a little bit more, you will see something like this:

The feature that was formerly called "Blog Roll" is now named "Fabulous People." These are links to extraordinary blogs that I frequently read. If you can't find some certain information here and need it immediately, chances are you can get it there. Or you can just email me :D.

I added an extra bit of code that allows me to post a part of it on the main page. When you click "Read More" at the end of that summary, it will take you to the full post. I prefer it this way as it does not affect the aesthetic aspect of my blog.

"Et Cetera" is the part that I put things that can't be classified elswhere. They are chicklets or buttons to link me to the services you have (My Blog Log, My Yahoo, My AOL,...) or to vote for me. And by the way, please vote for me! I do appreciate it a lot if you do so.

And finally when you scroll all the way down...

...you will see three extra columns at the bottom. The thing is this blog layout gives me really limited real estates on the sides. I can make it bigger but my banner does not support it. Therefore the three extra columns come handy. I put my blog log box on the right column and if you are using it, you can (a) join my community, and (b) see other wonderful people's blogs as well. The later one does not require you to become a My Blog Log member but it is fun to be one.

I am quite happy with the way my blog looks right now. Believe me, fixing up a new look is not easy, especially when I am incapable of graphics and coding. At the very bottom of the blog is a link to the website that provided me the code for this blog. You can take a look at "Brooklyn" which is the version mine is modeled after. My blog does not look like "Brooklyn" anymore because I want it to be cheerful and quirky. The banner was really pretty after I added the title. However, upon uploading to Blogger, it lost its luster. The same thing happened when I uploaded my old banner.

I hope you find the new look less cluttered. Please feel free to explore it. Hopefully it will look this way until I get tired of it again, but that day will not be any time soon.

Take care y'all,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Hooked on Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam

This is officially my first hair care review, how strange! My blog has been flooded with makeup and a bit of skin care but no hair care reviews so far. And you're asking me "how so?" See, I have the easiest hair to maintain in the world: my hair is very straight and grows very fast. The typical Asian hair, I must say. The one and only problem I have is it tends to go flat once it sees some moisture in the air and I so wanted that va-va-va-voom hair that movie stars have! Anyways, those hairstyles are high-maintenance and I'm more of a wash and wear girl.

These days since the temperature is still high, I do not need to use any heat to dry my hair at all. And my hair actually prefers that way since it looks and feels healthier. Plus I save some electricity, a win-win situation in my book I must say.

Recently, I discovered Aveda Phomollient styling foam on a trip to the Aveda Institute for a haircut. The student who cut my hair highly suggested this product and she said she uses it herself. Her hair looked good and when she used it on my hair, mine looked so well-groomed. Needless to say, I shelled out my hard-earned money to buy myself a bottle of Phomollient and I never regreted that decision. The best $14 USD I've ever spent on my hair!

This is how the bottle looks
The design is very simple and after you pump it out, you'll get some foams

with honey, yay!
And this product is patented, wow!

According to Aveda, this patented formula has certified organic honey, burdock and marshmallow root to create weightless volume on fine and medium hair. It also adds shine without build-up or weight using air-infused technology. It is appropriate for fine to medium hair types and gives light to medium hold.


Ingredients: aqueous extract of burdock root, marshmallow root,polysorbate 20, glycerin, polyquatermium-11, polyquatermium-10, honey, oryzanol, tocopherol, soybean oil, fragrance, geraniol, linalool, fernesol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, citronellol, eugenol, amyl cinnamal, limonene, citric acid, sodium gluconate, potassium sorbate, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin.


No parabens and sulfates, for those who don't like them.


It smells very earthy and soothing. Sometimes I smell the honey, sometimes I smell other herbs. It does add a lot of volumes to my hair and makes it look very lovely. On my recent FOTD, my hair was air dry only and it looked very well-groomed when I used a bit of the Phomollient on my damp hair. The hairstylist who cut my hair is African-American and she uses this product as well. She also mentioned having it for about 8 months and did not use half of it yet.


To me, I'm very cautious with the hair products as most of them tend to give me breakouts along the hairline. Phomollient, however, does not give me that problem so it's a big plus in my book.


My rating: A, could have been A+ if the price is a big cheaper. However, it will last me a long time.


Where to buy: Aveda salons, Aveda institutes, and online at Aveda.com. It also has refills for $1 USD cheaper.


That's all, folks! There you have it, a hair care product review. Enjoy!
Your Makeup Blogger


P.S: Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

I Wear My Mineral at Night

Remember that song "I wear my sunglasses at night"? At first, when I heard it I felt strange, like who on earth would wear sunglasses at night, right? However, as I grow older, I got a little bit stranger too. But no, I don't wear sunglasses at night. I wear mineral at night!

To be correct, the mineral powder that I wear is not makeup but it looks and feels a lot like makeup. It's an overnight mineral treatment from Aromaleigh called "Nocturne". I got it a while back and like it a lot. Aromaleigh's owner actually saw a product on QVC that's sold for $60 USD and made her own version which is more than 3 times bigger in the size with half the price! I give my hat to Aromaleigh, that company is really awesome.

Picture courtesy of Aromaleigh

So what does Nocturne has that makes yours truly wear mineral powder at night? It has mineral materials from 150-200 million years ago that nourishes and reduce inflamation. Also has silk powder, zinc oxide (a natural anti-inflamatory ingredient), ectoin (an anti-aging ingredient), emblica fruit extract (anti-inflamatory and anti-aging compound), and green tea extract. Aromaleigh gives you 14 grams of powder packed full in their jar that lasts a very long time for $28 USD without a sponge and $31 USD with a flocked sponge. The company also sells samples at $2.60 USD for 1/2 teaspoon, which is very generous.

For those who are wondering if using this product will stain your precious pillowcase or not, the answer is no, it does not. Nocturne adheres to your skin and does not come off until you wash your face the next day. It is a translucent powder, not a mineral foundation so the color does not show. I feel very matte upon applying this product and my skin seems to heal better too. However, Nocturne takes patient to show its results. You can't expect it to give you gorgeous glow and porcelain skin overnight. After all, this is a powder which does not naturally being transferred and uptaken by your skin quickly. However, as it is a powder, it does not need preservatives. So no parabens for you, hurray!

I've been using it on and off and recently it's been on because I need an anti-aging product that is not oily. I used a flocked sponge to apply but a kabuki brush can be used as well. This product has a really strange concept but it works, only if you are patient enough to see the result.

Right now Aromaleigh is having a 25% sale on Nocturne until 10 am on 8/27. The jar without the flocked sponge is $21 USD and a sample costs you $1.95 USD. If you use code FIRSTORDER, you will get $5 USD off (for your first order only! Aromaleigh is really strict on this.) If you only order samples, choose the "samples only" option and you get free shipping! On top of that, Aromaleigh includes 4 samples per order. Yup, that company is one cool place!

So hurry up and get Nocturne, then you can come back here and sing with me this song "I wear my mineral at night."

Take care and have a good week ahead!
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Tutorial: Will the Real Smokey Eyes Please Stand Up?

The last time I did the easy smokey eyes look, I got overwhelming responses and I was floored! So my "thank you"goes to all of you who've been supporting me. However, that look is not the real smokey eyes look. It is something you can do when you're crunch on time. I really love this look, it's sultry, it's classic, it's chic. It's everything beautiful makeup is rolling in one. Recently, I've come up with a "goof-proof" way to apply the smokey eyes and even on my very bad day, I still get a decent look.

The look

Here are what I use:


1. MAC paint pot in Bare Study: I find this pp to be the best base for eye makeup because of the shimmery texture. You can also use Soft Ochre or Painterly but those paint pots are matte, thus the eye colors will not pop as much.

2. Splinter pigment from The She Space: black pigment with brown sparkles, very interesting color.

3. Idolize eyeshadow from Silk Naturals: the best complementary eyeshadow for the smokey eyes look and perhaps the most interesting color I've ever used.

4. Boom eyeshadow from Silk Naturals: my favorite highlighting eye color so far.

Brushes et al: blending brush (white handle), MAC 219 pencil brush (3rd brush from the left), and Revlon color stay eyeliner in Black (the blackest eyeliner in the drugstore). Notice I did not use MAC 239 brush at all.

Here's the how-to:

1. Apply Bare Study paint pot to all over your eyelid using your finger


2. Apply a line of Revlon colorstay black eyeliner, then use MAC 219 pencil brush to smudge out the line:

Look like this when you start...

...and like this when you're done smudging

3. Using the same pencil brush, apply Splinter to the same area that you just smudged the black eyeliner:

Should look somewhat like this

4. Using the blending brush, applying Idolize above the area that you just applied Splinter, using a back and forth motion (windshield-wiper motion)

Applying from the outer corner then move to the inner corner of your eye, back and forth...

...to look like this

Note: when you blend your eyeshadow, don't be shy! In my opinion, a good smokey eyes look does not have lines. It should be a gradient from dark to light, starting from your eyelash to underneath your brow bone. Blending is crucial and as long as you remember to blend the crap out of your eyeshadows, you should be fine.

5. Highlight the area underneath the brow bone using Boom eyeshadow and the same blending brush:

Blend, blend, blend
Blend, blend, blend

Semi-close eye

Wide open eye

I used Heavenly mineral glow from Silk Naturals on my cheeks and
MAC High Tea lustre lipsticks on my lips

Bonus picture: Beauty blogger in a fighting mood :)

Note 2: I found out using loose eyeshadows is the best and easiest way to achieve this smokey eyes look. Regular eyeshadows require a lot of blending and MAC eyeshadows are really pigmented. If you can, go for less pigmented eyeshadows (ie go drugstore!), that way you can add more eyeshadows if you want to. Adding is easier than subtracting when it comes to makeup.

Note 3: Idolize = MAC Idol Eyes, Boom = MAC Shroom, Splinter (somewhat)= MAC Black Tie or Flashtrack if you prefer dark blue.

Again, smokey eyes look does not limit on black colors, it is a technique. You can use the same technique on browns, purples, blues, greens,... There are many ways to smoke it up but this seems to be the most popular method.

Have fun and be gorgeous. Ciao!
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: Please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

FOTD Smokey Blue: Avon Palette in Action!

Hi ladies,

Remember my review on the Avon 8-in-1 palette in Watercolors? Today I'm giving you a quick FOTD featuring the blues in that palette. I really love these colors as they are so fun to play with and easy to blend.

The FOTD

For some reasons, the colors show better when my skin resembles the same pigmentation of an Oompa Loompa or Gorgio Armani. But fret not, I do not look anywhere like Gio does in real life. I do not go to tanning salons or bake myself under the sun either. And I love sunscreens!


The eyes were done in a smokey way but in blue, just to prove the point that smokey eyes do not always need to be in black. It's a makeup technique, not a color. In any colors, smokey look is always beautiful.

Closed eye: I use the lighter blue color all over the eyelid,
darker blue on the outer v and contour,
black closest to the lash line and the lightest color of the palette underneath the brow bone

Here's how it looks when my eyes are opened
Most of the times the colors do not even show in the picture, unless they're pigmented enough

Silly pose #1: "Sh, don't tell anyone, ok? I use Avon!"

Peace out, y'all

Btw, I used Shu Uemura P Brown 76 on my cheeks and Avon Glazewear lipstick in Champagne Glow on my lips. I totally love these two products, they're so lovely!

It rained the whole day yesterday because of Hurricane Fay. The paint job that the maintenance staff did in my apartment yesterday was pretty much undone thanked to the rain T_T By the way, did you notice anything different? You like it? I was extremely exhausted from wrestling with the HTML/XML/CSS codes last night and hopefully this blog will look like this for a longer while.

That's all, folks! Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend!
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot! Also, please take "My Makeup Blog Reader Survey" for me if you haven't already done so. Your feedback is invaluable to me!

P.P.S: this is my 50th blog entry on "My Makeup Blog". If we make it through the big 100, I'm going to have a competition with prizes. What do you think?

Sally Hansen Lip Glosses: Fabulous Drugstore Findings

As much as I love MAC lip glass, I can't stand its stickiness! Whenever I use the lip glass, I feel like my lips are coated in a gooey, goopy mess that feels part gross, part awesome (because of the shine.) Plus shelling out $14 USD is not that easy all the time, y'all. So I really set foot out to find an alternative solution to MAC lip glass but with less stickiness.

The good Lord of Makeup finally graced my with love in through a company called Sally Hansen. Now we all know Ms. Hansen makes wonderful nail polishes that rival OPI and the like. However, there's another side of Sally Hansen that makes good makeup as well, and that nobody really cares for which is terribly ridiculous and shameful because this company makes some seriously fine lip glosses!

Let me introduce you to 2 of Sally Hansen glosses that I purchased recently:

1. Sally Hansen Healing Beauty Daily Lip Moisture Gloss in Clear Honey


The gloss looks like a pen and is as big as a pen. It's small enough to be tucked in your purse or even your pocket. It's designed as a twist pen that when you twist the metallic end, the gloss will be deposited to the brush applicator. Between the sponge applicator à la MAC lip glass and the brush applicator, I prefer the later one because it gives me better application.


A close up at the brush applicator: since it's click and apply, you do not need to dip anything into something to get the gloss out. It's less messy and saves some bit of time that way, I guess.


How it looks on my lips. What you actually see in the picture is the natural color of my lips. This color Clear Honey is pretty sheer and it's not that glossy. However, it is an excellent product for chapped lips as it has apricot kernel oil, vitamin E and aloe to give you some additional moisture. The company also boasted about a bioActive complex in this product. Immediately upon application, I smell a faint citrus scent that quickly went away. Other than that, I detected no fragrance at all.

Price-wise, it's about $5 USD but this product is hard to find these days since Sally Hansen is fazing it out. I saw it in Target and sometimes at Walgreens in the past but actually bought it at Dollar Tree. If you see it, please nab one because this one is excellent to treat chapped lips.

My rating: B/B+ because it's a very good moisturizing lip product but not much of a lip gloss.

2. Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Treatment in Pink Bouquet


This lip gloss is what I always wanted in a gloss: glossy shine, nice but sheer pigmentation, yummy scent that's packed in a slick tube. The Diamond lip treatment probably is the most well-designed gloss in the drugstore with a diamond and a square tube that is a reminiscent of the Chanel Glossimer lip gloss. My picture does not do it justice because the tube is very pretty in real life.


I think the people at Sally Hansen really enjoys the brush tip applicator instead of the doe-foot sponge tip, which is fine by me because I prefer it this way. Pink Bouquet is not really pink, it's more of a reddish shade. The Diamond formula packs a lot of shimmer into it and when I came to the sunlight, it was almost blindingly glossy! The gloss smells like cupcake and has a very glassy shine to it. On top of that, this gloss is not sticky at all. It feels like a lip balm to me and I prefer my gloss to behave that way.


The color is well-pigmented and comparable to MAC lip glass. I put 1 coat of gloss on my lips prior to taking the above picture. It gives me a pink-reddish hue that can be worn by itself. At $4.99 USD, it's a very good product to be used for a long time.

My rating: A+ and I think this is the best drugstore lip gloss ever! Sally Hansen has an array of colors ranging from pink to coral, nude and brown. If you haven't experienced Diamond lip treatment, run to your local drugstore and grab a couple of them. These glosses are fabulous!

Hurricane Fay is heading toward my town today. Yesterday I was so busy cleaning up the apartment after a crew came to paint the ceiling that I forgot to stock up food for the hurricane. My roommate was fantastic to stock up some canned food ahead of time and we have water at home to survive for a day. I hope there will not be anything severe happen today. I really do not want another Katrina!

My big "thank you" goes to those who took the survey yesterday. Your feedback is really valuable to me and I appreciate your time and honest opinions. The survey will run until the end of the month so hurry up and take it.

That's it for today. Enjoy your day and stay gorgeous!
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