MAC Cosmetics x Archie's = MAC Archie's Girls

If you are an Archie’s comic book fan and have a love for MAC cosmetics, the MAC Archie’s Girls collection is for you! This collection features two contrasting colours based on love rivals Betty, the Girl next door blonde and Veronica, the spoiled brunette. 

The collection will be available online Jan 30/13 in NYC Stores, and to the rest of the world between Feb 07/13 to Apr 04/13.

And if you are as excited as I am and you live in the Greater Vancouver Area, there is a release event at the MAC Robson store at 908 Robson Street on Feb 05. Call 604-682-6588 to RSVP by Feb 04.

 

*Image from Google.

Birchbox March 2012 - My first Birchbox delivery!

I first found out about BirchBox through the Teen Vogue blog site. Eva Chen, the Teen Vogue beauty director talks about it repeatedly. I love anything beauty and giving away $10 a month for a box of mystery goodies in return was naturally a no brainer for me. :)  I ordered my first BirchBox in mid February and selected the Teen Vogue box (for fun!). My BirchBox finally arrived 2 weeks ago but to my disappointment and excitement at the same time (sad face than happy face), they mailed the regular box. The good part is the regular box actually had a lot of nice, almost full-sized products worth way more than $10. The sad part is I found out the Teen Vogue box has a full-sized Tarte Lip Stain (something I would wear!) and a sparkly Essie nail polish (if you look at my NOTD posts, you know I love my sparkle polish.). As I was composing an angry email in my head, I saw an email on my phone from Birchbox. The email says they realized that they have mailed me the wrong box and will send me a Teen Vogue box free of charge.  Jumping with joy, I thought to myself {I scored}!


For those not familiar with BirchBox, it is a beauty sample subscription for $10 a month. You simply sign up with them, fill out a personal beauty/life style profile and they send you 4-6 samples suited to your profile every month. If you like what you see and would like to give it a try, please sign up using my referral link here.  Thank you! You can cancel it at any time, and you earn points to put towards the purchase of full size products.


Okay, so without further ado, let me tell you what is included in the March 2012 BirchBox.
The Theme of this month's box is Spring Training - "samples that will wipe your beauty routine into shape!"

• Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer in Jackie Oh! (7ml) - This is such a pretty cheerful pink. I can't wait to wear it later this week!
• One Love Organics - Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm (15ml) - This product can be used as a cleansing balm or as a rich moisturizer. I tried this on my cuticle and elbow and it works really well for such areas. The scent is a very nice light citrus.
• I Coloniali - Invigorating Tibetan Shower Cream with Rhubarb (100ml) - I am thinking of saving it for my next vacation. 
• I Coloniali - Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh (10ml packet) - have not tried yet.
• Miss Jessie's Quick Curls Spiraling Creme (I can't find the posted size but guessing it's approx 50ml). I am growing my hair for a digital perm. This will be a great product to try.
• WEI - Pomegranate Buffing Beads (0.5g x 2 packets) - Will report back.

As a reminder, I will be having my first giveaway end of this month so come back and visit.

Kiehl's - Midnight Recovery Concentrate

First off, I am no expert beauty review writer but I have used/tried/tested many products, enough to be able to form an opinion. =) I have combination skin (more like confused skin, eg. normal on my forehead, oily on my nose, dry on my cheeks and chin). Are you following me yet? :) 3-4 years ago I would have said NO to putting oil on my face because a) I am afraid of clogging my pores and b) afraid of looking like a greasy Chinese wok. This all changed when I tried the Shu Uemura cleansing oil (which I will write about another time - one of my favorite product!). Long story short, I tried using oil on my skin (if you are like me, make sure any oil based product you use is Non-comedogenic which means it won't block your pores) and got a pretty good result so I put my guard down and became more receptive to the idea. 


I was introduced to Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate last December when I was in Kiehl's to purchase Christmas gifts. The SA at Kiehl's Robson in Vancouver was kind enough to give me two 10-day supply samples of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate with my purchase. I was a little skeptical about a serum that promised to give you soft glowing skin overnight. Needless to say, it really does give you the soft, clear, glowing skin the next morning. The product has a pleasant and not overpowering scent of lavender and it is a little oily going on the skin. You have to be a bit patient as it does not absorb into the skin right away. It takes about about 10-15 minutes to get into your pores and does its thing so I would not recommend going straight to bed after applying it as it could get onto your pillow. I don't know the exact science behind how it works. All I can say is every morning I wake up to supple skin and my moisturizer and skincare absorb better. There is no visible pores so when I do wear foundation, I don't even need to wear a primer anymore. And a big plus for me is it helps control oil secretion on my nose. I no longer have to blot every 3-4 hours. :) 


PS. I also recently received a sample of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye which I will try after I finish my current eye cream which is the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Anti-Aging Eye Creme (similar product here) which I blogged about here. I will report on the complementary eye cream after I give it a try.


PPS. I will be doing a spring clean of my beauty drawers and will have a blog beauty giveaway on March 31 so stay tuned.

Photo via Google Image.

Have A Smudge-Proof Summer

The sun is out. I take it as a hint that summer is just around the corner. It's hard to keep your makeup on with all the summer activities - swimming, playing beach volley ball, sun tanning, sweating, etc. Try some of my favorite long-wearing products this summer!

Define your eyes with this stay-put liner and mascara.

 - Benefit BADGal Waterproof Mascara
 - Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner

If you prefer the no fuzz instant eye opener trick, apply a strip of false lashes, with
MAKE UP FOR EVER False Eyelashes in 31 Carolyn and
Duo Eyelash Adhesive Waterproof

Add a touch of natural colour with this lip & cheek stain.
 - Benefit Benetint

Stay continuously flawless with this waterproof ultra-light foundation.
 - MAKE UP FOR EVER Face & Body Liquid Makeup. I wear Alabaster Beige 32.

Lighten up your eyes without a smudge in sight with this cream eye shadow.
 - MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream Eye Shadow. My favorite colours are 15 Taupe and 2 Steel.

Take it all off at the end of the day with these tried and tested water-proof removers.
 - SKII Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil  -  available at Neiman Marcus or Bliss Spa.
 - Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover 

Microdermabrasion at Yaletown Laser

I had a microdermabrasion treatment at Yaletown Laser recently and Catherine, my skincare technician was very helpful in educating me about the treatment. She also introduced me to Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup and DCL (Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories) Skincare.


It has been pretty cold and windy in Vancouver which has caused a couple of dry patches on my skin. After the treatment, the roughness that appeared namely on my chin virtually disappeared.  I did not develop any redness or irritation like some people could. The treatment felt like little suction motions gliding through my face. Overall, my face was left feeling very smooth and soft to the touch. It has been over 24 hours now and my moisturizer absorbed better this morning and my T-zone is not as shiny. It is recommended that a treatment be repeated every 4-8 weeks, so I have to see how long this last to decide whether $130 is worth shelling out every 1-2 months.


I ended up purchasing the Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Pressed Mineral Powder in Golden Glow, The Jane Iredale Retractable Handi Brush, and the DCL Ultra Light Hydrator. I will write a review later after I have tried these products for a couple of weeks.  

Beauty Must-Have's To Have at All Time

Goody Ouchless Bobby Pins

Bobby pins are essential whenever you want your hair off of your face. I especially like the Goody Ouchless bobby pins because they don’t snag or pull your hair. They are available at all supermarkets and drug stores, for little money. I have thick Asian hair so I crisscross two together so they don’t slip out.

Batiste Dry Shampoo 

If you are not familiar with dry shampoo, it's  a powder, usually in a spray can, that absorbs oil in your hair and leaves a fresh scent. It gets rid of greasy “second day” hair, adds volume, and makes hair look and smell fresh and clean, minus the need for water. The only problem is if you don't apply it correctly, you could end up with hair that looks like Storm in X-Men. I have natural dark brown hair-black hair and I spray it about one hand length away from my roots, then I use my fingers to rub the product in. By doing so, this removes the white powdery look (very obvious on dark hair) and adds much needed volume to my life-less hair. I recommend only using this if you hair is between washes (using your hair daily will dry out your hair and cause breakage), this should not replace your volumizing or styling products.

Compact Mirror. 

I always keep a compact mirror close by. You never know when you need to rem't ove smudged eye makeup or remove a small piece of food that gets lodged between your teeth! I have a cute Fendi mirror but you can buy compact mirror at any beauty store. A used/empty compact works too!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

It's not good to re-apply powder throughout the day as it clogs your pores and will create that really caked on makeup look. To freshen up my makeup, moisten and revive my tired long day at work skin, I keep Caudalie Beauty Elixir handy. It is a great freshening spray. I have a large bottle at home to give my skin a nice glow in the morning. I keep a travel size bottle at work so I am never without it.

Bare Escentuals BareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen

Always always wear sunscreen, regardless of rain or shine. I live in rainy Vancouver but I apply  sunscreen throughout the day. I use Shiseido SPF 55 in the morning and keep the Bare Escentuals BareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen in the office for re-applying when I go out for lunch and after work. The reason why I like the BareMinerals SPF 30 are a) it's a natural sunscreen in a powder form, b) it has a built-in brush for application, c) it comes in 3 shades (light, medium, tan. I use medium for my yellow undertone skin) so it is perfect to use to touch up and to remove any shine.

Hand Sanitizer and Antibacterial Wipes. 

Public places are full of germs. 

If you go outside, it is likely that you will come in touch with many things that have been touched by many others. You, yourself could sneeze or cough. There is nothing worse than knowing that the teeny tiny micro-organism could be living on your hands and stay dormant for a very long time. There is also no need to pass around the unwanted bugs. Do yourself and people around you a favor and disfinfect. I am a huge germaphobe so I keep two types of disinfectant on me: Bath and Body Works Pocketbac Sanitizing Hand Gel and Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes Singles. They are in my bags, throughout my house, my office drawers, my car, etc. I also include them in goodie bags for friends during Christmas. :)

Band-Aids

Is there anything worse than getting paper cuts or breaking in a new pair of shoes (and ending up with nasty blisters on your heels or toes)? I spend a lot of money on shoes but even all leather shoes can rub like crazy the first time you put them on. I also go through a lot of paperwork and architectural drawings and when you flip through tens of pages at a time, paper cuts are un-avoidable. My savior is pretty Sanrio Hello Kitty Band-aids. I keep a  stash of various sizes of bandages at my desk, just in case. Of course regular Band-Aid brand works too, but having pink Hello Kitty is way better than plain beige (for me anyway).

Carmex Lip Ointment

I use it to quench dry lips and smooth it over my cuticles if I need a quickie manicure. Vaseline works too.

Hand Cream

The temperature varies a lot between the outdoor and the office, which can often lead to chapped hands - especially when I constantly wash them and use hand sanitizer. To prevent dry, cracked hands, I moisturize throughout the day using one of my favorite hand lotion, Acca Kappa moisturizing hand cream.

Sunmark Hydrocortisone Cream

Hydrocortisone cream is the best cure for many common skin problems - allergic reaction to detergent, makeup, poison ivy, eczema, etc. My skin is especially sensitive in the winter with the harsh wind that cause my face to get all red, dry and itchy. I keep a tube of Sunmark Hydrocortisone Cream close at hand for quick relief. Many larger supermarkets including Safeway and Walgreen have their house brand of hydrocortisone products but I find that Sunmark makes the cheapest 1% formula. 

Medications, Supplements

Whether you’re team Tylenol or a natural supplement fan, having a stash of goodies to combat headaches or to keep monthly cramps at bay is a great idea. I also keep a few of my daily supplements in case I forget to take them at home. I would not recommend any natural supplements as everyone is different but LivCo is a great natural (all-green) supplement to cleanse your liver. It is especially helpful in preventing your liver from overworking if you are a lover of alcohol. Talk to your naturopath to see if you can benefit from it.

Oral B Glides Pro-Health Floss Pick

After each meal, give your teeth the once over. If you spot any leftovers, dislodge them using a floss pick. I prefer   

Oral B Glides Pro-Health Floss Pick because it's shred resistant and it has Scope to give your mouth a breath of freshness. Floss picks can also be used to de-clump mascara or remove dirt from under your nails. However, please remember to perform such forms of maintenance in the privacy of the ladies room. 

Q-Tips

Q-Tips are very versatile. You can use it to remove smudges under your eye, to apply vaseline or lip ointment onto your cuticles, to dab concealer on a zit...the list goes on and on.

Mini Perfume/Perfume Samples

I always keep a couple of my favorite perfume in sample vials at work. They are quick for freshening up if you have a last minute after-work date. My favorites at the moment are Balenciaga Paris Eau De Parfum and Cartier Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum.

These are my essentials. If you’re stranded in your office or an island, these items will get you through. 


Leave a comment or send me a message telling me about your beauty essentials. I will be having my first beauty giveaway at the end of February so watch out for it. It will include some of my favorite beauty products.

What's In Her Makeup Bag?

I am thinking of trying out a new series...to find out what favorite / cannot leave home without products my girlfriends carry.

Inside Chai Latte's Gucci makeup bag:

Sephora lip stick

Kabuki brush

Estee Lauder foundation

Elizabeth Arden skin serum

L'Occitane face lotion

Benefit cheek tint

The Balm Hot Mama blush

SmashBox lip gloss

Blistex lip blam

A pretty red enamel flower hair tie

Latest Sephora Haul

Inside the box: Boscia Pore Essential Trio set (can't wait to try and write about it), Boscia Jujube Rejuvenist Amino Body Wash, Benefit Glossytown lip gloss set (love lip gloss sets!), Harajuku compact mirror (perfect size to put in my purse), Chloe mini perfume set (great for traveling), a present for my girlfriend's birthday that is coming up, 500-point perk redemption - Sephora Collection Must Have Eyes set, YSL Toning & Cleansing Micellar Water deluxe sample (online promo - enter 'YSLCLEANSE' to get your own), 100-point perk redemption - Dolce & Gabbana The One mini perfume, three packet samples.

Party / Evening Makeup How To’s

FACE:

Immediately after cleansing and toning, I apply Chantecaille Vital Essence (it’s a serum that promises to fade age spots, sun spots, acne scars. It is also an antioxidant that will protect and rebalance the complexion).

I then moisturize with Cellex-C Sea Silk Oil-Free Moisturizer. It’s a light blue lightly and naturally fragrant cream-gel that adds just enough moisturizer for my combination skin.

Let’s not forget the delicate eye areas. I switch depending on the seasons. Currently I am using Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Anti-Aging Eye Crème. It’s a creamy eye cream that works really well to prevent fine lines. I am in my late 20’s and it is very important to pay attention to those little crow feet that will soon develop. I am told the proper way to apply eye cream is to start at the inner of the area just below the brow bone, dabbing outward and work all the way down to the under eye areas finishing at the lower inner. It’s apparently the way to prevent stretching of the delicate skin around the eyes which cause lines and under eye bags.

Always apply sunscreen! I use Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream. It’s not oily and tacky like most sun screens that leave your skin sticky and ghost white.

Prep skin for long lasting results with Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse. I believe this comes in two shades (beige or pink). I bought mine in beige as I did not want to look flushed or drunk. I bought mine in Tokyo and it was at least $10 cheaper than in America and the SA’s in Japan are so generous with samples. J

For a flawless skin look, I use Chantecaille Future Skin Oil-Free Gel Foundation in Shea (winter) and Sand (summer). It’s a cream-gel foundation with medium to full coverage that comes in a screw top pot. It contains seaweed extracts which I have read add collagen and control oil production. I stock up on this whenever I go to Bergdorf Goodman as it is $72 USD compare to the steep $98 Cdn at Holt Renfrew.If I want to keep the dewy finish, I stop at step 6 but since this is the “evening look”, I dust on a finishing touch of either the Chantecaille Compact Makeup in Cashew or the Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder. It’s a translucent powder that fills in all the pores and makes your skin really silky and smooth. It’s also has a cooling effect on the skin.After mattifying your face with step 7, I want to add just the right amount of shine to my forehead and under my eyes (reflects light and looks good in photos). I use Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in P Gold 91 which is essentially a pearly white highlighter with tiny gold specks.

EYES:

I finish with a smile so I could apply blush to the apple of my cheeks with Mac Powder Blush in Dame.

When evening calls for a glamorous look, I focus on making my eyes amazing! Here's how I do it.

Prime with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base. I got this as a Sephora 100-point sample and I loved it so much I redeemed the rest of my points so I have 3 of them which should last me a little while. It helps keep eye shadow in place for hours and it does not leave a greasy line in my crease.

Next I darken my eyebrow with Chanel Le Sourcil De Chanel Perfect Brows. It’s a compact that comes with three shades of brow powder in light brown, brown and black. There is also a mini tweezer, eyebrow shader brush and a brow comb in the kit which is handy if you need a quick fix on the go. I mix the brown and black shades together so I don’t have that sharpie eye brow look (which was last considered appropriate in the late 90’s).

Now it’s time for the main part – eye shadow! I first apply a neutral colour like Mac Eye Shadow in Shroom (not shown) across the lids to under the brow bone with a large eye shadow brush. I then use my finger for the second part. I dab Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 83 Illusoire from the lash line to the fold of my eye lids. Follow with a slightly darker colour in the crease. I like grey-purple shades for my smokey look so I use Mac Eye Shadow in Magic Moor . I bought mine in a limited edition kit. It’s the second colour on the bottom row. In order to create a smooth transition between all the colours, you have to blend well with a good blending brush. I find that if you don’t use the proper brush for this step, you can create a strange gradient of colours on your eye lid.

To brighten your eyes and to make them appear larger, I use a tiny dab of Chanel Ombre Paupieres Eyeshadow in #90 only to the inner corner of my eyes where the upper lid meets the lower lid. You can also apply a shimmery light eyeshadow but I prefect this one because a) it’s a liquid shadow in a flattering gold colour that is perfect for this application and b) it comes with a sponge tip applicator so it makes the job much easier. It’s one less brush you have to buy.

I then highlight my brows by using a light neutral colour such as Too Faced Eye Shadow in Pearl Necklace or Yves Saint Laurent’s Rouche Eclat (not shown) just below my eyebrow and right above it. Again, blend it in really well so you marry all the colours in

I follow with eyeliner just to the outer corner of my lower lash line. I don’t look good in black, so I use Anna Sui Eye Liner Pencil in #R5 which is a metallic purple in a creamy texture so it also blends really well without looking harsh.

To complete the look, I apply false lashes to the upper lid. For a really stand out look, I go between the Make Up Forever Eyelashes in #110 Alexandra or #21 Floriane, Elite Eyelashes from Duane Reade in #2, or Bliss Eyelashes from the ABC Store in #48. I then apply mascara (Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara) and curl (Shu Uemura Curler) to marry the falsies and the real lashes together. I also apply a tad bit of mascara to the lower lashes to really enlarge the eyes.

Dust off any eye makeup from your cheek with a big fluffy round brush or kabuki brush.

LIPS:

To have to decide on whether you want to focus on your eyes or your lips to be the main feature, and since I have chosen to glamorize the eyes, I go light and simple on my lips.

I always always keep my lips well moisturized with Kiehl’s Lip Balm (I use the pot when I am at home and I keep a tube in my purse and in my drawer at work). If Kiehl’s is a little on the steep end ($13 Cdn), Carmex Lip Balm for $3 available at any local supermarket is also really good.

I don’t line my lips as I am lucky enough that my lips are not yet bleeding so I just apply lip gloss straight on top of the lip balm. I use NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Como. It’s a shimmery berry colour that adds shine and a slight colour to your lips without over empowering the eyes.

Now I know that was a lot of info to take in, but I hope you had fun reading it as I have writing about it.

PS. I DON’T normally put this many steps in my normal daily routine. For my day-to-day look, I moisturize, apply foundation and a light dusting of finishing powder, shade in my eyebrows, apply mascara or a simple false eyelashes such as Ardell Eyelashes in #108 and a touch of sheer lip colour such as Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss in Sugar Kiss or Fusion Beauty LipFusion Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 in Berry.