MAX Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

I bought this on an impulse while I was at the foreign goods store in my closest city. I’d been looking for a new mascara for a while, and didn’t really want to pony up the $25 for Dior again. At least, not at this time! When I saw the MAX Factor 2000 Calorie, it transported me back to when I was a little girl, going through my mother’s makeup drawer. She never looked too overdone, just fresh and natural, and even though MAX Factor markets 2000 Calorie as their “dramatic” mascara I find that it can be used for everyday.

(image from www.drugstore.com)

I like the sleek packaging and the simple branding. I do miss the fat brush that Diorshow has, but I have washed and saved the brush from my last Diorshow, so I will be using it instead of the Max Factor brush. The formula is the same consistency as Diorshow, which is unfortunate because I remember it being more wet and really liking it. I feel that 2000 Calorie lengthens my lashes more than it fattens them up, but over a primer it looks great! My own biggest problem with this formula is that my lashes feel hard, instead of the soft waxy feel of Diorshow.

However, that all said, I would most likely buy 2000 Calorie again because I like it better than other drugstore mascaras. When I get home I will be running to Rite Aid or whatever drugstore carries it, but unless I go back to the foreign goods store I will have to order off of drugstore.com.

Dior Addict Lipstick

Dior Addict Lipstick is worth every penny for moisturized, color saturated lips. The formula is to die for: goes on smoothly with buildable color, the shimmery colors don’t live a gritty feeling on the lips, and the color selection has something for everyone.

image from www.sephora.com

The colors that I got are the 579 Rose Vision and the 589 Screen Rose. Both colors look good with my pale complexion, and the color actually seems to change depending on what kind of light it’s exposed to.

579 Rose Vision

589 Screen Rose

images from www.strawberrynet.com

The one thing that Addict doesn’t do is last very long, probably because it is so moisturizing. I have to reapply a few times during the day. I really don’t mind doing that anyways (I like to retouch my makeup a lot to keep it fresh). Because I love the fresh colors I would definitely wear this lipstick out for a night, but I wouldn’t expect it to last through dinner. Make sure to add this one to your clutch ladies!

NARS Monoi Body Glow and Body Glow II Set

It’s been a long time, but I’m back with some more reviews on my latest beauty splurges! Since spring is here and summer is almost around the corner, I treated myself to the limited time NARS Monoi Body Glow and Body Glow II Set from Sephora.

(image from www.sephora.com)

I love a lot of NARS products, and I thought that this one would be no different. The glass bottles are classy and look great on a countertop, I love the tiare flower inside the packaging, and the smell of the monoi oil has gotten me many compliments from the boyfriend.

However, I did a silly silly thing. I spent $98 on coconut oil. That’s right! Granted, it’s beautifully packaged and satisfies my luxe addiction, but for a fraction of the cost I could have gotten the same product sold by a different company.

Hei Poa is a Tahitian company that sells their products with the same monoi oil for tens of dollars less than NARS. Another company, Ren, is a bit more expensive but still cheaper than NARS. I enjoy their simple and clean-looking packaging more as well.

Lastly, and my personal favorite, is www.monoi.com which sells 4oz. bottles of pure monoi oil (same size as NARS!) for $9.95. At that price anyone can smell like summer!

Redken Fresh Curls Gel Spray vs. Tresemme

When I came to Japan, I moved into house where the previous inhabitant had been a similarly beauty-obsessed 5 foot 4 inch dancing queen. And, as everyone knows, being the second owner of a furnished apartments means you also become the sole inheritor of various hair tonics, fake lashes, wigs, and fishnets. Using some else’s fake eyelashes is a little skeezy, but the hair products were fair game. I probably tried a new one everyday for 2 weeks! However, the standout potion by far was Fresh Curls spray by Redken. It took my humidity-limpified, slightly wavy hair and gave it more defined curl without being crunchy or flat. Since it’s humidity resistant I don’t have to worry about my hair getting frizzy later! After getting my hair cut to slightly below my shoulders (it had been a little farther than halfway down my back), few sprays and a quick blowout with my head upside down, my hair is just plain curly!

(image from www.redken.com)

Another product that I got to try was Redken’s Fresh Curls Spring Mousse, which doesn’t have any humidity resistance, so I’ll probably switch to it once I move home. Officially it’s a “Leave-in Anti-frizz Activator for Lazy Curls”, and I feel like the mousse leaves a little more residue on the hair than the Fresh Curls does, which might be perfect for drier hair.

(image from www.redken.com)

Another, more reasonably priced, alternative to Redken’s Fresh Curls is Tresemme’s Curl Locking Spray. Like Fresh Curls, the Curl Locking Spray is humidity resistant without drying stiff or crunchy. It also sprays wet, so you have time to work it around before it dries. Personally, I like to mist it onto my hair to create waves all over, then spray into my hand and scrunch into the ends for ringlets. Works like a charm!

(image from www.tresemme.com)

With both the Redken and Tresemme products, I like to mist it onto my hair to create waves all over, then spray into my hand and scrunch into the ends for ringlets. Any stubborn pieces get hit briefly with a curling iron, then I’m ready to go! Works like a charm!

DiorSkin Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope that you had as good a time as I did….in fact, I stayed up a little too late with the boyfriend, ha ha! I looked a complete mess the next morning! But to turn lemons into lemonade, I got to try the new concealer I picked up at the Dior counter this weekend. Half impulse buy (I was going to hold out and try the Yves Saint Laurent ‘Touche Éclat’ Radiant Touch concealer), half necessity (ran out of my beloved Covergirl!); 100% guilt free.

(image from www.sephora.com)

It has a similar texture to the Covergirl, but packaged in the same way I didn’t like in the Rimmel. I love the texture and it sinks right into the skin with just a few pats (because I have better things to do than coax my concealer to soak into my skin). I wish that the packaging was similar to the Covergirl or to the YSL Touche Éclat, so I don’t think it’ll be a permanent addition to my makeup drawer.

A few good things are that, besides blending quickly and with a nice finish, Dior Sculpt Lifting doesn’t crease, run, or wear off by the end of the day – even after a good cry (Hey, it was a particularly emotional day!)! Also, I like the compact size and portability of the packaging, especially after it saved my you-know-what after I threw it in my purse.

You can find the DiorSkin Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer at any Dior counter, or at Sephora.

Update: here is a picture with comparing Dior to Covergirl concealer. Forgive my lack of makeup!

Kanebo KATE Glamtrick Eye

I have to say, nothing is more humiliating than writing a tutorial on how to create a “smoky eye”, and then running out of the colors used for the smoky eye right before a party, buying a cheap version to get you through the party, and then having to run to the drugstore to grab another shade palette because the first one you bought was (basically) gray shades of chalk.

Again, KATE to the rescue. My local drugstore carries a few lines of makeup, but the trendiest, smoothest brand (as you probably know from my previous post) is KATE from Kanebo. I took forever choosing which palette….should I go with neutrals for my green eyes, or stick with tried-and-true grey? I finally decided on the grey, and haven’t looked back since!

(image from http://nomorerules.com)

WARNING: This palette is very shiny! If you don’t want to incorporate sparkle into your life, go back to the Revlon. Luckily I love me some sparkle, so I grabbed this little square savior right up. There’s a grey “all over shimmer” for the whole eye area, and then shade of grey (and a lavender!). I was a little worried that it would be too glimmer-y, then I put it on….

I started with the grey color in the upper righthand corner, and using a large fluffy eyeshadow brush drew the color over my upper lid, stopping below the crease:

 

 

Next, with the same large brush (all excess grey shook out of it) and took the lavender and spread that into the crease and slightly beyond:

 

 

On the brow bone with a small brush I put the shimmery white eyeshadow shown in the lower lefthand side of the compact:

 

Last, I use the black liner shadow in the lower righthand corner to rim my eyes:

 

One more coat of mascara and here’s the finished product!

 

 

BA-BAM!!!

Like I said, I picked mine up at the drugstore, but you can pick yours up at Ichibankao (which I’ll be doing when I move home).

Happy Smoky-ing!

How To: A Fresh, Natural Makeup Tutorial

Skin

1. A makeup look focusing on translucent skin obviously works best for skin that is in good condition. Flawless skin does not need heavy makeup which hides the skin’s natural beauty. Instead, use a translucent foundation to simply even out the skin tone. I like Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer. Any flaws that remain visible can then be concealed.

2. Use a highlighter like Benefit’s High Beam or Sally Hansen Healing Beauty Skin Brightener to emphasize your best features and brighten your complexion.

3. If you have dry skin, don’t use powder over your foundation since it will settle into your pores and conceal your skin’s natural glow. If your skin run on the combination or oily side (like mine!), just use powder on the T-zone to control shine. It also helps to apply powder before your blush because it helps blush distribute evenly. I love Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil for a light finish powder.

4. Glowing cheeks look feminine, so don’t forget them! If you have a good complexion, add a touch of pearly eyeshadow along the top of the cheekbones toward your temple just below the eyebrow. An understated shimmer brightens the area, emphasizing the arch of your eyebrow.

5. Finally, add a touch of fresh pink or rose blusher to your cheeks. Apply blusher from the highest point of the cheekbones toward the ear. Smile to find the correct place to apply blusher. I like to concentrate color on the apple of the cheek, and then blend backward towards the hairline. Make sure to blend, because stripes of color ala the 1980’s haven’t come back!

Eyes

1. Eye makeup should strive for a natural and not-overdone look. The aim is to emphasize the best features of your own eyes. Apply eye liner thinly on the upper eyelid at the base of the lashes to emphasize the shape of your eyes. Start drawing the line at the centre of the eyelid, moving toward the outer corner of the eye. You can leave the area from the centre to the inner corner without eye liner.

2. Apply a touch of light pearly eyeshadow in a complementary shade onto your eyelid, along and over the eye liner to blend in the eye liner, then add eyeshadow to the inner corner of the eye. I look good in taupe and other neutral browns, but many people look good with a light pink or rose wash.

3. Finally, apply mascara. One coat should be enough to give the final touches to a natural eye makeup look.

4. You can intensify your look toward the evening by adding dark eye liner on the upper and lower lid and kohl pencil on the inside of the lower lashes. Finish with another coat of mascara.

Lips

1. Put on a light shade of lip liner, gently blending it in toward the centre of the lips. Avoid clear lines, you want a natural look!

2. Apply a light pink or rose lipstick such as NARS Dolce Vita with a brush.

3. As an alternative, just wear pink or rose lip gloss with lip liner. My favorite gloss at the moment is Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss because it’s reasonably priced and non-sticky with a good amount of color once applied.

 

Kanebo KATE Rouge Melting Lipstick

Today I had a pretty important meeting to attend, but forgot my small makeup bag in another purse! Understandably I wanted to look my best, so I popped into a basic grocery store on my way there to grab some lip color. Nothing says “I’m an amazing employee” like smooth lips in a sheer color, and a gloss just wasn’t going to do. Luckily, my lifesaver came in a sheek little silver stick!

(image from http://ichibankao.com)

This Kanebo KATE Rouge Melting lipsticks beats all my other lipsticks hands down! From the case to the actual application, I don’t think that any other lipstick works or feels as good. I bought a shade that in the tube looked really dark, the Brown 6 (BR-6), but when I tested it on my hand (and later wore it on my lips) it gave sheer, buildable color with a silky feel. This lipstick really has the feel of a lip balm; I keep mushing my lips together!

Because the formula is sheer to medium, it didn’t last that long on my lips. However, it lasted longer than most sheer lipsticks, so I think that it’s great for work. Another plus is that it’s unflavored and unscented, which is great for fragrance-fee workplaces and people with sensitive skin.

You can by KATE products in Japan for 1400yen, but for online stores it’s just a little more expensive. Personally, I’m going to pop one in in each purse I have – never know when that next beauty emergency is going to be!

How To: A “Smoky Eye” Tutorial

Do you ever wonder how it is that the women on T.V. and in movies are so beautiful? Especially during award show season, actresses pull out all the stops to show off. How’s a normal, non-celeb girl supposed to feel comparing herself to that? I can’t believe that every single one of them was born that way. Take Pamela Anderson; she’s the original modern sex kitten, right?

(image from www.perezhilton.com)

Looks like she’s an average woman after all! Now, after a team of makeup artists and hair stylists transform her:

(image from www.perezhilton.com)

Puuuurfect!

Pamela is known for rocking the smoky eye look: her intense eyes paired with nude lips are almost as famous are her other, errr, assets.

I love doing a smoky eye for parties and dates, especially because you can play with color and glitter. The smoky eye is supposed to be fun!!! Here’s a quick tutorial of how to create your own basic smoky eye, but please, don’t be afraid to have fun with it!
_______________________________________________________________________________________

You will need: eye liner pencil, base color eyeshadow and brush, sponge applicator, contouring eyeshadow, liner brush, medium sized round brush, eyeshadow for lid, and mascara.

What I usually use: eye liner pencil, an eyeshadow quad of colors like Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow Quad in Sultry Smoke, a large eyeshadow brush for base color, sponge applicator (or smudge brush), a medium eyeshadow brush for everything else, mascara and eyelash curler, and cotton ear swabs for blending and cleaning up accidents!

Applying

	Outline your eye contour with the eye pencil, all the way around. Make the line thicker along the upper lash line. Apply your base eyeshadow all over the upper eyelid. Blend well with a base brush.
	With a pointy sponge applicator, apply contouring eyeshadow along the lower lash line. Blend well with the pencil line using a small liner brush. Choose the spot where you will start applying contouring eyeshadow on the upper lid. Think of the point where your upper and lower eyelids come together, and lift that point halfway to the eyebrows.
	With a pointy sponge applicator, apply contouring eyeshadow in a horizontal “V” shape, starting from the spot defined in the previous step.
	With a medium-sized round brush (you can also use a flat one, holding it sideways), blend eyeshadow in the crease and along the upper lashes towards the inner corners of your eyes. Reapply and blend contouring colour in a “V” shape until you reach a desirable saturation.
	Connect your upper and lower lash lines by blending them together.For an irresistible deep regard, outline the inside contour of your eyes with the same eye pencil.
	Don’t forget to enhance your eyebrows to balance strong “smoky eyes” makeup.Apply lots of mascara. Your eyes are now smokier then ever before!

(images from www.makeupsense.com)

Covergirl Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Concealer

Even though I have really good skin, concealer is my most used beauty product because of the dark circles under my eyes. What’s the point of putting on the rest of your makeup if you look exhausted? I hate it when I spend a lot of time on my look just to hear “Wow, you look tired!” from coworkers or friends. I’m always on the lookout for something nice, long lasting, smooth, and inexpensive (I use concealer religiously; I’d go broke buying the expensive stuff!). I also really like any concealer which says anything about “age-defying” because the formula doesn’t settle into the little tiny creases around your eye.

I was prowling about my mother’s makeup drawer when I saw her Covergirl Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Concealer and gave it a try. I loved the wand packaging since it’s so easy to hold, and the concealer can just be clicked up from the center of the applicator. Blending was a breeze and it finished smooth, not powdery. Since I’m so pale I usually have to buy the lightest color, but even the second lightest color (Creamy Natural 205) in this line is a little pasty for me (gotta love anything that lets me entertain ideas of a tan!).

(image from www.drugstore.com)

I bought mine at Target while I was home, and it’s sold at any drugstore, but it’s also sold online. At around $8 USD, you won’t go broke buying it!

Update: here is a picture comparing Dior to Covergirl concealer. Only concealer, no other makeup!