Even though I don't do many posts on skin care, but I'm obsessed with achieving the "flawless skin". After all, flawless makeup requires a nice clean base right? Since acne hit me in 2005, I've been researching on ingredients that works best for my skin and being cautious of what I put on my skin. If you have read my "How I Cleared My Acne and Acne Scars" post, then you have read about me using nutmeg and honey as an acne scar treatment. It may sound a little odd for most people, but this recipe indeed really works. Again, all thanks to Sesame and Leon.

I wanted to post this yesterday, but I had class from 8AM to 4Pm so I didn't have a chance to. Any who, Lane was sweet enough to award me with the Gorgeous Blogger Award. Thanks so much sweety! Along with the award, it said I'm supposed to state 6 facts about myself. So here goes....
My skin changes as the seasons change. So now that we're stepping into fall (even though its still damn HOT), my skin is starting to get on the drier side. So, since I still have some masks that Hanna had sent me in our first swap, I decided to give the Hyaluronic Acid Mask a shot. I was not disappointed.

For those of you who aren't aware of what hyaluronic acid is, its basically helps seal in moisture within the skin. Hyaluronic Acid is also often used to rejuvenate the skin. You can read more about it here.
What the package says about Hyaluronic Acid:
"Hyaluronic acid is the key water maintaining substances in human skin and can bind 100-1000 times its own weight, keeping skin silky soft."


It says "For Ultimate Skin Hydration". It definitely is.

Let me tell you - when I opened the package, it was totally soaked that the product actually ran down my chin, lol. This is the first time I've used a sheet mask that was literally drenched. I can feel my skin drinking up the moisture from the mask, which was a feeling I haven't experienced with other masks. It felt pretty refreshing, not to mention the nice cooling and slight tightening sensation as well.

Just trying to have fun while waiting, lol.

After 15-20 minutes, I removed the mask and my skin felt really nice. Definitely more hydrated than before I applied the mask. My skin felt slightly softer, nothing dramatic, but definitely a little softer. I loved that this mask's eye area actaully fits. I usually have to snipt a bit of the mask in order for it to fit my eye area. With this, I didn't have to and I have to give KUDOS to TheFaceShop for the mask size.

I like the fact that you could feel the difference automatically. This mask is definitely perfect for those who have dry/severe dry skin. I'd say this mask would be okay for those with combination/oily skin, but if you super oily skin, maybe you should steer clear. This mask is really concentrated.

-----

On another note, I recieved a package in the mail today and it happens to be from Lane. I swear I love this girl, not only has she spoiled me with some awesome goodies but she made the package so pretty. Makes my package to her look like crap! Thank you so much babe!

I'm currently typing up the post for tomorrow - so in the meantime, is there any one out there who likes to photoshop? I started updating my PS Resources again and uploaded a new layout as well. Go check it out (click image).

For those who aren't familiar with the people on the layout.
It's the Korean group 2PM/2AM. I miss Jay already.


I seriously can't stop looking at everything.
Laney babe, you are the shiz! ♥
I was so bored last night I decided to do two different looks on each eye, haha. I did a monochrome cut crease on one eye and an extreme cat eye on the other. All the pictures are in black and white because it'll be more clear that way. Plus, it goes with the theme yea? (:

The cut crease look. I had some Self-Adhesive falsies from N.Y.C, but they weren't sticky enough to stay on. ): Look was done using the pencil technique and a black and white eyeshadow.


Hey everyone! My eye's been irrtated lately, so that's why I haven't done any other type of EOTD, but I have done an EOTD last week. Sadly though, the colors got super washed out by the webcam, so BOO! But anywho, I was ecstatic that my NYX order came in just 2-3 days! Let me tell you, I was not disappointed! I'm going to focus more on the MAC and NYX products since some of the other purchases are for a swap, lol. I've been good with buying makeup. I haven't been to my MAC counter to check out the new HD collection and F/W Trend Collection that MAC came out with. So I've been saving (well, for something else, lol) - so aren't you all proud of me? XD


I missed school today, I didn't get any sleep! I was tossing and turning all night. Then when I do finally sleep, I wake up almost every 15-20 minutes in between. It got really annoying that I turned off my alarm and slept until 10AM. Does any one have this problem too? I was kind of grumpy through out the day here and there. My under eye circles (thanks to genetics) get dark quick. I look like a panda.

So, those of you who have read my post about TheFaceShop's Quick & Clean BB Cream on my old blog, then you know how much I like BB Creams. I was running out of the Skinfood Mushroom BB Cream sample (which I adore) and decided to try out the Missha one since I've been hearing quite some raves on youtube and blogs.


Boredom kills when you've finished all your homework and projects. Any who, I'm sure all of you know what I'm talking about when I say the words, "88 Palette" or even the "120 Palette". It was such a big hit when it first came out and I didn't jump on the bandwagon until way later, like months later. You can find this anywhere - on EBay, StarsMakeupHaven, Coastal Scents, Beauties Factory, etc. At first I was really skeptical, but when the products arrived, I was pretty happy with some of the payoff.

I've just started with makeup and all and honestly speaking, I adore avant garde type makeup. I love looking at dramatic and bold looks rather than the more neutral "wearable" looks. It just seems more interesting. Any way, I did an inspired look off MAC's Colour Craft Collection called, "Eclectic Edge" - which is I guess you can say a modern take on the smokey eye. I was bored last night and wanted to do something before I went to bed, haha. I wanted my lines more sharp because I didn't want it to be exactly like the image.

The Inspiration


School's been a bit slow. My teacher cancelled class for a week already, how odd is that? LOL. I'm just happy that I'm finally feeling better! The flu has left for good! Anywho, Traclyn was so sweet to give me another award! Or more like awards? Haha.

I'm supposed to nominate 15 people, so here it goes.
I NOMINATE THESE LOVLIES.....
01. Blovet Beauty
02. HannaHullabaloo
03. AtelierGal
04. Blair
05. Beautiful With Brains
06. Kitty Loves Makeup
07. Suzit86
08. The Punk Cat
09. Everyday Makeup With Becky
10. A Biology Nerd's Beauty Blog
11. MAKEUPXA
12. Tunalicious
13. Vonvon's Interests
14. SwtSmillez
15. Cat@lina


Also, I was tagged by Funkiimonkee to share 7 facts/personality traits about myself. So here they are. (:
01. I'm OCD when it comes to being neat and organized.
02. I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times.
03. Gorgeous Korean boys make me weak in the knees, lol.
04. Can be really competitive.
05. Food is my best friend. <3
06. Love to dance - though I stink at it, hah! XD
07. I'm a clutz, but then again, who isn't? LOL.
People who I would like to know better....
101 Compiled Beauty
Voguefemme
Fuzkittie
Kitty Loves Makeup

I'm going to tag 4 people for now since everyone I know has already done something like this? LOL

Last but not least, here's a quick EOTD. I was bored and started to play around with makeup. I hope you all enjoy!



I used the 88 Matte Palette, but you can use the Shimmer Palette if you have that.

01. You can use any neutral sticky base.
02. Apply #1 on the inner 1/3 of your eye.
03. Apply MAC's Cocomotion pigment in the 2/3.
04. Use #2 lightly on to your crease to blend out and harsh lines and do some slight shading. (optional)
05. Use #3 in the outer 1/3 of your eye and blending it upwards and apply some of the color in your bottom outer 1/3.
06. Use #4 (or any matte black color) to deepen the crease and add some depth. Slightly blend the color inwards.
07. Apply #5 on your brow bone as a soft highlight.
08. Apply Cocomotion pigment on the mid part of your bottom lashes and use color #1 near your tear duct.
09. Apply your favorite mascara, eyeliner and your finished!

A diagram of where I applied the shadows.

Yes the pictures aren't clear, but if you read my previous posts you'd know that my trusty camera broke down on me, so I'm using my laptop cam for this. The cam doesn't do the colors any justice, but its not that blurry right? For now all my EOTD/FOTD pictures will be taken by my webcam until I save up money for a new camera, lol. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good camera?

Any who, this is a simple gold and burgundy look. I hope you all like.
ITEMS USED:

88 Ultra Shimmer Palette
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Jordana Eye Fixation in Champagne Craze
Maybelline Hypercurl Cat Eyes Mascara
ELF Treat and Tame in Dark
L'Oreal True Match in W7
Maybelline Eyebrow Definer in Dark Blonde
Nabi Black Eyeliner
Sonia Kashuk Long Lasting Gel Liner in Cocoa (Great Stuff!)



THE LOOK:

01. I applied UDPP then I applied the Jordana Eye Fixation (similar to MAC Shadestick) in Champagne Craze (Shimmery Golden Beige) as a base and softened the edges.

02. I applied color #1 (golden yellow color) on the inner 1/3 of my eye with a small e/s brush.

03. Next I grabbed color #2 (medium gold) and placed it on my middle of my eye leaving the outer 1/3 free of eyeshadow. I lightly blended color #1 and #2 together with a medium e/s brush.

04. After, I took a small rounded crease brush (a pencil brush is also fine) and I lightly deposit color #3 onto my outer 1/3 and slightly winging the color up.

05. I grabbed some more of that #3 color to darken it and slowly blending it with color #2.

06. I took a q-tip and lightly dabbed it in makeup remover to create the sharp line then applied my foundation to clean the line up.

07. Then I added color #4 lightly to my brown bone and blended downwards to blend out any harsh lines.

08. Applied shade #3 on my outer lower 1/3, then #2 in the 2/3 and finally #1 on my inner 1/3 and towards the tear duct.

09. Tightlined and lined my waterline with a soft black pencil.

10. Lined my eyes with a dark brown gel liner and added two coats of mascara then shaped and filled my brows.

FINISHED!

Of course, you can always turn it up a notch and add some falsies, but I usually don't wear any. Talk to you all soon! ♥

Source: iStock

So its been said that lining your waterline makes your eyes larger and brighter. But does it really brighten? Honestly to me, white eyeliner on your waterline is well.....white eyeliner on your waterline, lol. I don't see any brightening or wide-eyed effects of using white eyeliner and quite frankly, I think it looks horrible - even if you can pull it off. It just looks too stark. I've always used flesh-toned-type eyeliners on my waterline because its more natural and doesn't look obvious. I've been using flesh-toned eyeliners since I've started watching ApropoMakeup on YT (an amazing MUA) last year. I haven't seen people use flesh-toned pencils until recently when Stila came out with their Topaz Kajal Eyeliner.

Now I'm not going to be writing about how to brighten your eyes since there's so many posts and videos our there. But I will be listing some of my favorite items. So let's start.

Paula Dorf Baby Eyes Enhancer $20USD

This is what started it all for me. When I saw ApropoMakeup using this, I was really intrigued. I purchased one and it was soft, creamy and glides on without tugging. Its a nice soft peach-pink color and brightens up the eye nicely. You can also use this on your cupids bow to accentuate the contours of your lips. One of my favorites!

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Pencil in Champagne 23L $17USD

This is a metallic pink champagne color, but the shimmer isn't noticeable - to me anyway. The color glides smoothly and doesn't tug as well.

Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz $18USD

This is a nice apricot shade, but I do find that this smudges a little for me. My eyes get watery a lot so maybe that's why. This Kajal liner is very soft and glides on nicely.

Jordana Color Xtend Eyeliner in 03 Just Pearly $.99-1.99USD

I haven't used this yet but I love Jordana eyeliners in general. Jordana eyeliners usually don't smudge on me. This pencil is a beige-pink color and looks similar to the MUFE eyeliners. Plus for the price, you can't beat that!



I also heard that Laura Mercier, Boujoir, Styli-Style and Ben Nye has some but I wasn't able to find them so I couldn't include them in this post. I hope you enjoyed this quick overview and I hope you all have a nice weekend! ♥
I was actually suppose to post a review, but I saw this and changed my mind, hah! There's some PRO products in this collection such as the Lip Erase (great for nuding out lips!) and the return of the famous Feline Kohl Power.

Available: October 12, 2009 [US/Canada] - November 2009 [International]

This collection brings us to the Ziegfield Follies by way of Grey Gardens, a bit dishevelled, a little Girl Interrupted, both dramatically hip and dangerously sexy. It starts with a strong, sooty, blackest-ever wild-child eye...a new Greasepaint Stick also in blue and violet versions, and Pro Gloss to create it. Neutral and perfected skin will get more drama with highlighting and low lighting from Sculpt and Shape Powders and the 165 Tapered Cheek/Highlight Brush all the better to achieve it. And finally, the totally nude Pro Lip Erase does its stuff, followed by a light Lipstick and Lip Conditioner to put the lilt and lift back in.... But the cynosure of this season's scintillating collaboration is the daring, dramatic slightly demented DSquared2 eye. Have fun with it!

Lipsticks: (Limited Edition) $14.00USD/$16.50CAD
- Nude Rose : Light neutral pink (Lustre)
- Blood Red : Clean deep berry (Lustre)


Lip Erase: (Permanent Pro) $16.00USD/$19.00CAD
A flesh-toned balm that visually neutralizes and erases natural colour from the lip. Shine and texture-free.
- Dim : NC37 (Fleshtone)


Tinted Lip Conditioner: $14.50USD/$17.50CAD
- Fuschia Fix : Deep pink sheen (Permanent)


Grease Paint Sticks: (Limited Edition) $17.50USD/$21.00CAD
- Black : Intense Black
- B : Bright blue violet
- V : Bright yellow blue


Kohl Power Eyeliner: (Limited Edition) $14.50USD/$17.50CAD
- Feline : Glossy Rich Black (Repromote From Blue Storm & Alexander McQueen)


Sculpt & Shape Powder DUOS: $21.00USD/$25.00CAD
These are Sculpt and Shape powders are permanent pro products, however the pro versions provide the Sculpt Powders and Shape Powders seperately. The duo configuration is Limited Edition only with collection.
- Bone Beige/Emphasize : Pale Cream / Tan (Repromote - Sculpt & Shape)
- Accentuate/Scuplt : Pale Blushed Beige/Soft Taupe-Brown (Repromote - Sculpt & Shape)


Gloss Texture: (Permanent Pro) $18.00USD/$22.00CAD
Clear - A colour-free gel formulated for full-on shine, M·A·C Gloss adds polish, shine and highlights to bare or made-up skin. May be used on the face or any part of the body where shine is desired.


Tools: (Limited Edition) $34.00USD/$41.00CAD
Medium-sized tapered brush with soft, natural bristles. Provides perfect application and blending of powder products. Can be used to highlight the cheeks or all over the face.
#165 Brush (Repromote from Brunette Blonde Redhead)


I'm definitely going to get the lip erase and the feline pencil. What are you lovlies eyeing?

(Source: Specktra)