Review time! ( Etival Ener-C)

So ever since my facial, I've been exfoliating more regularly, which has been working out great by the way X3  But the fact that I've been taking off dead skin cell, means the layer underneith is brighter, leaving my face to appear much MUCH lighter than the rest of my body.  So I've been wanting to try a brightening serum.  I was in shoppers and just asked the cosmotisian.  She recommended ETIVAL laboratoire Ener-C, brightening serum with multi-pro and vitamin C ester

Let me say that it was over priced D=
Also it didn't work miracles ~__~;; not even close
I mean it did do the job, but at around $40 canadian (tax included) for 30 mL, I don't think it worked very well considering.  Yes, it did give me a temporary fix and I think over a period of time and it did give my skin a brighter appearance (slightly) lol

It also says that it's supposed to firm the skin too.  Ok that I did not see at all, unless they mean for you to continue using after one bottle.  But that wouldn't make sense because then why would they make the bottle so small?  To look less expensive? D=

The texture is not like other serums I've tried.  You know most serums kind of look semi-transparant, and have kind of a liquidy consistancy.  This was white (like a moisturizer) and had a more stiff consistancy (like a moisturizer lol)
In the ingredients it did say it had alot of different type of citrus related products, but I'm not sure if that was enough to make it like a serum I'm more accustomed to.

Overall, it was an ok product, made some difference to my skin, but not enough to be worth that price.
I think I that was fair wasn't it? =D

I would some of their other products if their cost to effect ratio was a little better~

D= what's wrong with my mixpod?

hey can anyone tell me why most of the songs I put on my mixpod won't work? D=

New look to blog ^__^

Wheew I finally got the motive to make over my blog (but not really) I was just curious as to what blogspot had to offer in terms or pre-made creativity. 

And what I mean is that not everyone has the time or the patience or the brilliance to do some of the things webmasters can create (terri lol)
No matter how much you both hate ccs or html nesting @__@ in the end they'll have a work of art, I'll have a blank page with broken codes lol

But it turns out blogspot does give you quite a bit of freedom in what you can do with your blog!
Everything is kind of dumbed down for us common fold XD

I remember on live journal, I had to find out the exact code for a colour I wanted and that meant finding a good colour generator @__@ pain in my behind no?

This theme may be a tad late, but I love it X3

Can you cheap out on great hair?

Perhaps?

However I'm leaning towards no, especially with my super processed, super damaged hair XD
I think that unbleached hair or even minimally bleached hair, you can get away with products that say "can achieve salon LIKE results"  @__@ man they really get you with their words sometimes (they must have really listened to the saying that words are more powerful than stones XD) 

When I started majorly changing my hair colour, Viki (my friend/stylist) let me know that Pantene is one of the brands that majorly put wax-based material into their products.  That's why you get that glossy shine, but bleaching through that is terrible (aka wasting more money than you have to la~)

Other than that, for people who don't colour their hair, I've had people who swear by Pantene.  Since there was so much rave about it, I had to try it X3
I tried this one called beautiful length, which donated part of their profit to cancer patients who lost hair.  I thought that was really great, and the bottle was pink/purple, what's not to lose?  MY MONEY D=
I mean I'm glad I got to be a part of something that went to a good cause, but did the product have to be terrible?
My hair felt so greasy afterwards.  No joke, I felt like I had to wash my hair again at the end of the day...=__= I call product fail

Next on the line, I thought I try Nexxus.  I loved the smell, but again it was greasy.  Though I think back on it and think if I used it on my hair, if it would make a difference.  I mean my hair is so dry now, I wonder if it would make my hair stronger?
Result?  I loved the shampoo, mixed feelings about conditioner.

mascara, mascara, which do I choose @__@?

So I have short stubby lashes.  Like ultimately stubby lashes and since my kind of hair is corse and thick, so are my lashes.  That would be great if I had long lashes, c'ept I don't...I have the shortest lashes ever annnnd they don't curl!

Ok I lie I have to use my heated eye lash curler to get them to curl. and even then they go back to the way they where...straight =___=;;

So in all my looks, I never emphasize my lashes ^^;;

Which is no fair, because lashes make the look so much more flashy right?

Well along the way I've tried lots of mascaras

You'd think that I would like lengthening mascaras better, but they give me that creepy spider leg lashes.  D= not attractive~

I like volumizing mascaras better, the only problem is that I don't need more volume, so my lashes look lush, but still stubby ^^;  a while back I tried the L'oreal telescopic explosion mascara, but it ended up not working for my lashes.  Cuz when I applied it, it felt like nothing went on..D=

On the other hand with L'oreal voluminous mascara, it tends to make my lashes look clumpy, but it defintately makes a difference.  With it on I can actually see my lashes without sticking my face in a mirror XD;;

I've since then gone through a couple of tubes of the stuff X3
I've deviated every now and then to find something better, but I always go back to it
Too bad I don't have access to majolica majorca, otherwise I'd try their mascaras. I hear they're really good for asian eyelashes (stubby and very stubornly straight lashes)

But you know what works best?
FAKE LASHES XD hahahaha

pic 1 is original lip colour~ D= I know such deep lip colour, makes putting light lip shade so much harder =__=;;

and some cam whoring cuz I felt like all my effort to put on fake lashes for no good reason deserves some pics for me to remember X3

 

hey in this pic do I kind of look like lightening from ffxiii? XD

lol sorry I abused photoshop, I forgot to put on lipstick XD;; and was too lazy to put on lipstick

taking pics of yourself is damn hard XP

pic 2 and 3 has photoshopped lip colour

lol that makes me sound like pro at photoshop, no I just used sponge on my lips XD;;



RIP I won't miss you =P (pic heavy)

I've been told I'm kind of a pack rat.. I have to admit it's been true.
Now over a year and a half later of too much makeup purchases, I've learned to only buy things that I really want or really need.  My journey is filled with mistakes D=

Mistakes like buying products that don't work for my skin to products that just flat out suck.  Either way I don't use them ^^;;

And I don't want to throw them away because I bought it right? x__X;;

But it's time now that I'm tired of the clutter and I think to myself, if I don't ever use it and I never have the will to use it, why keep it around.  So I'm ready to start saying goodbye to them

Might I say a little bit about each?

first of all the two eyeliners don't stay on my eyes.  Yes I've tried to desperately to use them up, but I don't think I can anymore.  I don't think I want to go through my day afraid of what I actually look like in the mirror, because chances are I look like I've been crying without waterproof mascara D= 

 It goes without saying that these were bought when I first started to experiment with makeup and didn't really know what was good on the market.  Since then I've also come over some other bad cover girl products.  I don't think that brand works well for me. 

Personally I don't have anything against quo, per say, but they do make some things that are kind of disappointing. Especially since they're supposed to be the quality no-name brand. So they are pricy for what they are.  Sometimes they're great, sometimes they utterly fail.  Like this lash glue.  It's supposed to be clear, which I thought great! It's because I so fail at putting on fake lashes lol~ but then when I used it, it dried into cement!  I had such a hard time taking the lashes off.  Even with oil based makeup remover, it stuck to my eyelids and in the end a fair bit of my real lashes also went with it...not cool D=

Ever since my face pulled the "now I want to be oily" card, I've always been on a look out for a good powder to you know keep the oil from dripping down my face through out the day.  (seriously ~__~ it's so bad right now)  I've used cover girl (also wasn't a big fan), maybelline, and physician's formula.  The last one I bought, the powder was soft and silky and it was so easy to pick up product and apply.  Plus it's talc free so I liked the idea.  Unfortunately the packaging sucks.  when I went on a trip to asia, it got broken the luggage

 Buuuut I did end up using it all up, though I can't get the last bit on the sides.  Well I can, but I'll end up breaking a brush along the way~ seeee XD

 So anyways enter the new powder.  It's also by physician's formula and it's part of their bamboo wear line.  It comes with a compact that swivels and it's made of bamboo. I think they're trying to promote eco-friendliness or something (don't quote me, I'm not sure ^^:)  Any whoos, you'd think the same company would make the same kind of pressed powder...NOPE  This freaking compact oxidizes like nobody's business.  It's all beat up looking because I tried to revive it multiple times.  =___=;; I give up

Next are two of the deepest hate-regret products.  the Red one is my first face brush and the white one was on my quest to find a decent fluffy blending brush.  I loved elf's "c" brush and I had fallen in love with synthetic brushes, because they can be so much softer than real hair.  My face is really sensitive (which is really a downer, because that limits in what I can use on my face)  Both are so rough.  But I've kept them for this long for some reason.  I look at them now and I think why'd I keep them for that long @___@ geez nothing but grief for my face~

And lastly a no brainer,  I bought lip balm type of products from a) a brand I've never heard ever and b) a form of lip moisturizer that I've never heard of.  Both are bad ideas.  The first felt like candle wax and the second was like putting canola oil on my face..ew

Did I meantion I love Halloween?

So it's been a while again ^^;;
School's been kicking my ass full on D=

So this is incredibly late, but a friend had invited me to her birthday party.  It was great, I had so much fun even though I couldn't make it to her first half of the thing. 

@_@ I think this was the first themed birthday party that I went to?  Which is ultimately fine by me because I love dressing up XD (haha everybody and their grandmother would know)  So the theme was gothic vampire.  That was simple and completely in my comfort zone. 

I should have taken a picture of myself before the party, but luckily my makeup stayed until after the party..though my hair looked better when I first styled it D=

Oh well maybe next time~ 

I feel lucky that I came across the arbonne eyeliner, because BAM because this picture was taken 10 hours after I initially put on the eyeliner XD

I'd say that's a win~

I had prepped my skin the day prior and on the day with:

Tibetan Saffron pearl whitening mask

Arbonne revelage brightening hand cream with spf 30

appripriate facial creams and lotion

Neutrogena ultra sheer water-light daily face sunscreen spf 45

What I had on that day included:

Maybelline dream smooth moose in 150 classic ivory

Maybelline mineral power healthy perfection powder foundation 3 light

Beauty factory 120 eye shadow palette

Arbonne eyeliner ebony

No. 7 stay perfect mascara

Mac Viva Cindy

Big Sexy hair spray

MAC Venomous Villans Release Party

This is a little late, but I recently went to the release party and it was crazy sauce! There was a line up to get in, there was a line up to get stuff, crazy sauce. 

I know MAC has been popping out collections like nobody's business and none of them have been spectacular. 

But I can't say the same for a Disney release!   Call me a capitalist shmuck, but @___@ I just couldn't resist getting Disney makeup!
I mean look at that, tell me you wouldn't go to an event that looked like that~

I only got one thing (surprisingly) but the other colours were true to the colder months.  Meaning they were richer in colour, which I have enough of.  But this colour I just couldn't pass up.  I normally don't like beauty powders, but this actually has pretty good colour pay-off.  Still it's not a very pigmented blush, but it looks great as a natural sweep of colour.

There is one thing I didn't end up getting and that made me kind of really sad.  I know I said I didn't need anymore eyeshadows, but there was one more @___@;; I really wish I got it, I think I might have to go back and get it.

Halloween ideas: Jaded Queen

Ok so I don't have a crown, just imagine one... shhhhhhh XD

I think if you're not a totally put eyeshadow on your face type of gal I think you might like this.  It's still pretty bold, but for halloween it seems just enough sass ;)

halloween ideas: bronzed!

I may be going a little crazy with the hallween, but I can't help myself! 

I'm comtemplating doing a harvest fairy/goddess look so I was fiddling around with eyeshadows.  I ended up drawing the dots, but if I were to do this look for hallween, I'd glue some rhinestones instead <3

enjoyyyyy~

Too soon?

Halloween is by far my favourite festive...holiday..thing

Every year I put alot of thought into my costume.  Alot of years it doesn't fly XD;; but that's usually because I think and I think and I can't decide or I think of something's that's too complicated...and then it goes down hill.

This year I feel like doing a whole bunch of looks and then I'll have a better visual maybe?

Also feel free to take little bits and ideas of the looks, or just the whole look altogether~

Here's my take on a modernistic vampire look.  The whole white makeup and red lips just don't fly with me (what is with me and saying fly so much XP)

For foundation I used two shades lighter than what I actually am.  For the lips I used a medium pastel rose colour and a milky red lipgloss to top it off.

What I used:

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse : Classic Ivory

Maybelline Mineral Power: Natural Ivory

120 Pallete: Rusty Red & Brown

L'orel Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner: Black

Annebelle Single Shadow: Ebony

Lise Watier Single Shadow: Taupe Velours

Annebelle Eyebrow Pencil: Blond

Wet 'n Wild Lip Stick: Just Peachy

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss: Cherries in the Glow

Pac man candy

This has nothing to do with anything, but I insist on showing you my collection of pac man candy tins XD

...that is all

Review time! (liquid foundations)

So it's safe to say that I use alot of foundation.  But more importantly liquid foundations.  I've been looking for the perfect liquid foundation for a while.  For a while I thought I did find the perfect liquid foundation for me.  Even though it was on the low-end side, I felt it did my skin more justice than higher end brands. 

Maybelline Pure Makeup

I don't know if they still make this anymore, but I think it's the best foundation if your skin is lookn' fine already.  The application is so smooth, even though the consistancy is kind of fluffy and no liquidy at all.  It evens out your skin and makes it look so natural.  Even if you have a couple of breakouts, using this won't cover it, but it makes the rest of the face look extra good (more convincing your face is naturally like that XD)  It only goes up to medium coverage, but that's just the type of foundation it is. 

Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation

That was a mouthful eh?  But on a serious note.  I had a very good initial impression of this product.  My skin didn't react to it (my face is very sensitive, a lot of harsher products can make my cheecks feel this light stining feeling).  It was on the watery side, so the foundation distributed across my face very easily.  It was easy to apply with brushes as well as my fingers.  It had light to medium coverage, though you could push for a heavier coverage.  Once you needed heavy coverage though, you had to be careful or else it could look cakey.  Which is what happened to me.  I went through a period where this foundation was the foundation for me, but once my skin was no longer smooth, the application was harder.  The results were less than satisfying.

Maybelline Dream Liquid Foundation

This came out after the Dream Mouse foundation came out when a lot of people started complaining that it accentuates dry spots.  This foundation goes from sheer coverage to full coverage.  The funny thing is that this foundation doesn't work well if your skin is in good condition.  When my skin was breaking out the foundation worked great.  It covered all my flaws and kind of evened out my bumps (I say kind of because it's not a miracle worker mang XD), but when my skin kind of cleared up, it started to look streaky.  So this product stays with me in case I have another series of break-outs again!

Rimmel London Recover

To be honest I bought this because I was watching a youtube video and Tao from iamgrape1119 was talking about how if you have a rough night and you skin kind of looks shotty, this was a great pick-me-up foundation the next day.  Let me tell you, I am terrible at sleeping.  If I have one great fail in my life, that would be getting some sleep.  So when I need to look fresh and awake (and not dead), then I just slather some on.  The consistency is in between the two previous maybelline products.   It was easier to use my fingers to apply rather than a brush.  It claims to have vitamin c and e and that's supposed to be why your skin is looking better, but in actuality it has a lot of shimmer in it.  At first I thought it looked stupid.  I'm just not used to these kind of products, but when you put a finishing powder on top, it kind of tones it down and your skin looks fresh.  I just realised that it is exactly the concept for Nars Sheer Glow only less expensive.  Neither of which suite me very well.  Still not bad especially under the eyes. ;)

Almay smart shade anti-aging w/ spf 20

BIGGEST SHAM EVER.  You can tell my opinion on it already no? Not that it's a bad foundation.  It give a great texture to your skin, very dewy without any shimmer (at least not that I can see).  But this whole deal with matching your shade is the biggest bullcrap I've ever heard.  I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this.  It turns to one shade...and if you're not that shade then too bad.  That makes me think why not just get Maybelline Age Rewind instead.  It also claims to be anti-aging, but they ACTUALLY have different shades to suite different people.  x___x so disappointed with this product

Wow such a long post, but are the different liquid foundations that I've been using and what purposes they're good for X3

Arbonne haul time!

Okay so I did a little Arbonne haul a little while ago and I really liked their stuff.  I've been wanting to steer in a healtheir direction for my skin.  No matter what what I put on my skin I want it to be not toxic XD

I really enjoy the fact that they're petroleum and paraben free!

So I just got my package today!

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It was packaged pretty good.  You saw all the paper filling the top @__@  Everything ordered looked so pretty

Review coming up =D

August memoris~ (pic heavy)

It's been a while..again X3;;

This isn't really a beauty related post just some memories of summer~

School started for me and first week was less than graceful.  Though I'm trying extra hard now.  I've never really cared much for school.  But I think I've been drifting off in life for too long.  Can you imagine wanting to go back to school and break your back going through it again?

I do have some nice memories of this summer (though a very short one)

My friend decided she wanted to practice doing hair, ended up doing a hime-style hair on me.  I was so shocked!  I've never had hair like that before and probably never again XD;; It took her so long and she's a professional = no chance for me lol

Sooo...I had to take a picture.  Now I can look back and say " I had damn nice hair XD"

I look back and wonder how my scalp took so much damage XD;;

I went back to get my hair redone again!  But I gotta admit, I love the look of fresh bleached hair <3

And of course summer is definitely not complete without eating pho at my bf and mine's favourite place.  Though they don't have a very original name, their food is the best comfort food ever!

This summer is kind of special, I ended doing alot of things with the people I care about.  Like here I look all smug because I just passed my learner's knowledge test!  Haha I know, I haven't gotten my licence yet?  That's because I don't like the idea of driving D=

Again I look smug, but my bf is being smug with me so I guess that makes it kind of better? XD

Then my bf and I had a last minute trip down to the states before school started!  It wasn't very well planned out and we were just going along with it.  We found a last minute hotel in down town core of Seattle (price and quality was not bad at all)

(my flash failed)  But it was a decent room.  We tried to get an early sleep but I ended up not sleeping well.  I don't know how I survived the next day.  We tried to catch breakfast, but no such luck. 

We went to The Pike Brewery?  I think that's what it was called?  But the food was absolutely delicious.  One of my favourite things to eat was the crab and artichoke dip served with pita bread!  Oh man it rivals Moxy's goat cheese dip X3

Haha can you tell what I was running on by the last day?

Nails: polish and sparkle!

Hey I just thought of something, I've been doing mostly skin care and such, but I'm also a big nail art junkie!  why have I not talked about nail stuff?  I know fail D=

But in anycase, I'm pretty picky about nail stuff.  I haven't gotten any new polishes or anything lately and here's why.

The only polishes I've ever liked are O.P.I.  Not to sound like a prude or anything, but everytime I tried something of the drug store equivelant, it turned into a disaster.  It was streaky, blotchy, hard to dry, and not very pigmented unless you used 3+ coats.

Maybe I xcore fail at putting on nail polish and it has nothing to do with the polishes.  But in that case why would I pay near the same as a good quality nail polish only to have major trouble applying.  I mean shouldn't it be kind of easy if the price is going to only 1-2 dollars off?

I don't know why I picked these up, but they were really inexpensive and the colours were something I haven't seen around (where I live without costing $10+)  So nothing really to lose right?

and here it is

BAM

I'm not too sure when I'm going to use the muted yellow, but it's going to look cute anyways ^__~

Not only do they apply beautifuly, they're also pigmented!  The brushes are definately what you pay for. 

I bought these 3 for $10  Through surprisingly, the stiff brush works out.  It distributes the product evenly across my nail bed.  So I only need 1-2 strokes per nail (possibly 2 coats)

The next thing is a trend I've been seeing this year, which are massively sparkly nails.  So here is the 2nd item

BAM

I found these in a pack of 4 at my local Michael's.  I almost got hooked into buying the Martha Stewart set which was over $40 D=

Mind you they were alot bigger, but I didn't need that much.  I think these were a much better quantity. 

blonde or not blonde?

I just realised that after so many years of debating whether I wanted to go blonde, I should have just gone for it.  I mean I didn't look terrible in my natural hair colour...but somehow it didn't look too nice.  It made my features so much more sharp and noticeabley misplaced I guess you could say.

I mean compare pre blonde

and post blonde

I think the blonde gives me a better complexion that's not that too harsh.  the colours that make up me work better together.  It even kind of makes my eyes stand out more!  X3 oh man I can't believe I didn't go blond sooner~

I just hope I don't look back a few years later and wonder why I did it.  I know we all make mistakes with our choices.  But sometimes when we take a big risk it pays off..sometimes it blows up in our faces.  here's hoping that when I look back to these photos, I don't horrify myself XD;;

It better be worth it.  My experience with bleachig happened to be on the more extreme side >__>

it took 6-7 hours mang D=  At the end of it I wiped my stylist of bleach x__X;;

and it still wasn't enough.  I had to go back again for a touch-up

I was also afraid of going too blonde and REALLY killing my hair.  I remember when my bf had his hair bleached when we were younger...LOL He told me he went to a crapy hair place... whew glad I didn't skimp out on my hair!  His hair was dry and hard and that left me a little (alot) shaken about going too blonde.

Luckily my hair stylist said that I could go a shade or two lighter and my hair would still be fine.  =) Lucky I think I do want to go lighter. X3 it's been looking good for my complextion so far! 

prepping back to school hauln' (pic heavy ish?)

I've been trying not to buy more small trinkets and junk into the home, but @__@ with school coming up, I realised I don't have anymore school supplies.  >__>;; haha call me crazy but I do enjoy shopping for stationary and cuteness!

The next thing has nothing to do with school, but I got something I normally wouldn't get.  I ordered online ( actually did a lot of online shopping for some reason) and I ended up getting a rock & republic blush in call me XD ahhh it's sooo pretty!

It a really soft peachy rose colour that I think is very appropriate for fall and even winter.  It's very pigmented and I think it will last for a really long time.  Plus I know this shouldn't matter, but the packaging is so detailed! 

And last I got some more euricin stuff.  I liked the night cream so much, I bought the rest of the line.  Here's hoping these don't break me out either!