All Things Pink...

So I'm kind of on a pink high now. Everything I buy nowadays is pink. If the product itself 'aint pink, the packaging is....I wonder if it means anything...do single girls tend to buy a lot of pink sh*t? What the fff is wrong with me? Hehehehe.

It's Laaaaaaaaaav!



L to R: Marie Claire Glamorous Rich Rouge, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect, Orbis Moist Lip Essence, Lancome Juicy Tube, DHC Lip Cream, NYC Ultra Last Lip Wear, NARS Lip Lacquer

Swatches:

Left
top: NYC Ultra Last Lip Wear in Fragile Pink
bottom: NARS Lip Lacquer in 1903 (they use four-digit codes here, not names. WTF!)

Right
top: Marie Claire Glamorous Rich Rouge in BE64
middle: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in Satin Pink
bottom: Lancome Juicy Tubes in Frozen Punch

Last but not least, Kose Moisture Mild Lotion-L (toner) and Moisture Mild Cream. They can be found at most drugstores in Tokyo for a thousand yen each (about USD $10). Both are alcohol-free and make my skin unbelievably SOFT! If you want a nice moisturizing base underneath your makeup, try this. It works on my combination/oily skin. It helped get rid of the dry patches yet didn't turn my face into an oil slick.

The cream is not really a cream per se....more like a lightweight gel. It sinks right in and doesn't leave a filmy residue like other moisturizers do. I've been using both for the last three weeks, and my skin is noticeably softer to the touch...and it stays that way the entire day after putting it on!


I hope y'all are having a great weekend...I'm actually staying in...on a Saturday night!!!!!!! I've been partying non-stop almost every weekend since Valentine's....I got off work this morning(freakin' two consecutive night shifts!), so I need some rest. I am itching for some ah-ah-ah-ah -ah-alcohooooool though....maybe I'll make a run to the convenience store by my station for some beer and chu-hi's.....alkie! LOL. I'll be back soon :)

Website Review: LensShopper.com

Here's an online contact lens retailer that brings us contact-wearing newbies and veterans a fresh twist on product selection! It's called LensShopper, and you can access their online store with the link below, or simply search 'lens shopper' on Google.

LensShopper.com

Navigation-friendly tabs, a wide selection of products for various needs, competitive prices and online coupons are a handful of the consumer-friendly features, but a special feature this site has that I haven't spotted elsewhere makes it stand a little taller than the rest.

Click the 'Color Contacts' tab from the Home page and you'll see a colorful Flash application. As the site states, you can 'Choose between 20 different colors and 6 looks'.

Most sites I've seen either feature a color swatch, as in two-dimensional colored circles. It's hard to envision how the color or dimension would look like on a human eye.

This feature on LensShopper.com takes out not all, but some of the guess work. You click on a model, and then choose the featured colors or dimensions you want to try out on the model. Here are some fun looks I tried on some of the models! (All images are screenshots I took myself.)

Top of the page:

There are six models to choose from...

I chose Color Blends in 'Honey' for him:

I chose Color Blends in 'Sunrise' (2nd from right) for my favorite model. I didn't really care for the rest... (-__-) :

Dimensions 'Caribbean Aqua'....Gorgeous! Looks like her real eye color. The color and graphics this site uses are not too bad...but some of the colors look a little TOO digitalized...

Color Blends 'Pure Hazel'...I would wear this!

One-Day 'Green'...I'd be afraid to talk to him...looks like he might want to suck blood and sleep in coffins! But I think this is what green-colored contacts would really look like for those with hazel eyes.

One blatant and VERY IMPORTANT feature it's missing is ASIAN models...yes, us pale,black-haired folk like wearing unnatural eye colors too! A representative told me that they will be adding Asian models to the Flash Player...not sure when that'll happen, or if it ever will, but let's hope so!

I think this 'Color Studio' feature is a liiiiiiittle ethnically biased but definitely innovative and fun. I seriously tried ALL the colors and dimensions on ALL the models. The feature is free, all you need is Flash Player installed on your computer for it to work.

If you're a newcomer to colored contacts and want to see the wide range of colors available, this is for you. I'd say they need to add brand names on the feature, or how about a color guide, i.e. what contact colors would match those with pink or yellow-toned skin, dark hair, blonde hair, you get my drift.

I would only use this 'Color Studio' feature as a general guide before purchasing contacts. I suggest always trying on contacts at a store. Some contacts may NOT be the right shape for your eye, and if so, can be very harmful for the eye itself and vision. But if you already wear contacts and have a favorite brand, make sure you check out their coupons and stock up!

Lip Primer Comparison and Review

Here's a quick video review of my Smashbox Lip and Lid Primer and Canmake Lip Concealer. I love my cheapo Canmake makeup! (Canmake is a Japanese drugstore brand.)

Quick Update

Just want to update everyone on the 'Cream Cheese Face Cream' aka Nivea Creme.

IT'S DOPE. I apply about a nickel-sized dollop every night before bed, and I SWEAR, my pores look smaller and my skin looks and feels smoother and clearer in the morning...even on four hours of sleep! Right after it's applied of course it makes your face look like you've been doing naughty things with a can of PAM, but once it sinks in, your skin will feel amazing!

It's a little hard to blend, so like Gee suggested, I rub it between my fingers to warm it up a bit, then smooth it on my entire face. On days when I hate my life and my job, I dab a generous amount under my eyes. LOL. No, I am not a miserable twat, I just have a hectic job.

But seriously, I thought I'd break out from this stuff, but I didn't! I think it's safe to say it works on combination AND sensitive skin. Just don't use this stuff if you're allergic to squalene oil (it's an organic compound derived from shark liver oil...mmm YUM).

A direct quote from Wikipedia:

"Squalene is used in cosmetics as a natural moisturizer. It penetrates the skin quickly, does not leave a greasy feeling on the skin and blends well with other oils and vitamins."

Have any of you tried Nivea? What do you think? Tell MEEEEEE!!!

Re: Edit
I'd like to send a virtual hug and shout out to the wonderful Gee, whom if you didn't know, writes awesome, reliable reviews on affordable products. Thank you for turning me on to Nivea. Me and my (smaller) pores are thanking you. :)

'Vagi-Face' Never Again

I tried Monistat Soothing Chafing Relief Powder-Gel for the last time EVER yesterday. I used it AFTER toner and moisturizer, and BEFORE liquid foundie and mineral foundie. I swear it made me break out on my cheeks. After I took everything off and washed my face, bf was like "You're breaking out, it's really bad!". He never comments on how good or bad my skin looks, so I RAN to the nearest mirror (on my kitchen table). Lo and behold, there were fresh, white-tipped zits that popped up on my cheeks during the two hours I had Monistat on my face.

My first reaction was "FUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!", but I am not all serious about my skin anyway, so after a few minutes, I didn't care too much. I mean, a good foundation can always cover those effers up. I think it also dried out my cheeks too, because underneath the zits, my skin was REALLY patchy, flaky and dry.

In meager attempts to rescue my cheeks, I applied more night cream than usual (I use Lush Imperialis moisturizer), and my skin seemed to calm down by morning. There were less patches of dry skin, but the zits were still there. I used a super-blendable liquid foundation (L'Oreal True Match) on my cheeks, over NARS makeup primer. Even now, 12 hours after appying it, my foundation is intact.

I've learned my lesson. GET RID OF MONISTAT. Oh, and of course bf came up with another name...He says I need 'Vagi-Soap' to wash my 'Vagi-Face'. (-____-;)

Boycotting Monistat! No more 'Vagi-Face'!

A few weeks back, I received my Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel along with my other drugstore.com goodies. I was ecstatic, and bf thought it was the funniest thing. He taunted me for a good week, calling me 'Vagi-face' and 'Vagi-cream'. I got real tired of explaining to him what we beauty bloggers use it for, LOL.

I know a lot of ladies love this product as a makeup primer, but here's what I think...

It's over-glorified, and overrated!!! The consistency is pretty different from it's 'superior', Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer. First off, Monistat is thicker. Although it does give skin an even, smooth finish, it's also leaves a cakey mask...it reminded me of wax on a fruit. Even after I used oil cleanser and foaming face wash, I still felt like a waxy piece of fruit. NOT GOOD.

C'mon people...it's meant to be rubbed on the shaved bits of your body, NOT an exposed part, like the face! And YEEESSS, it contains dimethicone, the smoothing ingredient, but so do other non bank-breaking primers (like my HG Baby Pink bases). You'd be surprised to find that a lot of primers contain dimethicone and other active ingredients that end in '-cone'.

For the sake of testing out different products, I used this stuff about five times. I'd apply a thin layer first thing in the morning, and by the time I got to work two hours later, the mineral foundation applied around my nose had migrated, and left the skin flakey AND oily at the same time. The bridge of my nose was an oil slick, but the sides of my nostrils were flakey. GROSS!

I also used it at night, before an over-night shift. I few hours into work, I'd check my reflection and my skin was blotchy...like I hadn't worn any foundation at all! What is the point of wearing this stuff as a base if it makes your foundation look uneven?

The final verdict: Monistat powder gel does not work on my combo skin. It makes my concealer appear blotchy immediately after applied, and it makes my skin flake around my nose and chin. Even when I use a teensy bit, it makes my mineral/regular foundation uneven on the drier areas of my face, like my cheeks. I also hate the waxy fruit effect. I'm going to stick to using this stuff for what it's intended for. No more 'Vagi-Face' for Aya!

Review: Lush Imperialis Moisturizer

I recently bought a facial moisturizer from Lush called 'Imperialis'. It's for combination skin. I've been using it for a few weeks now, and so far, I haven't broken out from it. I have sensitive skin, and if it doesn't like a certain product it, little white/clear bumps will surface, or I'll get an itchy red rash that eventually dries out my skin...weird huh?

The label says this batch was made on Jan. 31st '08. It expires Jan. 30 '09. It was made by Hide!


What it claims to do...

The lavender encourages dry skin to produce more natural oils and discourages oily skin from overdoing it. The orange flower water tones, and St John's wort soothes irritation. The company claims it's 'not too heavy, not too light, bordering on perfection'. Corny!

Ingredients: (Safe Synthetic listed in Blue)

Lavender Infusion (Lavendula hybrida), Mullein Leaf Infusion (Verbascum thapsus), Orange Blossom Water (Citrus dulcis), Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Stearic Acid, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Glycerine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Orange Blossom Absolute (Citrus dulcis), Tiger Lily Extract (Lilium candidum), St. Johns Wort Extract (Hypericum perforatum), Elderflower Extract (Sambucus nigra), Sweet Violet Extract (Viola odorata), Sunflower Petal Extract (Helianthus annuus), Alkanett Extract (Alkanna tinctoria), Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

My Ratings

Product: 4/5

This cream is a little greasy for my liking. I wore it under my makeup a few times. The first time, I put some on my eyelids just out of habit...bad idea! Although I wore a primer (UDPP), my eyeshadow MELTED (aka creased and faded in a few hours). I have slightly oily lids as is, but the moisturizer made them even oilier.

I do like the product for the fact that it's made with a combo of safe synthetic and natural or organic ingredients. Nothing too fancy-schmancy, and it doesn't make my face feel like it's burning. M.A.C and Lancome facial care products are too strong for my skin.

Packaging: 5/5
I love the unique container, and I love the fact that it's made from recycled plastic!

Price: 3/5
It was about 3300 yen. It's cheaper in the U.S. ($21.35). Kinda pricey for 1.5 oz of an everyday moisturizer if you ask me...My Holy Grail moisturizer, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is $30 for 6.7 oz.

Overall: 4/5
For day, I tried to beat the oiliness factor of this cream by combining a small amount with a lighter, oil-free moisturizer. It's still too greasy! It kept my skin looking fresh and dewy for a few hours, then I realized that the dewiness was oiliness. Grrrrrr...I DEFINITELY CAN'T use it solo underneath my makeup, as it's too rich on it's own.

This is a GREAT night cream. I use it before I go to bed. I like the soothing lavender scent, perfect for relaxing before bedtime. When I wake up, my skin looks rejuvenated, un-pasty and AWAKE. Perfect for a girl like me, who rarely gets enough sleep!

The final verdict:
I recommend this product to anyone who has combination skin, but more towards the dry side.