Top 5 Must NOT Have items

I was tagged by Lani chan so here goes my top 5 must NOT have items...Thanks for the tag Lani!

5. Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow duos, trios, quads AND eight-pans
These shadows are the most un-pigmented shadows I have ever tried, discluding stuff I've bought from the 100 yen store. I literally have to PUSH my eyeshodow brush into the eyeshadow to pick up enough color. Even then, the colors are not very blendable and they streak and fade in two or three hours. I don't recommend these shadows to anyone, even if you're on a budget. If you can't/don't want to spend $$$ on eye shadows, try loose mineral eye shadows from Pure Luxe or Fyrinnae, one of Christiana's faves...I will be ordering from them soon!

4. DHC Q-10 Cream
It's supposed to improve the elasticity and general appearance of skin. It's infused with the coenzyme Q-10, collagen and other elasticins. I wish I was able to continue using this stuff long enough to see if it worked, but this stuff STINKS! It smells like....Gah, I can't explain it. It smells like a fusion of Chinese medicine and rotten flowers. Like they added the rotten flower smell to cover up the gag-inducing smell of the other stuff in there. I really can't explain it. My mom had this, and let me use it, but I couldn't stand the smell. The scent seemed to linger forever on my hands and pillowcase too...YUCK. If you are going to get a cream w/the same ingredients, DON'T buy this one. Test out others first. This is not worth 4735 yen!



3. Stila High Shine Lip Color
I have one in a nude beige. According to the official Stila website it's supposed to "...take lips to a whole new level with high shine lip color. The incredibly buttery soft formula feels like silk across your lips, adding intense shine to seductively sheer color." It's buttery soft all right!!! It barely stays on my lips! I've tried everything to keep it from slipping and sliding everywhere on my face...lipliner, lip base, foundation...nothing works. The color is too sheer for my liking and has ZERO staying power. Plus, it really dries out my lips. I have sensitive lips, and products that are supposed to 'nourish' the lips do quite the opposite...sniffles. If any of you guys like this line, and want mine, let me know. I've used it less than 10 times after I bought it last summer.


2. Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream (Original)
I used to love this stuff...when I didn't know any better. The tingly feeling you get from the menthol, camphor and eucalyptus is nice, but this stuff leaves a greasy residue on your skin that can only be removed with face soap. I tried using it again a year ago, and I ended up irritating my skin because I would re-wash my face with regular facewash to get rid of the said residue. Have any of you had the same experience? I swear I could feel something on my face after I washed it with this cleanser...kinda like how you can still feel the wax on a piece of fruit even after washing it...If you want a similar product without the greasy-residue feeling, try Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cream Cleanser. It really gets rid of dirt and makeup and rinses CLEAN without leaving clogging residues. Plus it feels super-soft on your skin!

1. M.A.C 'Lustre' Eye shadows
Now I don't want to speak ill of my favorite high-end brand, but they need to do SOMETHING with their lustre eyeshadows. I have several, including 'Gleam', 'Idol Eyes' and 'Tempting'. The colors themselves are gorgeous as all M.A.C shadows are...but shadows in this lustre finish have opalescent glitter in them, and it makes the color really hard to blend!!! Their official website describes this line as "smoothly pearlized and intensely frosted..." There is nothing "smooth" about these shadows. Everytime I try to create a look with these colors, the fallout is ridiculous and annoying. I can never remove the little flecks of glitter that fall on my cheeks or nose. It's a pity, since some of the prettiest colors from this brand are made in this finish. Pooey. If you already have lots of M.A.C eye shadows and want to try more, go ahead and buy some lustre shadows...and if you find that they work for you, let me know!!!

New 'Do

My hair turned out a tad bit darker than I wanted it to be, but I still like it! I also got angled layers in the front, and had a lot of hair shredded (I don't know the correct term for this LOL), and now I have a lot less hair, but the length is the same...I am horrible at explaining things in plain English, hahahahahaha! (okay, not so funny, me tiiiired!)

I also bought a cute yellow sweater from Zara for 2990 yen. I love yellow, but never had the cajones to wear it. I matched my makeup to my sweater today. I have a feeling this look was a little too wild for work, but screw work! J/K. :)

*~*New 'Do*~*

Makeup used for today's EOTD:

- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Urban Decay e/s in Honey
- M.A.C e/s in Woodwinked
- M.A.C e/s in Ricepaper
- Kate Liquid eyeliner
- Maybelline Volum' Express Mascara

How To:

1. Apply UDPP from lashine to brow...I am a newbie to this product, and I am in LOOOOVE! My e/s lasted AAAALLLL day and barely creased!

2. Apply UD e/s in Honey (lemon gold) from lashine, extend past crease.

3. Apply M.A.C e/s in Woodwinked (golden brown w/reddish undertones) from middle of lid towards outer corners. Take a dense crease brush and define outer V in same color. I did NOT define or outline contour today.

4. With a clean e/s brush blend between two colors with light motions...blend from light to dark!

5. Add more color to make eyes pop! And don't forget to blend! Blend out harsh lines with a tapered blending brush.

6. Apply M.A.C e/s in Ricepaper under brow to highlight.

7. Apply liner and mascara.

Whaddya think?


My contacts are glued to my eyeballs...Nitey nite everyone!

Getting my hair did tomorrow!

So my hairstylist at TNB (Triple Napalm Bomb) finally has a less-busy schedule tomorrow so I'm getting a much-needed dye job and maybe a haircut too. I got a haircut last week at this cute salon near my house, but the stylists at TNB know my hair better, and they are the BOMB! Japanese hairstylists don't really know how to highlight hair, but the guy who owns TNB knows his sh*t! He works quickly, and my highlights always turn out pretty...not brassy/yellow at all. I think I'm gonna change my hair color completely though...I'm gettin' sick of highlights...they really wreck your hair, and after 3 months, no matter how well you take care of your hair, the bleached parts will always turn slightly yellow and straw-like...(well, that's if you have black hair like moi). Soooooo I was thinking of going for a rich chocolate brown all over....keep it simple...I can always go light again during the summer :)

The salon is located in Shibuya...near the infamous intersection where they filmed the introduction of Lost In Translation. I need to NOT spend money while I'm down there...God help me...Actually I don't need too much help, I'm running low on spending funds. I might pick up a few cheap-o eyeshadows since they have bigger drugstores downtown. We'll see.

Here's my virgin hair..taken May or June of '07...didn't really care since BF was deployed, no one to look cute for, LOL.


Here's what my hair looked like in December when I didn't have massive roots...sorry these photos suck, I don't think I have better ones where you can see my hair.

Pink Eye

Here's my EOTD...Pink and purple! I am trying to branch out of my comfort zone (browns and golds) and play with all sorts of colors. This morning I felt like matching my eyeshadow with my Marc Ecko sweater...This look only took 15 minutes from start to finish! Super-convenient for those late/sleepy mornings!
I couldn't get the damn settings on my camera to work with the morning light...so I had to take additional pics after I got home tonight...which explains the disheveled 'yamamba' hair hahahaha...

*~*Pink and Purple Eye*~*

What I used...

Face:
- M.A.C StudioFix in NC30 applied w/buffer brush

Eyes:
- M.A.C Paint Pot in Painterly
- Urban Decay e/s in Scratch (golden coral-pink) from Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box
- M.A.C e/s in Shale (purplish taupe)
- M.A.C e/s in Naked Lunch (minimal pink w/shimmer)
- Kate liquid liner
- Maybelline Volum' Express Mascara

Cheeks:
- NYX Blush in Peach (bubblegum pink, NOT peach-y at all.)

Lips:
- NYX lipliner in Beige
- Milani lipstick in Amaretto

EYES How To:
1. Apply Painterly Paint Pot all over lids from lashline to brow.
2. With a tapered blending brush apply Scratch e/s from lashline, and extend to contour.
3. With a dense, flat e/s brush, apply Shale e/s from lashline, and extend slightly past crease.
4. Use tapered blending brush and apply more of that pink color (Scratch) above the purple, defining contour and outer V as you go along. Make sure you blend out harsh lines w/windshield-wiper motions.
5. Apply Naked Lunch e/s under brow to highlight.
6. Apply liquid liner to top lashline only. Then apply mascara.

Jaaaaaan!

a.m. pics


After I got home from work tonight...

See the pink ABOVE the purple and in outer V? Make sure to blend so the line doesn't look like an actual defined line. You want a wash of color, not a streak. Am I making any sense?

Fuzzy hair, major roots!
My boyfriend messin' around w/the camera... ;)

Is everyone having a nice, relaxing weekend? I hope so ;)

Drugstore and CCO Haul

I am not spending any more money this month on M.A.C! I already spent over 30,000 yen ($300) on M.A.C makeup alone, not to mention more on my boyfriend's birthday presents (it was his birthday this week, and I got him the 1TB Apple Time Capsule, and other random knick-knacks). Soooo to satisfy my cravings I went to the local drugstore two days in a row and bought some inexpensive goodies :)

The Goodies...

To be honest I don't like Japanese drugstore makeup as much as I love stuff from the U.S. I think the colors are too light/pastel/boring/similar...it seems like all the companies (Kate, Canmake, Fasio, Cezanne, Integrate, Maybelline Japan, etc.) follow very generic trends and only manufacture colors that coincide with the latest Japanese fashion trends...and it's no secret that Japanese youngsters find acceptance if and only when they follow their peers and imitate what the media has labeled 'Kawaii' or 'Sekushii' (cute and sexy). For example, all of the above mentioned companies have produced similar new eyeshadow palettes for their Spring line in limited color variations, including Purples/Grays and Olive Green/Shimmery Sea Green. Snoooore. What's a girl to do if she wants bright yellow eyeshadow...or matte pink lipstick? She must shop at M.A.C or other high-end foreign brands...

BUUUUT lately a company called Majolica Majorca (wierd name, I know) has come out with kooky colors to satisfy my bright-color cravings. I've bought a few items from this brand before, and so far I've liked everything I tried. Their packaging is cute...Writing in gold letters, gold- colored embellishments, vintage-inspired eyeshadow/powder compacts. The single eyeshadows are cheap too...one for 500 yen ($4.85). Color payoff is good, but the consistency is that of flour...so like any cheap eyeshadow, they're a little TOO velvety and powdery, and don't last all day unlike grittier shadows. But what the heck, if I can get pretty colors for a fraction of the price of M.A.C or NARS, I'm sold...until my next paycheck, that is ;)

Majolica Majorca Hot pink e/s w/pink shimmer

THE REST...

I also like the brand Cezanne Sweets. The shadows are pigmented well, and they too, have a good variety of colors and a price tag to boot! Not toooooo flour-y consistency-wise. I stocked up on pinks/purples/golds from this brand.

I love DHC. Not a drugstore brand, but you can find it at a cosmetics section in crappy malls/department stores. It was first a skincare brand, but they came out with hip makeup a few years ago. I bought an eyeshadow in a shimmery olive. Pretty! I'm tempted to buy the rest of the colors because they're on sale online for 357 yen each!


Integrate Pencil Eyes...a cute shimmery pink eyshadow stick.


Biore Cleansing Cottons...these makeup wipes are infused with makeup remover oil, so removing mascara is a cinch. Lovin' the pink and purple case.



Also part of my haul...the Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box. NINE bright, shimmery colors. 'Nuff said.

I'm coming up with different looks for future tutorials and FOTD's...right now I'm just swatching colors and trying out color combos. Can't wait to try 'em all!!!

Want more time off!

I am having blog-posting-withdrawl, so I thought I'd post something from work. Luckily this site is not blocked by the firewall...it SHOULD be, since I work at an International carrier...but it's not, so good for me! I bought a crapload of makeup again...so I'll be posting pics real soon.

Blogging is therapeutic just as much as it is an addiction. It's time-consuming...and I never seem to have time! Recently I only have a day and a half off after night shifts, and I'm back to the yard again...Definitely NOT enough time to recuperate...I'm irritable, and my hair won't listen, LOL. Ladies, the key to staying healty and fresh-looking is to stay hydrated, not smoking, and GET ENOUGH SLEEP! Man, I can't stress how important getting a good amount of shut-eye is every night (or day, in my case).

I started my current job almost two years ago, and not only has my skin gotten worse, but my weight has fluctuated and immunes weakened. Okay, this makes me sounds like I'm really sickly...I'm not, but my hectic work schedule has really taken it's toll on my previous healthy mind and body. In addition to regular day shifts, I work six night shifts per month and each shift is 14 hours long. I do get a three-hour break per shift, but it's not enough to where I feel well-rested. None of the products I've tried have successfully restored lost moisture to my skin, and conceal the gray half- moons under my eyes...but I am on a mission to find them! Perhaps my lovely readers can recommend some awesome life-saving products? LOL.

Anywho, hope all of you are having a great day! And don't stay up too late! ;)

Quickie

Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to Costco and I bought the Borghese makeup brush set. It comes with 12 brushes, shimmery loose powder and a brush case. I read some good reviews so I hope they work for me...if not it's whatever, the set was 3000 yen...

We also watched The Golden Compass. It JUST came out here in Japan. We got a huge discount since we watched the late show AND it was the first day of the month...but got screwed by the parking fee. The movie was good...is it related to the Narnia tales? I can't wait for the sequel to come out!

Here are some photos of yesterday's look...I realized that the look I did before this (Bronze and Gold) was a bit much for me...maybe I shouldn't use such dark colors on my whole lid, and stick to using them for outlining and contouring...well we'll see, I'll have to try again.

Milani Shadow Quad in Touch of Brown

M.A.C e/s in Twinks (Top Left)

Jordana Blush in Stardust

Eyes:
M.A.C Paint Pot in Painterly
Miliani e/s quad in Touch of Brown
M.A.C e/s in Twinks
M.A.C pigment in Vanilla
Kate liquid eyeliner
No-name brand pencil liner
Maybelline Volum' Express Mascara in Black

Cheeks:
Jordana Blush in Stardust

Lips:
NYX lipliner in Beige
Milani lipstick in Beloved

Steps:

- Apply lightest shimmery beige to inner corner of lid, to middle of lid.
- Apply golden-beige color to outer corner of lid, extend slight past crease.
- Outline 1/2 of crease with Twinks e/s with edge of eyeshadow brush. I used M.A.C's 239 brush
- With same Twinks e/s, connect outer corner of eye with the line you just made, with a pencil brush.
- Define contour with golden-beige color with pencil brush.
- Highlight under brow with Vanilla pigment.
- Line eyes with liquid liner. Also line waterline. Apply mascara.
- Apply Stardust blush along cheekbones.
- Apply Beige lipliner and Beloved lipstick (a nude beige-pink).

Kanryo!



Hope everyone's having a great weekend :) Matane.