Review & Swatches: Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 75 Dragon

Goodbye My Trustworthy Red....


You may have already heard this, Christine from Temptalia posted this info couple weeks ago on her twitter account about the discontinuation of Chanel Rouge Allure Laques. My world is tumbling down! As an NC42-ish golden-olive gal, it is not easy to find your perfect red lippie, my dear friend. Trust me. Lucky me, I have already found mine. Yes, it's Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 75 Dragon. It's a true-blood-red, not a bluish nor yellowish red, therefore this is the perfect red for almost every skintone! I actually find this gem from Christine & Dusty's review (oh I love them both!) and it's been my staple red ever since. If red lips is your thingy, I'll tell you: YOU MUST HAVE THIS!!!

arrrrggghhhh... I hate white cast!!!

Pro:

Everything you’ll ever want from a red any lip product

Cons:

None

Would I buy this product again:

Yes, yes, yes, yes, YESSS!!! *infinitely*

Packaging: 4/5

I won't complain about the opaque black tube even though it makes impossible to tell how many products are left. But hey, it's very Chanel, posh & sophisticated!

Price: 4/5

Dear Chanel, even though $32.00 is not what I expect to spend for a lip lacquer, I'm willing to religiously buy this thing every time it runs out. Discontinuing it is not an option!

Overall Score:

A+

*PS: For a better swatches photo & review, I recommend you to check Temptalia.

Review & Swatches: Tarte Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder Champagne

Honestly..., I’m not a big fan of shimmering powder/illuminator/highlighter/luminizer because of my very oily skin and most highlighter will make my face even oilier in midday. So I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I love Tarte Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder Champagne!
Well, it won’t replace my beloved Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow Powder, Benefit High Beam nor my Estée Lauder Spotlight Skin Tone Perfector, though. But for being quite subtle, unlike other competitor like M∙A∙C MSF or Stila All Over Shimmer it deserves some love, really.

Ingredients: Mica, ethylhexyl palmitate, zinc stearate, silica, dimethicone, squalane, polyethylene, lauroyl lysine, kaolin, retinyl palmitate, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium dehydroacetate, glyceryl caprylate, p-anisic acid, potassium sorbate.

Now, onto the swatches:

on NC42 (or NC43? ) hand

w/o flash

w/ flash

*I applied the swatches heavily, so it might appear a little bit chalky. None of them are chalky on regular basis use, promise!


L to R: 

1 - Stila All Over Shimmer

2 - M∙A∙C MSF (the upper side on M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Golden Lariat)

3 - Tarte Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder Champagne

4 - Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Tinted Glow Powder Topaz 

5 - Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow Powder Original

6 - Benefit High Beam

7 - Estée Lauder Spotlight Skin Tone Perfector.

See, it has more pronounced shimmer than Crystalline Cat Glow (while High Beam is more metallic, not shimmery), but much subtler than the other.

Pros:

• It’s a bargain since I bought it in a set of “Tarte Radiant & Rested: Volume II Universal Complexion & Color Collection” from Sephora for $42.00.
• Smooth, velvety texture that blends really well.
• Subtle shimmer
• Long wearing on my very oily & easily sweats skin
• Very finely milled
• Non chalky nor cakey
• Doesn't break me out
• Doesn't trigger my allergies
• Doesn't aggravate my eczema
• Infused with natural, healthy & nourishing formula
• Green company ♥
• Cruelty-free & vegan company ♥

Cons: 

• Too pricey for the full size ($30.00)
• Fragile (mine was broken but I fixed it already!)
• Not travel-friendly (due its fragility)
• More shimmery than my favorite Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow Powder

Would I buy this product again:

Probably, no. Because I have a few shimmering/highlighter powder already and I might try something else instead to compare with products I already have.

Packaging: 3/5

Cute packaging actually, too bad it is very fragile.

Price: 3.5/5

It's a bit too expensive for my budget.

Overall score:

B+

Too Faced Friends & Family Sale, Enjoy 20% Off EVERYTHING!‏

Yes, I know... another F&F Sale, and right now is Too Faced!
My heart jumps in excitement but my wallet crying out loud.... *sigh*

I think now is the perfect time for me to try their famous Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder. Plus I actually want to buy it when Sephora is having their F&F Sale yesterday, but sadly it was out of stock :(

I think the normal price is too hefty for my budget since I don't usually wear bronzer nor contour my face (I'm too lazy to do all of those things!), but now I can get this from their website for less, yay! \(^o^)/

Beauty.com Friends & Family Sale are on Today!!!

Okay, my head are full of sales, so many bargains, so little time...

Beauty.com 20% off on ANY ORDER starts from today until November 11th 2011, 3 DAYS only guys, hurry up!

Folica Friends & Family Sale

Do you need hair tools, treatments, etc?

Good news, Folica is having their F&F Sale! I might grab the double/triple barrel waver, do you have any brand recommendation? 

It's the perfect time for you to upgrade your hair tools! C'mon, the sale ends this Friday!!!

Uh-Oh, I Might Have Similarity to Mr. Monk More Than I Thought....

I’m a dork. I like to open pages just for curiosity, just like how I love to read encyclopedia. For fun. See..., how dorky?!

Anyway, today’s menu is List of Phobias. Even though I'm a Claustrophobic and a Saurophobic, I don’t have any serious anxiety disorder or anything. But being saying that, I do fear of these but I won't call it as a phobia:

Astraphobia/Brontophobia/Ceraunophobia: fear of thunder and lightening

Atychiphobia: fear of failure

Autophobia: fear of loneliness

Aviophobia/Aviatophobia: fear of flying

Bathophobia: fear of depth

Batrachophobia: fear of amphibians, such as frog, newts salamanders, etc

Bufonophobia: fear of toads

Claustrophobia: fear of having no escape and being closed in

Gelotophobia: fear of being laught at

Gerascophobia: fear of growing old or aging

Halitophobia: fear of bad breath

Herpetophobia: fear/dislike of reptiles and/or amphibians

Mysophobia: fear of germs, contamination or dirt

Nosophobia: fear of contracting a disease

Achluophobia/Lygophobia/Nyctophobia/Scotophobia: fear of darkness

Osmophobia: hypersensitivity to s,ells causing aversion to odors

Sauraphobia: fear of lizard

Spectrophobia: fear of ghost and phantoms

Thanatophobia/Necrophobia: fear of death and/or the dead

Well after seeing those list, apparently I do have a few phobias: Batrachophobia, Bufonophobia and Herpetophobia. Lizzard, toad, frog and any amphibians might cute for some, but sorry, I just can't stand them... eeeeekkkk!!! (>__<")

How to: Fix A Broken Shimmering Pressed Powder

I love Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder Champagne for its velvety-buttery texture that's melt into my skin without overly shimmery. BUT, its smoother texture also its cons. Yes, it's too damn smooth, so smooth that when I opened my package when it arrives, it already shattered all over the place. Argh!

No biggie, I can always repress this! I think it'll be fine if I just keep it safe in my makeup drawer. I'm not going to bring this in my purse with me, who needs to reapply their highlighting powder anyway? But I might wont travel with this though.

So here it goes...

This is the condition looks like when I received it.

Keep your workplace clean by laying a tissue/paper towel over your table before you start. Sanitize every props that you want to use during the process and of course, clean your hands. And if you have a swatching pants & shirt, that will be awesome, wear those too!

Pour the powder (the whole of it) into a glass/melamine bowl (because of its smoother surface). Mash it until you achieve the smoothest texture you possibly can. We definitely don't want a single crumble.

Pour the rubbing alcohol, a little at a time. Be careful, we don't want to over spill it, we can always add more alcohol if we need to.

Keep stirring with your spatula until it mixed well.

This is what it should looks like, more like a paste and has a little bit viscosity. 

Clean your pan and sanitized it with alcohol.

Pour your mixture back to its pan.

Press with clean tissue/paper towel until you find the right density level. If it too dense/hard, your brush wont pick up the product, but if it not dense enough, your pressed powder will be too smooth and you'll end up with too many products adhere to your brush that leads to cakey/chalkyness on your face (not to mention the product might broke easily, again).

This is what it should looks like, you can stop on this step or you can repress it with wide ribbon for the "hetchmark" pattern while it still a little bit damp.

But... I have OCD, I want need to clean the excess powder. Any tools with pointy ends will do.

Wait until it fully dries (you don't want to rub alcohol on your face, do you?) and voilà... now my Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder Champagne is ready to gimme some glow!!!

So, how do you think? I know it's not the most neatly result of repressed broken powder, but as a first timer, I'm quite proud of my self ;)

FOTD: Amethyst Eyes

Hmmm... I think it's about the time for me to show my amateur *ehm* FOTD.

woot, snob-face alert!

Face:

• Milk of Magnesia
• Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector
• Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Bisque 7 (N)
• M∙A∙C Blot/Pressed Medium Dark
• Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow Powder » forehead, cheek bones, chin, nose bridge

Eyes:

• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Urban Decay Flash Eyeshadow » inner lid
• Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister Eyeshadow » outer lid & lower lid
• Sleek Twilight (from Bad Girl Palette) Eyeshadow » crease
• Stila Montmartre Eyeshadow Quad (the upper right one) » lower brow bones/upper crease
• Revlon Wet/Dry Shadow Lava Blast (the right side) » upper brow bones
• Urban Decay Liquid Liner Ecstasy » tight line and waterline
• L'Oréal Ultra-Volume Collagene Mascara

Cheeks:

• Benefit Posietint
• Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow Powder » cheek bones
• La Femme Glow-On Rouge Golden Dew Amber

Lips:

• Carmex Vanilla Stick
• NYX Round Lipstick Thalia
• Lancôme Juicy Tubes Berry Bold

Sorry for the last snooty-faced photo, I don't have any photo that shows the eyeshadow with my eyes opened, not to mention my complexion also looks a bit ghostly... (>__<")
Oh one more thing, I dunno why, but the camera makes me look more jaundiced, I'm not that yellow in real life :D

An Exclusive Offer Only for Friends with Benefit!

Hey, hey, guess what? Benefit are having their annual F&F Sale!!! Get 20% off for any order except their holiday products with code "LOVEYALL" at checkout.

Grab them A.S.A.P! The offer valid only at BenefitCosmetics.com and expires November 14^th, 2011 at 11:59pm (US & Canada Pacific Time). Wait, there's more, the sales are combinable with their FREE standard shipping, US orders over $50 and international orders over $125!!! (excludes order shipping to China)

Yippie, I think I'm gonna use this opportunity to try some of their latest products, how about you?

Hey You, I Miss You!!! - Sincerely, The Stockholm Syndrome Sufferer

I don't know if it just the fever talking or my deepest feeling burst outta nowhere, but maaannnn... I miss him! I really do. I dreamed about this guy last night, the guy I'm in love with 13 years ago (back when I was a ninth grader). He's my unfinished business.


To be honest, he's not even my ex, we're just goofing around. I don't know why I'm still having a dream about him, think about him, reminiscing about everything. Sometimes he's such a sweetheart, a lovable man that drives all of the butterflies in my stomach crazy, but in some other time, he's simply a douche.


Come on, he shared all of his thoughts, his dreams, and his heart with me. In school, after school, we even went home together almost everyday but nothing ever happens. For the love of God, this boy kissed me, but even after a smacker on a mouth we're still not said anything about the giant elephant in the room? Dear stupid boy, you're making me look like an easy kinda girl and you're making your self a douche. Stop comparing all of the girls you've been dated with to me, if all you've ever wanted is a girlfriend that just exactly like my self. Hey, I have an info for you, airhead: Simply stop dating other people and be with me instead! Duh...??!


Okay, the moment of truth, he doesn't love me, he just love spending time with me. He's a douche for taking me for granted and I'm an idiot for missing him for the thousand times. There, I said it!

That Was The Worst Day for A Hypochondriac, Indeed!

 
Yesterday was quite a day. My 21 years old sister, Resti, was planned to take my 12 years old sister, Ola, to the orthopedic because she's complaining about aches on her right foot and apparently there's a hard little bump on it.


But..., while they get ready, Resti accidentally spill hot water on her right thigh! OH-MY-GOD, that was the most horror-looking skin I've ever witnesses in my life (even though I also have been scalded all over my body when I'm about 3 or 4 years old because of my clumsy baby sitter, but since I can't remember the scene, so...). The view about her skin melted and some skin stuck together in several part... OUCH! For the first aid she applied silver sulfadiazine 10 mg ointment and after that I take her to the ER and my dad take Ola to the orthopedic (on the same hospital).


Apparently, while it looks like a second-degree burn, the doctor decided that it just a first-degree burn. I don't understand, because by its look, I swear it looks like a second-degree burn. But hey, I'm not the doctor here, I just referring to the Wikipedia and this site.

I thought it couldn't get any worse for a day, but no, it could. My dad come home and tell me that the tiny bump on Ola's foot is a benign tumor. Not a good news at all for a hypochondriac like my self.

Maybe it's a karma, I play zombie with a rotten/third-degree burned hand last Halloween just for fun, it's not even my costume.

Sigh...

My Foundation Equivalencies for NC37-NC42

These are my foundations/powders shade on some cosmetic brands, for reference, in M∙A∙C, my shade ranging from NC37 to NC42. Typical South East Asian skintone with golden-olive undertones that strangely tan/burn easily and blessed with skintone that can look ashy really, really easily when I put the wrong shade (ugh!). Oh, I have to remind you, I have a very oily skin and sweat a lot. Almost all of foundations I've tried will oxidize on me (even though apparently not on most people), therefore, this affect my color choices when I choose my foundation. I usually pick one or half shade lighter than my skin tone, so it will blend into my natural skin color after it oxidized.

• M∙A∙C Blot Powder  
  » 
  Medium Dark
• Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation 
  » 
  SP70
• Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 
  » 
  Bisque 7 (N)
• Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Compact Foundation 
  » 
  4.25
• Estée Lauder Double Wear 
  » 
  3W1 Tawny + 4W1 Shell Beige (mixed)
• Estée Lauder Double Wear Light 
  » 
  Intensity 3 + Intensity 4 (mixed)
• Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover 
  » 
  Deep
• Make Up For Ever F&B 
  » 
  #34
• Make Up For Ever HD 
  » 
  #153
• NARS Sheer Glow 
  » 
  Barcelona (although the perfect match is when I mix Stromboli + Tahoe)
• Revlon ColorStay 
  » 
  360 Golden Caramel
• Lumiere Veena Velvet (MMU) 
  » 
  Medium Golden (or mixed with Medium Deep Golden when I get tanned)
• Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss (MMU) 
  » 
  Fierce Manx/Naughty Abyssinian/Naughty Korat

FYI, I don't keep all of this foundations, so don't ask a swatch. Some are full size products that I bought, some are just a sample and the other I gave/swap/sell it already. Unlike blushes, for this one I just keep what I like or I really use.

I'll add the list if I get a new match. Promise.

Adelita's October 2011 Favorite: Bath & Body Works Halloween Sinful Vanilla Body Lotion

Oh how I love Bath & Body Works body care! I always have soft spot for their Cherry Blossom, Japanese Cherry Blossom and Twilight Wood line, but to be honest, I also love almost all of the rest of the lines they have.
This year, B&BW launch their limited edition Halloween Signature Collection. Will it be their annual collection (like the holiday one)? Dunno, although I wish it'll come again next year, or even better, make it permanent! *finger crossed*


Anyway...
Here are the looks of the lotions

For body care, oddly enough B&BW didn't launch the fragrance mist, body cream or the shower gel, they only have these lotions, pocket bacs and some hand soaps (which unfortunately the body lotion only available in travel-size)! Oh well, maybe it's just a teaser/market test for the next Halloween?

Okay, back to topic!

I will post my favorite things, monthly. It might be beauty product, food, music that stuck in my head (in a good way), movie, etc. This month (or last month, I will review my favorite stuff in a month after) my favorite item is this:

Bath & Body Works^® Halloween Signature Collection Body Lotion in Sinful Vanilla

“An Indulgent blend of vanilla bean, whipped marshmallow and vanilla cream”

Oh dear God, I'm in love! I literally sniff the back of my hands in every minutes (in fact, I'm doing it right now)!  I order this just for fun, I'm not a big fan of vanilla or any sickeningly sweet gourmand scents because I find while I might like it in the first sniff, it'll be very nauseating after a few minutes. I thought "what the hell, I'm gonna try this vanilla-thingy-smell anyway for its cool packaging" and based on the review, I hope I'm gonna like this one because of the "dark edge" at the base notes other reviewer have said. Then I ordered 3 bottles (because its quantity).

Oh how I regret it I only bought 3 bottles!!!

This is the very first vanilla-ish scent that doesn't make me gag. Even though they describe the notes include vanilla bean, whipped marshmallow, and vanilla cream, which by the way that's 3 sweet notes and supposedly 3 times more nauseating, but I find this lotion is surprisingly not too sweet. It does have the darker edge everyone's talking about. I'm addicted to musky, woody olfactory and in this lotion, you can definitely smell the musky note. You can even almost smell the boozy-scent (Bourbon? Baileys?) in it!

Sinful Vanilla is the perfect name Bath & Body Works can give, because this lotion smells very sensual, very sinful and I sinfully love it!

It's Not Pokemon, We're Not Supposed to Catch 'Em All...

I'm talking about the damn flu. Darn it, I had one.

The only box I leave it blank is just the "Coughing" one. Sigh...

Urban Decay Holiday Friends & Family Sale

Urban Decay is having their Holiday Friends & Family Sale!!!

Fill your cart now before November 5th, 2011 11:59 PM (US & Canada, Pacific Time).

I already pick mine, how about you?

8 Months Later...

My first post! Hooraaayyy!!!

After created this blog for... errr... 8 months ago (sigh!), I finally have this urge to post something.
So, hi there my online diary, it feels a little bit weird since I've never wrote -not a single page- journal in real life and yet, now I have to publish it online.

At first I'm a bit hesitant to write my day, feelings, thoughts, whatsoever because to be honest, I don't like to share anything, especially my story. I prefer play "hey-I'm-a-very-outgoing-person-with-bubbly-personality-and-I-don't-hid-any secret-from-you"-thingy. I like to pretend as an extrovert person because people will not busy sniffing my business if they thought I already tell them everything about me, just like the way I pretend about confidence, but deep down inside I'm still the shy-insecure-awkward-girl, the girl I used to be 21 years ago (damn, I'm old!). As you know, the best hiding place is in a plain sight. But lately..., I'm exhausted, suffocated and I feel like I'm going to explode.

Actually my twitter is my first brutally honest journal (oh dear, how many times I rant with a very hurtful things I've said? I apologize) but for the love of God, it helps. For those who know me personally knows my bad temper, my stressful to lose weight, the clown in me, my bad health condition, my love about food & cooking, my passion about fashion, my unhealthy shopping habit, the shoe-hoarder me, my expertise to irritate people (based on  my sister's confession), my bad habit to hold pee (too much information?), my insomniac, how I can't live without music, my addiction about foreign movies (and always want to live abroad), how I trapped in cartoon-palooza since I'm a kiddo and can't find the way out, my latest obsession about makeup and how I TALK TOO MUCH when I'm nervous!

This blog is my journal, I might write about beauty, fashion, food/recipe A LOT, but don't jump out of your seat when my tantrum is taking over and you see the back side of the moon in me. This is me, hoping to relief my pain (in hopes of not sounding too emo *LOL*) and trying to spill my secret....

__________________

* Edit:
I just realize that my first post (this one), posted on 11/1/11! How cool is that?! Of course it'll be epic if I post it on 11/11/11, but what the heck, mine is pretty awesome too!