Monday, December 31, 2012

Set Yourself 2013 New Year's Resolutions!

 Dear Bloggers,
The year of 2013 is rolling over in just a day. By setting a list of New Year's Resolutions, you're giving yourself goals and determinations to focus on and accomplish throughout the year. As human beings, we tend to go through different stages of emotions throughout the year (if not in a day) such as sadness, happiness, disappointment, joy, satisfaction, loneliness, pain, hurt, fulfillment, etc. It is crucial for us to set commitments not only to ourselves, but also to others, so we can pick ourselves up by reading these every time we fall.  I personally think it is a great way to start your new year fresh and motivated. Have you made your 2013 New Year's Resolutions list yet? Here's mine....




Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Deep Clean Your Face with Facial Clay Mask!

It is so important to exfoliate your face once or twice a week. But exfoliating only clean the surface of the skin, making it appear to be smooth. Clay or Mud, on the other hand has the power to draw out any impurities off your skin, such as dirt, black heads, and pores that got trapped from beneath the surface of the skin. Wearing a clay or mud mask at least once a week or once every other week is just as important and crucial to your skin care regimen. It not only helps to clean your skin but also to prevent appearance of fine lines and wrinkles! Wow...

Here I'm wearing a Giotto Clay Facial Mask that has Olive in it, that's why it has a green color. I also have a Strawberry one that I am so eager to try on. I usually store all of my masks in a small refrigerator, so when I apply it can be nice and cool. Once when the mask is applied, I usually leave it on for about 20-30 minutes and then wash it off with warm water. Clay comes off easier if you wash it with warm water versus cold water. To feel a tighten effect, I would do a splash of cold water in the end, when all of the clay was already washed off.

*the after picture was not photoshopped*


Monday, December 17, 2012

EcoTools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki Brush

This Eco Tools kabuki brush handle is made of natural bamboo. The bristles are 100% cruelty-free and made of soft synthetic taklon. This  particular brush can be used with powder, blush or bronzer for a sheer finish, super natural looking.




I love the Eco Tools brushes for their soft and amazingly durable bristles. These are truly qualitative for very reasonable prices. I also love the idea of involving myself in green acts. The Eco Tools contributes to the purpose of making our planet beautiful. They donate 26% into the Ocean Conservancy, 53% to The Jane Goodall Institute (for wildlife), and 21% to the Conservation Fund.



Retail for $7.99

there are other EcoTools sets that you can also get from here:


A Perfect Red Lipstick for Asian Skin Tone!

Have you been in search of a true red lipstick that matches beautifully for Asian skin tone?


I don't mean to be racist, but I really envy white girls when it comes to choosing the best lipsticks. White girls suit pretty much any lipstick colors because of their fair pale complexion. I have very typical Asian skin tone, a little bit of tan and a little bit of yellow-white'ish (don't know how to describe it any better).

Just like the saying every girl should have a little black dress, every girl should possess at least one red lipstick! 

I have been in search of a perfect red lipstick that matches my skin tone for so long. What you need to know first of all, is your type of skin tone and what kind of undertone it has. Some white girls have pink undertone, whereas some have more of a pale blue undertone. Some Asian girls have olive or brown undertone, whereas others have Asian pale white undertone. Some African-American girls may have honey undertone, others may have dark-brown undertone. Knowing your skin and its undertone helps with choosing the best red lipstick that fits perfectly for you! It's funny how red lipsticks aren't just "red lipsticks." They varies by shades and undertones as well. For example, some red lipsticks carry blue, purple or burgundy undertone.

Li Bing Bing wearing L'Oreal lipstick in Burning Sunset


Corinne Bailey Rae wearing M.A.C lipstick in Ruby Woo

After months of trying different red lipstick, I have finally found one and it is "the one" for me! I couldn't be any more happy than right now, when I finally own a "perfect" red lipstick that fits "perfectly" for my particular skin tone. It has become my signature red lipstick, every time I want to boost my confidence, feeling sexy or seductive, or pairing with an outfit. It is the....
Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani lipstick shade #400.
I am soooo in love with it!!!



Find your signature red lipstick, the one that fits "perfectly right" for you! Don't just buy all of the red lipsticks that you've tried on, without knowing which one looks the best on you. My best advice is to go to Sephora, M.A.C store or the mall and try on different red lipsticks to get a feel of each. If you don't feel weird, just snap a picture of you wearing that shade so that you can decide later when at home.

(Sorry about the lining of my lips, this was taken right before I was about to do my makeup remover routine haha.)




Thursday, December 13, 2012

Sonia Kashuk Angled Multipurpose Brush

The Sonia Kashuk Medium Angled Multipurpose Brush is all natural 100% cruelty free goat hair.  It is suitable to use with pressed or loose powder. The hair is dense and thick, which is great for girls who like to go for the natural look as it is easier to blend the application evenly. This is the best tool that I've used for putting on blush and for contouring and sculpting.

I love this brush because the hair is so soft and there is absolutely no fall-off when using. It is fantastic at picking up applications and delivering onto the skin as you blend and sculpt. I've tried the MAC angled brush before and I honestly like this so much more. The price is very reasonable for the awesome quality, retail for $17.19.





Get your Sonia Kashuk brush set for convenience!

Friday, December 7, 2012

5 Best Camera & Photo Apps for iPhones

Hi guys,

This post is dedicated to those who are obsessed with taking and editing pictures on their iPhones, like me! I know that I'm obsessed because take and edit my pictures all the time, I just don't post them up. I just like to look at them and play with different settings. I have had a hard time in the past, finding information on the best apps for photo taking on the iPhone. Until I came across Xiaxue blog post on the apps that she uses for taking pictures and stuff. Her post actually helped me to find more cool camera and photo-taking apps. So, I've decided to compose a post on 15 of the best apps currently in the market right now.


1. First on the list is CAMERA+ (Free)
The default iPhone camera is great, BUT this is GREATER. The level of clarity is just outstanding! I'm telling ya there is no other iPhone camera apps out there can match to this one in terms of quality and clarity of the pictures. The free version doesn't really provide much, but if you spend 99c (this was the price that I purchased about a year ago) purchasing the actual one, it is so much better! You can enhance the lighting even after taking the pictures and usually that would turn out to be good. I often use the "backlit" setting to brighten my pictures if they're too dark. The "auto" and "flash" look a bit weird though... The only thing that I don't use a lot in this camera app is their effects, just because I have better apps for effects and filters that I'd rather use. This is the app that I use 100% of the time every time I take pictures. I then save the pictures and use my favorite photo editing app, Camera 360 to make my pictures look nicer.


 2. CAMERA 360 - an awesome photo editing app! (Free)

I love Camera 360. Like any other apps, it has a lot of different settings, but what differentiates it is the amazingly nice coloring and filtering on each of the scene. Most of the time, I use this app to give my pictures somewhat of a warm feel to it, making them look less harsh. I generally love using the "Light Color" setting and "Magic Skin." The "Lomo" is good if your picture has a central object.

These are the pictures that I took with Camera+ and then transfer to Camera 360, with different filters under the "Light Color" setting. I love the Grace and the Warm the most.





This is the Fall filter under "Lomo" and it's not too bad, huh? There just might a little bit of shadow in my picture as a whole, but it depends on how you want your picture to turn out. You can also adjust the level of filter in everything.


3. RAKUGA-CUTE (Free)
I love love love and love this app for making my pictures look "scrapbooking-like" with lots of cute stickers and frames. I use this app to decorate my pictures, after already enhancing it on Camera 360.


The Standard Collection is free and it already has lots of cute pens, stamps, stickers, and frames. But if you want other collections you can certainly buy them and they're usually about $3 to $4 each, such as the Collage Collection (scrapbooks kinda looking...), Blog (for your blog), Makeup Collection, etc. The only collection that I don't like and think it's a waste of money is the First Collection. It has nothing but "independence looking" types of stickers, stamps and so on. Unless, it's independent day or labor day and you want your photos to deliver that message, you can certainly purchase it :)



My cutie sweetie pie pictures are usually decorated with these cute stickers and stamps with the Collage Collection.


4. SMILEPHOTO (Free)
This is a Korean photo app that has a few cute frames and that you add little notes into your photos.


5. DECOPIC, LINE CAMERA, PICFX, STICKER HEARTS, PHOTO WONDER, FRAMETASTIC.


These are actually not too bad photo apps. They're OK, but the other 4 above absolutely beat them! You can download and try each of them out because they're all free. I have downloaded quite a lot of the photo apps, but found the above are OK to keep coz I still use them from time to time. The only thing that I gotta warn you though, is that PS EXPRESS (photoshop express app)..... don't use it! It's expensive and does NOTHING to be honest! I kept it only because I've paid for it and just don't wanna waste it by deleting it.

FRAMETASTIC is definitely better than Diptic, for sure! INSTAFRAME for free is pretty good too, a bit like Frametastic but with a little more selections. Instagram is OK, in my point of view. I don't know why it is such a big thing. Everyone has Instagram now, just like everyone has a Facebook account. I mean, I have Instagram too but I go on there maybe twice a month.... I don't find anything so excited about it!


Thanks for reading. Hope that helps! :)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Real Techniques brush Review



I've just recently found this great makeup brushes brand called Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. Sam is a makeup blogger and a Youtube guru. She has been a professional makeup artist for about 15 years now and her success started to bloom from making Youtube tutorials and Pixiwoo beauty bootcamps. She lives in England and currently in very high demand by private clients and students seeking training.


The Real Techniques brushes are made from synthetic taklon bristles and are 100% cruelty-free. Each brush head is also hand-cut for precise application, from a dense coverage to a soft delicate finish. Because it is taklon bristles so the hair that you find in these brushes are ultra plush and smoother, than most of other brushes that you find out there. The handles have self-standing bases for counter top display.




This is the only brush that I have from Real Techniques so far and I am LOVING-LOVING-LOVING-LOVING-LOVING it! It is cheap. It is good quality. It creates flawless look. It basically has everything that I look for. The hair is super soft and the handle is super light, because it is made from extended aluminum ferrules. I don't even know what that means... but it feels good in your hand and that the grip is at the ease of use. I mainly use this brush for any highlighting applications, powder, liquid and cream. And it works beautifully, creating a flawless and high-definition looking.



I originally got this from Ulta for around $10 and I believe they have a wide selection of Real Techniques brushes there. The company is worldwide so you can get it at different retailers in the world, or you can get it from the Amazon link that I provided to you up here for cheaper. Just to name a few retailers around the world that carries this brand: Love Make Up, Boots, Beauty Chamber, Price Attack, Price Line, Cocktail Cosmetics, etc.

Rating: 5/5

Would you purchase it again?   Absolutely! I will come back for more brushes if not the whole collections.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Cleaning up My Life!


I've been pondering on a few friends that I have in my life lately. I realize that the older we get, the less friends we have. Sometimes we just wonder why friends who we got along so well before and who understood us like sisters, somehow turned out to be so feisty and argumentative. Conversations once used to feel so calm and relaxed, now turned into ongoing debates. Just don't click like we used to any more....

Well, the truth is that as time as by, both of you have changed. Neither of you have stayed the same. Sometimes friendship grows deeper because the two of you have been moving in the same direction, acquiring and evaluating information the same way. Other times, friendship falls apart because you both have different outlooks and attitudes towards life. Often time when situations like that happen, the friendship would still be able to survive if both of you give each other the same respect. But if one person constantly think that they are right and not listening, instead making fun of the other person in order to cover their insecurities, the friendship would just be hard to keep. In this situations, both sides are drawn to the negativity and eventually one would just break off that chain.


I once had a friend. We were best friends for about 10 - 12 years. Oh boy, it was a happy and peaceful time in our friendship. We used to share everything to each other. I would share my stuff and she would be the one empathizing and giving me kind words of encouragements; and vice-versa. As time gone by, we somehow drifted apart. It could be because of the geographical and life events that have happened to each other our lives, that brought us apart. At some point in my life, I just got so tired of her negative words and careless attitude that I decided that is it! I've tried... I've really tried to help her getting over bad people in her lives by giving encouragements. But... we just never ever clicked like we used to any more.


Just move on! Life is too short and we only live once, why not live it in a way that we would not regret it? Why not exploring all the things that we wish to? What is so hard about it? If you REALLY REALLY want to do something and you have the passion for it, I strongly believe that you WILL find a way to at least get a head start on it, no matter how small that may seem.  I'm gonna be honest. I never knew what my passion was until I found myself pondering upon Youtube watching makeup videos and the next thing that I know was that I've spent a lot of money into makeup and skincare. I am such an obsess! I'm not an expert in it. I'm not a beauty guru. I'm not great at it. But.... who cares??? Who cares.... All I know is that, I am SO SO SO happy every time I take care of my skin and putting on makeup. When I go to the mall, guess where I head to first? Sephora or some beauty counters. When I go to the bookstore, guess where you'll find me? The beauty section. I don't remember everything that I have read. In fact, I don't even remember half of it. But who cares.... I'm happy! I get to be myself at that moment, entirely and that is happiness right there! The joy that I feel when get to do anything beauty related. That's all that matters!!!!


Find something that you truly love doing. You'll know that it is the right thing when your heart chirps and you find yourself keep on going back to it like there was a magnet pulling you over. Yes!!!! That's it!!!!

It shall be your joy, when sadness impose on your life
It shall be your happiness, when you encounter misery

Go out there and start exploring, you'll find hope and peace of mind when learning about yourself. Just let your heart be the guide and pick what you're interested in the most, whether it is scrap-booking, makeup, skincare, hair, photography, fashion, singing, blogging, Youtub-ing, etc. Lastly, the true joy can only be completed if you're able to share it with the world or to as many people as you can.




Monday, December 3, 2012

What is Cold Cream & the Magic in Cleansing Face!

Have any of you heard of the term "cold cream" lately? It's been mentioned quite often around the media that it is one of the "old tricks" for beautiful skin. I did a bit of research and here is what I have found.

Jar of the cold cream from the first half of the 20th century

Cold cream has been around for about 100 years, started in 1857 to be exact. It was used as a cosmetic preparation used for cleansing and softening the skin at the same time. It is actually an emulsion made up of a mixture of water and certain fats, usually including beeswax. The purpose is to remove makeup, smooth and soften the skin ALL AT THE SAME TIME. The term "cold cream" is derived from the cooling sensation that it delivers and leaves on the skin.

While celebrities such as Kylie Minogue admitted that she had botox herself, but ever since then she swore that all she uses to keep the youthful looking and beautiful skin is the Pond's Cold Cream. She said that she has religiously using it everyday and that is all she does to take care of her skin. It is such an old classic that was introduced to her by her mother. Ever since she made this announcement, the company Unilever, the umbrella company of Pond's started seeing drastic change in their sales. Sales has increased by 120% and that stock has also gone up.

So...... I've gone to the drugstore and got one myself to test it out. Here is what I got:

Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser




The Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser is actually a moisturizing deep cleanser and makeup remover at the same time. Unlike any other cleansers, half of it comprises of moisturizer, which is 50%. It has Mineral Oil to remove makeup, dirt and even stubborn waterproof mascaras. It also has Beeswax to lock in moisturizer and preventing it from leaving the skin. It is suitable for sensitive skin and won't clog pores.

Ingredients:
Mineral oil, water/agua, ceresin, beeswax, triethanolamine, behenic acid, fragrance/fragancia, ceteth-20, cetyl alcohol, carbomer, dmdm hydantoin, idodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methylparaben.


Tina's Personal Experience:
I've been using this cold cream once a day, primarily at night for removing makeup and cleaning my face, for about 2 weeks now. I've had positive experience with it so far. There has been no irritation or rash occurred. I did see that my skin got brighter and definitely softer after washing my face with this product and on the following morning waking up.

This is how much I normally use every time washing my face at night to remove makeup. 






I don't use a cloth to wipe it like the instruction said. Instead I use it like it is a cleanser, gently rubbing it onto my face in circular motion and then wash it off with warm water. Your skin will actually feel like it is moisturized, that same feeling when you try washing off Vaseline.

Close-up of BEFORE pictures
and I had some eye makeup with waterproof mascara on, too.


                                Close-up of AFTER pictures

So what do you think?

I honestly think that this cold cream cleanser does a great job in removing all of my makeup, including the waterproof mascara that would normally requires me to use a separate eye makeup remover. You can see that it completely softens my skin after washing my face with it. I love it!

The only thing that worries me is the "methylparaben" listed on the ingredients list. Methylparaben is one of the parabens and is a preservative chemical formular. It is often found in several fruits, such as blueberries. There has a been a controversy between the use of methylparaben or propylparabens are harmful chemical used in cosmetics and body care. However, both of them are listed under Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for food and antibacterial preservation.  What freaks me out is that studies indicate that methylparaben when applied to skin may react to UVB and UVB is what leading to skin aging and DNA damage.

Rating: 4/5

Will you consider buying it again?   No. Because of the "methylparaben" listing in the ingredient. But if you really wanna try, you can get it at any drugstores for around $7 to $9 or buy on Amazon for little cheaper.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylparaben