Look: Wedding Makeup Take 2

How I would have done my wedding makeup? For the peace of mind, I hired a professional makeup artist. And I think she did a good job for the pictures. They turned out OK. I still looked like myself! But I wasn't satisfied. My dress has peal and crystal details, so does the veil. The make up was a bit too done up especially with the eyes. She used a pair of natural looking false lashes and jet black eyeliner. She also altered the shape of the inner corners of my eyelids so that they appeared to be more even. Why on earth did I let her do so? Those eyelid tapes were uncomfy and didn't feel right, although they were teeny tiny.

I felt like a more subtle and relax look would balance out my wedding gown better. Here are my wedding makeup for pre-wedding photos. And by the way, the hubs and I endured the photo session for the sake of our parents. We knew back then that we would laugh at these pictures some day. We already did.

The dress. Me a few years back,  a couple of days before the wedding ceremony.

The traditional dress. I was very into bright floral at the time. Now I would opted for a simple white instead. 

This is how I would have much preferred. Glowy skin, softly contoured cheeks, natural eye shadow, crisp eyeliner, and casual red lips. So I keep my complexion matte with glowy cheeks. I want full brown, natural and well defined eyeshadows and NO FALSIES. No objection to false lashes but I love the relaxing look of my lashes. I also opted for a undone throw-away red lips instead of the classic bridal soft pink lips. There you have it.

My re-do makeup. Cool lighting. I wasn't topless guys. 

My re-do makeup. Warm lighting. My actual wedding jewelry. Peals! 

Makeup breakdown

Face

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation SPF 15 in 108

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer Custard

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight (everybody should own it)

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2 (contour shade)

Tom Ford Blush Narcissist

Eyes

Dior 5-color eyeshadow quint Beige Massai (my all time favorite palette)

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel liner Espresso

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor Espresso

Lips

EOS Lip balm

Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick Cherrywood (same here)

I had so much fun writing this post. Tell me what you think ladies. And if there's enough interest, I'll do another look (yes, I have something else in mind too).

Joanne xoxo

Review: Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic Spritzer

Hello lovelies! My last regular post must have been eon ago. Claiming myself busy is a lame excuse although it's true. I'm in the process of making adjustments for my blog and it's time consuming. Then there's always my non-blogging life. So here is the star product I've wanted to share with you within a few days of testing it. 

Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic Spritzer ($21.5 for 6.7 oz) makes my life so much easier.  You know the tighten feeling on your face post cleansing? Liz Earle toner contains herbal oils that soften my skin remarkably. Everything applied after it just glides on smoothly. I spray it all over my face, let it settle for 30 seconds then slap on my moisturizer. It's just so easy, no massage needed although it will make the oils absorbed faster. 

Under muggy weather (like what we're experiencing in Houston), I skip face moisturizers as the oils in the toner hydrates my skin well. During drier months when moisturizers alone don't keep my skin hydrated enough, Liz Earle Tonic Spritzer adds the moist back to my skin. I am totally in love ! The nice thing is it doesn't feel either oily nor sticky. My skin is flake-free and looks fresh and glowy ever since I started the toner 3 months ago. It's perfect after deep cleansing with Clarisonic Mia and exfoliators.

The toner comes in three sizes, 1 oz ($8.5), 1.6 oz ($8.5 oz) and 6.7 oz and the company offers spritzer package for 1 oz and 6.7 oz and bottle for 1.6 oz and 6.7 oz. How thoughtful! Smaller sizes are ideal for traveling or on the go.

Now the toner also contains fragrance, which some of you might want to test first. You can check out the return and exchange policy here. I find the scent light and pleasant even though I generally dislike scented beauty products.

Bottom line. On my repurchased list. Highly-recommended!

What's your go-to toner? Why do you love it? Have you tried Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic Spritzer?

Guest Post on Gummy Vision

Yay!! I'm a guest again. The ever lovely Gummy hosts a series of skincare routine featuring guest bloggers. I'm so honored when she extended the invitation as she's my skincare mentor and her guest bloggers are all talented and have great sense of humor. Peer pressure you know! Her wonderful blog, Gummy Vision has moved to a new server and she did a great job designing it in chic and clean interface. I highly recommend you guys check out her blog.

You can check out my guest post on Gummy Vision here. Talk to you all soon. Joanne

Montreal Five-Love

Running The Convenient Beauty has been a bit of a challenge since April. Not only I haven't had much time to finish my draft posts, but my mentality for the blog has evolved. In the chaos of changes in my non-blogging life, I had a much-needed trip to Montreal. It was such a refreshment after over a year living in Houston. Montreal has a special charm especially during spring time. I LOVE the city for many reasons, but here are five loves of the trip.

1. David's Tea shop. A more fun version of Teavana. It's hip, friendly, cute and relaxing. We ordered caffein-free tea. Delicious!! 

2. Strangely-looking and tasty veggie - Tetes de Violon. I forgot to grab one package ughhh. This is served only at restaurants in Houston, I think. 

 3. BIXI - a bike sharing service that's similar to Houston B-cycle. Me, biking through one of the city parks. 

4. One of the neighbors' cat. She's a ninja but from time to time, she's laid back like this. Her belly is huge!

5. My niece. She can flip and sit (for a while). Precious!!

Hope things are going well where you are now.

Joanne 

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Escapade and Pink Haze Cream Color for Eyes

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes ($40 for 0.21 oz) in Escapade and Pink Haze are my first real-deal cream eyeshadows. Not that I don't like the cream formula, I often find cream eyeshadow a bit hard to handle, particularly with blending. Escapade and Pink Haze blown me away with how blendable and layerable they are. Plus the colors are supreme.

Escapade and Pink Haze has a hybrid texture of cream and whipped mouse texture. They are incredibly smooth and blend seamlessly into the skin. It weightless and doesn't dry out though out the entire day or look greasy. Phenomenal!

Both stay fresh for over 10 hours over a standard primer. While Pink Haze gives me the same powerful wearing with and without a primer, Escapade creases on my eye lids after 4 hours without a primer. I haven't seen any reviews that report this issue. There's also no creasing if I layer a powder eyeshadow on top of Escapade. This could mean I need to test it a little longer. Priming my eyelids is part of my daily makeup routine but I thought I point this out. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to creasing guys.

Escapade is a golden/yellow peach with multicolor shimmer. Pink Haze crosses between brown pink and burgundy pink with silvery/multicolor shimmer. Escapade is a touch less pigmented than Pink Haze. Both are sheerer than in the pot but can be layered for maximum opacity. Escapade and Pink Haze look dazzling alone with just the eyeliner and mascara if you opt for more simple and clean look. I love to wear them together then define my outer V with one of Tom Ford's brown eyeshadows in Cognac Sable or Golden Mink, or Dior Beige Massai. They also work well as base color to add warmth and sophisticated sheen to the lids underneath my powder eyeshadows like Dior Rosy Nude, Dior Rosy Tan, Dior Sunset Cafe, Burberry Midnight Brown, Burberry Pale Barley, Rimmel Spicy Bronze, Edward Bess Back to Basics and the list goes on. Escapade and Pink Haze have become an important part of my eyeshadow collection.

I've emphasized this in all my Tom Ford posts and am doing it again: don't be shied away by the shimmer. It's opulent, edgy and sexy in the ultimately delicate fashion. The word shimmer/glitter itself seems to often be associated with teenagers, proms, and bling. Tom Ford has created and elevated the shimmer/glitter to a whole different class and made it wearable to suit the most elegant, simple and chic taste. Of course it's my personal view but if you try Tom Ford's beauty line in person, you'll know. 

I don't have similar cream eyeshadows to compare with Tom Ford Pink Haze nor Escapade. I highly recommend you guys check out Makeup Magpie's marvelous review and the lovely eye look she did with both. Below are some peach and beige shades for you gauge how Tom Ford's sit in the color range. 

Comparison swatches. Tom Ford Escapade has the most peach. Tom Ford Cognac Sable (peach shade) has much more golden bronze. Dior Rosy Nude (peach shade) is considerably pinker. Burberry Pale Barley is much more beige (although contains golden shimmer). 

Swatched next to the window to show the color bases. 

 Swatched under direct sunlight to show shimmer

The high price point of Tom Ford is always up for debate. A single eyeshadow for $40 isn't wallet-friendly for everyone. But you'll get a great amount for what you pay, 0.21 oz or $190.5 per ounce. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre provides 0.14 oz at $36 or $257 per ounce. Bobbi Brown, another Estee Lauder's beauty brands, offers 0.12 oz at $24 or $200 per ounce. Basically, we Tom Ford's fans need to get over the first shot to own the eyeshadows, then they'll last for a long time. The question is whether you like the color and quality enough to give it a try. I do and both Escapade and Pink Haze are must-haves for me. They're worth every penny!

Bottom line. The biggest hits of the collections, and of this summer. I must own both Escapade and Pink Haze. Get them before they're gone guys!

Have you checked out Tom Ford beauty summer collection? What are your picks? Which items you're most excited about?

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Vapor Nail Lacquer

Guys, my first luxurious nail polish and also my absolute favorite until today is Tom Ford Vapor . I don't wear nail polishes very often, hence the clumsy application in the pictures below :D. When I do, my go-to brands include Essie, Zoya, Revlon and the base and top coats by Butter London. I don't want to spend $$$$ on nail polishes either. So what's special about Vapor? 

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Vapor ($30 for 0.41 oz) is part of a well-edited summer collection from the brand. As soon as I saw the promo picture a few months back, I knew Vapor would be an instant click for me. When I swatched it at the counter, it turned into a love struck! 

The color, shimmery pearly white that reflects light gracefully, got me right from the start. Yes, pearly white has existed for aeon. But this white is rather unique. It's very me. It pops against my skin color in a subtle fashion and brightens up my skin. The delicate shimmer, as I expected from Tom Ford, adds fabulous touch for the color and yet isn't overdone. Under the strong light, you can see the gorgeous multicolor shimmer. Adored! 

 The applicator. Quite easy to handle except for the bulky cap. 

Vapor goes on opaque with 3 layers although I also really enjoy the sheer look of just one or two layers. It's chic, classic and not boring! The texture is weightless and smooth with excellent consistency. As you can see from the swatch, Vapor is streaky, which doesn't bother me at all. I know some people prefer a uniform look of the polish so this could be a drawback. Also, once applied the streaky finish can't be altered by my Butter London top coat.

Next to the windows - 3 coats

Direct sunlight - 3 coats

What really won my heart over is the long wearing. Vapor isn't chip-resistant like gel nail formula, of course. I wash dishes, do gardening, move things around etc... all with my bare hands. Now most of my go-to brands will peel by half of the nail after day one with all these activities. Vapor stays put on the major part of my nails, only the tips peeled after day 7. Love it!

Super fine shimmer

Now, I'm not familiar with nail polishes from other high-end brands although I tested many of them out at the counter. I can't say Vapor beats all white nail polishes in the market but it's an excellent choice for day or night, work or party and even the beach. It's so versatile that I know I'll wear the heck out of the 30-dollar bottle. My affection with Vapor is, like I said, a love struck. Not a single nail polish have ever caught my attention like Vapor. No one was even selling it to me at the counter. I played with it by myself then bought it. 

Vapor offers slightly less quantity than a typical nail polish bottle (0.41 oz vs. 0.5 oz) and comes with a hefty $30 price tag. I believe you can find a similar shade in other brands, drugstore or high-end but I've never come across a pearl white like Vapor. Depending on what you already have, it might or might not be a must-have. In any case, I still strongly recommend you check it out. It's too lovely to be missed out. 

Bottom line. Definitely a must-have for me. A classic shade that stays strong. Highly-recommended!