Look: Sans Eye Makeup

No matter how minimal I go with eye makeup, my eyes need a rest from time to time. My already straight stubborn eyelashes became a bit sparse. That really scares me. The Bobbi Brown gel liner I use for almost every looks is hard to get off completely. And I'm diligent at removing makeup right after I get home. I rarely wear makeup for over 10 hours. Still, constant application and removal of makeup seemed to take a toll on my eyes. So for 10 days, I skipped eyeshadows, mascaras, eyeliners and eyelash curlers. Nothing on my eye lids.

The look. 

To balance the bare eyes, I opted for subtle full brown, very glowy rosy cheeks and bright lips. Time to turn to Prince Charming Edward Bess!! For effortless natural looks, no one does it more elegantly than Edward. 

Here is how.

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation in 108 all over my face in a thin layer

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Mustard under the eyes

YSL Touche Eclat to brighten dull areas under the eyes but not too close to the lash lines

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder to set the concealers

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso to fill in gaps in the brows

Edward Bess Compact Rouge in Lover Affair on the apples of the cheeks

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer Daydream under the cheekbones and hairlines

Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow on the high points of the cheeks

Burberry Lip Cover Devon Sunset on the lips

Nars Lipgloss Easy Lover to top off

Another angle to show you the color. Nars Easy Lover really shines!

Have you tried eye makeup fast? How do you handle the heavy makeup aftermath? 

Blogazons Weekly Roundup 06/23/2013

• Mama Fashionista: Work hard, play hard, right? Quinn shares how Champney's can be a rewarding treat after a tough workout!
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: Get your summer glow on with the Prestige Cosmetics Golden Summer Collection- their Bronzer and Luminizer are GORGEOUS!
• Adore A Polish: Kristina talks about the products she's been loving lately.
• The Socialite's Closet: Just what is black tie optional for women?
• MakeUpMom123: Spectacular One Year Blogaversary Giveaway! 12 Prizes!
• TheFabZilla: How do you make your makeup last all day? TheFabZilla shares her trick.
• Beauty by Miss L: Miss L tried some e.l.f. Custom Eyes eye shadows. Where they as good as she hoped?
• Fun Fierce Fabulous Beauty Over 50!: Have you ever tried pre-glued eyelashes? Did Lily give them a pass or fail?
• ColorMeSoCrazy: Part 3 of NEON exploration in the Nail Challenge Collaborative!
• Geniabeme: Check out Armour's Cat Club lip gloss, its perfect for everyday!
• BellBelleBella: Reviewed the"Under the Sea" inspired Sephora Disney Ariel Collection Storylook Palette.
• Glamorable!: How to create a full-face makeup using only four products.
• My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura at My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog swatches some amazing polishes from Oopsie Daisies Nail Polish.
• The Convenient Beauty: An easy bronze looks with Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013.
• Daydreaming Beauty: Have you tried any niche perfumes lately? This week I review the all natural botanical perfume, "Rose with a Broken Neck" from Strange Invisible Perfumes.
• Betzy's Makeup A Beauty Blog: My current go to look for summer.

Lately

The past two months I've assigned myself several projects: 1) hit the bottoms of the containers whatever it is; 2) rotate between eyeshadows, the largest category in my makeup stash, and brands; 3) find a good shower gel; 4) experiment with color eyeliners; and 5) creating a natural bronzed look for everyday. I'm tired of seeing a drawer full of makeup, most of which barely got used and my makeup routine  becomes repetitive and boring. You know when we have to skimp in the morning to get ready. I just choose "safe" products that I know work well together. So I decided to resume my makeup test runs!

How have I done? Well, I emptied Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara, bunch of sample mascaras; Tom's deodorant (unscented version); Korres Rose and Vitamin C moisturizer; EOS lip balm and am on the way to finish Tocca Guilietta perfume and Clarins Ever Matte Foundation. Woo hoo! It takes forever to finish these bottles. Also, I did hit the pan of Burberry eyeshadow Pale Barley in a teeny tiny dot! I mean really tiny :D. It counts, whatever.

The magic word lately "surprisingly" has been bronze. I'm currently obsessed with bronzers. You might remember that I have a thing for bronze eyeshadows too. Hopefully in the next month or so I can create an effortless natural sun-kissed look to share with you guys.

My current favorite shower gels come from Molton Brown. I NEED a trip to Neiman and a bottle or two of this magic brand will come home with me *dreaming*. I'm just so lazy to deal with all the traffic in the mid-town.

I'm also loving The Graham Norton's show. His guests seems to feel like home on his show and hence genuinely have a lot of fun. So does his audience!! Nothing feels forced like the talk shows we have here in the US. You can check out his recent episodes with Man of Steel cast here part 1, part 2, part 3.

Any fun discoveries recently guys? I would love to hear all about your current favorites! 

Review: Dolce and Gabbana Shine Lipstick Soiree

The calssic way to wear smokey eyes is to pair them with pale nude lips. I can't do that at all. After many failed attempts to look smolderingly hot but end up looking like lifeless, I settle for one or two shades lighter than my natural lip colors. In that picture, Dolce and Gabbana Shine Lipstick Soiree ($32 for 0.12 oz) fits in my makeup collection perfectly. 

Soiree is a sheer medium rose with golden shimmer. It's lovely, indeed. And I'm not just raving about the color. It stays fresh for 5 hours, which I find pretty good for a sheer formula. My lips feel moisturized and it glides on smooth and easy. It also feels comfortable and weightless, very easy to wear. 

Under direct sunlight

The pigmentation lies between sheer to semi-opaque. I don't expect Soiree to be highly pigmented as it ain't designed to function as that. Yet I'm pleasantly surprised at the color intensity AND it stays put well despite the hydrating formula. The only minor complain I can think of is the shimmer. It could be more delicate. Although the shimmer isn't overdone to the point the it casts a wash of golden frost on the lips (which I hate!), it's a bit large and too predictable.  

A look I did with Soiree. 

Bottom line. An overall cute lipstick to have for everyday or more dramatic eye looks. Given that almost every brand on the market offers the same type of formula and ridiculously diverse color ranges and price points to choose from, Soiree isn't a must-have. I would still highly recommend the Dolce and Gabbana shine lipsticks. 

What's your favorite Dolce and Gabbana makeup products? Have you tried Soiree or any shine lipticks? Do you think they're worth the price?

Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup 06/16/2013

Happy Father's Day and Sunday everyone! We have a party today and of course I must share my sister bloggers' favorites of this week. Enjoy!

• Ishah x Beauty: Ishah and her BFF went to Generation Beauty and met the transformation genius Promise Phan!
• Mama Fashionista: Attention curly mamas! Mama Fashionista thinks Mixed Chicks is the perfect line for you and your mini me's!
• MakeUpMom123: Spectacular One Year Blogaversary Giveaway!
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: If you love facial cleansing oils, then you must try TATCHA Pure One Camellia Cleansing Oil- it is a revelation!
• TheFabZilla: Click to see what TheFabZilla used for her Summer Beach Waves.
• Makeup Demon: M.U.F.E. HD Primers - reliable products for a long lasting Summer makeup.
• The Glossy Pages by gloss48: Q&A with Krystal from PolishGalore and her swatches of the LVX Summer Collection 2013.
• Beauty by Miss L: Is NOVExpert Gentle Make-Up Removing Milk as good as it sounds?
• Geniabeme: Geniabeme curls her hair with Conair's Infiniti Pro auto rotating curling iron!
• Fun Fierce Fabulous Beauty Over 50!: It's not to late to indulge in Chanel Spring Collection Illuminating Powder!
• ColorMeSoCrazy: Review of Schwarzkopf OSiS Dust It.
• Midnight Manicures: Does Summer have your skin needing a little relief? Check out Jamie's review of the Glisten & Glow Spa Products.
• The Convenient Beauty: Perfect rosy nude lips with Chanel Exquisite and Tom Ford Rose Crush.
• Beauty by Arielle: Everybody Loves a Haul! Check Out Arielle's from The Makeup Show.
• Baking Beauty: Baking Beauty features a review and giveaway of some Judith August Cosmetics.

Look: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 with Escapade and Pink Haze

Boo!!! You thought this look would be an interpretation of Tom Ford ad campaign. I'm no Charlotte Tilbury guys. And I want to use Tom Ford products in a wearable fashion that proves that we can all wear sexy edgy Ford's makeup. Since I'm in the full mood for bronzing cheeks, it's the focus of this look. I keep the skin matte and a subtle sheen on the lips to balance out the shimmery eyes. I did apply more cream eyeshadows Escapade and Pink Haze than usual for the sake of the photos. Hope you enjoy! Scroll down till the end for the list of makeup worn. 

 Close-up of the eye makeup. 

 With warmer lighting

Makeup breakdown

Face

Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 in Sand 108

Nars Creamy Conealer in Custard

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminiate #2 (highlighter)

Dior Aurora Bronzer (summer 2011 limited edition)

Tom Ford blush in Savage

Eyes

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso

Tom Ford cream eyeshadows in Escapade and Pink Haze as main lid color

Tom Ford eyeshadow quad in Cognac Sable all but the copper shimmer

Bobbi Brown long wear gel liner in Espresso

Dior mascara Extase

Lips

EOS lip balm

Chanel Rouge Allure Exquisite

Tom Ford lipgloss in Rose Crush

Favorite combo: Tom Ford Lipgloss Rose Crush and Chanel Rouge Allure Exquisite

You guys probably remember that I love pink lips. I find them the most flattering and easy to rock. But I don't want a predictable cute sweet pair of pink pouts. I want characters, versatile and shine, and of course pink. Chanel Exquisite is a bit overly sweet for my everyday while Tom Ford Rose Crush adds slightly too much earth to my lips. Since Chanel Exquite is a warm medium pink with golden shimmer, I thought it'd be the perfect base under a rosy nude brown Ford's signature. The results is understated enough for smokey eyes while adding enough oomph for a minimal eyemakeup.

I've been pairing this duo non-stop. Together they last for good 5 hours on top of a lip balm, either EOS or Fresh. Loving them!!!!

Swatched under direct sunlight

On my lips. Please pardon my hair and pimple. 

What's your current favorite lip combo? 

My Beauty Revolution: Bronzers As Bronzers

Another stereotype about Asians I want to put down: tanning-phobic. Americans have tanning-beds. Asians take whitening bath. But then both are aggressive for our skin. In Asia, whitening makeup and skincare sell like oil and gas and here we have spray tanner and bronzers. It sounds like no-brainer to create sun-kissed (or bronzed) complexion with bronzers. Ultimately, that's why they're called bronzers eh? I just didn't get it. Before you guys call me silly, I must confirm that I'm not afraid of being too pale nor too tan. In fact I really enjoy the tone and depth of my skin color, to the point that I didn't see any reason to warm it up or cool it down. So I used bronzers as blushes :D.

Then I found my perfect foundation match (Clarins Ever Matte, Burberry Sheer Luminous, and Tom Ford Traceless Stick) and realized that my face needed some dimension. The foundations even out my skin tone, which is awesome, yet also flatten my face. Since I'm not up to high-tech contoured cheekbones on a daily basis, faking sheen and bronzed cheeks sounds much easier. Now, I LOVE bronzers, those with satin finish in particular. 

Thanks to a shameful number of hours spent on blogs, tutorials, trials and errors, I finally figured ways to create an over all healthy looking skin. Here are how. 

Warm up my foundations especially for the forehead area. I've found peachy bronze is the most natural looking for this purpose and adding warmth to the high points of my face. Dior Aurora is my all time favorite. 

Add natural glow. I love bronzers with satin finish because my skin isn't completely matte. A matte bronzer doesn't look believable on me. Edward Bess Daydream works like a charm on my the high points of my cheeks. 

Create dimensions for my face. It doesn't necessarily sculpt my bone structures although we could use bronzers to contour the face for sure. Instead, I apply bronzers on to the areas where the sun naturally hits the face, i.e. forehead, sides of nose, apples of cheeks, and high-points of cheeks. Nars Laguna is a classic. For a total bronzed look, I love to layer Tom Ford blush in Savage on the apples of my cheeks on top of bronzers. This gorgeous red-tinted brown creates my natural redness when I got tanned.

I finally GOT IT.

Do you use bronzers at all? What are your favorites? And how do you use them? 

Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup 06/02/2013

• Mama Fashionista: Quinn's Mini Fashionista, Peyton shares her five favorite things from May!
• Adore A Polish: Kristina shows us her current skincare favorites.
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: If you love a great lip balm, then you will madly love Osmia Organics Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair! It's that great!
• TheFabZilla: Think outside the kitchen! TheFabZilla shares how she stores her makeups using kitchen utensils organizer.
• The Glossy Pages by gloss48: Meet the ladies behind beauty startup gloss48 on Boldfacers!
• The Socialite's Closet: Enter to win the Aveeno Protect & Hydrate line via scentednights.
• Beauty Professor: Forever on a peachy-pink lipstick hunt, the Beauty Professor has fallen in love with Top Shop's rendition called Whimsical!
• Rachel's Makeup and Skincare: Rachel plays with Chanel's new colored mascaras from their Summer 2013 collection and is less than impressed. Find out why.
• Beauty Apocalypse: Beauty Apocalypse has some great make-up tips for traveling!
• ColorMeSoCrazy: Nail Stamping Challenge! Best design to date!!
• Beauty by Miss L: Is Palmer´s Eventone BB Cream as good as it is promised on the packaging?
• The Convenient Beauty: Joanne redoes her wedding makeup from a few years back and feels much better.
• The Passenger Element: Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon.
• Daydreaming Beauty: How to make an all natural coconut lip scrub!