Open Box: Coastal Scents [Pic Heavy!!]

Suuuuuper excited when I got out of class today and my boyfriend messaged me saying my massive box of makeup got here!

So I rushed back and found a bright hot pink box marked "FRAGILE" sitting on the kitchen counter!

This is an open box post; I will be showing you the products that I ordered and my initial thought of them!

Box was SUPER cute, and the colour was a gorgeous shade of hot pink! 

The products were packaged very neatly, and very professional looking. Nothing was damaged during shipping; quality of packaging is quite high.

First, it's the 22 piece brush set. This set comes complete with almost every brush you'll need to finish a full face look. The brushes are a mixture of natural hair brush and synthetic fibre brushes. I was extremely surprised by how absolutely SOFT these brushes are. I have previously ordered Coastal Scents brushes, but they were nowhere NEAR as good as these ones! Really excited to try them out. 

The smaller individual items came really nicely wrapped up in Coastal Scent's tissue paper which I thought was very pretty. I had also ordered some individual brushes that were not a part of the 22 piece brush set, but are useful when I'm working with clients. Alongside, I've also picked out their shadow primer, gel liner (WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE WONDERFUL COLOURS THAT THEY USED TO HAVE~?!?) and some hotpots.

The individual brushes are again very very soft, they're made to be really good quality and are very professional looking! These brushes have silver ferrules rather than black ones that the 22 piece brushes have and they look more or less like MAC brushes. The white blending brush is especially similar to the MAC 217 brush. 

The Coastal Scents hotpots are their version of the refillable eyeshadow pans. They are the exact same sizes as the MAC single refillable eyeshadows and they will fit in the MAC Pro eyeshadow palettes. I do personally like Coastal Scents eyeshadows, but more for the neutral colours. They give a fairly good colour payoff but they're not incredibly pigmented as compared to MAC or MUFE...(although there are certain colours in the Coastal Scents selection that have amazing pigmentation as well; I've chosen some bright colours to try this time and I hope they work well!) They're a little bit less creamier than the MAC eyeshadows, but again it depends on the colour that you've chosen and the formula that they've used to make the product. Coastal Scents also makes an empty MAGNETIZED 28 slot eyeshadow palette, and it's retailed for approximately $10; a very good option if you're looking for affordable palettes to store your MAC or Coastal Scents eyeshadows in.

I decided that I wanted to try their eyeshadow primer, and I actually did dab a bit of this on the back of my hand when I opened the package...it felt a little bit oily and runny, and what it did was when I tried to layer an eyeshadow over it, it did make the pigmentation more intense, but it's more like...powder-sticking-to-liquid-sticky-to-the-touch kind of intense and not a dry intense payoff from the shadows. I don't want to be too judgemental on this product before I fully put it to the test yet, but I'll let you all know later. 

Last but not least, I picked up the the 28 neutral palette. I do a lot of pageants and bridal work, so most of my clients are looking more for emphasizing and changing the contouring of their features instead of colour. Since the pigmentation is a medium payoff, that works out well in terms of neutral colours; it makes it buildable and very blendable, and more importantly it give a subtle and meticulous wash of colour instead of intense pigmentation. I've yet to try this palette out, but I have high hopes of it, and it should fit really nicely for the needs of most of my clients. 

Other things that I wanted to mention:

I am NOT affiliated with Coastal Scents in anyway. I have purchased every single item with my own money, and I was not sponsored or paid to advertise for Coastal Scents. This is NOT an advertisement! I am giving my honest opinion and feedback about these products and the reviews are written 100% in my own words!

Shipping was fairly quick. I live in Toronto, these were shipped through Florida. I got them in the mail in about less than a week which was really good considering Toronto was sort of hit with Sandy as well. I did get charged custom fees, which I've never had in the past couple of times that I've ordered from Coastal Scents, but it's not really an issue to deal with the company. Again, nothing was damaged in the mail, all of my products were in perfect condition! If you have any questions you're more than welcomed to leave me either a comment, or to email me directly. 

Thanks for reading guys!

Happy Weekend~

Helen.

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Ebay False Lashes -- Trial and Review [Text Heavy]

Hello everyone,

It's been a while! I've been doing some personal reconstructing in the past while, and so I apologize for the lack of my presence on planet blogger!

Today I wanted to talk to all of you about buying false lashes on Ebay, and to give you a first impression/initial review of these babies!

If you live in North America, it is often very difficult to get good false eyelashes for a more affordable price compared to someone in Asia let's say! In Toronto for example, you could either go to Pacific Mall and pay at least SIX TIMES the actual price for the lashes, or you can buy off of private dealers that sell them for no less than THREE TIMES the actual prices! Sadly, these are more or less the most convenient ways of getting your hands on these wonderful makeup tools, and unfortunately, for a freelance makeup artist like myself who constantly need to replenish these products, the high prices can get very frusting and expensive on the business!

So recently, when I was ordering disposable mascara wands off of Ebay, I thought to myself "why have I never considered ordering lashes off of Ebay?"

And the truth is, I never did because for the longest time, Ebay products were kind of "sketchy" (for the lack of a better word choice) to consumers, and this is especially true when it comes to health and beauty related product that could make you sick!

But, curious to explore for more options, I decided to search up "false eyelashes," and BOY was I happy that I did!!

To reduce the risk of ending up with an irresponsible or scam seller, I stayed with the Top Seller picks that Ebay recommended and came across a seller named "butterflybeauty168" and below is the link to his/her store:

http://stores.ebay.ca/butterflybeautytoworldwide

This seller had TONES of beauty products in her store including, nail art products, brushes, makeup, lashes etc. I couldn't tell you exactly about the quality of the other products, but when I received the lashes in the mail today I was VERY SURPRISED!

Here's a snapshot of the lashes:

So below, I've broken down the whole experience in a couple different categories for you all to read.

SELECTION:
This seller had a HUGE variety of lashes to choose from! All different makes, styles and brands.

PRICING:
I used to purchase my lashes from factory distributors whenever I got the chance to go to China. However that was very burdensome, because I would have to lug about 20 packs of lashes in my luggage, and not to mention I would have to bend over infront of the dealer's little section in almost a flea market kind of setting, for hours to pick out the lashes that I wanted!! A little off topic but the point being, those where the cheapest prices that you'd be able to get for good quality lashes, and I must say that I was really satisfied for the similarity in pricing between this seller and the pricing that I would've received had I bought lashes directly from China.

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY:
Shipping was wonderful because it was FREE!!! The seller is actually located in HongKong, but the product got to me within ONE WEEK!! and I didn't have to pay for anything extra which was AMAZING!

PACKAGING:
I wanted to say that I was taken back by how pretty one of the packaging looked (the pink one)! When I first opened the envelope, for a second I thought it was Dollywink lashes...

QUALITY:
This would be the BIG topic that everyone is waiting for!
I'd like to start off by saying, these will not be the softest or the most delicately and carefully made lashes you'll find on the market, but they ARE the best quality that you will get for the pricing if not BETTER!
The seller claims that these are hand made lashes, but I will let everyone know straight up that they are NOT. This is the somewhat controversial aspect of buying off of Ebay. If you decided that you wanted to buy these lashes for the sake of the handmade quality, then you'll feel like you got scammed the money. However, with the price that they're sold at, no one should really be expecting hand-made lashes, simply because it would not be practical to produce handmade lashes with the cost of labour and material AND shipping at the labelled price!
Some may argue that the seller lied about the product description, but from my stand point, I would not be bothered by this detail, because despite what the product description claimed, the pictures that were posted with the product listing were VERY TRUE TO THE REAL THING! 
The lashes are very sturdy (as in they are made to last and can be re-used) but they were still relatively soft! 
Would I use these on my clients? DEFINITELY YES!!

Overall, I am REALLY glad that I took the chance and ordered these from Ebay, and I definitely recommend this seller for furture purchases!

I will post below the 3 styles of lashes that I purchase and if you have any questions feel free to either leave me a comment or email me directly at: analabasterdream@gmail.com!

QQ-19:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140874089021?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5146wt_1220

1061A:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/280931977291?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5325wt_1220

CRO-8:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140813119663?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5483wt_1220


Thank you everyone for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Stay Warm~
Helen. 

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Quick little update!

Hey everyone,

Sorry I've been so MIA! I've gone through a bit of an emotional turmoil in the past two months and had just gotten sick. Exams are also coming up so it's been a struggle for me to keep up with the blog *sorry blog..=(*

Just a quick announcement though:

I am a freelance makeup artist, so I own a little business of mine on the side which I do for a couple months a year, especially during prom and formal season. I'm in the process of updating my portfolio this year, and I've decided that I'm going to start a new format with my e-portfolios.

I'm going to be linking my portfolio below:

http://portfolio-analabasterdream.blogspot.com

Please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think and what I can improve on. There are some test-run pictures on there and hopefully I'll have time to do a couple photo-shoots in the upcoming weeks!

p.s. IF YOU ARE FROM THE TORONTO AREA, and you would like to model for me (ie. get your hair and makeup done for free!) and you don't mind having your picture up on the internet for the purpose of MY business, please feel free to msg me at analbasterdream@gmail.com

(yes, An Alabaster Dream is the name of my business as well! =D)

Thanks so much for reading!

Oh and in case you haven't noticed from my portfolio blog, I've decided to chop of my long hair and opted for a long bob! I will soon do an update on my hair and a review of Palty Foaming Hair Dye, but here's a little sneak peak!

Have a nice week everyone!!

Love,

Helen

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Aritzia's Spring 2012 Preview

Hey every, hectic schedule for me once again, and thus explains my absence from blog for more than a week now. However, I am DETERMINED to keep that New Year's Resolution of mine, and therefore I made sure that I had time to make this blog post! =D

So the preview for Aritzia's 2012 collection came out, and I briefly took a look and found some pieces that I really liked:

Wilfred Tal I Blazer in Linen

Wilfred Tigris Sleveless Blouse

Wilfred Nava Shorts

What I like the most about this set is definitely the blouse and the blazer. I'm really getting into the more flowy pieces especially for the summer, because I think they're casual but yet also really classy which falls EXACTLY in my comfort zone! I also like the shorts very much, however because I personally have a very curvy figure, I know the shorts wouldn't work quite as well on my body. These kind of shorts need to fall straight below the waist to look really flattering, but with my wider hips, they would look more stretched and lose the effects seen here. But nevertheless it's a gorgeous look that they've put together here! (PLUS, the model's hair and makeup style is almost exactly similar to my daily looks!! ^^)

T. Babaton Frazer Blazer

T. Babaton Silk Tank

T. Babaton Elliot Pants

It's quite obvious now that I really really adore my silke/chiffon pieces?? (:p) So, in this outfit, I'm no doubt going to say that I really really really like the silk tank! I'm always looking for more simple yet classic pieces of tanks to go under either cardigans, blazers or just to layer other other tanks! This looks like one of those items that would go with just about anything. I'm not really a big fan of round/scoop necks, but recently, I've discovered that if round/scoop necks are low enough, they're actually quite feminine, and provide a really sophisticated and soft touch to the whole look, so I'm really looking foward to maybe giving this a try! The other item that I really like is the Elliot Pants! I have been, for the past while, looking for a pair of nice skinny black pants for business casual wear. Since this is more like a capris than full length black pants, I think it can really nicely balance out the heavier top portions of my hips and thighs and look relatively relaxing on me!

Talula Debutante Dress

I love the lace patterning of the dress. But. I hate the shape of the dress. I, personally, because of my figure would never choose a cut like this, since it would emphasize all the heavier portions of the my body instead of trying to balance them. BUT I couldn't resist putting this dress on here because IT'S SO PRETTY!!! URGH! and I hate the fact that I can't really "wear" the dress (it's more like the dress is wearing me, which is NEVER something that you want with clothing.) But I also decided to put this on here, because I know that Sam would LOVE this dress! =) 

TNA Shuswap Dress in Sunfaded Tribal

Compared to the last dress' structured cut, this is MUCH more me! It's a more relaxing flowy dress similar to an empire waistline. To girls that are pear shaped out there, if you'd like to create a more slimming look to your body this would definitely be something that you'd want to try out! Put this under something like a thin light cardigan in the summer and top it off with something like a straw hat and a really big tote and you're ready to go! 

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this before, but there are certain brands under Aritzia that I always go back to. Brands like: Talula, T. Babaton, Wilfred...are all stables in my favourites list!

Anyway, check out the Spring Preview on the Aritzia site, and let me know what you think!!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Love,

Helen

p.s. All pictures are taken from the Aritzia website.

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Happy Chinese New Year!! (Mini Haul?)

It's been over a week since I last updated. My apologies, as my life has been somewhat turned upside down in the past 2 weeks or so. =(

BUT! I AM back, hopefully resuming that good routine I had earlier in the month! =)

It's Lunar New Year tomorrow, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers that celebrate this special occasion a: Happy New Year! 

Now, the tradition for when I grew up has always been, during New Year, you can reward yourself by buying new things and hopefully that's the kind of prosperity that you'll have throughout the following year...this is called 年货 (pronounce: nee-an who-ao [mandarin]). This technically refers to food items such as sesame crunches, or penut brittles and things like that that signifies good luck, but for my purpose here as a beauty blogger I'm going to put a twist to that by showing some of the goodies I got recently from China.

My dad was in China for an extended business trip, so I asked him to bring back a couple things. I won't be showing you guys everything here, but just some of the more significant items. If anything, I will be doing detailed reviews on some of the things that I find are special. ^^

First off, iPhone cases! the top one is a knock off version of Vivienne Westwood and te second one is just a simple bow. Both claim to have been made from Swarovski crystals, although I highly doubt the authenticity of that claim. Regardless, they look petty decent; quality isn't the GREATEST that you can get with crystal cases, but they only costed about, equivalent to, $20CAD, so I wasn't expecting much more in the first place...=)

False lashes are of course another must get item from Asia. These are hand crafted lashes made from synthetic fiber. They go on really natural, and they don't look too heavy for everyday use. I've gotten the same ones before and REALLY liked them for just adding a lot of emphasis to the eyes. I use these for when I do prom/formal makeup for my clients as well, and they are perfect for that! I bought 6 boxes this time, and they were either equal or less than $10 a box of 10 pairs...SWEEEET!

Got the SKIN79 Intense Classic Balm which I tried once at Pacific Mall and absolutely loved, but at the time they didn't have any in stock so I ended up not getting it. I picked up 2 this time. It's a very simple BB Cream, VERY creamy and very high in terms coverage. I feel like it's actually really similar to the consistency of maybe the Laura Mercier Liquid Foundation which is a very similar texture to this in my opinion. I also grabbed a couple more of The Face Shop's Pure Berry Moisturizer and the Calendula Moisturizer. The Pure Berry is a very thick gel that's very soothing on the skin. I have yet to try the calendula one which is suppose to be more hydrating. I will definitely report back with a review for both the BB Cream and the cream!

Last but not least, NAIL STICKERS!! These have rhine stones on them and are just super adorable! I feel like this would be the easiest way to make any plain colour nail polish look a little bit more fun without having to do pretty much any work at all.

That's about it for all the interesting things that I got. If I get a chance, I will do some swatches and detailed reviews on the products along with maybe some FOTDs. =)

I also got Sam the same VW case in the black version, if you're looking for a version of that, she might do an upload of how that looks soon! So be sure to check out her blog as well! =D

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year or just a normal awesome weekend!

Cheers,

Helen.

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Wish List - Luxurious Edition.

I got myself the Marc Jacobs Holiday Pave Heart Studs in Light Peach (it's more of a rose gold colour...) and absolutely LOVED it! I wear them everyday now and I pretty much haven't taken it off since I got them a little over a month ago!

$48.00

So I have now become absolutely obsessed with Marc Jacobs jewellery...again thanks to Sam. Haha!

Here are a couple things that I selected out:

Drapped Zip Bracelet $88.00

I'm usually not a rock chic styled person so this is not something that I would go for. But I think it's because the chains are really thin,and elegant instead of something that's really chunky, that adds to the refined simplicity and softness of the piece and caught my eye right off the bat.

Holiday Pave Turnlock Studs $48.00

These are almost the same idea as the Pave Hearts that I got. As you all can probably see that I'm really into the gold/peach/rose gold colour theme. I just really like how the warmth in the colour compliments my skin instead of plain silver jewellery. 

Katie Link Bracelet $98.00

I absolutely ADORE this bracelet, and felt that instant connection to it (I know, sounds very cheesy haha...) the moment I saw it! I felt like this was so ELEGANT and feminine and I can totally see myself wearing this with almost every outfit that I'd usually wear or can ever come up with! Plus it's the perfect colour for me!  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

I also have some pieces that I saw many times at Coach before that I'd like to one day own =)

Sterling Rondell Pendant $148.00

I like this for the pure fact that it's simple. Plus I really like the chain. I prefer something that's very fine like the connected beads in this case, as opposed to regular chains made of interconnecting hoops. 

Classic Op Art Toggle Bracelet $128.00

I've been, for the longest time, a true fan of toggle styled bracelets! I really dislike the look of clasps on bracelets; this is about the only time that I like a bit of chunkiness in jewellery! xD I think this embraces the classic charm bracelets look but it doesn't overwhelm with multiple dangling charms and is relatively simple looking.

Holiday Pave Stud Earrings $78.00

I've surprisingly been picking out a lot of "pave" styled items, but in fact I'm not really a big pave person...I loove the colour combo of these. I'm a traditionalist, which means I adore my pearl earrings. I have fairly large ear lobes and I really like the way that larger beads sit on them! 

The only real complaint that I have for Coach pieces is that I think they're wayyyyyy overly priced! I really don't think they're worth what they're marked at, and plus I do think the quality of Coach is slowly going down too...Big disappointment. =(

I'm not a big fan of Michael Kors jewellery because I think they're too bold and chunky for me. But I am for sure a fan of their bags and wallets!

I love the quality of Michael Kors and I think the streamline design is perfect for my tastes! 

Michael Kors Jet Set Continental Wallet $118.00USD

I really like the shape of this wallet. I bought the black version for my mom and absolute was jealous that it looked so good with everything and anything! I really really wanted the red version, but it's on back order until February...I love the vibrant colour of the wallet plus the laid back casual design. The texture of the leather is also very soft and smooth. 

Gia E/W Tote, Ecru $795.00USD

Medium Hamilton Top-Handel Tote, Vanilla $278.00USD

Typical choices of mine LOL. Both are very simple and classic designs. The Gia tote would be a good carry-all bag and the hamilton would be a good everyday bag to carry around. I generally like lighter coloured bags, because I think it's just easier to match them with clothing. I know they get dirty easily too but with proper maintenance, they can go by without being noticed. =D HAHA! Also I didn't chose the regular hamilton because I don't like the open top design. I feel like it looks unflattering, whereas this ne with the folded top makes it look a little bit more structured and proper if you were pairing this for a semi formal or even formal attire. =)

That's generally all for now...boy this post took me a really long time...:S let me know if you have any feedbacks!!

Love,

Helen.

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OOTD AND FOTD! Special occasion edition.

So in the past semester, I was enrolled in 2 lab courses in my school. We had an awesome time in these classes, so after the semester has ended my biochemistry laboratory decided to have a get together to celebrate and to also thank our TA for his awesome guidance in the course! =D

This was a big thing for us, so I decided to take my time and do my hair and makeup today.

Tank: Aritzia

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Aldo

Blazer: Aritzia

Jacket: Aritzia

Since the place that we went to today was a pub I decided to go semi dressy, but still casual. I was originally going to wear tights instead but I figured that would make it a little too dressy so I went with jeans! =)

As for my makeup, I decided to go for a natural look and putting the focus on creating healthy and glowing skin!

This is what I used:

Primer: The Body Shop Moisturize It Primer + Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Concealer: MAC Select Cover-up NC20

BB Cream: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream 21 & 23

Powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder C2

Setting Spray: MAC Fix+ Lavender

Bronzer: Tarte Matte Waterproof Bronzer

Blush: MAC Beauty Powder "Shell Pearl"

Highlighter: Bare Minerals Illuminating Mineral Veil

Eye Shadow: Clinique Eyeshadow Duo "Like Mink" + Miss Helen 

Eyeliner: Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Serum and Eyeliner

Mascara: Tarte MultiplEYE Primer and Lash Enhancing Mascara

Eyebrows: Smashbox Eyeliner and Brow Kit

The whole look was super easy and fast to do, and last all day thanks to Fix+. It was a natural enough look for day time but also not too light for night time wear!

The whole night was amazing thanks to all my friends from the lab! I hope y'all liked the outfit and the makeup! Let me know if you'd like a tutorial on the look...

Hope everyone all had a wonderful Friday night!

Love,

Helen.

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Inspirations and Update

No blog post tonight..=( gotta wash allll my makeup brushes since they've been just sitting with bacteria loading on them for the past 2 months...=S I know. Disgusting!

But I just wanted to share a little...actually a HUGE inspiration that I found:

Nic and Sam from Pixiwoo are probably the biggest inspirations that I have on Youtube and the beauty community online!

I find that their style of makeup is so simple and elegant. It's delicate yet still still very high fashion! I really like the way that they're so careful with the application process, and they such a wonderful job of explaining everything!

The video that I'm sharing is a look that Nic did as inspired by Amber Heard's makeup for Chanel promotion. The reason why I loveee this look so much is the use of a pink/coral/orange tint over the eyelid. I have to say, this COMPLETELY changed my mindset on warmer coloured eyeshadow!! I absolute hate to work with them. I think they make you look swollen, and it's just not very flattering. However, the way that the makeup was done, I made her look so fresh faced and the makeup looks very light! It's overall very young and lively looking and I just love the whole colour combination and ESPECIALLY the faded wing of the eyeliner -- I thought that was just BRILLIANT!

I know they used a lot of Chanel products in the video, but the theory behind it still holds very true.

I hope you all will like the look, and be sure to check out their other videos too; I'm sure you'll fall in love with it the same way I did!

Have a good night everyone!

Love,
Helen.

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A little haul from The Body Shop Recently...

Just a little before X'mas, I picked up some of my regular items from The Body Shop.

Most of my body care and skin care items are actually from The Body Shop. They promote natural sources of their products, and I do believe that it makes a difference on the skin!

Fromt left to right: Blueberry Body Butter, Hemp Moisture High Balm, Original Carrot Cream, Elderflower Eye Gel, Cucumber Freshening Water and Facial Massager.

The Blueberry body butter is the only body butter that I'm willing to use. I LOVE the scent, as it's not too sweet (ie. strawberry,) or fruity (ie. Satsuma.) It's great for dry skin, and it soaks into the skin super fast without being overly greasy!

The carrot cream is one of the original products of The Body Shop when it first started. It's an AMAZING facial moisturizer. It's thick, and creamy on the skin but it's not oily or heavy at all! It's soaks into the skin SUPER fast and my skin just eats it up! I go through a jar about ever month to month and a half. It's the perfect consistency for the dry and harsh Canadian winter!

The Elderflower Eye Gel is a very simple water based gel for the eye. It helps to reduce dark circles and puffiness of the eye. I love it because it's very smooth and watery and absorbs fast on the skin! It's a thick gel so that means it's hydrates well too and I love to use this for messaging around the eye every morning and night; this will further reduce any dark circles and swelling by increasing microcirculation around the eye!

The cucumber toner is just a very simple toner to remove excess oil, dirt and makeup and to cleanse the skin further after washing. I feel like it's mild and just something good to balance out the skin before moisturizer is applied.

The facial massager is something that I'm trying out to reduce the swelling that I tend to get in the morning from fluid accumulation at night. (I sleep on very flat pillows because I sleep on my stomach, and that induces a lot of blood flow to the head and makes me very swollen in the morning.)

The Hemp Moisture High Balm is AMAZING!!! I have very bad cuticles from working with m hands all the time. I've tried MANY cuticle oils and none of them has ever worked on me. This balm melts when it's near body temperature and it's a thick oil that targets extremely dry area around the body. I put this on at night and just let it all soak in while I sleep. I sometimes even put this on at work whenever my hands are cracked and bleeding...=S but it works like MAGIC!

So that's it for tonight! Hope every has a good night!

Love,

Helen.

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Everyday Makeup Routine

Since I am now working in the cosmetic industry, I'm required to wear a certain amount of makeup every day at work. As I've been working full time for the past 3 weeks, it's been quite tiring to have to put on makeup every morning at 6:30 and make it to work on time! It's also not the best feeling to have layers of makeup piled on your face and having it sit there for usually 8-12 hours a day!

I've then developed what I call a FULL-PROOF makeup routine that's bound to make me look polished and yet takes NO time at all! Plus, it's also light and airy, so there's less stress on the skin!

The concept behind this makeup routine is that I don't want to make anything dramatic; the whole purpose is to work with my features and emphasize their shape and play around with light and shadow to make them "pop" on my face...=D

This is pretty much what I use all the time:

Foundation:

Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

MAC Studio Fix Powder N2 or N3

Eyes:

The Body Shop Lightening Touch Illuminator 03

Clinique ColourSurge Eye Shadow Duo - Like Mink

Miss Helen (this is an eyeshadow duo that Sam brought me back from Paris with my name on it! ♥ ~)

Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Eyeliner - Brown

Majolic Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will usually moisturize first and then put on the tinted moisturizer. I'll use the illuminator under my eyes and then finish off by powdering my whole face with the Studio Fix Powder. The tinted moisturizer gives a light coverage, and will act like a base and grab onto the powder. The powder provides further coverage, but you don't need as much of it to achieve the same result because of the tinted moisturizer. All in all, less powder to suffocate the skin, and the moisture surge is actually a very good hydrator! 

Then I will first use a light colour all over my lid, and then use a darker brown colour and blend it from my lash line up evenly across my eye, until just a little above the crease. This way, you don't really see the colour in the lid space (as I have Asian eyes...) but then you see that shadow created by the colour and so it makes the eyes look deeper and more emphasized on the face. I'll then line AND tight-line my top lash line with the liquid liner and slightly pull it out as a wing. I'll apply mascara and then finish off with some blush. My daily blush colours would be different depending on what I'm wearing that day; the one that I have been carrying around and have been reaching for very frequently is NARS's Deep Throat. Deep Throat is basically a peachy coral colour with some light golden sparkles to give a little radiance. It's SIMILAR to NARS's Orgasm, but more pink (less orangy,) and much subtler in terms of the glitter. 

Here are some pictures of how it all turns out!

It's basically a very natural look that gives definition to the face, and makes me look awake and put together, but will not over do it with too much makeup on the face. The whole thing takes about 15 min in total, and requires barely any effort!

This is what the makeup looks like after 12 hours, and 1 touch up --- pretty good and long lasting! =)

Hope everyone's having an awesome New Year's Eve ♥ !! 

Love,

Helen.

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