Depotted my UDPP, finally

I ran out of my UDPP a few months ago, but I was way too lazy to depot it... I just managed to squeeze out a teeny weeny bit every time. But lately, it's almost impossible to get any product out.. so with the help of my mom, we depotted my first UDPP :D



Tools needed:
- empty container
- x-acto knife

As you can see, there's soooo much product in the tube! I was so excited when I saw this haha :D



As you can see, I filled the whole muji container after I was done! I think this will last me for a while before it's all used up / dried up... I'm considering to try the Too Faced Shadow Insurance next time to skip on this process.

What's your favourite eye primer?

SATC2!!!

Yay, I watched SATC2!! I like the first poster a lot more than the second one. Her glasses make her look like a bee.. but somehow, I only see the 2nd poster in the theaters :S I really enjoyed the movie. It was 2.5 hours long, so be prepared to sit there for a while. To be honest, I enjoyed watching their clothes, more than following the plot heheh :P

Left: What they wore at the very start of the movie
Right: The scene with Miley Cyrus, the dress was cute, but I don't think I would've paired it with boots and that belt. And those accessories :S

I love love love everything that they wore in abu dhabi! I'm so amazed at how you can have time to mix and match your clothes, look fashionable and edgy, and be IN A DESERT! I absolutely adore Carrie's pink dresses.

Is it just me that find Mr. Big and his fake tan kinda creepy? especially when he's trying to act sexy... :S I have the same feeling whenever I watch Will Schuester just about to have sex with that guidance counciller in Glee...

Blog Love Award!

Thank you Renay sooo much for this award! And a big thank you for everyone who enjoys reading the random thoughts that I write here. This hobby has kept me sane. And you guys have no idea how happy it makes me whenever I read your comments :)

The rules of this tag is that you have to make your own award icon and post the icon of whoever tagged you, so each time there's a new unique picture! I think it's the cutest idea hehehe

I am tagging the following lovely ladies:
Helen (In Elegance)
Ipehishere
Angelique
Renee
Jenny (skinniegenes)
Winniewingyi
Hannahh

Nails and Giveaway!

Left: love & beauty nail polish from Forever 21 - I'm really loving this colour, and have gotten compliments for it :) Retailed at $3.80, it's definitely a great deal! I believe I applied 2 coats, the consistency is not bad at all. I'm going to be wearing this polish a lot in the summer! And sorry, I can't find the name of this polish on the bottle. If anyone knows, please let me know :)

Right: Canmake Colorful Nails in #10 Lavender Milk - I was sold by its adorable packaging! And at that time, I was loving lavender shades. I got this at HK last Christmas for $42.00 HKD (about $6 CAD). In my opinion, it's a bit pricey for the amount of product that you get (The bottle is very small). The formula is extremely sheer, I had to apply 3 coats. If I was patient enough, I believe I would apply even more.

Haha, and my skin tone of the 2 pictures are sooo different. I did get a little tanner after the first picture, but I don't think I've gotten THAT much darker :S I assume it's just the lighting that caused that illusion.

Also, if you're interested in Japanese makeup such as Canmake, Shisheido's Maquillage line, KATE, and so on, you'll be interested in Bangbangsheshoots' Giveaway!! Click here to enter :)

Protect Your Skin from the Sun!

For my face:

1. Laneige Skin Veil Base (SPF 26 PA+) - The green base counteracts the redness of my skin.
2. Laneige Sun Block Leports (SPF 50+ PA+++) - I'm considering to stop using this because SPF is too high, my face gets a little itchy at the end of the day, but nothing too serious... My sister is also allergic to products that are high in SPF (read paragraph below for more details)
3. Clinique Derma White liquid makeup (SPF 15 PA++) - I only apply a thin layer of this on my apple of my cheeks, and a little bit on my forehead as I find that applying too much will make my face too white... I guess the colour is not right for my skin :S
4. Laneige Sliding Pact Powder in Bright Skin Tone (SPF 35 PA++) - After applying sunscreen and liquid foundation, you face may get sticky. Applying powder keeps the skin feeling fresher and helps to keep your makeup in place. I do like this compact a lot, and prefer this packaging over the newer version. I have no idea where I put my newer one :S

For my body:

5. Laneige Sun Block Cool (SPF 25 PA++) - I like the applicator. You can simply spray some on your body, and rub it with your hands afterward. The sunscreen feels like a little thicker than a mist, which gives that cool effect (hence the name :P)

For those of you who don't know, SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It's a value that indicates how much longer the sunscreen can protect you before you start experiencing sunburn. For example, if you take around 20 mins to burn, a SPF15 sunscreen will allow you to stay in the sun for 300 minutes before burning. Now, higher SPF may cause irritation if the user is sensitive to the active ingredients in sunscreen. Possible side effects include allergic reactions such as rashes. SPF30 is enough for an individual that is very fair-skinned. PA stands for Protection Grade of UVA. Newer sunscreens in the market contain UVA filters that protect effect against UVA. Choose more + signs if you are staying you in the sun for longer period of time.

Personally, I am extremely pale, and can burn very easily. Oftentimes, I get more freckles than I get dark, so sunscreen is very important to me, especially on days that I know I'll be under the sun for the whole day. Lately, I've been doing a lot of outdoor activities - visiting Canada's Wonderland, the Toronto Zoo, and Woodbine Beach. Everytime, I worry about getting sunburns cause I know how painful they can get (I've gotten plenty in the past). I make sure I put on layers of sunscreen before I go out, and will bring a bottle or two to reapply throughout the day.

The above picture is right before I headed out to the beach. I applied number 1 through 5, then some eyeliner, mascara, and a little bit of blush, and viola! A natural face for going outdoors.

Here are some pictures from the zoo :)

How do you protect your skin from the sun?

"The Colour of Beauty"

My friend shared this video on facebook today and I find it very inspiring.

"Renee Thompson is trying to make it as a top fashion model in New York. She's got the looks, the walk and the drive. But she’s a black model in a world where white women represent the standard of beauty. Agencies rarely hire black models. And when they do, they want them to look “like white girls dipped in chocolate.”

The Colour of Beauty is a shocking short documentary that examines racism in the fashion industry. Is a black model less attractive to designers, casting directors and consumers? What is the colour of beauty?"


After watching this video, I can't help but think that while black people find it difficult to be hired by modeling agencies, it's even more rare to see an Asian face in the North American media. Once in a while, I see an Asian face on the commercial and I smile a little within.

Let me know what you think.

Gossip Girl Finale!!!!!! (spoil alert)

So I just finished watching gossip girl.... the only thought is WTF JUST HAPPENED? whooaaaa drama overload! First off, I feel very bad for blair. After all that chuck has put her through, she decided to give him a chance, and what did she get? gahhh!! As much as I love them together, I don't think he deserved the second chance since he never gave an acceptable apology, in my opinion. But at the moment where he was going to take out the ring, I was this close to having tears in my eyes. His facial expression when Blair shows up at his place was also priceless - I really felt how happy he was, and at the same time, how much he knows that he screwed up.

Other than that, I really do dislike Serena and Jenny. Serena seems to have feelings for any guy within reach at times of vulnerability. And Jenny, I know I'm supposed to feel bad for her, but I really don't to be honest. I truly believe she brought it upon herself. Nate is definitely an awesome guy, he's so patient with Serena. And please, no more Dan and Serena anymore. I had enough with them, and also Dan and Vanessa :S

Definitely the most dramatic and shocking finale I've watched. Can't wait till next season!

Just awesome food and Harry Potter

Hi guys! This is a non makeup or fashion related blog post.. it's just about my boring old life. Hope you guys don't mind. Last night, a handful of my friends gathered for a seafood feast that my good friend, Andrew, prepared! He basically bought and prepared everything for the 6 of us! I was utterly shocked at how good everything was, and how much food we had to eat.

The following pictures are just a portion of food - we also had a 8lb lobster, mussels, baguette and cheese, and wine! As you may have guessed, I was very happy by the end of the night :D

Today, I headed to the Ontario Science Centre for the Harry Potter Exhibition, where they showcased a lot of the props and costumes used for the movies. Too bad they didn't allow cameras so I couldn't get any pictures. If any of you are Harry Potter fans, and live around the area (Don Mills and Eglinton area in Toronto), you can check this website.

Haul (mostly Maybeline)

So yesterday I went to another cosmetic sale at the Steeles and Keele area (near York University) in Toronto. It was one of those sale places where you need a ticket to get in. My friend got one from her workplace, and she is allowed to bring a friend or go in twice herself, and she brought me! :D Products there range from L'oreal, Maybeline, Vichy, Biotherm, Lancome, and more. I picked up the following goodies :)

- L'oreal Hip Cream Eyeliner (about $5)
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Foundation ($5)
- Maybelline blush in Gentle Rose ($2.50)
- Maybelline Quad in Sapphire Ice (under $5 I think)
- Maybelline lip liner in 210 Mauve ($2.50)
- Maybelline lipstick in 100 Pink Pearl and 150 Healthy Rose ($2.50 each)
- Maybelline Moisture Extreme lipstick in A55 Orchid Frost and A50 Pink Bloom (2.50 each)
- Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in 20 Peach Satin (about $3)
- Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Ivory Light (about $3)
- Maybelline XXL extensions mascara (about $2.50) - not shown in picture

I can't remember exactly how much some of the stuff cost exactly :S

The two on the right are from the Moisture Extreme line.

100 Pink Pearl / 150 Healthy Rose / A55 Orchid Frost / A50 Pink Bloom

Sorry, swatches are not the best cause of my lighting.

Hope you guys enjoyed my haul. I may include some of these items in a future giveaway! :D Ahh, and I'm buying way too many makeup related items lately :S I should invest in some clothing items instead... as my summer wardrobe is kinda lacking :(

ELF Hits, Misses, and Others

I placed a HUGE elf order last christmas using the 50% off studio line discount code. Even though the code is for studio line, I also purchased things from the regular and mineral line because shipping to Canada is crazily expensive, so I wanna order everything that I wanna try at once. I did give away a lot to my friends as christmas presents, and some of the products I've used myself for the past half year. This entry is just some opinions I have regarding the products.

Elf Hits

The following 5 elf items are ones that I absolutely love. I use them on a daily basis.

1. Angled Foundation Brush (studio line) - I don't use this brush for foundation since I like to use my fingers for that. I mainly use it for contouring and highlighting because of the size. It's very soft and an awesome deal for it's price ($3 but I got it with a 50% coupon code so it was only $1.5)
2. Small Precision Brush (studio line) - I feel like this is the only brush that's true to its name lol.. by small precision, you can really expect it to do the job! I use it for the inner corner of the eye.
3. Concealer Brush (studio line) - I love this! It's perfect for padding on eye shadow. It's also very similar to the MAC 239 - see picture below.
4. Concealer Brush (regular line) - Very similar to the small precision brush (number 2), but it's slightly fuller. I actually prefer this over the small precision brush. Also used for the inner corner of the eye.
5. Mineral Eye Liner in black - It's smooth and easy to use - my everyday eyeliner. It's black enough for me, and for sure can be built on the intensity even over eyeshadow.

The one at the top (and left one in my hand) is my MAC 239 (sorry for how dirty it looks..) It's slightly fuller than the Elf brush, but it's barely noticeable. The bristles of the Elf brush is also slightly stiffer but still soft. Depending on what you want, sometimes I even prefer the elf brush. But to me, they're basically the same, except for the price (Elf: $3, MAC: $24.50).

Elf Misses

1. Daily Brush Cleaner - I'm not a fan of its scent. It's very strong and a bit too sweet. But I guess when the brushes dry, the scent do fade away to an acceptable level.
2. Dramatic Lash Kit - These are not even worth $1... There's not much shape to it. They fall kinda flat when put on. And the amount of lash glue is also non-existent. Not to mention how bad the packaging was when it arrived.
3. Single Eyeshadow in Amethyst - Doesn't blend and a bit chalky. Cute packaging though.
4. Corrective Concealer - I was very patient with this product and used it for at least a few weeks.. but eventually I gave up. I don't think it improves my skin that much for it to be worthwhile to be applied. I rather just have less product on my face :S
5. Liquid Eyeliner - The colour payoff is very nice, it's extremely black. However, the tip is way too stiff and it can irritate your eyes during the application.
6. Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara - Contrary to its name, it does not lengthen nor volumize. Enough said.
7. Contour Brush (studio line) - It might be just me, but I don't really understand the point of this brush. I guess you can use it as a fluffy brush to blend eye shadows.. but I already own a fluffy brush so this is useless to me.


Ok, the following products are ones that I don't use that often so I can't say if I love them, or hate them. But I do have first impression / opinions about them.

1. Fan Brush - Not dense enough. Good for swiping off eyeshadow fallouts, but you can do that with other face brushes too so I don't think buying this brush is necessary.
2. Mineral Eyeshadow in Trendy - I gave an Elf mineral eyeshadow to my friend in another colour. She loved it! However, I feel like the colour payoff isn't that good with my colour. I don't reach for this at all. Maybe it's just this particular colour (?)
3. Mineral Blush in Bliss - Again, I think the colour payoff isn't that great. But I love this coral blush colour.
4. Complexion Brush - I do like this a lot. It's very soft and dense. But I don't use powder that much so I haven't made good use of this yet.
5. Powder Brush - Another soft brush that I like, but don't use as often as I'd like.
6. Small Angled Brush - see photo below.

I guess the main usage of this kind of brush is for gel liners or if you want to use a eyeshadow as an eyeliner. I never tried gel liners (even though I really want to), and I never felt the need to use any eyeshadow as my liner :S I bought my MAC 266 at least 6 years ago but I never made good use of it. So I don't really understand why I got my Elf small angled brush - I guess it's inexpensive enough that I would allow myself to indulge on owning more make up products lol... But just by first impression, I do like the MAC 266 a lot more just because it's wider and a bit stiffer, which is appropriate for the purpose of applying eyeliner. But at $3, you really can't go wrong with the elf one!


Overall, I think Elf is a great company if you're on a budget. The quality of some of the products are really good, while others are not so well. But I guess that happens with every makeup company. You just have to do your research before purchasing :) I do own other Elf products, but they don't stand out to me that much for me to have much to say about them. If I ever make good use of them in the future, or if I ever have a change of heart with the ones I already reviewed, I'll make another post :P Oh another word of advice is, always search for a coupon code if you plan to purchase!!! There are tons of awesome great deals out there that's worth taking advantage of :P

Let me know what you think about Elf products, and what's your absolute favourite or if there's any that you regret buying!

OOTD

I know the quality of these pictures are really bad... but I'm too lazy to retake them :(

- Forever 21 cardigan
- Forever 21 tank top
- Uniqlo black skinny jeans
- Louis Vuitton bag

Oh, and can you tell? I got a hair cut!! Finally :) Not anything dramatic, just got more layers! I'm into clipping my bangs to the side these days to keep it in shape and out of my eyes heh do any of you guys also do that? :P



I watched Iron Man 2 last night. I was dead tired cause I only had 3 hours of sleep the night beforehand. I can't believe I actually fell asleep at the beginning of the movie! Opps :S But I did wake up shortly after and enjoyed it very much :) I have to say that I loved the first one much more than this. But it was entertaining enough to be worthwhile for the ticket price!

I'm finally back :D

Ahhh, it was such a busy week for me! My best friend visited Canada for 4 days, and another good friend, George from Germany, also visited at the same time! I've been trying to squeeze out time to see them while trying to studying as much as possible! I just had my exam this morning, had to wake up at 6! I don't know how I did... I guess I just have to hope for the best, but I'm so glad that my summer is finally starting :D

Grabbed a drink and had an awesome talk at Main Street, Unionville

Aren't these girls so gorgeous? We went clubbing last Friday! I'm the one with the white jacket in case you don't know. It was so hot in the club, but I was planning to leave early so I was too cheap to coat check LOL

As you can see, I was suffering from major bad hair day :( boo.. but it's the only clear picture of my makeup!



Used this pair of lashes that I bought from HK! I love the quality of these, they look natural and for sure will last for a few times :) I believe they were about $5 (I might be wrong)



Also bought this from HK last Christmas! A black eyelash glue is always useful because it saves you the need to redo your eyeliner to cover the white glue. This eyelash fix by Koji is the only black eyelash glue that I've tried. Overall, I like it. The staying power is great. It gives you a nice eyeliner look without really actually applying it. However, if you're not a pro in gluing on your lashes, then this might be a bit messy and may leave black marks on your makeup. Be sure to have a q-tip beside you to fix any mistake as soon as possible. The bottle doesn't indicate how much product it holds, and I threw out the packaging already :S I find the size of it quite small. I've used it about 3 times, and I feel like I've used half already...

Short Update & Domo Collection

I'm still preparing for my upcoming exam this Thursday :S and time is running tighter and tighter.... so I don't think I'll be able to post much this week. Hope you all will have a great week! And Happy Mother's Day :)

Here, I leave you guys with a picture of my sister's and my domo kun collection :)

start with the left side at the back
- domo kun speakers (the speakers are its feet :P )
- domo kun book
- 2 domo kun stuff animals
- domo kun camera holder

front:
- domo kun flash drive
- domo kun key holder
- collectible figure in orange

I got most of these as gifts and I got the key holder and camera holder as souvenirs from Taiwan :) I love domo kun!! It's like the cutest and craziest little monster!

Enjoy some short episodes of domo kun here (each episode is around 30 sec only):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpgA-sEHfoE&feature=PlayList&p=A5B2A4D42389637C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=12

Which character are you obsessed about?

Giveaways, Contests, and Red Nails!

First off, thiswasforever is hosting a giveaway for Dolly Wink lashes and eyeliner!!! I'm dying to try some of these products :) Click here to enter.

And more contests time (for Canadians ;P)!!

Click here for a chance to win a Shiseido gift set!

Click here to enter Elle Canada's giveaway!


And I decided to try out my new nail polish - Sally Hansen in Apple. I think it looks redder in person than on photo. It looks more orangy in the picture.



I see so many people rocking their red nails that I have to try it out too! This is my first time wearing red nails, and I'm having a hard time accepting this bold colour :S Maybe it'll take a few days before I get used to it.

What's your favourite nail colour?

Sweet Blog Award :)

Thank you Mimi sooo much for giving me my first blog award :)

The rules to be followed are:

*Give this award to 10 sweet and friendly bloggers
*Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you
*Put the award on your blog
*Let your nominated 10 know you've awarded them by leaving a comment

I am tagging the following awesome bloggers:
Winnie (winniewingyi)
Susie (koreansushi)
Jenny (skinniegenes)
Rainy Days and Lattes
Naturalnchicmakeup
Candidphobic

plus anyone who reads my blog!! :D