Wednesday, December 15, 2010

We Are Still Alive

Hello everyone!  Sorry we haven't been posting anything, we were dying of stress and anxiety studying for finals, but now we're done!  However, it is impossible for us to do swatches, because we live so far away from each other.  Also, the setup for the pictures are at school, which is currently shut down for winter break.  The good news is we have tons of stuff to swatch and review!!! We will begin posting stuff the Sunday we get back, which is January 2nd.  Sorry for the lapse! We haven't forgot about our beloved blog, just so darn busy.  We will keep up with the posts next quarter.  Promise!  Happy Holidays!

Happy Indulging,
Wora

Monday, November 15, 2010

HG Lip Treatment -- Fresh Sugar Lip Balm Collection

Yay, we've really been keeping up with daily posts! I really hope we can get more followers! Wora will start doing tutorials after she finishes her midterms this coming week! Also, Wednesday is Wora's 19th birthday! YAY :) Janice and I have got her lots of beauty goodies, hope she'll like it and review them!

So on to the review ...

I love california for its beautiful weather and being able to wear sun dresses or shorts in November! However, the air humidity here is so low, especially in the winter, and my skin and lips are always uncomfortably chapped. So, finding the perfect lip treatment is ESSENTIAL! 

The Fresh Sugar Lip treatment is very moisturizing and lasts a good number of hours, but the best thing about it is it's heavenly scent - smells like a lemon sugary pie! It also has SPF 15, which is a definite plus! I found myself reaching to reapply every 3-5 hours, which I think is pretty good. Even after the product seems to be gone from my lips, my lips do not become chapped right away (I usually experience this with lip products containing vaseline). I would say Fresh's Lip Treatment is my HG lip product for now (unless I can find one that works better for a lower price)! I also love the heavy tube screw packaging as it's very sturdy! I usually stay away from lip treatments in pots because I hate using my finger to apply lip treatment, as it's not very hygienic. (I do like some potted lip treatments such as Korres Lip Butter and Tokyo Milk Bonbon Lip Balm -- both items will be reviewed too!)

The Sugar Rose and Sugar Plum and tinted lip treatments and at first I was scared that it would be really bright and pigmented, but it applies with just a slight tint, exactly what I'm looking for. I usually like to use a mirror when I apply the Sugar Rose and Sugar Plum because I don't want the color to get on the corner of my mouth. 



Unfortunately, this lip treatment is on the pricer side, each tube costs $22.50 for 0.15oz and a bit expensive for a lip balm. However, it's worth trying it out if you have very chapped lips and haven't found the perfect lip balm yet! Also, Sephora offers special gift sets that include the lip treatments for $28. For an extra $5.50, it comes with a cute Fresh Bag and a 3.4oz Brown Sugar Body Cream (which by the way smells HEAVENLY!), and a little Brown Sugar EDP!

So what is your favorite lip treatment?

xo, claire




Sunday, November 14, 2010

HG Concealer -- Diorskin Nude Skin Perfect Hydrating Concealer

It's the end of week 7 and I am FINALLY done with midterms for this quarter! I do have 2 more papers to write ... but papers are NEVER as stressful as midterms!

I have been searching for the perfect concealer for a very long time ... and I finally found it!!! Before I started using Dior's Nude concealer, I've used Paul & Joe Stick Concealer (worst concealer I've tired ... but I love EVERYTHING else from P&J), Shu Uemura Pro Concealer, and YSL Anti-Cernes Multi Action Concealer (almost HG ... but not quite - a bit drying). Paul & Joe Stick Concealer was just a horrible match and applied cakey ... the Shu Uemura was a bit too close to my skin tone, so I had difficulty completely covering my dark spots. YSL's concealer was almost perfect but it just doesn't blend as well as Diorskin Nude's concealer! The Dior concealer perfectly covers my dark spots both under my eyes and face. I heard great reviews of Cle De Peau's Concealer ... and will definitely check it out after I finish this concealer!

The Dior Concealer comes in a squeeze tube of 0.33oz. I love the squeeze tube because it's very hygienic (unlike P&J, Shu, and YSL's concealer). However, 0.33oz is a bit small and disappointing as it retails for $28! A little does go a long way with this concealer and I use very little product each day, so it's still worth it.

I wear Diorskin Nude Foundation in Linen 021, and I got the concealer in 001 instead of 002 because it's always better to choose a concealer a shade lighter than your overall skin tone, so you can actually lighten/brighten those dark circles.  The concealer blends perfectly and lasts all day and its consistency is perfect! Also, it does not oxidize throughout the day ... I hate it when concealers or foundations change color on me half way through the day. Best of all, this concealer is very hydrating not drying at all ... I've had problems with other concealers because it would become too dry and appear cakey. Note - I have dry skin ... so definitely try this concealer if you have dry skin and haven't found your perfect concealer yet!



The concealer retails for $28 and is available at Sephora and all Dior Beauty Counters in Nordstrom, Saks, and Bloomingdales! 

xo, claire

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour Paradoxal 509

Paradoxal is one of Chanel's prettiest colors this past season, Fall 2010.  Here are swatches for it:



Chanel Le Vernis retails for $23, and I definitely consider it a splurge. However, I can never resist passing up a unique color. Paradoxal is a deep violet shade with strong hints of grey. It appears to have shades of taupe and have beautiful fine puprle shimmers. The polish is very pigmented and applies smoothly as the swatch above consists of 2 coats. I cannot think of any dupes for Paradoxal ... so it's definitely worth it if you like purple polishes!

Paradoxal - swatched on Janice's Nails!

xo, claire

Friday, November 12, 2010

HG Eyebrow Product -- Paul & Joe Eyebrow Powder

Hello everyone!  Again, we are in the midst of studying for second round of midterms/finals that are approaching, eek (quarter system, sigh).  Anyway, we all decided we will take turns everyday, posting our favorite products.  So today, I wanted to tell you guys about my favorite eyebrow product.  I love love love Paul & Joe Eyebrow Powder.  Here's a picture:


(Sorry the "Paul & Joe" is upside down!)

As you can see the packaging is so pretty.  Although many Asian women deal with the issue of having little to no eyebrow hair, I was blessed with a good amount (let's just say when I was a kid, I had one eyebrow)!  I have relatively thick eyebrows, so this is perfect for filling in.  I love how defined my eyebrows look after using the powder.  Before finding this amazing product, I used a pencil, Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil ins 002 Hazel (recommended by another makeup blogger).  I liked it a lot, but I always felt like the pencil look was a little too harsh for my already full eyebrows, and the color didn't exactly match me.  For Paul & Joe, I use color 01, which is great, because the two powder colors are great for blending, depending on what look you want.  For day-to-day wear I usually use the lighter brown color, but when I do smoky eyes or dark makeup for going out I blend in some of the taupe-y brown color.  The only issue I have with this product is the brush and powder come separately, and I tend to lose things easily.  I wish the powder case came with a holder for the brush like other eyeshadows etc.  However, the brush itself is great.  I have my own eyebrow brush, but I always use the one it comes with, because I think it applies really well.  I got this from Claire because she coincidentally had it when I was talking to her about buying it (she has thin eyebrows, so defining her eyebrows with pencil is a better look for her).  However, this product is available on Apothica.com, Cosmeticmall.com, Dermstore.com, and mostly all other sites that carry Paul & Joe products.  The retail price is around $26 (US dollars), but trust me, it's so worth it!

Happy Indulging,
Wora

Monday, November 8, 2010

Rock & Republic Beauty Sale on Hautelook

Hautelook is having a Rock & Republic Beauty sale event that starts at 8am on November 8 (in six hours)!!! Claire and I will be checking it out tomorrow, and let you guys know what we buy, and, of course, review and swatch it!

Here's an invitational link:
http://www.hautelook.com/invite/wora

Happy Indulging,
Wora

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Hey everyone!  We have all agreed to update this belong every two days.  Sorry for the lapse!  We are all so busy with school right now, because all of us have midterms nonstop -____- Anyway, I got a little surprise in the mail yesterday while I was studying! My Urban Decay Naked Palette came :) Here are the swatches:


Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

 Sidecar, Naked, Sin, Virgin

Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Darkhorse, Smog, Half Baked, Buck

Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Gunmetal, Creep, Hustle, Toasted

Zero, Whiskey (eyeliners)

I think this is the perfect palette to buy if you are looking for wearable and practical shadow colors.
I was a little apprehensive about purchasing this palette, because I've read that the colors were too sparkly, but I disagree.  There are few glittery ones, but those shadows are perfect for a night out!  My sister had her homecoming dance this past Saturday, and I used Virgin, Creep and Gunmetal to create a sultry, smoky eye look.  She got so many compliments!  I do find that Urban Decay makes better shimmer shadow colors than it does matte.  As you can see from the swatches, some of the matte colors like Naked and Buck don't apply so well.  However, all the other colors are pretty and perfectly shimmery!  However, glitter/shimmer fallout can be somewhat of a problem, just make sure to tap out any excess eyeshadow from your brush before applying it to your eyes!  I deal with fall out with any eyeshadow by using a business card under my eye, while I apply the shadow, so all the excess shadow falls on the card, not your face.

I say that if you are a beginner with makeup, you should invest in this palette.  I have so much makeup already, and I still love it (so does Claire and Janice).  Overall, I was extremely happy with my purchase, and have incorporated colors like Smog, Toasted, and Virgin into my daily routine.  I still have yet to try others, because Claire and I also really love Hustle, because when blended, it looks so pretty.  I also love love love Urban Decay eyeliner.  They all apply so well, and stay on the whole day (always prep with primer potion!).  Speaking of primer potion, a little bottle of primer comes with your palette as well.  It's great for travel and the little bottle is so cute.  If you have a thing for pretty packaging, you'll like this palette, because it has a nice velvety cover :)

Happy Indulging,
Wora