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

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

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

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

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

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

Guerlain Summer 2010 Meteorites Perles Teint Rose

Hello, sorry I haven't posted in awhile! With all the midterms and papers, all of us have been so stressed! I should be writing my paper right now but decided to take a break to share with you guys my Guerlain Meteorites in Teint Rose!

Guerlain revamped their Meteorites collection in Summer 2010, switching from the cardboard packaging to a beautiful tin packaging. Since I am such a fan of packaging, I had to buy it! It retails for $56. The previous collection consisted of Mythic, Pink Fresh, and Beige Chic. Also, Guerlain releases limited edition every holiday, my favorite is the Holiday Collection Meteorites, Butterfly Pearls.

Teint Rose, Teint Beige, and Teint Doree are not limited edition and are replacing the previous standard collection of Mythic, Pink Fresh, and Beige Chic.

I purchased Guerlain's Meteorites in Teint Rose, which seems to be the newer version of Mythic. The pearls still have the lovely lilac scent from all previou meteorites s. The lilac scent is not overpowering and goes away after application. The other 2 shades available are Teint Beige and Teint Doree. I use it as a highlighter and it leaves a luminous glow that I cannot achieve with other loose powders. The Meteorites consist of Pink, White, Green, Yellow, and Lavender pearls. The Pink evens out skintone, White brightens, Green decreases redness, Yellow glows, and Lavender neutralizes. I got Teint Rose especially because of the green pearls. I have redness on my cheeks which is not very flattering, and the green pearls decreases the redness and brightens my skin! I use the Meteorites as the last step and apply this loose powder all over my face.  Teint Rose is perfect for fair to medium skintones, but I wouldn't recommend it for medium to dark skintones as it leaves a white cast. Darker skintones should try Teint Beige or Teint Doree.

If you already have mythic, there's no need to purchase this unless you're a packaging fan like me! However, if you haven't tried Guerlain's Meteorites, I would highly recommend it!

xo, claire

Urban Decay Sale on Hautelook

There is going to be a sale on Hautelook Monday November 1, 2010.  It starts at 8:00am sharp!  If you guys want stuff, you have to be super quick, and I'm serious.  Things get sold out within the first few minutes, especially the beloved primer potion.  So, jump on it!  By the way, I recently purchased Urban Decay's Naked Palette, so I will be swatching that when it comes in the mail! I'm so excited, hehe.  Also, if you find that it is sold out everywhere, don't worry, they will restock for retail.  (I got mine from Ulta.com, but sadly it sold out quickly too).  Don't purchase it for more on sites like Ebay etc. The palette is in Urban Decay's permanent line.

Happy Indulging,
Wora

Lorac Sale on Hautelook

There is a Lorac cosmetics sale on Hautelook.com today! Hurry and check it out now, as things are getting sold out.  The prices are super cheap, and totally worth it if you want to play around with colors, etc. Good Luck! Sorry about the late notice this time, I meant to post this last night.

Happy Indulging,
Wora

P.S. I will definitely be swatching what I get from the sale too!

Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow

I'm supposed to be studying for my organic chemistry midterm that's tomorrow! Oh well, I believe a study break is in order, hehe.  Anyway, we've swatched a couple of Chanel eyeshadows (If you were wondering who's arm is in the pictures, it's Claire's! I take all the pictures though haha).

 

 Taupe Grisé No. 87, Safari No. 45

Ireelle Eyeshadow Duo Desert Rose No. 10

Taupe Grisé No. 87, Ireelle Duo Desert Rose No. 10, Safari No. 45

 Desert Rose Duo No. 10 (first two colors), Safari No. 45, Taupe Grisé No. 87

Taupe Grisé No. 87, Safari No. 45, Desert Rose Duo No. 10

I really like the packaging for Chanel eyeshadows.  They are so clean and pretty looking!  But, it's not just the packaging that reels us in, it's the pretty colors as well.  They are all delicate shimmery colors.  They are colors that wouldn't look too flashy for day wear, which is always a plus.  However, the problem with with some of these shadows is that you have to apply more to get the color on as it should look (another solution for this is to use shadow primer before applying, which I always use! Mine is Urban Decay Potion Primer).  However, it is the soft touch eyeshadow, so that may be the reason for its light application.  Claire recently purchased the Enigma quad so we will definitely be swatching those soon too! 

Happy Indulging,

Wora

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I just wanted to add to Wora's post ... although I should be finishing my paper.

Taupe Grise is one of the most beautiful taupe eyeshadow I've tried! I've been collecting taupe eyeshadows ever since I saw the beautiful swatches from The Beauty Look Book and Pink Sith. I believe Taupe Grise is limited edition and will become one of the hard to find eyeshadows like Shu Uemura's ME Silver 945! So if you love Taupe Eyeshadows, go pick it up at your Chanel counter asap! I purchased mine from Nordstrom.com, and it's also available at NeimanMarcus.com. Chanel's Soft Touch Eyeshadow retails for $28.50.

I've been reading beauty blogs for awhile now, and recently began blogging. I often heard many people think Chanel's eyeshadows are not as pigmented but I must disagree. Perhaps they've revamped their eyeshadow formula. All the recent eyeshadows I've purchased from Chanel are pigmented and applies smoothly. Although they are not as pigmented as Urban Decay's eyeshadows which are extremely bright and a bit too vibrant for day looks, I feel Chanel eyeshadows are perfect for a softer more sophisticated look. Also, the eyeshadow can be layered for a more intense look!

By the way, I love Janice for trying to fill my need for Shu's ME Silver 945 (one of the MOST wanted Taupe eyeshadows) by giving me the close-enough dupe, ME Brown 850. I will review Shu Uemura's eyeshadows soon, and from everything I've used ... I believe Shu has the most amazing eyeshadow formula!

Taupe Grise - beautiful shimmery taupe with underlying silver tones

Safari - shimmery warm taupe with underly brown tones

Desert Rose - pink (perfect to highlight over lid) taupe (perfect for the crease)

xo, claire

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010 Day to Night Warm Eye Palette

While I was studying for my ls midterm this past week, Janice sent me pictures of her new purchase, the Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette! I fell in love with the palette because I love love love the packaging, it's so sophisticated!

The palette consists of 6 eyeshadows, 3 matte and 3 metallics! The shades include Ivory, Oat, Espresso, Burnt Sugar Metallic, Velvet Bronze Metallic, and Black Plum Shimmer Wash. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and applies smoothly on to the lids. Janice and I both purchased the warm palette because it works better with asian skin tone. I love how this palette includes the 3 matte shades as I always purchase metallic shimmer eyeshadows and forget that matte eyeshadows are essential! Also, I love this palette because I did not experience any glitter fallout, as the shimmers are so finely milled.

Here are swatches for the palette:

Day to Night Warm Eye Palette Closed

Day to Night Warm Eye Palette Open

Day to Night Warm Eye Palette Close Up

Ivory, Oat, Espresso, Burnt Sugar, Brown Velvet, Black Plum

Brown Velvet, Burnt Sugar, Espresso, Oat

The Ivory shade is the perfect base color and I use it to highlight. Espresso is a matte but very intense dark brown and I use it on the crease. Espresso can also be used to shade in the eyebrows!  I did not experience any glitter fall out at all! The Burnt Sugar Metallic is a bronze brown and very similar to Urban Decay's Smog, but UD's Smog has glitter fallout! The Velvet Bronze Metallic is a bronze brown with reddish/orange tones; this eyeshadow also has a shimmer finish with no glitter fallout! The very last color is my favorite: Black Plum Shimmer Wash. The Black Plum is perfect for creating a smokey eye for a night out!

Bobbi Brown eyeshadows are amazing! It is very pigmented and also long lasting! I did not experience any creasing when I was out for 15 hours and the eyeshadow still looked perfect! I did wear the eyeshadow with Trish McEvoy's Eye Base Essentials.

The Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette is limited edition and retails for $45 and can be purchased at nordstrom.com or bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

Hope you guys like this palette as much as I do and have a good weekend everyone!

xo, claire

Urban Decay Disney's Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows

This is an extensive palette of glittery and whimsical eyeshadows.  By the way, this is Wora, and I must say I am a big fan of this Urban Decay Book of Shadows, because I am a aficionado of GLITTER.  We have established that Janice is the intermediate between Claire and I.  Claire doesn't appreciate glitter like we do.  This was bought for retail price.  But, since it's limited edition, I believe it is now quite expensive--still worth it, because the colors are gorgeous.  Anyway, we have swatches!

 This is the pop-up from the box!

Front view

The entire palette!

Underland, Alice, Oraculum, Queen

Queen, Oraculum, Alice, Underland

Chessur, White Rabbit, Wonderland, Curiouser

Curiouser, Wonderland, White Rabbit, Chessur

Muchness, Mushroom, Midnight Tea Party, Vorpal

Vorpal, Midnight Tea Party, Mushroom, Muchness

 Absolem, (Drink Me, Eat Me), Mad Hatter, Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky, Mad Hatter, (Drink Me, Eat Me), Absolem

Zero, Flipside (Eyeliners)

There are a total of sixteen shadows, two eyeliners, and one Primer Potion.  Urban Decay makes great eyeshadows, because they are highly pigmented.  When we applied the shadows for the swatches, it took two dabs to get this much color.  My personal favorites from this collection are Midnight Tea Party, which highly resembles the glitter eyeliner Midnight Cowboy, and Jabberwocky.  By the way, if you find yourself liking only a few of the colors in this book of shadows or don't want to buy the entire palette, no worries!  These are actually shadows that Urban Decay usually manufactures.  They just renamed them with Alice in Wonderland themes.  If you have questions about the actual names of some of these colors, feel free to comment below! I hope you liked our swatches.  By the way, we also applied Urban Decay's Primer Potion before we applied shadow.

Happy Indulging,

Wora

Paul & Joe Collection Sparkles

We will be doing swatches for the some of the shadows in the collection.  Although we don't have the whole collection (it's massive), we do have some:

Today, we decided to swatch Paul & Joe Facecolor Powder CS b 030 Roche Rogue.  Here it is:

Skinfood Peach Sake Toner

Hello everyone!

Like Claire mentioned before, we have been so busy with midterms and studying!  But, I have taken a break from studying (even though I have a Life Science midterm tomorrow) to write a review for a toner that I have been using.  I have combination skin, specifically I have an oily t-zone, but dry cheeks.  Also, I never really used toners before, but since Claire bought it, I thought I would try.

*Side note: Claire is obsessed with buying beauty products.  She bought the toner, even though it isn't for her skin type.  Her reasoning was because it smelled good.

I have been using the peach toner for about three weeks now, and it's amazing! Not to mention that it smells like heaven.  Even after the first application, your skin feels instantly softer.  Now it is a part of my daily skin care regiment.  I use it after washing my face and applying serum.  The toner seals the serum in and helps in its absorption.  Despite the fact that I thought it would dry out my skin or leave a gross oily residue, neither happened! Use it, and everyone around you will comment on your beautiful, peach-scented face!

Credit: Sasa.com

If you are interested in purchasing this product, get it from sasa.com for $15.90

Happy Indulging,
Wora

Paul & Joe Holiday Collection 2010

This is our FIRST official blog post! Sorry, we've been all super busy with midterms, so we haven't blogged lately! Although I have my neuroscience midterm tomorrow, I just couldn't wait to blog about Paul & Joe's Holiday 2010 Collection!

Paul & Joe Beaute is not really known in the US, as there are no beauty counters in department stores and no longer available at Sephora (Exception - Available at Bergdoff Goodman in New York). There is a Paul & Joe store in Los Angeles at Robertson Blvd, so Janice, Wora, and I will definitely go on a shopping spree soon, probably after midterms! Paul & Joe is created by French fashion designer, Sophie Albou. Paul & Joe started off as a menswear company, but later turned women's fashion and the cosmetics line launched in 2002.

I fell in love with Paul & Joe Beaute because of it's beautiful packaging! I can never resist cosmetics that come in cute packaging! I have been collection Paul & Joe Sparkles Collection for this past year and I'll post up swatches soon!

Anyways, I missed out on the Paul & Joe x Disney Collection Bambi Blushes from a year ago. It's sold out everywhere and I've pretty much given up. Fortunately, Paul & Joe's Holiday 2010 Collection includes Face Color & Lip Gloss Set. The Face Color looks like the same blush balls from the previous Disney Bambi blushes! These balls are very similar to Guerlain's Meteorites. While Guerlain's Meteorites is used as a highlighter, the Paul & Joe pearls is used as a blush! 

The Face Color & Lip Gloss Set comes in 2 colors:001 Symphony - warm bronzer face color + gold lip gloss002 Soloist - pink face blush + pink lip gloss

image - www.paul-joe-beaute.com

The Face Color and Lip Gloss set has not been released yet. I believe it should be out early November and will definitely update as soon as I find out!

xo, claire