My first purchase from Hautelook

Rock and Republic Contrived Pressed Blush

I made my first purchase from Hautelook.com recently. I've never really been into blushes. I feel like no matter what shade or formula I get, they always seem to look the same once applied onto my cheeks. But when I saw the packaging on these Rock and Republic blushes, I was sold!!! And I have to say, they are everything I expected. The packaging is GORGEOUS!! It's solid, heavy, shiny and has a magnetic closure. Each compact has a large mirror inside too! What more could you ask for?!?! The pigmentation of the blush is fantastic and there's a wide colour range to choose from too. The two I chose have no shimmer in them. 'Bedroom' is a rosy peach shade with no shimmer. 'Kinky' is a bright hot pink in the packaging, however, it's actually not as bright when applied and gives a nice pink flush to cheeks. Here are the pics!

The blushes were nestled in these circular boxes...

Tadaa!! Beautiful!!!

Large mirror inside each compact

'Bedroom" - a rosy peach shade with no shimmer

'Kinky' - a hot pink shade with no shimmer

Swatches!

~CC

MAC - To the Beach

I was super excited about MAC's newest collection "To the beach" which came out last week. A lot of the products sold out really quickly but I was lucky enough to pick up the things I really wanted from the collection. Here's what I brought home with me!

1. Creme Bronzer in 'Weekend' - $30 CDN

This creme bronzer was actually the one item I knew I had to buy from the collection. I have relatively dry skin and so all creamy products are my friends. Plus, I wear bronzer pretty much everyday (usually NARS laguna) so I had a feeling I was gonna get good use out of this. The consistency of the product didn't turn out to be as creamy as I thought. It's actually a very light product and the texture reminds me a lot of MAC's cream colour bases.

There were 2 shades available. I bought the darker of the 2 shades and I'm really glad I did because the product really sheers out when you blend it so you get just a hint of colour. I've been using MAC's 187 brush to apply this which allows you to slowly build the colour up. I would definitely recommend this if you want just a very sheer glow on your cheeks. However, if you're wanting to add a lot of colour to your cheeks or to contour with it, I think you'll find this product very disappointing.

2. Marine Life Highlight Powder - $32 CDN

Ahhhh, the highly coveted marine life highlighting powder. This was already sold out on the morning of the first day the collection launched. But, my mom somehow managed to pick this up for me the next day!!!! I was so excited and couldn't believe I got my hands on one! The seahorse design was so beautiful I didn't even wanna swatch it! Anyway...this highlighter is a peachy-gold shade with A LOT of shimmers. It's really pretty when applied to the tops of the cheekbones. However, in the end, I couldn't justify keeping this when I already have a gazillion highlighting products so it ended up becoming Sissy's!

3. Lipstick in 'Lazy Day' - $16.50 CDN

Firstly, I have to say I love the packaging of this lipstick! The orange colour plus the seashell print is so fun and summery! 'Lazy day' was the only colour that really caught my eye. All the other lipsticks were quite vibrant and bright and I thought that this was the only lipstick out of the collection that seemed wearable for me. MAC describes this colour as a light dirty blue pink. It has a lustre finish which is my 2nd favourite finish from MAC (after cremesheens). The sheer and glossy formula makes this lipstick very easy to wear and perfect for everyday during the summer.

I've read several reviews which compared this lipstick to MAC's 'Angel' (which I also have). To me, 'Lazy Day' is paler and more blue-based than 'Angel'. The lustre finish of 'Lazy Day' also makes it much more easy to wear than the frost finish of 'Angel', which can look cakey on the lips. I definitely prefer 'Lazy day' over 'Angel'...too bad it's limited edition....O_O

~CC

Retail therapy

I was in San Francisco last week to write my California state board exam which I somehow managed to PASS!!! After all the stress of studying was over, of course I had to pay a little visit to the makeup stores with my cousin! Here's what came home with me this time...

1. Bare Escentuals (bare minerals) Hydrating Mineral Veil - $29 USD

This was highly recommended by my cousin and I decided to buy it after she applied some on my face. It's a really fine finishing powder with a slight shimmer to it. I put this on after my foundation and loved the way it glowed. It's not cakey at all, something that's really important to me as my skin tends to be dry. Although it looks like it's quite a peachy pink coloured powder, it actually goes on transparent. This particular set that I bought comes with a brush that you use to dip into the minerals and then swirl onto your face. The brush is super soft and I was told it costs $30 to buy separately. I got this set for $29 at the Bare Escentuals store!!

2. Diorskin Nude foundation (Shade 030) - $46 USD

My cousin and I both picked this up at Sephora. I had been wanting to get this for a while now after hearing great things about it. The packaging is beautiful and has a pump dispenser. It contains 30ml (1 fl.oz) of product. According to Dior, this foundation 'contains a unique blend of 100% mineral pigments and energizing mineralized water' which is supposed to give you a natural glow and improve skin over time. I've been using this for over a week now (I apply it with my MAC190 - a synthetic foundation brush) and here are my thoughts on the foundation:

- medium coverage but buildable to full coverage

- easily blended

- satin finish

- definitely hydrating

- gets slightly oily towards the end of a long day...and I have dry skin!! - so I would not recommend this for someone with oily skin

- slight scent (sissy claims it smells like sunblock but smells more like light soap to me)

Overall, I am LOVING this foundation. It gives me the coverage I need while still looking very natural AND keeps my skin moisturized. What more can I ask for?!?!

3. NARS blush (Orgasm) - $26 USD

One of the most popular blushes EVER but I have always been hesitant about getting it just because it seemed so shimmery in the packaging. Again, I ended up buying this on recommendation by cousin. She raved and raved about it at the store and I finally decided to get it. My cheeks felt very pretty with this on! I can see why it's a cult favourite now. It gives you a nice rosy flush and highlights your cheeks at the same time. Oh, and the shimmers are actually quite subtle!

4. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes eyeliner (0L) - $17 USD

I had purchased one of these pencils a while ago after hearing about how long lasting and black this liner was. However, I was quite disappointed because the one I had was not dark at all!! To make a long story short, what happened was I had actually picked up the 1L instead of the 0L. The packaging of the two looks pretty much identical but the 1L is actually black sheen - which is a softer black. Anyways, I thought I would give this a try again since my Urban Decay 24/7 pencil is running low. I have to say though, even with the correct shade of black now, I still prefer my UD pencil better. Both are about the same in terms of long lasting but to me, the UD liner is still darker than the MUFE pencil.

5. Tarina Tarantino Lipgloss (Nouveau)

Got suckered into buying this mainly because of the pretty packaging. It has a sponge tip applicator that's unlike the typical lipgloss wand in that it's flat on both sides. The colour I picked up (Nouveau) is a pretty candy-pink colour. The formula is quite sheer (best used over a lipstick) and non-sticky but doesn't last too long on the lips. Scent-wise, it smells kinda like those cheap candies you buy that looks like pills and is really powdery when you bite it...like the ones in candy necklaces!

6. L'oreal Lipstick (Fairest Nude)

Got this from CVS pharmacy while trying to look for EOS lip balm for sissy (which was a big fail as they didn't carry it there). I've heard great things about this lipstick but unfortunately, this shade is unavailable in Canada. I'm really glad I bought this because it's the perfect 'nude' colour for me. It's definitely not a corpse-y colour like so many nudes are. This one is a pinky nude that doesn't make me look like a zombie. It's perfect for everyday wear and can go with many different looks. Pigmentation and hydration is excellent. The only things I hate about it are the packaging (I've always thought the L'oreal lipstick packaging is hideous) and the scent...I mean, it's not really a gross scent, just not something I'd prefer.

So...that's my little bit of retail therapy in San Francisco!

~CC

Lash serum - Week 4 and Final Thoughts

I've been using L'oreal's lash renewal serum (aka lash boosting serum) for 4 weeks now and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the results! The truth is, I didn't really expect too much from it when I first started using this considering it's a drugstore product, relatively inexpensive and even the company itself didn't claim it will help grow lashes.

I really started to notice a difference to my lashes probably around week 3 of using it. To me, it seemed like there were more lashes when I went to apply this at night. I also noticed that my lashes seemed just a tad longer when I went to curl and apply mascara in the morning. For a drugstore product, I'm satisfied with the results I've gotten and I think I'm going to continue using this until it runs out!

Week #0

Week #2

Week #4

My final conclusions for L'oreal lash renewal serum:

The good:

- affordable (a lot of product still left in the tube after 4 weeks, probably will last me another 2-3 months)

- easy to use (just swipe onto lashes like mascara, I like to coat the topside of my lashes too)

- friendly on my eyeballs (didn't cause any irritation or redness)

The bad:

- product dries to become flaky/crusty so you get extra goobers in the morning O_o

- can't really apply 2x a day as instructed due to the flakiness of the product after it's dried on the lashes

~CC

Saying goodbye to my favourite shoes...

I have finally decided to throw away my favourite pair of shoes...

These babies have been with me for the last 3.5 years and I've worn them at least 3-4 days each week. They are just so comfy, reliable and goes with everything I wear! They have been with me through my 2nd, 3rd AND 4th year of vet school. They've travelled with me to Vancouver, San Francisco, LA, Philly, NY, Hong Kong, Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne....they've been with me everywhere!!

The bottom of the inside of the shoes has been completely worn down for a while now but I've overcome that by placing thick insoles in them. I've even had to replace the insoles TWICE cuz they got worn down too!! There's also a gigantic hole in the toe of the left shoe (which I think has been there for the last 6-8 months now)...but still I could not bear to part with them! I've tried and tried to search their replacements but every other pair of flats I've bought just cannot match up to them. *sigh*

Anyways, I think it's time to say goodbye now cuz the hole is just getting bigger and bigger...and it's really starting to become embarrassing wearing them out...

GOODBYE!!!

~CC

Lash serum - Week 2

So it's been 2 weeks since I started using L'oreal's lash renewel serum. I've been applying religiously every night before bed. The application is really simple, just a few swipes of the wand from the base of the lashes to the tip. I also like to run the tip of the wand along my lash line as well. However, I haven't been applying it every morning as instructed on the packaging. That's because the formula is quite runny and wet so I didn't think it would work well under my mascara. Plus, my lashes are already hard enough to curl as it is and I can just imagine how much the serum would weigh them down if I apply under my mascara....

As to how well it's working...I feel like I have less lashes falling out when I remove my eye makeup and they feel a little fuller when I apply my mascara. Length wise, I haven't really noticed a difference. But looking at these pictures that I've taken, there really doesn't seem to be a big difference between week 0 and week 2!!

Week #0

Week #2

Oh well, I'm gonna keep using this for the full 4 weeks before I completely write it off...

~CC

Lash serum

When I first heard about lash enhancing serums over a year ago, I was very skeptical about whether it was just a gimmick or something that really works. However, after seeing some amazing results from friends and other beauty bloggers recently, I've decided I need to try it out myself! The 2 most popular ones that I've come across are Latisse and Revitalash. However, both of these are relatively expensive and Latisse requires a doctor's prescription. So, I've decided to go much cheaper and bought the L'oreal renewal lash serum.

Unlike the more expensive versions, this serum does not claim to stimulate eyelash growth but rather condition lashes to make them stronger and prevent eyelash loss. According to the instructions on the package, I am to 'apply to the root of the eyelashes....sweep along the length of the eyelashes....in the morning and evening for maximum effectiveness'. I am supposed to see 'visibly more lashes in 4 weeks' and 'lashes are re-energized'. All right then...we'll see if my lashes are bouncing off the walls with energy in 4 weeks time!!

~CC

New hair!!

After years of contemplating whether I should cut my bangs, I finally did it!! It was such a spontaneous decision too. 1 minute, I was sitting at the cafe talking to my hairstylist friend about it...the next minute, I was sitting in the salon getting it cut by her! So far, I'm really enjoying it. I think it makes my big face look smaller and slimmer...BONUS!! =)

~CC

Some recent newbies

There's been some recent additions to my makeup collection lately. Almost all of them were purchased together with sissy during her visit here in Melbourne. I was able to use the remainder of a gift card I had received from my Aunt and Uncle for some of the things I purchased...BONUS!! Overall, very happy with everything I got!

1. Belt from MNG (aka Mango in other parts of the world)

It was on clearance and they just happened to have 2 of the same thing in our size so me and sissy each got one! It has snap buttons at each end of the belt and is meant to be worn high up on the waist. Although this style of belts has already been around for a few seasons now, I still really enjoy them as I find them really flattering! The light, neutral colour also works well for me as I have a lot of black clothing.

2. Makeup bag

We picked this up at the Sunday street market at St. Kilda Beach. It's made of fabric with plastic covering the front part of the bag. It's supposedly handmade from Melbourne. Nothing really fancy, just a simple cloth pouch but I quite liked the selection of designs available and especially the size of the bag. Perfect for toting around makeup in my purse.

3. MAC Lipsticks (swatches below)

Viva Glam V (Lustre) - I had been wanting to get this for some time now. It's a plummy pink colour with slight shimmers in it. It's a tad darker than my usual lipsticks but I think still very wearable as it is a lustre formula and goes on quite sheer. Also, all proceeds from this lipstick goes to benefit the MAC AIDS fund.

Modesty (Cremesheen) - I got this lipstick on a whim. Hadn't heard anything about it and don't even remember ever noticing it before! It's described as a muted neutral pink colour on the MAC website...which really doesn't mean too much to me. I really liked the rosy glowing pink colour of this lipstick. As always, the cremesheen formula stays very true to its name; it goes on very creamy and gives my lips a subtle sheen. Love it!

4. Lancome Juicy Tubes Lipgloss in Rose Fishnets (swatch below)

I ordered this online from Brigette's Boutique, a site which I have mentioned in a previous post (here). Similar to my last order, this only took about 5 days to get to me. The box got a bit smushed but the actual tube was in perfect, unused condition. I've always been a fan of Juicy Tubes. I find them to be very long-lasting and stay glossy on the lips for a long time. They don't dry out your lips at all, in fact, I find them to be quite moisturizing. Many of the Juicy Tubes have a fruity scent and a slight sweet taste to them which is nice. The only downside?...they are very sticky glosses.

This particular colour I got was a limited edition one. It's a very sheer pinky golden shade with gold shimmers in it. Because it has both golden and pink tones to it, I imagine it would be quite nice layered over both beige-y and pink lipsticks. Versatile! It has a very sweet smell, like candy. Packaging is the usual squeeze applicator but with designs on them to represent fishnet stockings. Cute!

5. MAC 130 Brush

It's a mini version of my 187 brush!! Again, picked this up on a total whim. It was released with the mineralize foundation (in a cream compact form) here in Melbourne. Such a cute little brush! It's a duo fibre brush like the 187 but the bristles was a lot denser. It applies cream/liquid products (eg. foundation, cream blush or highlighters) really well. I find it takes too long to use this brush for foundation but I've been using it for buffing in cream blush and MAC cream colour bases to give a fantastic glow.

6. LUSH Breath of Fresh Air Toner

I had been wanting to get this ever since I blogged about getting my Angels on Bare Skin cleanser from LUSH (here). It comes in 2 sizes and I searched all around Melbourne for a bottle of the smaller size with no luck. I finally decided to just get the larger bottle since I had a gift card anyways. It's made of all natural ingredients and doesn't contain alcohol which a lot of skin toners do. Depending on my mood, I either apply this by spritzing all over my face and just letting it absorb or by spritzing on a cotton pad and then applying to my face. It leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed. The smell is typical of other LUSH products...organic-y...but it's a very light scent and I don't mind it too much. I found this to be especially soothing after a whole day of sun and applied it multiple times throughout the night after having gone surfing with sissy to keep my face hydrated. It definitely lived up to my expectations and I'm glad I had gotten the larger bottle!

Until next time...

~CC

Highlights from Sisticle's visit

My sister visited me in Melbourne last week. It was her first visit in Australia and she stayed for about 10 days. True to our mother's prediction, we completed only about 1/2 of the events and trips I had originally planned out because we were too lazy most of the time. It took us 2 attempts to actually visit the zoo and when we finally got there, we got tired very quickly and left after 2.5 hours. Plans to see the new baby elephant at the zoo was a big fail because the lineup was just too long. We also got extremely sidetracked on the day we were supposed to drive out to Phillip Island to see the penguins and instead got a mani/pedi followed by suntanning at Torquay beach.

I think the most memorable part of sissy's trip would be the day we went surfing. Somehow managing to wake up early that morning, we drove 1.5 hrs to Ocean Grove beach for our 11:00am surfing lesson. The weather was perfect that day, a sunny and hot 34 degrees. We got to there earlier than expected and had breakfast at a quaint little cafe that looked like a house. The breakfast burrito we ordered was the best burrito I have ever had.

The tortilla was warm and soft. The inside was filled with beans, egg, cheese and freshly chopped tomatoes. The sour cream was light and not heavy at all. It was so refreshing and tasty...mmmmmm!!!! After breakfast, we went to meet our surfing instructors which I had booked through West Coast Surf School. They provided us with our sexy wetsuits and our boards. The instructors were pretty quick and efficient at teaching and we were in the water in no time. I realized that day that I have poor balance and is quite UN-talented in surfing. I wiped out many times (resulting in salt water searing through my nostrils O_o) and managed only to stand up for 2-3 seconds on my board a few times. Sissy, on the other hand, did a lot better than me. We were quite exhausted after our 2 hour lesson and spent the rest of our time at the beach just lazing about and suntanning. I am very excited to report that after years of withdrawal from the sun, my chicken legs are now finally nicely cooked!!

Of course, how can I talk about your visit without mentioning the infamous tattoo drawing by the bf...right, sissy?? There was just something about these 2 pictures that just made us laugh over and over again. The Jesus-looking figure that actually kinda looked like me...the alien hand...the angel at the bottom with the eyes rolled to the back of the head...it was all just too too funny!!!! I still couldn't help but giggle even as I was scanning and uploading them here =)

So, here they are for you to enjoy, sisticles! Hope you had a fun time here, I sure did! See you in May!

~CC

Sneaking in a bit of LUSH time

One of my biggest weaknesses is doing paperwork. I am horrible at it and usually get so stressed out over it that I have mini panic attacks which then leads me to abandon the paperwork all together and procrastinate until it is absolutely essential that I finish it...

So you can imagine how much fun I've had for the past 2 days researching how to become licensed as a vet in California, apply for a US working visa and extend my Australian visa. Clicking into what feels like a billion websites, then realizing you have 10 windows open all filled with fine print font and having no idea why a window was even opened in the first place....it's just all too much for me!!

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned but I still prefer talking to a real human being on the phone, telling me exactly what I need to apply for something and what requirements I have to fulfill. Imagine my surprise to find out that the US embassy in Ottawa charges $1.89/minute to speak to an operator there!!! The charges apply as soon as you call, even as you wait to be connected to an operator. Unbelievable.... Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have a friend answer my questions and so avoided having to call the embassy this time.

Of course, there are many different levels to completing paperwork. It's not all just sitting around at home, clicking away on the computer. So today I had the pleasure of driving to the city to prepare bank documents...and getting caught in a major thunderstorm during rush hour on my way home. On the bright side, I did squeeze in a quick visit to my favourite makeup counters. Nothing really caught my eye there but I did make my first ever purchase at Lush!!

I bought the Angels on Bare Skin facial cleanser which is supposed to be one of their best sellers. It has ground almonds in it and seriously looks like cookie dough! It's for all skin types and the almonds exfoliate your skin as you cleanse. Can't wait to try it out! I was also really interested in the Breath of Fresh Air Toner which, according to their website, does not have any alcohol in it. Definitely will be my next purchase!

Well, that's all for now. More paperwork adventures tomorrow at my appointment with the Australian immigration officer!

~CC