Which Makeup Brush Is Your #1 Brush? (Also your #2 brush)

About a week ago, I was talking to Mai and asked her what is her favorite makeup brush that she absolutely can't do without.

She told me that it's kind of tied between two brushes but probably her #1 brush would be MAC Angled Brow Brush #208. The other brush which follows with a very close #2 would be MAC Large Shader Brush #252. (Mai can't count because I asked her for 1 but she answered me with 2. LOL!)

I found this interesting because the brush that I absolutely can't do without would be my Angle  Brush. I  have the MAC Small Angle Brush #266 and one from Sephora. I was born with very sparse eyebrows so I have to draw them in. I use an eyebrow pencil to do so but I soften up the pencil lines with a brow powder, which I apply with the angled brush. I have also used the brush to line my eyes using Bobbi Brown gel liner or even a dark eyeshadow. I think that it's quite versatile in that way.

Mai's close 2nd is the MAC #252. I have never used this brush and actually, it's the first time that I've seen it. For me, I think that it's a bit too large. I'm having a problem deciding which would be my #2 brush because I use a variety of brushes for different things. I think that it would have to be my eyeshadow brush. Again, I have two that are very similar. One is MAC 233. For some reason, I can't find it on the MAC website but I did buy it recently. I actually have two of them. The similar one that I have is NYX but I'm not sure which number it is--2, 3 or 4. It doesn't have a number on the brush. Both brushes are very smilar except that the NYX brush is much softer.

I am not particular with sticking to one brush brand. I do like MAC brushes but I also have NYX, Sephora, Kirkland (Costco), etc. For me, it's a matter of what works.

I don't know about you but I do not use the applicators that come with the makeup that I buy. I used to try using it once in a while but finally gave up. I was just dumping it but recently started saving it. I have a small container full of sponge applicators, brush applicators, etc.

So, I want to end today's post with 2 questions:

1. Which are your two "can't live without" makeup brushes and
2. What do you do with your included makeup applicators?

*Kat*

Coming up in the near future, I'll be asking what is your can't live without non-makeup, non-skincare item(s) that you use when you do your makeup. I also have some product reviews from a small purchase from A Pop of Kawaii that I just received.

Final Update--Challenge: Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer Nighttime Conditioning Treatment + Bonus EOTD

I am now at week 10 or so of using the treatment every night, with the exception of a few nights here and there since my last post. This will be my final update because I believe that my lashes are at the point where I will not see any more improvement. If it does show some significant change, I will be sure to update again.

Eyelashes Start

Eyelashes final (after 10 weeks)

I am happy with the overall results. You can see marked lash growth, especially in my lower lashes and they do look a bit fuller. The only negative thing that I can say about this product is that it is quite expensive. I was in Sephora last week and found out that there are more lash treatment products there now. One that was highly recommended was the one by Tarte and the cost is approximately half the cost of Trish McEvoy. If I need to use a lash treatment again, I may go ahead and try that one.

I still have quite a bit of product left in the tube. I will have to check to see what the longevity of the product is and will continue to use it nightly until it expires or I run out. I will then not use anything again until I find my lashes disappearing again.

I decided to do an EOTD for this final lash treatment update.

Products used:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin
Dior Extase Pinks Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Neutral Pink
MAC Print
K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner
Shiseido Mascara Base
Estee Lauder Mascara

Eyelashes after 10 weeks. You can really see my lower lashes

In comparison, you can't see my lower lashes here at all. Upper lashes seem like they are longer, however, they were really curled at a severe angle at the roots. This picture was using Dior Show mascara.

I used the same mascara that I've used throughout this whole post, except for one exception, which might have been the start post.

For the EOTD, I wanted to show the versatility of the Dior palette since I had mentioned it when I first bought it. This time I used MAC Neutral Pink in contour area blending upward toward brow bone. The light pink (center color) is lightly used as highlighter on brow bone. The darker pink on inner 1/3 of eyelid from lashline to crease. Purple is used on middle 1/3 from lashline to crease and blended upward above creaseline into contour area and outward toward outer 1/3 of eyelid. The charcoal color is used on outer 1/3 of eyelid from lashline to crease and blended upward towards contour area and inward towards middle of eyelid. The purpose of this blending into the other areas is so that there is no harsh color lines and it hopefully shows a nice color gradation. Print is used on outer corner of the upper eyelid in a sidewards "v" shape. This time I extended it out slightly and then brought the color down to my lower lashline and lined the outer 1/3 of lower lashline with the color fading towards the center. I hope that made sense. Lined upper lashline and outer corner of lower lashline, not even going in quite 1/3 of the way with K-Palette eyeliner. Curled lashes with Koji eyelash curler, applied Shiseido mascara base and Estee Lauder mascara on upper and lower lashes.

I hope that this challenge and review on Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer Nighttime Conditioning Treatment was helpful. Please be aware that the result this product, as with any product, is different for everyone. For example, Talika Lipocils didn't do anything for my eyelashes although it has done some fantastic things for other people.

*Kat*

More on The Body Shop Autumn 2010 LE Cheek and Face Powder

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I ended up calling The Body Shop to put more of these powders on hold to give away as presents. Am I glad that I did. I went there first thing this morning and and found out that they got only a very limited amount of them in. I ended up buying the last Berry off of the shelf and also picked up another Chestnut, so in total I got 7 compacts.

Chestnut

According the The Body Shop website, the Face and Cheek Powders are for all skin types. It contains Marula oil from Nambia which helps to condition skin over time and will restore your skin's moisture barrier. The powder is infused with Night Blooming Cactus extract which helps to hydrate your outer surface of the skin. It also contains Brazil Nut oil which moisturizes and helps to soften your skin.

I decided to keep one of the Chestnut compacts for myself with the thought of using it as a bronzer. I also picked up the Face and Body brush, which I used yesterday to test the Berry. It was quite reasonably priced and I thought that it would do a great job of applying the powders.

The Chestnut is a bronzy brown palette with the beautiful, intricate maple leaf design. This compact is also highly pigmented but because of it's bronze tone, it's not quite as stark as the Berry. However, because of the bronzy tone, the gold shimmers show up much more than my own personal preference. I think that if I were to use this over my face the way I do my HG bronzer, I would definitely end up looking like a disco ball. For me, this is best used as a highlighter. I think that the berry tone in the Berry compact really tones down the gold shimmer.

Berry on left, Chestnut on right

Rica of Icyswirls recommended in her comment yesterday to try using MAC 187 brush to apply since it applies quite lightly. Since I bought the Face and Body brush from The Body Shop, I decided to do a test comparison between all the brushes.

Yesterday I used the MAC 168SE by lightly doing one swirl over the compact. It was a big shock to see how much color was appliled to my cheek. (SE is the same as the regular brushes but they were a special brush set, in which the brush handles are shorter). I tried The Body Shop Face and Body brush, which I thought applied it lightly in the store, but it applied it just about as heavily as MAC 168SE. I then used MAC 187SE as recommended by Rica and it applied it quite lightly. This brush is definitely the best choice for applying this powder. Thanks for the great suggestion Rica!

Overall, I am really happy with this LE item. I definitely like the Berry much more than the Chestnut but with the holidays coming up, I can see "sparkling" it up a bit for a nice holiday look.

*Kat*

Review: The Body Shop Autumn 2010 LE Cheek and Face Powder

I had read about this item on several blogs and just had to see it for myself. I went down to the mall after work today because I wanted to check a few things out at Sephora and Macys. I also went to The Body Shop to pick up some other items and after I checked out, I thought to inquire about the LE Cheek and Face Powder. I happened to be very lucky to have asked because they just got it in and it was still in the back--not even the testers were set up yet.

The pictures that I had seen of it on other blogs were beautiful but seeing it in person just blows you away! It's so gorgeous! It comes in two colors, Berry and Chestnut. Berry is in tones of berry/pink with a golden shimmer to it. The Chestnut is warmer and bronzier toned. It is made in Italy and is 9 grams (.3 oz.). The baked-in embossed design of autumn leaves, which are colored in different shades, just enhances the beauty of this compact. I have seen it compared to MAC Mineralize Skin Finishes. I don't have any of those so I can't give my opinion on that.

I decided to purchase Berry. The compact is black plastic with a clear plastic lid.

Personally, I do like glowy, dewy finishes but try to avoid anything that is too shimmery that can give a "disco ball" effect. This is shimmery but it is light and looks more glowy when on. When I swatched it in the store on my wrist, it came off as a barely there color. I came home and decided to test it out on my cheeks and WOW! Remember the Tag: Would You Rather post? Question 5: Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush? I answered overdone blush. Weeeellll....guess what happened when I tested it out at home? Yup, waaaay overdone blush. This is actually quite pigmented so it really needs to be applied with a light hand.

This picture was taken after I had already rubbed off a lot of it. Although it doesn't look like it in the picture, it is really quite startling when you see my whole face. Definitely clown cheeks. However, you can see how glowy it looks with very subtle shimmer. I definitely would not use this as an all over face powder. Perhaps the Chestnut will be okay as an all over face powder, using it as a bronzer.

I really, really like this! I know that I didn't need another blush but I couldn't resist and I'm so glad that I bought it. I haven't ever used a makeup item from The Body Shop (only body lotions and gels) and this is definitely a good first buy. I've already called the store and put a bunch of these on hold, including the Chestnut. I'm going to give these away as Christmas presents and maybe keep a Chestnut for myself.

*Kat*

Catching Up: Miscellaneous and Quick Product Reviews

I apologlize for being MIA for almost a week. So many things came up. Anyway, last week I was chatting with Nic Nic from bang bang she shoots and owner of A Pop of Kawaii. She mentioned something about Beard Papa, which is a franchise in Japan that specializes in cream puffs. We happen to have a few shops here in Hawaii and I know that they are scattered here and there around the United States. She made me crave cream puffs too so I mentioned some of the items that we have in ours in Hawaii. I think that there is an expanded menu to draw in more customers. I promised Nic Nic some pictures so here we go:

Outside of the shop

Some of the menu items available.

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take pictures so I carefully took these with my iPhone. There is also bento on the menu but I don't have a picture of the poster.

I really wanted to eat creme brulee and was surprised to see that they offered chocolate too. So I ordered one chocolate and one regular.

I also ordered one chocolate and one vanilla cream puff. I have the tennis ball in the pictures to show the size comparison, not for consumption purposes. LOL!

Another reason why I've been so busy is that my good friend (she is like a sister to me so she calls me neechan), suddenly came to Hawaii from Japan for a few days. I am having fun spending time with her. On Friday night we went to a bon dance since she hasn't experienced that in Hawaii. She is actually really into Hawaii and hawaiian culture. She loves to surf. She is more of a local than I am.

Sorry, these pictures are quite dark. This 2nd picture shows a taiko perfomance.

Also on Friday, I was going to drive into town to pick up some skin care products that I am low on from Noevir. There was a major road problem which caused terrible delayed traffic in the area that I needed to be. I decided to stay in my area and go to the mall. I really needed face wash since I used the last of it the night before. I went to Sephora and picked up Bliss The Youth  As We Know It Cleanser. I have used this cleanser in the past and really like it. I like that it's an emolient face wash but lathers up nicely. After you rinse off the cleanser, your face doesn't feel dry or tight at all. My skin looks really smooth and feels hydrated and I think that it's a bit brighter too.

I received an order from iMomoko. Most of the products were backups of items that I'm running low on. I did purchase one new thing, the Vitacreme B12. I had originally planned on doing a Sasa haul since Sasa is usually the most inexpensive place that I buy things from; however to my surprise, the Vitacreme B12 is $45.20 at Sasa and only $35.99 at iMomoko. Both are selling the 1.76 oz (50ml) size. I have read some positive reviews on this cream as far as it doing a good job of moisturizing the skin. It is recommended as a night cream and is used in place of your moisturizer. It is good to use it for 3 months and then rest for 3 months. It helps vitalize tired skin, helps to increase elasticity, helps to diminish wrinkles and fine lines, etc. I'm hoping that it will help to fade my burn discolorations that I got a couple of months ago.

I do find that it is nicely moisturizing. I don't find that it's greasy. The only thing that bothers me about it is that it smells a bit funky to me. I can't explain the smell though. The good thing is that the scent doesn't last very long.

I do have an EOTD that I did last week Wednesday to blog about. My "sister" will be leaving in a day so my time should free up soon. As I said, this was a very short trip for her as she usually stays for about one month.

Thanks for reading!

*Kat*

2nd Day of Shopping

Today Mai and I got together for lunch. It was considered a business lunch because she needed to place an order with me. We met at one of our favorite places to eat which serves the best garlic chicken. We both got it with a green salad and brown rice.

After I was done with work, I went shopping again. This time I went to a relatively new Japanese grocery store. I'm not sure how long it's been open here but I think approximately a year. I love Nijiya! There are items at this store that isn't available at the long-time Japanese product stores that we have here. I ended up spending more than I should have.  I went mainly to pick up this juice.

It is the husband's favorite juice. It has a lot of pulp in it, which he really likes. I bought him 15 cans for his birthday. I know that a lot of the Japanese products are priced waaay more than in Japan but it's the price we have to pay if we want these things. The cost of the juice was $2.55 USD each.

I picked up some grocery items--nori, soba, cream stew mix and okonimiyaki sauce. I didn't know that they made it spicy! I had to get it. I have the regular sauce already but I love spicy foods! The average price of these were approximately $4.00 each.

Next is snacks for me! I love the choco baby candy and this was a giant container! The kitkat is in bitter almond flavor, which I ate tonight and it's really yummy. The suika (watermelon) candy isn't what I really wanted. My son, who lives in Japan,  had sent me this same candy except it was a gummy candy. I loved it! This one is a hard candy so it's not as good. My son said that the gummy one is a seasonal candy and he can't find it any more. He didn't realize it was seasonal otherwise he would have bought a whole lot more. He said that he really liked it too. Then there's the cream pan (cream bread). This has been my favorite for a long time. I can't find it too often though. My friend in Kamisu nearly had a heart attack when he heard how much it is here. He doesn't buy it but he thinks it's under $1.00 in Japan. I got it on sale for $1.99 USD.

I've been jealous by the fact that in Asia the magazines come with great gifts. The bookstore here doesn't sell the magazine with gift, as far as I have seen. Perhaps I hadn't been looking at them properly. However, this store sells the magazines with the gifts! I was so happy that I picked up 3 magazines today. I don't like the pricing because I can see how much it costs in Japan. Our pricing is over double the cost of Japan.

There was one magazine that I haven't heard of before but I liked the look of the gift so I purchased it. That magazine is Nylon. I'm glad that I got it because it's a fashion magazine, which I'm finding interesting. The bag is really great too. It's a decent-sized tote bag and it doesn't feel really cheaply made.

I really love the gift that came with the Spring magazine. It's a zipped Milk Fed tote bag. I love bags that will zip shut. It's a heavy duty nylon/plastic fabric and is quite sturdy.

The last gift came with the More magazine. I thought that it would be much bigger than it is. As you can see, it's just about the same size as my iPhone. I doesn't hold much at all.

Lastly, and this makes this a beauty post, I purchased Shiseido Hadasui Skin and Body Lotion. On the back of the bottle, it also says that it's a facial lotion. This is a spray bottle with water consistency lotion. You can spray this on to hydrate your skin. It is especially nice to use to refresh yourself during the hot summer months.  It is a nice-sized bottle at 240 ml. and it cost $7.99. I believe that this is a good value.

I had fun shopping in Nijiya today. I rarely go to this store since it's a little out of my way but I will try to go there more often.

*Kat*

Shopping Day

I haven't gone to the mall or shopping much the last couple of weeks. I put myself of "barely working" status and was working from home. This made me very lazy and not want to go out. Today I went back to work so I headed to the mall afterwards. I went to look for something for another blogger, only to find out that it hasn't been released yet. LOL!

When I got the V.I.B. Swag Bag from Sephora, there was a sample tube of Clarins Multi-Active Serum, which I've been using. I like it a lot. It is very similar to L'Occitane Fabulous Serum, which I like very much. I went to Sephora to compare the Clarins and L'Occitane serums. I asked what the difference was between the two since they both seem very similar in feel and scent to me. It's a very nice, light, pleasant scent, almost similar to baby powder. The MUA told me that he felt that the Clarins was more for anti-aging while the L'Occitane was more for hydrating. Oh my! I need both! I decided that hydrating was more important for me so I purchased the L'Occitane serum. It was also cheaper by approximately $15.00.  I also used 100 of my VIB points to pick up an eyebrow pencil by Tarte. It is the emphasEYES HD waterproof brow pencil. I can always use a brow pencil and I'm not too particular with brands for this item.

I was also really intrigued by an eyeshadow palette. The colors are so beautiful and it is a Sephora exclusive. It is the Tarina Tarantino Starchild Odyssey Palette. It is also a limited edition item. The MUA was hanging around me quite a bit so I couldn't take snapshots of it but I got the image from the Sephora website.

See how beautiful the colors are. I swatched it and it felt like the eyeshadows were really soft and nicely pigmented.  I ended up not picking it up though because I know that UD Book of Shadows III is coming out soon and there were some similar colors in there, I think. The real reason why I decided against getting the Starchild Odyssey Palette...the cover design really creeps me out.

*Kat*

Updated Review: Revlon Moisture BB Cream and Canmake Gokunobi Mascara

I have played around more with the Revlon Moisture BB Cream and I am liking it more and more. As I stated in my initial review post, I like it for the mere fact that it's really color matching. It also had decent coverage, more than most of the other BB creams. The only thing that knocked a percentage point off for me was that it isn't hydrating enough for my preference. I had started to apply moisture essence cream on top of it before applying my cream foundation, which works out quite nicely.

Yesterday, I decided to be brave and try using only BB cream and no foundation. I combined it with the Kanebo Freshel Moist Lift W BB cream, which is very hydrating. I prepped and primed my face as usual and applied the Revlon BB cream as I normally would. I should explain this step a bit. I will apply a light layer of BB cream and then do my eye makeup, except for eyeliner and mascara. After applying my eye makeup, I clean off any fallout that might occur and then apply another light layer of the same BB cream, then apply foundation and powder. I then finish up my eye makeup, which will always consist of eyeliner and may or may not include mascara. So back to yesterday...I applied the first light layer of Revlon BB cream, did my eye makeup and then applied another light layer of Revlon BB cream. Instead of foundation, I applied Kanebo Freshel Moist Lift W BB cream, concealer and powder foundation. I then finished up my eye makeup of eyeliner and Talika Lipocils on eyelashes, shading powder, blush and lipstick. I liked the result. Overall, it lasted quite nicely tnroughout the day. At first there were times when it seemed to be a little ashy but that didn't last.

Only Revlon BB Cream

Freshel BB Cream over Revlon BB Cream

Finished FOTD w/BB creams only, concealer and powder foundation over concealer, over nose, chin and jawline

We were out for most of the afternoon and had a wedding reception to attend that evening. Unfortunately, I wanted my makeup to look more glam than normal because the couple that had married are both models, with the girl having modelled in Japan. I wasn't sure what the guest list looked like but I wanted to be sure that I wasn't looking like a country bumpkin. I didn't have time to redo my whole face so I had to apply over what was already on. I lightly buffed off as much of my blush as possible with a cotton ball, applied more concealer over my ugly discolorations. I then got the brilliant idea of using my Temptu since it's airbrushing foundation on and that can be layered over what I already had on very easily. It turned out beautifully. I will definitely use the Temptu more often now over BB creams, although I was avoiding doing so prior to yesterday.

With Temptu foundation

As for my eye makeup, I had to apply eyeshadow over what I already had on. Fortunately, I went neutral during the day using UD's NAKED palette so I could go with bolder, brighter colors with no problem. I can't give you any EOTD steps because I have no clue what I really did, I kind of just went with the flow. I do know that I used Maquillage, MAC and Dior eyeshadows. Anyway, I had reviewed Canmake Gokunobi, which is supposed to curl and lengthen your lashes. Unfortunately, my eyelashes didn't curl well and it didn't hold my curl when I did curl my lashes first. So I decided that I would curl my lashes and apply my HG Shiseido Mascara base first. I then applied Gokunobi mascara and my lashes looked great. I even got brave and applied it to my lower lashes, although I've read and heard that older women shouldn't apply mascara to their lower lashes. I haven't applied mascara to my lower lashes in a long time but I did last night. You can see how well the Trish McEvoy lash conditioner has helped to lengthen my eyelashes, both upper and lower.

I'm glad that I glammed up a bit for last night's reception. It was a beautiful event and there were lots of glamorous women there.

Sorry, this post ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would.

*Kat*

Questionnaire: Missha Dolly Lashes

I know that whether or not you're a follower of this blog, there are quite a few readers. Mai and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time out to read our humble blog.

We have a few questions with regards to Missha Dolly Lashes and would like as much feedback as possible.

We'd like to get your opinions on the Missha Dolly Lashes, both good and bad. If you've seen posts about them but haven't been able to find a way to purchase it, would you be interested in purchasing? What is, in your opinions, the best styles? If you have been able to purchase it, what is the average price on it?

Mai and I both don't wear false eyelashes. However, there is an opportunity for us to purchase these--it may be a one-shot deal. We are considering it depending on the opinion as to popularity, quality and price of the lashes.

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

*Kat*

Tag: Would Your Rather (Beauty Version)

The lovely Rica of  Icy Swirls tagged me recently. Tags are fun to do, don't you think?

Here we go!

1.Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice makeup or nice hair and no makeup?

Definitely messy hair and nice makeup. I can't go out with no makeup because that is just too scary for everyone who I'll come in contact with. Poor people!

2.Would you rather shave your eyebrows or have your eyelashes fall out?

Definitely shave my eyebrows. As it is, I barely have any eyebrows so I have to draw it in anyway. Believe it or not, I once had a makeup artist ask me why in the world did I pluck my eyebrows so that it looked like it did. I was pretty aghast and asked her why she even thought that I would pluck my eyebrows that way. It's an unfortunate thing that I was born with ugly eyebrows.

3.Would you rather be forced to only shop at MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?

Aaahhhh, this is a tough question. I've only used MAC for years and only in the past 2 years or so have I started shopping at Sephora. I guess that I would have to go with Sephora since I've branched out into other brands. Sephora is defiinitely more versatile.

4.Would you rather wear lipgloss/lipliner look or 80's perm?

Definitely the lipgloss/lipliner look. I have done lipliner coloring my entire lips and then covered with lipgloss.

5.Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

I think that I would go with overdone blush--actually, I've done that before. YIKES clown cheeks! I did manage to tone down the blush using a cotton ball and then applying powder foundation over it.

6.Would you rather wear mc hammer pants or biker shorts in public?

Biker shorts. I've done it before so it's not too much of a problem, especially if you have a longer length top. As long as it covers my butt, I'm okay.

7.Would you rather have a bad orangey spray tan or really weird tan lines that cant be covered?

I don't use tanning sprays so I guess that I would have to go with really weird tan lines. Honestly, up till about 4 years ago, I used to not care about not getting tanned as long as it wasn't my face. Soccer games (this could be at least 3 games per day) and football games were often during the sunny periods of the day. I actually had a tan line on my leg where my legs were tanned but my ankles on down were white because it was covered with socks and sneakers. I would tell people that I had natural socks and shoes.

8.Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair color?

Bad hair color. I would just re-color it asap.

9.Would you rather HAVE YOUTUBE or TWITTER taken away forever?

Twitter can be taken away. I don't really like twitter much, although I just set up twitter in connection with this blog.

10.Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or mascara?

Mascara. This was easy for me since I don't regularly wear mascara.
I'm supposed to tag others so here goes:

BV of Beauty Verdict
NicNic of Bang Bang She Shoots
K of Cosmeddicted (formerly Bihada Diaries)

Whoever else wants to do it is welcome to do so as well. Of course for those of you who I did tag, I'll completely understand if you don't want to do it. I know that all 3 of you are quite busy right now.

*Kat*

EOTD: Dior 5 Couleurs Iridescent 609 Earth Reflections

Approximately a month or so ago, I made a blog sale purchase from Ohh...pretty!. I was able to purchase a Maquillage Lip Rouge and a Dior 5 Couleurs Iridescent eyeshadow palette in 609 Earth Reflections. It's a really pretty palette.

Sorry, today's post is really fast and simple. I've done enough EOTD posts and all of my techniques are the same. I'm not very creative.

I used all 5 colors in the palette. The light gold is on brow bone, the darker gold in contour area above creaseline and all the way up to eyebrows. the pink-coral color is on inner half of upper eyelid from lashline to crease. The brown color is on outer half of upper eyelid from lashline and blended up into the contour area. The dark brown color is in outer corner of upper eyelids in sideways "V" shape. I also used Smashbox Halo bronzer on brow bone to soften and darken the highlighted brow bone area. K-Palette Real Lasting eyeliner and Talika Lipocils were also used to finish the look.

I thank Jess of Ohh...pretty for the great deal and wonderful service that I received. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her blog sales.

I officially think that I'm good on neutral palettes for a long time, especially since I have the UD NAKED palette, which I'm really loving a lot. To think that I was not a neutrals person not so long ago. *sigh* 

Speaking of Urban Decay, have you seen the posts of the upcoming Book of Shadows III? Since I'm new to UD, I didn't see the other two Book of Shadows. I'm really liking the bright colors that are in there and I'm seriously thinking about getting it when it's released. What are your thoughts?

*Kat*

Review: Revlon BB Moisture Cream

In my A Pop of Kawaii order which I received the other day was the Revlon BB Moisture Cream. It is a Japan release item. What is it with BB creams for me? It's like an addiction! I see new BB cream and I automatically think that I need to try it.

I was really excited when I first saw this being advertised because of it being a moisture cream AND it comes in 3 different shades. This is quite unusual for BB creams, I think. I have skin that needs hydration so "moisture" sounds good to me. I also fall in the MAC NC25-30 range so I decided to order the darkest color, which is 03 Medium Beige.

I swatched it with my top 2 BB creams and as you can see, it seems that the Revlon 03 Medium Beige is a bit orangey in tone. It made me a little worried. The Lioele seems like it's the darkest but in reality when I apply it, it gives off a white-ish cast. My Kanebo Freshel post with Lioele comparison is here.

The Revlon BB Cream has a nice, creamy texture to it. Because I think that it's more creamy than Freshel, it has decent coverage. For those who like to use BB cream as a foundation, I think that this one is perfect for it. It gives decent coverage and you can layer on more for heavier coverage. I think that this BB cream has a medium-light to medium coverage. There really isn't any scent to it, which is a plus to many people.

Face only prepped and primed. You can still see that I have

dicoloration from the oil burns from last month. I think that it's fading a bit.

Revlon BB Cream applied on right side of face only (left side in the picture).

Amazingly, it's not orangey on my face and actually blends in very nicely.

It seems to match my skin tone almost perfectly. Really pleased with that!

Finished FOTD w/Maquillage Moisture Cream Foundation

After more than 12 hours. The only touching up that I did was to apply

powder foundation on nose, upper lip area and chin.

I found that when I first applied the BB cream, it definitely was moisturizing. It wasn't anything heavy. However as the day went on, it seems like the moisture disappears. Perhaps it was my skin soaking up the moisture but it definitely disappeared. As a result, some fine lines appeared, which I do not like. I think that perhaps this might be good to wear during the summer but might not be hydrating enough in the colder winter months (not that Hawaii gets really cold but I'm thinking in general).  Yesterday wasn't really very hot and humid and I actually spent a couple of hours in the theater, which was really cold. When I took the "After more than 12 hours" picture, the only touching up that I did was powder foundation on my nose, upper lip area and chin. It didn't seem to oxidize on me and although the picture looks a bit darker, it's probably because of the lighting. With the finished FOTD picture, I have outdoor lighting and indoor lighting but with the After 12 hours picture, there's only indoor lighting. After I took the last picture, I played around with my face a bit and tried lightly applying moisture essence cream and it worked great! Today, I'm wearing the BB cream again but I applied the the moisture essence cream on top of the BB cream and then applied my foundation. So far it seems to be doing great that way. (I'm reaching the 8 hour mark right now). However, today is also much hotter than yesterday so that could also be a factor.

I'm really liking this BB cream. It is now part of my top 3 BB creams. I love the way it's just about perfect for my skin tone. Although it's not as hydrating as I like, that's easily fixable by adding more moisture to my face. I think that it's great for warmer weather use.

*Kat*