Easter Egg EOTD

Happy Easter Everyone! I didn't think that I'd do another post but I got inspired when I thought about easter egg colors and wanted to do an EOTD along the same lines. When you think about Easter and coloring eggs, you usually think of the colors yellow, pink, purple, blue and green, or at least I do.

Products used:

Sephora Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow--Gold Reflection
MAC Pigment (which I pressed)--Violet
Urban Decay Eyeshadow--Radium
Urban Decay Eyeshadow--Kush
Addiction Eyeshadow--Mystic Mirage
K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner--Black
Covergirl Lashlast Clump Crusher Mascara--Black

I did my standard prepping of my eyelids and then applied Gold Reflection to the inner 1/3 of upper eyelid. Violet was then applied to the middle 1/3 of eyelid and Radium applied to the outer 1/3. Mystic Mirage was applied to the outer half of brow bone. Lined the upper lash line with K-Palette and outer corner of lower lash line. Radium was then applied to lower line to just about half way in. Although you can't see it well, Kush was applied to the lower lash line at mid eye and Gold Reflection was applied to inner 1/3 of lower lash line. A light application of mascara to the upper eyelashes.

To finish off the rest of the face, Canmake Cheek & Cheek blush in 06, which was a LE color, was used and Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie was applied to the lips.

It was a colorful eye look but all of the colors weren't over the top that it looked ridiculous.

*KatI

Spring/Sakura Inspired FOTD w/Product Review

Spring is slowly coming around and brings with it all of those pretty pastel colors. I tend to gravitate towards spring eye makeup collections because of the pretty colors but have to keep reminding myself that I can't use them because they are too pale for me.

Sakura has come early this year in Japan and from last week Tokyo was already in full bloom. I love sakura and it was either last year or the year before that I did sakura inspired look. I have decided to do a new sakura inspired spring look.

When you thnk of sakura, one normally thinks of white, pink and brown colors. If you look carefully at a sakura tree in bloom, you will notice that there aren't any leaves. The leaves come out after the flowers fall off.

Products used (some are not shown):

Urban Decay Primer Potion--Original**
MAC Eyeshadows--Vanilla* and Samoa Silk**
Addiction Eyeshadow--Mystic Mirage (Gift from Justine)
Sephora Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow--Gold Reflection
Quo All About Eyes Eyeshadow Palette--Bronze (I think that's the color. Gift from Winnie)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow--23
Urban Decay Eyeshadow--Kush (from BOS III)
K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner--Deep Brown

Covergirl Lashlast Clump Crusher Mascara--Black
Canmake Shading Powder--01**
Chanel Sculpting Veil Powder--Notorious** (Gift from Vicky)
Lise Watier Blush--Pink Power (gift from Justine)
Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color--Love Child

I also used Boujois 123 Perfect Foundation, Sue Devitt Bermuda Triangle Concealer, Make Up For Ever Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream in #8, NARS Orgasm blush and Sephora Eyeshadow in Sun Kissed, which has been discontinued--so sad! I use these all to finish my face and if you haven't yet, you can read my concealing method here.

This may seem like a lot of products but it really isn't. The items with a pink asterisk are items that I use on a daily basis. For the eyeshadows in palettes, I marked the ones that I used for this look with a red asterisk.

As is standard preparation for my eyes, I prime my eyelids with primer potion. I then use Samoa Silk in the socket of my eyelid and bring it out to on top of the outer half of the brow/socket bone. My bone is very prominent and it makes my eyes look sunken in, plus with age, it seems to have sunken in even more. Using the orange-toned color helps to lighten the darker area on the inner eye socket. (This is the same concept with concealing.) Because the brow/socket bone is so prominent, I like to use matte eyeshadow to very thinly highlight just under the eyebrows. I usually use Vanilla.

I then applied Mystic Mirage from inner corner of eyelid to just about 3/4 of the way towards the outer eyelid, and bringing it gently upwards towards where Samoa Silk is applied. The outer 1/4 of the eyelid is where Bronze is applied sweeping it inward to blend into Mystic Mirage. I also pull it upward into Samoa Silk and going on top of the outer brow bone. Gold Reflection is lightly applied where Bronze and Mystic Mirage meet to blend the two colors in. Sometimes you do see a hint of yellow in the center of a flower, depending on the variety. I'm not sure if this applies to sakura too. Although this look is sakura inspired, it is also a spring look so I wanted to incorporate a little bit of additional color. I then lightly applied GA ETK #23 very lightly over the entire eyeld. This softens everything a bit but the main reason why I used it is because it is an iridescent eyeshadow with very fine iridescent flecks. Sakura season is a very special time of the year and its beauty and glory are quite magical. I wanted to have the wash of iridescent specks to create that magical feel. K--Palette eyeliner is applied to entire upper lash line and flicked up at the end a bit. The outer half of the lower lash line is lined also. I then apply Bronze over the eyeliner of the lower lash line and deepen the outer "V"  with Bronze, softening the flicked up line. Kush is applied to the lower lash line at mid eye, just to give it a slight pop of color. Again, green isn't part of sakura but it is a color associated with spring and new growth of plant life. Clump Crusher mascara is applied to my lashes.

My cheeks are contoured using Canmake Shading Powder 01 and I also bring the color up to the temples and forehead. Notorious is applied in in darkened hollow of my cheek, close by the ear. I also very lightly apply it from my jaw bone down towards the chin. I think that I have a sharp jaw bone so this helps to soften it as well as give the illusion of narrowing my face. Pink Power had to be used in this FOTD because of the sakura theme that the design has. Thank you Justine for this beautiful blush and for Mystic Mirage!

Lips were colored using Love Child, which gives it just the right hint of color. I think it's a perfect spring color.

As most readers are aware, I am not a brown eyeshadow person. Browns tend to wash me out or make me look tired. I am also not a big fan of wearing neutral or pale looks. Again, it's because I look washed out. Warm tones are definitely not good on me, although I love how others can make warm tones and neutrals work for them. It took me a long while to use the Quo palette because it was a beige and brown color palette. Also, there is a very pretty embossed design on it and it was just too pretty to use. After looking at the palette more and more, I began to think that it looked more cool toned than warm toned, which is why I decided to give it a go. I was very surprised that I liked the way the two shadows looked on me. The shadows themselves are very nice, not overly pigmented but are nice and soft. They are not chalky at all. With Bronze, the darker color, you can't over do apply the color, which is nice. I even liked that it was a more muted look that worked on me. I still prefer to have the outer corners of my eyes darker but feel that I can comfortably use this for a day time look without looking washed out or like I'm not wearing any makeup. Thank you Winnie!

Chanel Notorious was something that looked so interesting to me when it came out. I was curious to try it but hesitated purchasing it. I joined the Blogger Secret Santa exchange again this year and put this out onto my wish list. Vicky was my Secret Santa and she sent it to me! I was excited to try it and yet was a bit hesitant to see how a gray-colored powder could work as a contouring powder. Normally we use browns so gray seemed to be a bit harsh. If applied correctly, it works great! You really need a light hand. When you think about it, the recessed parts of your face actually look more gray/black than brown--at least on me it is. Thank you Vicky!

Mascara is one thing that I have trouble finding that will work well for me. I have poker straight lashes that are difficult to keep curled, unless I use waterproof mascara. Clump Crusher is water resistant so it comes off easily with a gentle makeup remover and washing with warm water. The formulation is on the drier side, which works better for me. The amazing thing is that this mascara WILL curl my lashes without using an eyelash curler first. I used a light application here and it gave my eyelashes a natural curl look. If I apply more mascara and really press the wand into my lashes, it will curl it even more and giving me a more dramatic look, which I don't care for much anyway. The other great thing about this mascara, it doesn't flake! I can wear it for 12 hours or longer and not have it flake. Definitely my favorite mascara!

I decided to (12 hours later) darken the eye up a bit to make it more "evening out" appropriate. I decided to pull out Urban Decay Smoked Palette, which I have had for a while but not used.

I decided to use Barlust, which is a medium brown color. I applied it to the outer corners of the eye to deepen the color a bit and added it to the outer 1/4 of lower lashline.

I'm not sure if it's the right brown for me yet. I have to play with it more. I've read varying reviews on what people think the color is--Temptalia calls it a reddish brown while others have said it's a golden brown, neutral brown, etc. If it comes out more reddish brown on me, then it'll definitely not work. It was already late when I did this and only artificial lighting so I will have to test it out again during the day time.

This was a long post. Thanks for reading through it all!

*Kat*

P.S. Happy Easter!

P.P.S. There are still items available in the blog sale

Gift Review: Lise Watier Pink Power Blush

I recently received a wonderful gift! Thank you to my "sakura soul sister", Justine of Sakura Lovely, I was able to add to my blush collection from Lise Watier's Spring 2013 Collection.

Lise Watier is a Canadian cosmetic company and while they do take online orders, it is unfortunate that at this time they only will ship to Canadian addresses. I first heard about them because of their concealer wheel, which contains a variety of different shades of concealer to address all of your concealing needs.

As soon as I had seen previews from Canadian bloggers who had attended an event, which was probably at the end of 2012, I knew that I had to get the blush.

This blush is called PInk Power. There is a very lovely sakura design on top of a metallic silver case. The case itself is very sturdy and well constructed. I think that the presentation is quite elegant.

The blush on the inside is stunning! The sakura flowers are raised as well as the petals. The background is embossed. The pink blush is matte while the pale pink sakura has some iridescent glitter in it. I don't know if it's just an overlay or if it is throughout the flower.

At the time that I took these pictures, I had only taken it out to admire its beauty. I finally used it over the weekend. I used it twice and so far the fine iridescent glitters are still there so perhaps it is throughout the flower. I am hoping so since it adds just the hint of sparkle to your cheeks. The blush itself is nicely pigmented. A little goes a long way. It gave a nice pink flush to my cheeks. This is definitely a blush that I will have a hard time using on a regular basis, only because it is so beautiful to look at.

Thank you Justine for gifting this to me. I really, really like it.

*Kat*

Blog Sale Is Now Starting!

I've finally managed to put my blog sale together. Please take a look! You can access it via the tab to the right or click here.

I will be stepping out in about an hour. If you email me during that time and I don't respond right away, please don't worry. I will get back to everyone as soon as I can.

Thank you!

*Kat*

Crown Brush Haul

Hi, my name is Kat and I am a brush addict.

Seriously, I love brushes and can't get enough of them. Back in February, I did a Crown Brush haul, most of them were back up brushes to what I already have. I usually like to have at least two of the same brushes that I use every day to rotate. While I do a quick brush clean every day, I try very hard, but am not usually successful, to wash my brushes every week. With the brushes that are more dense, they don't always dry by the time I'm ready to use them the next day, which is why I like to have a 2nd set of brushes. It's also convenient for traveling because I can pack ahead the 2nd set and not worry about having to use it that same day and make sure that I remember to pack it before rushing out. I had made my first Crown Brush purchase back in 2011 and liked the ones that I purchased and have been using them on a daily basis that I finally made my 2nd purchase to buy the back ups.

In order from left to right:

Chisel Deluxe Powder Dome. At first I didn't like this brush but have come to love it for applying my face powder. It puffs out to a very full, round brush that it's like a powder puff. I use it like a powder puff and pat the powder on.

Tapered Duo Fiber Blush. This is something new that I didn't previously order. I haven't used it. yet although I do like duo fiber brushes a lot.

Chisel Blush. This is also something new. I haven't tried it yet.

Blending Fluff. I use this brush to apply a little color over concealer to set it instead of powder. It's one of my favorites.

Deluxe Round Crease. I use this brush to apply the deepest color to the outer 1/3 of upper eyelids. It is one of my staples.

Bullet Crease. This too, is a new brush. I've been using it to apply highlighter but I think that it might be a bit too big for that purpose. Will figure out some other way to use it.

I'm entering into my busy months at work so hopefully it won't interfere too much with blogging.

I've also been busy putting together items for my upcoming blog sale. Some things I'm on the fence on but trying to be rational about it too. I've kept some products just because it's something I want to have but I don't ever use so there's a tug-of-war going on inside of me on some items. Hopefully I'll be done gathering things up soon. Then it'll be picture taking and uploading. Whew!

*Kat*

Purchase Review: Kiehl's Line-Reducing, Eye-Brightening Concentrate

Whenever I go to Las Vegas, I love going to Premium Outlet Mall to shop, especially at the CCO stores (Cosmetic Company Store). There are two such shops at the one outlet mall that I usually go to. When I was there in October, I was able to score some Giorgio Armani single eyeshadows (the ones like Infallibles).

I just went to Las Vegas last month and was hoping to find more of those eyeshadows but unfortunately, there was barely anything GA related in store. I was surprised to see a small selection of Kiehl's products there and was happy to find this eye cream.

It was quite chilly in Las Vegas and I felt that the eye cream that I took with me wasn't hydrating enough so I purchased the Kiehl's eye cream. I also wasn't getting enough sleep so I thought that with the eye brightening properties, it was perfect.

The ingredients:

The first night that I used it, I loved it! It was very emolient and hydrating. I did think that perhaps it might be a little too oily for use most months when I returned home as there are only a couple of months when it gets to what I feel is chilly. I used it for the next couple of days and was totally happy with it until...

...I noticed one night that after applying it, the area where I applied it felt prickly and a bit itchy. By this time, it was just a day away from returning home so I decided to stop using it and use it only at night after I returned home. It was slowly starting to feel more prickly and itchy with each application, although I experienced no swelling, redness or visible irritation. It finally got to the point where I was trying desperately not to rub or scratch and had to wash my face to remove it completely.

I'm really sad that it hasn't worked well for me. I use Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Complex without any problems and love it. I guess that I'm still on the hunt for a good eye cream to use at night.

*Kat*

P.S. I'm starting to gather things for a blog sale so keep watching out for it. This eye cream will defintely be going into the blog sale. Hopefully someone else uses it with no problems and likes it.

Happy Girls' Day & Blogversary

March 3rd is known as Hina Matsuri, or Girls' Day in Japan. It also happens to mark this blog's 3rd year. The very first post was written on this date and was about Hina Matsuri.

A very good friend brought over a Hina Matsuri Cake for me this evening.

Isn't it pretty?! It's a strawberry shortcake and is very delicious. It is a Japanese-style cake, which I really like a lot. It was definitely difficult to cut into the cake. Even the box was beautifully decorated.

Speaking of cake, there was a recent post at Worship at the House of Blues about Japan cake. You'll find that very interesting post here. I happened to read it this afternoon and was craving Japanese cake. What a blessing that a friend would bring one to me later in the same evening!

Happy Girls' Day to all of you! Thank you for your continued support of this blog. I've met so many wonderful, caring people who are beautiful both inside and out.

*Kat*

DIY: T-Shirt Reform

I really like wearing tee tops since they are comfortable and relatively inexpensive. There are some cute styles out there but I have one problem with them--most are too form fitting. As a young girl, I didn't like tee tops that were form fitting. It probably was because I was a skinny little thing with no curves. These days, I still don't like them form fitting. I still have no curves but am lumpy--it comes with age. Perhaps I should think of them as curves but in all the wrong places and curving the wrong way.

At the beginning of February, Old Navy was having a big clearance sale and I found a 3/4-sleeve tee top for a great deal--only $6.00. I was looking around for 3/4-sleeve to sleep in since it had been a little chilly. The price was right, the style was good since I have a preference for dolman sleeves but it was too form fitting from the waist down. XS fit me well from the under arm up but was really tight otherwise. The S was still form fitting but not as bad but the neckline was too wide. While I debated what to do, I thought up trying to do something since the shirts were so inexpensive. I ended up buying both sizes.

After washing them, I took the size S and pinned the side seams and bottom hem together to make sure that they were even.

 

I then cut a wedge out of the side from hem to under arms.

 

On the XS shirt, I carefully cut off the seam at the stitching line to the under arm seam.

 

 

The wedge cut off of the S shirt is pinned to the XS shirt, which will form a triangular shape from under arm to hem. The trickiest part is making sure that the under arm seams come together. I honestly didn't care too much it if wasn't perfect since this shirt will be used only as a night shirt.

 

 

I used a serging machine to stitch my seams but the tip of wedge under the arms was also handstitched to make sure that it stitched together at that thinnest point.

 

The side seams from the right side of the shirt:

 

 

The completed shirt:

 

 

I'm so glad that it actually worked out well. I like the fit on me and it was actually very easy to do. I just used the original hem and only had to add the two wedge seams, with the main side seam staying intact on the wedge cut out.

 

I wore it during my Las Vegas trip and it was on the last night that we were there that I told my mom what I did with the shirt. She was quite shocked as she had no idea that it was redone. She said that she couldn't tell at all and really liked that I had come up with this idea.

 

I hope that you enjoyed this DIY post. I wanted to take a break from posting only product reviews.

 

*Kat*