Using My Stash November 2013

Wow! I can't believe it's December already! Where has 2013 gone?

Here's the products that I used up in November:

Aquamoist Facial Cleanser and Daiso Sponge and Puff Cleanser

I really liked the Aquamoist Facial Cleanser. I was just given another one and it's in my back stock. You all have heard me rave about the Daiso Sponge and Puff Cleanser, which I used to deep clean/wash my brushes. I have a few more bottles in back stock.


Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner, Noevir Raysela Face Protector UV, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

The toner was okay. I like the fact that it's alcohol free. I also like that it was a lot of product for a reasonable price. I'm not too particular about toners as long as they are not drying. The one thing that I didn't like was the dispensing cap. Although it's a flip top with a small hole, it still poured out very easily. As a result, my cotton pad would always get way too soaked. Noevir's Raysela Face Protector UV is my HG sunscreen product and something that I can get easily here. The other sunscreen item that I really like is Hada Labo UV Whitening Emulsion but I can't get this easily. In fact, I've been having difficulty finding it online. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion was a deluxe sample item that I had received. I didn't care much for it using it as a facial moisturizer so I used it on my neck.


Tony Moly and Face Q masks

I didn't do a good job of masking this month as I had hoped. It was my goal to try to mask every weekend. The Tony Moly mask was okay and I do like the Face Q masks.


Bare Escentuals Eyeliner brush and Maybelline Whisper lipstick

I found this brush as I was cleaning up. It has so little hair on it so I must have loved it well. I have not used it in so long that I'm not even sure what kind of brush it was but I'm guessing that it was an eyeliner brush.

As you can see, there are barely any hairs on it and what little hair is on there is all wonky.

Maybelline Whisper lipstick in 70 Rose of Attraction was my favorite lipstick. I love the color and the formulation. I will have to buy another one but I do have so many other lipsticks that I should use first.

Even though I've been using my stash over the past couple of years, I still have so much in my stash. I've been receiving products as gifts but recently I have done some hauling. I will continue to do these Using My Stash posts in 2014.

*Kat*

Drugstore Foundation Binge/Purchase Review

Right after I posted about wanting to make 2013 another "Use My Stash" year, I went out on a drugstore binge and purchased mainly foundations. I had mentioned in the blog in 2012 that I have been duly impressed by a variety of drugstore products and felt that the various drugstore lines have stepped up, making more quality products.

Foundation has been my color nemesis. I must have a really odd skin tone because I know that I definitely do not fall into the "typical" asian coloring of yellow/warm. I actually have more of a pink skin tone but not truly pink either. Neutral would seem like it would fit me the best and yet I do seem to have problems in that category as well. Whenever I wear something made for more yellow skin tones, I either turn into a very sallow coloring, turn orange or look like I'm wearing dirt. Whenever I wear something for pink tones, often it's way too pink or it makes me look a little too white. In actuality though, the pink tones seem to best suited since it definitely helps to brighten my face and not make me look sallow and sick. I have found that more neutral tones sometimes make me look ashy gray.

My go to foundations for 2012 were from the Bourjois line and Kate BB Cream gel. For both, the colors worked best with my skin tone--definitely not perfect but quite close. I also use a foundation from Clarins, which is great for drier weather.

Deciding to branch out, I first purchased Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation. I was looking for something a little more moisturizing since the weather has gotten quite a bit cooler here. I first bought #60 Natural Beige but thought it was too light so I purchased #100 Natural Tan.

While I liked the formulation of the foundation, it just didn't work out. The foundations were nice and moisturizing, to the point where I would have to blot around my nose after 6 or 7 hours of wear, something that I haven't had to do in years. I didn't mind though. The worst thing about both of these colors is that they turned orange on me. I also didn't like that it didn't have a pump dispenser. The foundation is a bit runny so it was difficult to get a little bit of product out of the bottle as it just quickly poured out.

Next I tried out L'Oreal True Match Lumi, Healthy Luminous Makeup in C3 Creamy Natural.

I thought that the color looked like it would work out pretty good but at first it was way too light. The formulation was okay, a little less moisturizing than Healthy Skin but again after several hours of wearing it, it started to turn orange on me. I did like the pump dispenser.

I then thought that I would try something that I haven't tried in long time, powder foundation. I don't like matte finishes because it tends to make my skin look drier by bringing out fine lines. I noticed a new Bare Minerals foundation called READY Foundation. It's a powder but supposed to be hydrating. I first picked up a color that I used to use but found it was way too light. I then discovered that these foundations run light so you need to go with a darker color. I got color matched to Golden Tan.

I was quite skeptical and it turns out I was right. It's too dark and also turns me orange. I didn't use this long enough to form a proper opinion on the formulation. I'm hoping that I can return this to Sephora, although I've had it for a while.

By this point I had told myself that it was enough. I had spent close to what I would have spent on one good quality foundation and felt satisfied that I tried but didn't succeed and would stick with what I have been using. Then I spotted Wet N  Wild's new Coverall Cream Foundation. It was only $3.99 so I decided to do one last purchase.

I got it in 817 Light-Medium. It is supposed to provide sheer to medium coverage and isn't supposed to be heavy, chalky or dull. It has a semi-matte finish that is luminous. Here's the description on the back:

I couldn't get a good picture of the ingredients because of the curve of the tube. It's definitely not moisturizing like the other two foundations and I have to make sure to moisturize well before using it. I think that it would work better in the warmer months.

I was a bit worried that the color of it would be really pink on me. Here you can see how peachy pink it is compared to the other two.

Fortunately, it doesn't come out as pink as I thought it would. In fact, the color comes out to a very good match on me.

Here it is on half my face:

As you can see, it's slightly lighter than my normal skin tone.

Full face:

After more than 7 hours and no touching up:

As with all foundations, it does oxidize on me but very slightly and it oxidizes to a good color match for my skin tone! There is some SPF in it--SPF 15 so there is a slight whitish cast when taking flash photography, which makes it look lighter than my neck. Here I've taken a no-flash picture to show how well it matches my skin tone.

 

I'm very happy with this foundation and it's only $3.99! I have found it only at one store so I'm hoping that the other stores start stocking it. It has long-wearing power for me and it brightens my complexion as well as matches it quite nicely. I don't really have sensitive skin but so far, I haven't had any negative reactions to it. I have to admit that I'm only on my 2nd day of use.

I have done some other drugstore purchases but will save that for another post since this one has gotten to be much longer than anticipated.

2010 End of Year Favorites

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I'm so sorry that I've been absent from blogging but with my son and his fiancee being here since the 20th, my schedule has been a little erratic. Couple that with the fact that I got sick on the 30th, I haven't had the energy to take pictures, come online to post and/or comment. I'm finally on the mend, I think, and they needed my car today so I'm at home from work early and can finally spend some time online.

There's a LOT of things that I have to blog about so you can expect to see a lot of posts in the days to come.

Starting things off is this 2010 End of Year Favorites. I did a Half Year Favorites in June and not too much has changed. You can see that post here. 

Cleansers

I still love the Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes and the Clarisonic system. I've been using Bliss "The Youth As We Know It" facial cleanser. I like it as I can't feel my skin tightening up after I wash and dry my face. I also received the Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil as a Christmas gift and I really like it. I'll be doing a quick review of it in another post one day.

Skincare

I'm still using a majority of what I was using in my previous Half Year post. I am using Noevir's eye cream again as I like it much better and for my serum, I've been using Cle de Peau during the day and Olay at night. Again, I have to do a review on the Olay in another post.

Eyes

Double eyelid stretch fiber remains a #1 must for me. I love the Mezaik brand but it's been a little difficult to find online to order so I also use the AB Mezical and it works just as well. (Reviews were already done.) I now use Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion instead of MAC Paintpots for my eyelid primer. UDPP works out really well for me and can be used over the stretch fiber whereas the paintpot couldn't.

Face

I've finally found a foundation that I love since it doesn't give me a really matte look and settle into any fine lines. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra is wonderful for me. It gives me the coverage that I need and it doesn't look cakey. I said that it doesn't give me a really matte finish, although it does seem to dry as a matte would. The only down side for me is that I have to buy two different shades and mix it to get my "perfect" match. A concealer that I've found is something that has kind of been in the background in my life for a while--Dermablend Professional Cover Creme Corrective. This is a really heavy duty cream. My mom actually uses it to cover her birthmark. I don't know why I didn't think to try this out a whole lot sooner. A review will definitely be forthcoming. Tarina Tarantino primer is my favorite as well. I've already done a review. NARS Orgasm blush has quickly become my go to blush. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Sweetie is also my go to lipstick.

Hair

These last two items are recent acquisitions so reviews will be forthcoming as well. I've reviewed the Lever Lux Super Damage Repair Essence a while ago but only recently started using the shampoo and conditioner. These are working out well for me. I also discovered, by chance, L'Occitane Masque Eclat Shine Mask recently. I had gotten a sample of it when I made a purchase and loved the sample so I had to buy a full jar of it.

I'll be doing a Half Year Disappointments post as well as reviews for the above in the future.

Once again, Happy New Year to all and I'd lilke to send a shout out to all of our new recent followers. Thank you for following! I'll be visiting your blogs soon.

*Kat*

Half Year Disappointments

I've been meaning to do this post for a while now but kept on blogging about other things. There really isn't too much since I did an earlier tag post Don't Believe The Hype, which was basically the same thing for me.

This, of course, is my own personal opinion and what is a disappointment for me could be a thumbs up for you.

Hair Products:

Fekkai Shampoo and Conditioner--Technician Color Care

I thought that this would work well on my hair since it's color treated. This was probably the worst of the lot. When I would rinse out my hair, my hair felt really brittle and like straw. I really felt like my hair was a bird nest. Not only that, I really detested the scent. The shampoo was okay since it was sweet and lightly scented but the conditioner was much more strongly scented and it smelt like Passion Orange/Guava and I do not like those fruits. YUCK!

Fekkai Shampoo and Conditioner--Protein Rx Repairative

While this wasn't as bad as the Technician Color Care, the shampoo still made my hair feel like it was straw when rinsing out. The conditioner was okay. The thing that I didn't like was that after I dried my hair, it wasn't silky soft but it felt like I had applied styling products. Also, by the next day, my hair was feeling and looking oily so I would have to wash it. This meant that I was needing to wash my hair everyday.

Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Shampoo

Unfortunately, when I rinse the shampoo out of my hair, it would also feel a bit like straw. I love the conditioner though and the hair mask is wonderful!

Skin Care:

Mandom Barrier Repair Baby Moist Serum and Essence

I'm glad that I didn't purchase the full line of this. I found that when I used this at night, the next morning there was excess oil sitting on my skin, like it wasn't absorbed into the skin. I couldn't read the ingredient list but when I applied the essence, it seemed to me that I could smell alcohol in it. I try to use as little alcohol-based products on my face since it can be quite drying. Not something that aging skin needs.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Eye Cream

I don't have anything bad to say about this product. I really don't have an opinion on it at all. I didn't feel that it did anything. If I don't think that it's doing something good, I won't purchase it again.

Makeup:

SunPlay Skin Aqua Moisture BB Cream

I really, really wanted to like this product. It felt good on and I thought that it was nicely moisturizing and hydrating. The only thing is that it is way too light for me. I tried to make it work by using a darker foundation color but it still didn't quite work out. It's really unfortunate!

MAC Plush Lash Mascara

This came highly recommended but it absolutely didn't work for me at all. It didn't curl my lashes. Although I was told by the MAC MUA that it wouldn't uncurl my lashes, it did. It also flaked on me.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

I had read that many bloggers like this eyelash curler but it didn't work for me. Shu Uemura works the best so far. The Shiseido eyelash curler is more curved than the Shu Uemura so it's not a good "fit" for my eyes.

That's my 1st half of 2010 disappointments. Sorry it's almost a month late.

*Kat*

Target and Wal-Mart Shopping

I don't remember if I mentioned this before on this blog or not but I very rarely shop at Target. I was really excited that they were opening here but after they opened, I went once and was a bit disappointed. I remember going to Target in Los Angeles and in Las Vegas and I really enjoyed it. About a month ago, I went to Target after reading about how bloggers are finding this and that but again, my reaction was "bleah". At that time I found a mini Ecotools brush set and a shrug/mini cardigan. Nothing really exciting.

Yesterday, I ran away from work for a little while and took a detour to Target. Why? I don't really know. I was hoping to find the Eyliplex Eye Cream that Beauty Verdict posted about and liked. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. I'm guessing that it's not stocked here. I spied a really small smokey eyeshadow palette that looked interesting so I thought that I'd try it. I never heard of the brand Pixi before but when I took it to the checkout, I found out that it was $31.50 USD! I think that it had 8 shadows in the palette but it was really small! If I'm going to have to spend that amount of money on something that just looked a bit interesting, then I will spend it on something that I'm really wanting to try.

I was so determined not to walk out of there empty handed so I ended up purchasing a toy for my kitten, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock in SPF 70, Hello Kitty Nail Polish set and a dress.

The sunblock I know that I probably could have gotten it for a little cheaper at Wal-Mart but I ended up purchasing it anyway. Right now I use Noevir's Raysella sunscreen in SPF 30+ but with summer coming, I want to use something with a lot higher SPF. I've used Neutrogena's line before and really liked it. This is a weightless, waterproof liquid formula and it layers invisibly under makeup. The only thing that I'm a bit concerned about is whether or not it will be drying on my face. It seems and feels a lot like the Sofina Perfect UV sunscreen that I was using before and while I really loved it, it did end up being a bit drying. I'll try this out and will do a review later.

Ah, my love for Hello Kitty never ceases. I bought this nail polish set only because it was Hello Kitty. I decided to buy the pink toned set. There was another set which had blues and greens in it but I decided not to buy it. This was what I looked for the last time I went to Target and couldn't find it. Again, I haven't tested it out.

I haven't bought clothes in a while and when I saw this dress it really caught my eye. I will use it with the mini cardigan/shrug that I bought from Target the last time I was there. I love shrugs and bought this aqua-colored shrug without having anything to match it with.

Lastly, today I went to Wal-Mart before going in to work. I am really scraping the bottom of my eye cream jar and I won't be able to replace it for a while since I am really busy at work for the next few weeks. I usually use Noevir's Eye Cream and the Noevir office is nowhere near to my office. I decided to try Neutrogena's Ageless Essentials Eye Cream. It says that it is lasting, nourish and moisturize. It is continuous hydration with Pro-Vitamin B5. I will use this and will review after using it for at least a week.

I also bought a dud of a product. I decided to try Maybelline's XXL Pro Mascara. I will review this another time as well.

I'm in a shopoholic type of mood right now since I'm working extra hours at work and feeling like I don't have much time for myself and I'm exhausted. This is what I do to boost my energy.
*Kat*

Kat's Daily Routine

Morning:

Note: Kat is a Noevir consultant so all skincare products is Noevir unless otherwise noted.


Wash face with face cleanser from 99 line
Face Lotion (505 line)
Albion Exage White Shooting Spots
Moisturizer (105 line)
Protecting Skin Cream
Raysela Face Protection UV
Eye cream
Shiseido Maquillage Moisture Cream Foundation
Time Balm concealer
Shiseido Maquillage Moisture Finish Powdery Foundation
Covergirl Eyebrow Pencil
Bare Minerals Eyebrow Powder
MAC and Shiseido Maquillage Eyeshadow Base
Duo Eyelash Glue
MAC and Shiseido Maquillage Eyeshadows
MUFE Aqua Eyes Eyeliner
Bobbi Brown Eyeliner Gel
Talika Eyelash Lipocils
MAC Blush
Shiseido Maquillage Glossy Perfect Lip Rouge
Set with Caudalie Eau De Beaute Beauty Elixer


Night:


Remove makeup with Neutrogena Makeup Remover cleansing towelettes
Deep Cleansing Massage Gel
Wash face with face cleanser using Clarisonic Brush
Face Lotion
L’Occitane Fabulous Serum
Philosophy Miracle Worker
Moisturizer
Protecting Skin Cream
Eye cream
Time Balm concealer
Shiseido Maquillage Eyeshadow Base
Duo Eyelash Glue


The Albion Exage White Shooting Spots is supposed to lighten the dark spots on your skin. Kat has been using it for a long time and it hasn’t worked. Will definitely not buy it again.


Why the Duo Eyelash Glue? Kat has the typical asian mono lid so she uses the glue to create the fold or double lid. She has noticed that using the Shiseido Maquillage eyeshadow base helps to create the fold without it being obvious. She has tried a Japanese brand of eyelid glue but it didn’t work.


Kat will soon run out of the Caudalie Beauty Elixer and wants to try the Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System. Sephora has just started to carry the Amore Pacific line in stores but ran out very quickly. Hopefully it gets replenished soon. Otherwise, she will have to pick it up at Neiman Marcus.