Using My Stash

Over the last couple of months since my last post, I have used up some more of my stash. Remember, I'm supposed to be using my stash and not purchasing anything as much as possible, unless it's regular products that I use.

As you can see, I actually used up quite a bit of products over the last couple of months.

*Asience Shine Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner. I did not like this at all. It was way too rich for my scalp and it really did nothing much for my dry, damaged hair.

*Philosophy Candy Cane Foaming Bubble Bath and Shower Gel and mini Vaniall Birthday Cake Shower Gel. While I really like the scents of these, I do not like the bottles that the products come in and I don't really like the consistency of the shower gels. The shower gels are really thick and it's difficult to dispense out of the squeeze bottles.

*Bliss The Youth As We Know It Anti-Aging Cleanser. This was okay but I don't like the fact that it doesn't really foam up well.

*Nature Republic White Therapy Toner. To me, this is just a regular toner. It didn't really do much as far as whitening goes. I'm not really too particular with my toners though. Even if I wanted to, I can't repurchase this since it came from Korea. If I really, really liked it, I could get my friends to pick it up for me when they travel to Korea again. It's not something that I really, really want or need again.

*Noevir 505 Line Toner. This is an emolient and moisturizing toner that I was using only at night for a while but stopped when I started using the Nature Republic toner. Since I used up all of the Nature Republic toner, I used up what little I had left of the Noevir toner. I will not repurchase a new one right now since I'm using Kiehl's Midnight Recovery and as a result, don't need to use something quite so moisturizing.

*Tony Moly Peach Hand Cream. I loved this and will ask my friends to bring this back for me the next time they go to Korea. I kept it at my office and used it during the work day. I'm going to recycle the peach container and use it to hold some knick knacks.

*Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow Primer. I liked this at the time but I think that I will search around for a new primer. I still have a couple of other brand primers in my stash though.

*Noevir Raysela Body Protection Sunscreen. Although this is for the body, I used it on my face as well. It is very similar in consistency to other Japanese brand sunscreens. It comes in a squeeze bottle and has a shaker ball in the bottle to mix the product when you shake it. I will repurchase but not quite yet as I have had Super Goop Sunscreen Wipes that I kept in my car for in case I forgot to apply sunscreen before leaving the house. It hasn't happened in almost a year so I decided to use that first before purchasing a new Raysela sunscreen. I do have a Raysela Face Protection sunscreen which I'm using on my face since I'm not sure that I want to use the Super Goop sunscreen on my face. The Raysela Face Protection is a cream and not a runny liquid. Note: The Raysela Body Protection sunscreen is a much better value since it has twice the amount of product of the Raysela Face Protection and is the same price.

At the beginning of my post, I mentioned that I'm not supposed to be purchasing anything new unless it's a replacement. I'll have to give myself a grade of "F" for this past month. I had been doing pretty good since I decided to do this at the beginning of the year but failed miserably this past month. I made some purchases that I really didn't need to make. There was the Sephora V.I.B. sale and I made a few purchases at that time but it was all gifts for people, so that's not too bad. Earlier this month I purchased and reviewed the Neuma Hair Care line and My Beauty Diary Hello Kitty masks. There are other purchases that I made that I have yet to review.

This upcoming week is Mother's Day Week, which will be a busy one for me at work, all week long. I'll be doing scheduled posts and will check in and respond to comments when I can.

*Kat*

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*

Sparklicity Shimmer Dust Review

This is actually a really quick review since there's not much to say about it.

There are actually two different Shimmer Dusts that are part of Tarina Tarantino's Sparklicity line. One is called Shimmer Dust and the other is Gold Shimmer Dust. I decided that I prefer iridescent sparkles over gold sparkles so I bought Sparklicity Shimmer Dust.

According to Sephora's website, it is a pure-refraction glitter for body and hair. This luxe finishing touch is made from an Italian formula called reflex, which delivers pure glitter without base or binder.

It comes in a really cute glass bottle with a pink bulb pump, very reminiscent of an old perfume spray bottle. (The Gold Shimmer Dust comes with a gold bulb.) It contains 0.42 oz/12 gr of product, which is a decent size, to me.

When you press the bulb, a fine mist of the powder is dispersed.

Sorry, I had difficulty taking a good picture of the pretty sparkles

I think that because my bottle is new, not a whole lot of product came out. When I tested it at Sephora, a good amount of the powder came out in one pump. I needed to pump it a few times to get decent coverage. The sparkles are very fine glitter, which I like much better than chunkier glitters. I also think that it's better if you are wearing lotion on the area of your body in which you will be spraying for staying power.

It's a nice touch for an evening out, especially during this holiday season.

As a side note, I may not be posting too regularly for the next several weeks. My son is home for the holidays so it depends on how busy we are. If he ends up spending a lot of time out with his friends, then I will have lots of time to post. Until then, happy holidays to all of our dear and wonderful readers!

*Kat*

Decisions, Decisions...

As I am sure that all of you are doing, I've been busy trying to buy Christmas presents and decide who to give what. I find myself in a bit of a dilemma in deciding what to do for my son's girlfriend, who is from Japan. My son will be returning home for the holidays and she will be coming with him (the same as last year). I had lucked out and purchased a NAKED palette for her a while ago. I also bought this really cute tunic top, which I'm not sure is her style but she can always exchange it while she's here.

No other pictures since we've all seen lots of pictures of it before on a lot of blogs

I then came across a really interesting palette from Tarina Tarentino called Sparklicity Gold Palette. It comes in a nice gold box and I was surprised to see that the palette was also enclosed in a gold sheer organza bag.

As soon as I saw the casing, I thought that it was a design that Japanese girls would go for.

I really like the palette case design as well except for the skull that was included. I know that it's really popular right now but I can't see what is so attractive/cute about skulls.

The palette includes 5 different color eyeshadows and a mirrored lid. Quite a well-made compact, in my opinion.

The eyeshadow colors are on the neutral side so I think that it would go well with Japanese girls'/womens' preference.

The only thing that I'm not quite sure of is the quality of the eyeshadows--if they are pigmented, blendable, etc. I don't want to swatch it since it's supposed to be a gift.

So my question is, which one should I give to her or should I just give her both? Her birthday was in October and I also have a small birthday present for her--NARS Orgasm Lust set so should I combine one of the eyeshadow palettes with that and use it as her birthday present as well? Return the Tarina Tarentino palette?

Please tell me your thoughts on what you think I should do.

*Kat*

Review: Tarina Tarantino Primer and Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation

At the Nordstrom Trend Show, the MUA used Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation on her and as the night went on, I found that I really liked the way it looked on her. I decided to get color matched and try a sample of it.  I was a bit worried since it's a long-wearing foundation and usually those have a matte finish and can be drying. Since I had decided to get this sample long after we left Nordstrom, I got my sample from Macy's. I felt that the color she matched me with was going to be a bit too dark and ashy for me. Plus, it was Bisque 3W, which is warm and I am cool-toned. When I first applied it, it was a perfect match but as the day went on, it did turn on me and didn't quite match well. I looked a bit tired and sallow. I went back and got a sample in the Bisque 2C and while it did apply a bit light at first, the color ended up matching me the best. At the end of the day, I still looked bright.

This foundation provides me good coverage, and even if I don't set it with powder, it doesn't stay tacky. I think that I finally  found a good foundation that fits my needs.

I've been using a mini bottle of Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow Primer and I can say without a doubt, it's awesome!

According to Sephora's website, this primer is hydrating and smooths your skin prior to makeup application. It contains light-reflective properties which helps to give skin a healthy, luminescent glow. Yes, it does all of that for me! I'm totally blown away by how well it works on me. It doesn't feel greasy or sticky and absorbs quickly into my skin. I'm not sure if it makes my skin a little whiter than normal or if that's the brightening property in it but when I first apply my foundation, I must admit that I do look like I'm wearing the wrong color foundation. After some time though, it does balance out. I've noticed that at the end of a 12+ hour day, my skin still looks nicely hydrated and smooth. Usually, my fine lines are showing up way before then.

Start of the day

After 12 hours

At first I wasn't sure if it was the primer or the foundation that was making my skin look good after a long day so I used my Dior primer today with the foundation and my skin is definitely as nicely hydrated and smooth as when I use the Pearl Glow primer.

I decided that I wanted to buy a full-sized bottle of the primer. I ended up getting both the primer and foundation on the last day of the Sephora V.I.B. sale so I'm a happy camper. My search for a new primer is over and it's quite reasonably priced.

*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*