Tao's Makeup

Happy Chinese New Year (and explanation of my absence)

2012-01-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, just popping in to say hi really quickly. (Does anyone even read this anymore?)

First of all, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! May your year be filled with happiness and prosperity.

I miss blogging and YTing way more than you guys know. I miss doing all things other than work.

I'm literally being worked to death right now. I've been up everyday at 5 am and get home after 7pm. My workday consists of 12 hours (at least) in the office, then 3-4 more hours of work to do at home. I go to work when it's still dark outside and come home way past sunset.

I've been at my new job for 2 weeks now, I've called home 2x bawling. I know it sounds pathetic, but I literally couldn't hold back the tears as I talked to my mom. I've always tried to tell her the best things in my life so she wouldn't worry, but I just broke down both emotionally and physically. I've been deathly sick with the worst cold I've had in a long while. I guess my immune system just got weakened from the stress and lack of sleep.

I knew it was going to be hard work, but I admit I severely underestimated the intensity of the course load. I have to keep reminding myself to see the light at the end of the tunnel (5 months and 2 more weeks to go!!). The paychecks will be sweet (they better be for what we're going through!).

I'm so exhausted. I have two presentations and an onboarding exam on Wednesday, so hopefully things calm down a little bit afterwards so I have time to work on my blog/YT this weekend.

On the bright side, I haven't bought any makeup/skincare in 3 weeks!

Tao

Dude...

2012-01-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

I never knew time could go by sooooo slowly.

I've been without any reliable source of internet for a week and a half now. The hotel Nathan and I spent 5 days at while moving me in charged us an arm and a leg for internet usage (I tried to upload a 2011 favorite products video...It failed miserably). My apartment building's "fast reliable wireless internet" is literally slower than dirt. Yes, I know dirt doesn't move, that's my point.

So what have I been doing since Nathan's departure? Well, I read 5 of Jane Austen's books, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, and 3 of the books I had to read for my training. Yep, that's 9 books in 5 days. *pats self on the back*

I also found two Chinatown (although the actual Atlanta Chinatown is so ghetto it should be called China Strip-Mall). However, I have gained 5lbs since my arrival...us Chinese REALLY know how to cook.

Luckily I called AT&T and got U-verse. If thing went well, I would hopefully have ok internet tomorrow after 8pm. Please bear with me guys. I promise I will make it up to you.

I'm heading off for a Meet & Greet with my new co-workers. Hopefully things go well. *Fingers crossed*

Love,

Tao

TMI P.S. I don't know if it's my recent indulgence in food or my body's having trouble adjusting to the new environment, but I'm pretty backed up. Does anyone have good tips on how to relieve irregularities? Metamucil isn't doing much. Also, I'm thinking of starting the Master Cleanse AKA The Lemonade Diet. Yay or Nay?

Hello 2012! Resolution Time!!

2011-12-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

As I watch the CNN New Year's Eve special at my hotel, I realized that yep, it’s that time of the year again—time to make plans forthe upcoming year! I like making resolutions because it forces me to reorganizemy short-term goals and makes me face reality. I also like it because it makesme feel hopeful, as if whatever happened last year no longer matters. Instead of looking back on the past likelooking at the rearview mirror, we need to focus on the present. As we gothrough changes in life it’s always helps to make a list of things we need tofocus on.

In 2012, I’d like to focus on improving the followingthings:

Focus on Career—the first 6 months of 2012 will be spent ina vigorous training program for my new job. I will be in Atlanta all by myself,so I won’t have a lot of distractions. I am 24 now; it’s time to take myjob/career more seriously. I need to concentrate on getting through thetraining program (apparently it’s super competitive) and hopefully be relocatedto a great city (i.e. Seattle or Irvine).

Spend Less—I literally have this on my resolution everyyear, yet I rarely get through a month without blowing my budget. I need to bemore conscious of what I spend money on since I need to pay for everythingmyself now (Nathan and I used to split things when I lived in Boulder). I can’trun out and buy every limited edition eyeshadow palette every season. Thingsneed to be streamlined. Let’s keep our fingered crossed that hopefully I’ll bebetter at it this year.

Relax—I don’t know if it’s my upbringing or what, but I’mprobably one of the most negative people you’ll ever meet. I’ll be the firstone to admit that nothing’s ever good enough for me. Things can always be donebetter. I realized how being so hard on everyone including myself has made mebitter and unappreciative. Things don’t wow me anymore. I’ve become so jadedthat there’s little excitement in life. I need to relax and regroup. I’ve got along road ahead of me; I need all the motivation I can get. I can’t afford tolose steam this early in the game.

Eat Healthily—I think I’ve got the exercise part down, but Ineed to focus on having a cleaner diet. I eat nothing but junk food, and youcan totally tell that it’s not doing me much good. More fruits and veggies needto be added to my diet, and I need to cut out the majority of carbs and fats(Nutella will be the death of me). Hopefully when I see Nathan again in 6months I’ll look like a million bucks.

Increase YT/Blog Quality—It’s simple: I need to learn how toedit my stuff to look more professional. My favorite Youtubers include Emilynoel83and Pixiwoo, among many others. I feelthat there’s more credibility when the person sounds/look professional. Idefinitely need to work on that. Please let me know if you’ve got any tips.

Anyway, those are some of the major things I need to work onin 2012. It will be challenging but I’m up for it. Let me know what some ofyour resolutions are.

Happy New Year!! Cheers! May your 2012 be better than ever!

Tao

Review: Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub

2011-12-30T06:30:00.001-07:00

I'm sure many of you have purchased (or at least thought about purchasing) the Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub after seeing Kandee Johnson mentioning it in several of her videos.

I did too. And I regretted it.

This was one of the PvP products I wanted to use up for the month of December...

Yeah, that didn't happen. I realized that every time I used it my face breaks out in giant cystic acne. I threw it away half way through because the plain sight of this brings out the monster in me.

This is what Burt's Bee's website claims:
Infused with refreshing Sweet Orange and Grapefruit Oils, this facial scrub removes dirt, oil and makeup. Formulated with Ground Almonds, Oats and Pecans to gently exfoliate while Sweet Almond Oil and Glycerin help moisturize your skin. It’s something to celebrate!

• Helps removes dirt, oil and make-up with a blend of Sweet Orange and Grapefruit Oils
• Exfoliates gently with Ground Almonds, Oats and Pecans
• Helps moisturize skin with Sweet Almond Oil and Glycerin

Product in action:

How it looks in the jar. It's a thick dry paste.

I use about a tablespoon for my whole face.

It's really dry y'all (practicing my Southern accent).

Add some water to it to make it thinner.

Start scrubbin'.

PROS:
--Affordability. You get a lot of product for a little under $8.
--Accessibility. You can pretty much find this at every health food store/drugstore.
--Scent. Smells exactly like pumpkin pie. GOOD pumpkin pie.
--Customization. You can adjust the abrasiveness of this scrub by changing the amount of water you add to it. It can be a deep exfoliation or a light scrub/facewash.
--Natural ingredients. You pretty much can eat this if you wanted.
--Moisturizing.

CONS:
--Packaging. I dislike having to dip into the heavy glass jar to attempt at scooping out hard scrub.
--Usage. There is a learning curve. You have to experiment with the amount of water before finding the "perfect" texture. I still haven't quite mastered it.
--Left a wierd film on my face which lead to...
--BROKE ME OUT LIKE A MOFO. 'Nuff said.
--Expiration date. Since it's all natural, you have to use it up quickly before it expires. Hence why I chose it for PvP in the first place.

All in all, it was a good scrub. I had high hopes for it because of the claims/ingredient list/celeb endorsement (yeah, Kandee Johnson is a celeb in my opinion). My skin just didn't like it. Your mileage may vary, so I advice getting a sample/travel size before fully commit to buying the full size. $8 is still $8. That's like 8 things of chicken nuggets at Wendy's (Yes, I'm pretty much obsessed with that place).

Anyway, hope that was helpful for some of you . Here's a video of me talking about it in more details:

Enjoy. I'm boarding the plane soon. :)

Tao

What I'm going to miss the most...

2011-12-28T17:55:00.002-07:00

Whenever you move, there are bound to be things you leave you behind.

I don't care about clothes (as you can tell from my lack of OOTDs, shopping for business professional clothes has been a huge pain); I can deal with shrinking my makeup stash; I will find ways to stay connected with Nathan.

However, my can't bear to think about life without my babies.

Yes, they can be a pain, but just look at their sweet faces!! Please excuse the horrendously messing background. Packing/organizing is NOT my strong suit.

Is it just me or does Happy look scholarly here?

Yep, I think I will miss Phlooof and Happy the most.

I'm seriously getting cold feet about this move guys. *thinks happy thoughts*

I would take Happy with me but I'll only be in Atlanta for 6 months (I will then get relocated again-destination unknown). I don't want him to go through flying/getting moved around. Besides he seems happy with the companionship of Phlooof.

This is going to suck. BIG TIME.

More blog posts coming up shortly, including a swap from Jacq!

Stay tuned!

Tao

2011 Reflections

2011-12-27T22:51:00.002-07:00

I honestly cannot believe it’s already the end of 2011. Itkind of depresses me to realize how fast time goes.

It’s habitual for me to reflect on my life at the end ofevery year. I like to summarize what had happened, what I learned, and what Ineed to improve on. It’s rather liberating to see everything I haveaccomplished and what the future looks like.

Accomplishments:

Being #1 Sales Associate in Cosmetics at my Nordstrom—Itwas amazing to realize how persuasive I can be. Hard work pays off. Hours ofresearch on product information and makeup techniques improved my sellingability and credibility.
Landed a great job with another great company—Thename of the company shall remain anonymous because we all know how scaryinternet can be. I’d like to retain some privacy. However, it has absolutely NOTHINGto do with cosmetics/beauty industry. It’s so rewarding knowing that myeducation and skills are needed. Not saying that working at Nordstrom wasn’tgreat, but I do have to think about why I spent the time and got a master’sdegree instead of working right out of high school.
Got my mom her first Chanel all on my own—I knowshe’s always wanted a Chanel bag, so for her 51^st birthday, I gother the Caviar Jumbo Flap Bag with silver chains. It took some serious saving,but it was all worth it to see my mom so happy and proud. It’s kinda funny tosee how much she treasures it, which is another reminder that I need to besuccessful in life/career so I can splurge her with presents like that.
Got through 7 years with Nathan—Maintaining anyrelationships is hard, especially when both people are working full time.Everything is unicorn and glitter when you first started dating, then real lifesets it. It’s so easy to let romance die and just live a mundane life, buthappiness can be found in the littlest and simplest things. Take a walk in anear-by park, go grocery shopping, walk the dogs together…the list goes on andon. Be mindful of your surroundings, simple pleasure can be found in the mostunexpected places.

Lessons Learned:

Enjoy the awkward silence—We’ve all experienced thatsituation. All were going great at the party/dinner/any social gathering, thensuddenly all conversations come to a halting stop. For several minutes, all youwould hear were silent eating and drinking (well, occasionally people cleartheir throats, but that just makes everything more awkward). I’ve always beenthe one who say silly things to try to break up the silence. However, when youdesperately try to come up with topics to talk about, the plan usually backfires. Sure, people laugh, but you comeoff as silly and ditzy. I’ve learned to enjoy that awkward silence. Why do Ialways need to be the one who break up the silence? If others can tolerate it,so can I. I guarantee that someone else will think of something to talk about.
Keep in touch—I am forever guilty of not keepingin touch with people. I have period friends. I categorize them by time periods.Highschool, college, co-worker, etc. Once I’m out of that period, I no longerstay in touch. I’m sure many of you who read this had experienced that from meas well (sorry Sue Lynn, I am really going to get better at staying intouch). I don’t know why, but I’m really lazy when it comes to networking andsocializing. The less I have to do, the better. In my perfect world, all communicationwould seize to exist except internet (for some reason I don’t consider that “communication”but it’s the quintessential form of communication) and Netflix. Yet with my newjob, I HAVE to start to get better at it. Anyone has any tips on how to dothat? Please let me know because I need all the help I can get.
Take care of your body—I have to admit withshame that I’ve gained 10 lbs in the recent months. With the stress I’ve beenunder lately, it seemed natural to me to stuff my face and watch The BiggestLoser. As a result, my skin condition deteriorated, my clothes don’t fit aswell, and my mind has been hazy. Mostly importantly for your guys, since I feel/looklike crap, I make less videos/take less pics of myself for FOTDs. It’s amazinghow alert and energized I felt when I ate properly and exercised. I really needto get back on the wagon once I get to Atlanta. I think being by myself withme-time would do me some good. Hopefully.
Reduce, reduce, reduce—I simply buy way toomuch. I come across this problem EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I move. It’s not justmakeup; I have way too much of everything. It’s a pain to pack everything. It’sfrustrating to see everything that I bought thinking I’d use yet never did. Iseriously need to shop my stash more and stop watching Youtube videos. I swear,that place creates so many lemmings for products I didn’t know I wanted. Hopefullythis will help me to save enough money for a down payment on a place for Nathanand I.

With that being said, 2011 was a great year. Hopefully 2012will be better. I will post a list of plans for 2012 shortly. Stay tuned!

Have a happy and safe New Year!

Tao

xoxo

M.I.A

2011-12-14T07:38:00.001-07:00

Hi guys,

Sorry I've been missing in action lately. Major MAJOR changes happening in my life right now. I'm so excited and scared at the same time. I can't say much about it at the moment, but it's not my intention to leave you all hanging.

I will be back in full swing in a few weeks (hopefully sooner). Please bear with me. :)

Love you all. Happy holidays!

xoxo,

Tao

Charlotte Ronson All Eye Need Eyeshadow Palettes

2011-12-03T07:39:00.001-07:00

I need more eyeshadow palettes like I need a hole in my head, but I just couldn't stop myself from putting two of the Charlotte Ronson All Eye Need (cute but cheesy name IMO) eyeshadow palettes in my basket when I was looking for something to buy with my VIB discount.

I have heard SO many good things about these palettes, but being the cynical o' me, I had to swatch them and play with them before making a final decision. Oh my lanta, it was love at first swipe.

I got two colors--Henrietta and Nicole. I got these because they were more wearable and unique. There were a few other colors but they looked IDENTICAL to some of the colors I have.

Henrietta is the cooler one of the two-a satin pinky beige, a light silvery pink (think Naked Lunch), a shimmery neutral brown (swatches a lot warmer then shown in pan--it look like Patina, but goes on like Bronze e/s), and deep gunmetal grey (like a deeper version of MAC Sweet Sienna pigment).

Henrietta

Nicole palette was actually inspired by Nicole Richie. Since I'm a HUGE fan of her, I had to get it. This palette is definitely warmer--a light golden ivory, a shimmery champagne apricot, a reddish copper, and a dark neutral brown with golden forest green shimmer.

Nicole

PROS:
--Pigmentation <--These e/s are VERY pigmented. A little goes a long way.
--Texture <--It reminds me of a creamier version of Veluxe Pearl
--Colors <--Don't know how they did it, but EVERY SINGLE COLOR look amazing on the skin.
--Packaging <--So classy and sturdy; definitely won't make you embarrassed to take it out in public.

CONS:
--None yet, but I will keep you posted.

Expect more FOTDs from me in the future, life has been crazy.

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend guys!

Tao

Collab: Makeup Pan-Killing Round 1 (PvP)

2011-11-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! Today I am doing a very special post, one that I think many of you would consider fun.

My friend Jacq (blog here) had suggested that we have a little friendly competition called Pan vs. Pan(PvP).

Basically we each choose 10 "contestants". These have to be products that you can visually measure the degree of usage (i.e. mascaras don't count b/c you can see the product/how much is left). We use them for a month, posting reviews/action pics in the time being, and do a comparison post at the end of the month. This way we can see how well we actually stuck to the plan and measure how fast it takes to use the products up.

Of course you can also use other products in the time being, but I'll try really hard to stick with the things I chose.

Here are the contestants:

1. Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in #21 1 oz <--I recently started using this for around a week. I REALLY like it so far. This is NOT the full size version, but I've rarely used up any foundation. We shall see how much I'll use up by the end of December.

2. Laura Mercier Undercover-3 <--Contains both Secret Camouflage and Secret Concealer. I kinda don't know the difference b/t the two, but I LOVE the concealer. I foresee that this will be easy to hit pan.

3. Physician'f Formula Healthy Wear SPF50 Bronzer in Light <--Very natural/light, great for my paler skin. This will take FOREVER to hit pan, but I'm hopeful. *fingers crossed*

4. MAC Blush in Harmony <--I use this everyday as a subtle contour, so it already has a slight dip. I hope to further deepen the dip.

5. Black Radiance Velvet & Glow in Modern Glamour <--I forgot how much I loved this product. It's like MAC CCB but better! I love using this in the colder weather because it's moisturizing and glowy.

6. Stila Blush duo in Quaint & Coral <--I LOOVE the Quaint (lighter) side. So natural and yet so pigmented.

7. Physician's Formula Matte Wet/Dry e/s in Baked Butter <--My goal is to flatted the dome. This is an AMAZING trio. Great for everyday office wear.

8. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie <-- Just got this recently, hoping this face brightening color can save me some get-ready time in the blistering cold morning. This also doubles as a lip balm because it's so moisturizing.

Twist all the way down

Twist all the way up

9. Tarte Pure Optics l/g in Pink Grapefruit <--Pretty generic, but the twisty-uppy lipgloss tend to be easier to use up b/c it contains less product. :)

The gloss stops right at the blue line

10. Burt's Bees Citru Face Scrub <--Bought this b/c Kandee Johnson recommended it and she has AMAZING skin. It's at 70% right now.

I keep all the makeup in a nice little pouch on my desk. It reminds me that I need to use those products first. I got this along with the order from Meow Cosmetics.

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Go check out Jacq's post too!

Tao

Review: LORAC Bejeweled Day to Night Jewelry Box

2011-11-27T10:33:00.001-07:00

In my last post I showed a FOTD featuring the LORAC Bejeweled Day to Night Jewelry Box, so today I will do a more detailed review on it.

This is a limited edition set that is sold at Sephora exclusively. It is valued at $415 but priced at only $56.

It comes with a GIANT bronzer, a peach and a rose lip gloss, a light peachy-pink and a med-tone rose blush, a brown and a black eye liner, and two palettes that contain 16 e/s each-one for day, one for night.

Here they are:

Bronzer: A little too red for my liking, but I tried it on top of a really light blush and it looked really good. It adds a subtle boost to the face. There's a slight slight sheen to it, nothing major but worth noting. The texture is very fine, but I foresee it being a wee bit powdery if you don't use a light hand.

Lip glosses: I actually quite like them. Unlike most lip glosses that come with sets, these are actually moisturizing and balmy. They are not super pigmented, but you can build it up to a semi-opaque level. Peach is a light peachy beige, great with a smoky eye or if you want something that you can apply without looking at a mirror. Rose is a deeper mauve-y rose color that can slightly brighten your face without looking garish. My favorite of the two is Rose, but then again, I like more of a bright lip look.

Eye liners: Nothing to write home about. I don't use them, but from swatching, I feel that the texture is quite hard. They are pigmented though.

Blushes: Great pigmentation, satiny finish. All around winners. I LOVE LORAC blushes, so this came as no surprise.

Eyeshadow palettes: Now THESE are the stars of the show in my opinion. You get a total of 32 e/s in a wide range of colors. They are super pigmented, very blendable, and the textures are almost creamy. I LOOOOOOOOOVE theses eyeshadows. Day palette consists of mostly warm colors while the Night palette contains a lot of cooler tones. I definitely mix them up and create a huge variety of different looks.

Night Palette

Day Palette

Anyways, here's the video of the review:

I HIGHLY recommend this if you are looking to add more variety to your collection or if you are trying buy a picky person a great gift (LOL).

Have a great day guys!

Tao

Thanksgiving FOTD with Tutorial! YAY!

2011-11-25T10:15:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! Happy belated Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great and full Thanksgiving. I certainly did. :) I almost had to pop a button after dinner! LOL!

Anyway, this is my FOTD for Thanksgiving dinner over at Nathan's aunt's house. Since she's very au-naturale, I didn't want to put her off with massive amount of makeup. I went with a very simplistic and natural approach. This is pretty much what I wear everyday now, mainly because it's SOOO easy and fast. I actually get surprisingly lots of compliment whenever I wear this, so go figure.

All the color products in this look came in the LORAC Bejeweled Set. It's limited edition and available at Sephora right now for $54.

This is the look:

Close up:

What I used:

Face:
--Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in #21<--goes on pink/grey like woah, but it does oxidize to match my natural skin color. Detailed review coming up.
--Dior Long wearing moisturizing concealer in 520 to color correct under the eye
--Diorskin Nude concealer in 001 to brighten under the eye
--Physician's Formula Glow Boosting Pressed Bronzer in Light-Medium

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony to contour
--Light peachy-pink blush from the Day Palette in LORAC Bejeweled Set
--MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle
--A tiny bit of the bronzer that came in the LORAC Bejeweled Set

Eyes:
--Day Platte in LORAC Bejeweled Set in bronze, shimmery apricot, and matte light ivory (all shown in vid)
--Maybelline Collosal Volume waterproof mascara
--Dior Diorshow Maximizer mascara primer<--LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
--Diorshow Blackout <--AMAZING!

Lips:
--Peach l/g that LORAC Bejeweled Set

Here's how I achieve the look:

Anyway, gotta get ready to do some Black Friday shopping. I don't even know what I want, just wanted to be a part of the chaos I guess, LOL!

Have a great day!

Tao

P.S. Nathan makes a rare appearance. And yes, that IS The Hunger Game Trilogy on the couch. I got that from Nathan's parents for my birthday. Heard LOTS of good things about this, so you bet your leftover turkey that I'd be reading away over the break. :)

Collective Birthday Haul

2011-11-21T06:55:00.001-07:00

Guess who turned 24 over the weekend? Moi.

I think I passed the age where I'd get excited over birthdays. The gifts are always nice, but I think I'm mentally too old for all night partying (not that I was EVER into that anyway).

My birthday this year was quiet. Nathan and I just spent some quality time together. We went grocery shopping for Thanksgiving at Costco on Saturday because I wanted to sample all the foods. It was a BAD IDEA. There were sooooooooooooooooo many people, good GOD! I got annoyed and went next door to Ross where I found some awesome clothes and unexpected makeup.

Since I forgot to take pics of the clothes, I'll just show you the makeup.

My wonderful friend Sue Lynn sent me some Japanese makeup goodies:

Jill Stuart blush quad in Milky Strawberry

Esprique Precious e/s palette in D-2

They are GORGEOUS! I've been wearing that blush on a daily basis recently. A FOTD will be up soon, I promise!! I've been VERY uninspired lately. I think all the new goodies will change that.

I recently placed an online order at Cherry Culture because I've been dying to try out some of the new NYX blushes.

The new colors: Amber (Great Fall blush) & Bourgeois Pig <---LOOOOOOOOOOVE

Cream Blush in Tickled (NARS Orgasm but 100x better!) and Cafe<--Great contour shade

Swatches: Amber, Bourgeois Pig, Cafe, and Tickled

Finally, I got some Meow Cosmetics mineral foundations/highlighters. I've been loving using foundation powders to set the tinted moisturizer. I will do a more detailed review on these, but it's suffice to say that I've finally found my perfect color match.

The powders are HUUUUUUUUUGE. You get 30 grams of product! :)

To be honest, I'm kinda over celebrating stuff now. Nathan and I just celebrated our 7-year anniversary (Is the 7-year Itch coming up? LOL) and my birthday. Thanksgiving is up next, then followed by my mom's birthday, then Xmas.....*drops dead*

Anyways, I need to get ready for work. :) Ah...3 more days!

Tao

P.S. Another reason why I haven't updated is because I've been addicted to reading. Currently in rotation are the Dexter series and The Hunger Game Trilogy (I got that for my B-day from Nathan's parents. They know me so well! Can't wait for the movie!!!).

Review: Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser

2011-11-09T19:58:00.002-07:00

Thank you so much for everyone's support in my last blog sale. It was a huge success! As of 11/9/11, all paid parcels were shipped out.

Now many of you know that I purchased Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser during Sephora FF sale. I desperated wanted to try it because it is a supposedly a dupe for the famous Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish face cleanser. It retails for $20 and you get 3.3oz of product, so not bad price wise. Since Liz Earle isn't readily accessible to me, I bit the bullet and tried out the Soap & Glory version.

Like Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, Soap & Glory (S&G) Hot Cloth Cleanser is a white cream that you rub on your dry face with all the makeup on. It's supposed to "melt away the makeup" and deep cleanses the skin. It also comes with a muslin cloth for gentle exfoliation and complete removal of the face wash.

Here's the product:

This is the muslin cloth:

You are supposed to apply this to dry skin, massage it in for 1 minute, let it sit for 1 minute, then remove it with a wet warm muslin cloth. It is formulated to "cleans, smooths, and melts away makeup".

Despite its claims, it does NOT remove waterproof products. My mascara (Maybelline Colossal Volume Express in waterproof) still looked perfect after I rubbed the cream on it for 2 minutes.

Testing:

Result:

While my skin felt very soft and smooth right after I washed the cleanser off, within 30 seconds I saw massive clogged pores all of my face. Many turned into cystic acne (those deep under the skin owie ones) that hurt and can't be popped. My skin is now scarred and rought (even more so than before). I'm so mad and sad at the same time.

I returned this product promptly and have been battling with the residual effects ever since. This would explain why there weren't a lot of FOTDs recently. :(

Anyways, as with all products, everyone has different experiences. Please do your search before making a purchase (but apparently that didn't help me, just created such a high standard for the product performance).

Hope that was helpful for some of you. :)

<3

Tao

PMS?

2011-10-19T19:08:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it is, but this just made me bawl like an infant.

I have two cats and once owned a puppy named Harry :(. I always strive to do my best to offer them a comfortable life style. It makes my blood boil when I see people mistreating their pets.

I hope everyone who owns a pet to go give them a big kiss and a huge hug. Life is short, show them you love them.

*goes off to the corner and cry*

Tao

I love my cats but...

2011-10-18T20:05:00.003-06:00

they are driving me kinda nuts. I'm gonna get a pure black kitty!

Find of the Year

2011-10-18T07:30:00.002-06:00

I don't care who you are, you NEED this in your life.

Kirkland 10 Piece Deluxe Brush Collection

I got mine from Costco for $24.99. You get 10 AMAZING brushes AND a brush roll.

It comes with
--cheek brush (we call it flat top buffer brush)
--Powder brush (LOVE)
--Finish brush (Stippling brush)
--Contour Kabuki
--Liner brush
--Crease brush
--All over eye brush
--Angled eye brush
--Highlighting brush
--Foundation concealer brush (LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE)
--super awesome brush roll

I don't know about you, but I KNOW I'm getting a back up. I used all the brushes today and OMG SOFTNESS!! I especially like the pointed foundation/concealer brush. It applied my under eye concealer like a dream. LOOOOOOOOOOVE~

RUN TO COSTCO AND GET IT!

Happy shopping,

Tao

Updated Skincare Routine

2011-10-17T08:35:00.001-06:00

Here is my updated skincare routine as per popular request. Enjoy.

Here's everything I use. I know, this picture scared me too.

This is the general routine.

Morning:

--Cleanse face with a gentle face wash

--Prep with a serum

--Moisturize

--Sunscreen

Night:

--Take off makeup with a Cleansing Oil

--Cleanse with a heavy-duty face wash

--Prep with a serum

--Moisturizer

Treatment:

--Exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week

Face Wash:

1. Acne. Org Cleanser: I use this in the morning since it is very gentle. I've been using it for a while now. It doesn't irritate my skin and it wasn't too harsh to use in the morning.

2. Philosophy Purity Made Simple: I use this at night for a deep clean after using the cleansing oil. This supposedly can take off all the makeup by itself, but I personally feel more comfortable if I use a separate makeup remover. I got the GINORMOUS size from Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale last night, and it just would NOT go away. I'm getting close though, almost 80% gone. :) I like it, but it doesn't have the nicest scent. I personally would not repurchase because I've used some drugstore alternatives and didn't see a difference. But then again, I'm not picky with face washes.

Serums:

1. MyChelle Apple Brigthening Serum.

2. MyChelle Ultra Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum.

3. MyChelle Perfect C serum.

4. Avon Solutions plus Maximum Moisture Hydration Booster: See full review here.

I did a review explaining all of them. Please watch it here:

Day Moisturizer:

1. Garnier Nutrioniste Moisture Rescue Lightweight UV Lotion SPF15: I use this mainly during the warmer months because it is very light. It smells very light and pleasant, and I couldn't really detect a sunscreen smell. It moisturizes pretty well, but I wouldn't use it in the freezing Winter in Colorado. I'm almost done with it though, so :D

2. Exuberance Wild Blueberry Intensive Day and Night Cream: I use this when my skin is EXTREMELY dry. I tend to use this at night because it's so intensely hydrating. It would be perfect for the colder weather. I got mine at Hautelook when they had a blow out. I got the professional size of 8oz for $60. Pretty sweet deal huh?

3. Exuberance Indian Rose Calming Facial Lotion: I use this when my skin is irritated, mostly due to over-exfoliation, wind burn, etc. It sort of creates a barrier on your skin to protect it from the environment. I noticed a significant reduction in skin discomfort after using this. Again, I got it at Hautelook.

Sunscreen:

1. Kiss My Face Sunscreen w/ Oat Protein Complex SPF 30+: I use this for everyday activities such as going to work or running errands. It contains oat protein complex that look like tapioca pearls, but they disappear once you emulsify the products between your hands. It has a very soothing scent, which I think is the main reason why I use it. It reminds me of that summer of Freshman year in college. Good times. I wouldn't recommend this to people w/ medium to dark complexion because it leaves a very apparent white cast.

2. Shiseido Sun Protecting Lostion for Face and Body SPF 55: I use this when I'm doing a lot of outdoor activities. It's extremely water-resistant This also acts as a great primer since it's very mattifying and smoothing. Be warned though, this leaves a white cast too. I think this was discontinued because I don't see it sold at counters anymore. I got my from TJMaxx. However, ALL of the Shiseido sunscreens work well. Actually, you know what, all of the Japanese sunscreens work well.

Cleansing Oil:

1. Shu Uemura Skin Purifier: I am using this currently. This is very repairing so it might not be the best choice for people with oily skin. The consistency is a little thicker and more difficult to wash away. I think this was around $80? I don't quite recall because I got 2 of this as gratis. I like it, but I think I like MAC Cleanse Off oil more. Plus, I don't think you can get SHU in US anymore. :/

2. MAC Cleanse Off Oil: The HG of HGs. I've been using this for years. It takes off any makeup instantly and washes away quickly. It's also pretty affordable compared w/ Shu.

Night moisturizer:

1. Avon Anew Rejuvenate Night Sapphire Emulsion: AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING!!

I filmed a detailed review for this:

Treatment:

1. Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash: This is a very gentle physical exfoliant. You can use this everyday. The granules are very fine so they won't scratch your face. I got the giant size again, and the pump broke. I don't think I will get this again. I think it's a little TOO gentle for me.

2. Acne.Org AHA+: This is a very gentle chemical exofliant due of the low content of Alpha Hydroxy Acid. It kinda stings when you put it on your skin but I LOVE that feeling. You WILL peel when you first start using this but the result is worth it. It gently dissolve the top layer of dead skin and reveal the fresh skin underneath it. Don't go to crazy with it though and DO NOT USE IT AROUND YOUR EYES.

Whew, that took a long time. Kudos to people who do lists frequently.

Hope that was helpful.

Blog sale coming up soon. :)

Have a great day!

Tao

Mother Nature

2011-10-14T07:37:00.004-06:00

I've never been an outdoorsy kinda person. I like my TV, computer, and shopping malls. However, when the weather gets cooler, I almost feel as if I were being suffocated when I'm in door all the time.

Yes, the weather in Boulder has been PERFECT lately. It has just the right amount of warmth to keep your nose running, but it has definitely cooled off enough that you know to throw on a jacket when stepping out. Leaves are changing colors, air is becoming more crisp, and you can almost smell holiday season in the air.

I. LOVE. IT.

What do you do when the weather's perfect? You drag your SO hiking with you.

We went up to NCAR which is like 5 mins away from where we live. I couldn't help myself and took lots of pictures. It was just so breathtaking.

And just when you thought everything is easy-peasy with mother nature, you see an animal foot up in the tree. I mean WTF man! How did it get there?!!

Not gonna lie, Nathan and I stood there for like 15 minutes coming up w/ different scenarios. The most plausible one was a vulture got to it after most of the animal was eaten by some other predator.

After I told my mom the story, I got the whole "This is why you work hard and watch your back, so you don't end up like the deer leg". Yes, mother.

This is what I got from taking a hike on a perfect day. A taste of wondrous mother nature, and a life lesson from my mother.

Ah...Life.

xoxo,

Tao

P.S. Have you ever just look at your makeup/clothes stash and get so frustrated that you want to throw/burn/sell EVERYTHING?! Yes, I'm going through one of those phases right now. Expect an EPIC blog sale coming up. EPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC.

FOTD: Glittery Winged Eye

2011-10-12T18:59:00.000-06:00

Hi guys! I've got a quick look for you today. It's featured in a couple of my recent YT video.

This is basically my usual winged liner, except it's in a glittery purple color and way more dramatic.

The look:

What I used:

Face:
--MAC F&B in C2
--MAC Full Coverage fdtn in NW 20 under eye
--MAC Full Coverage fdtn in NC20 on acne area
--Physician's Formula Glow Booster Pressed Bronzer in Light-Medium

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony to contour
--ELF Studio Blush in Blushing Rose
--MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle

Eyes:
--MAC Paintpot in Soft Ochre
--UD pigment in Rock Star used wet to line on top, used dry on bottom
--Born Pretty Lashes
--Bobbi Brown e/s in Mahogany on brows <--I LOOOOVE strong brows lately

Lips:
--faded ELF Glossy Gloss in Mystic Mauve

Close ups:

More pics:

Not gonna lie, have a round face makes me perfect my contouring skills:

I don't know why I look so smug here:

Anyways, thanks for taking a look.

Have a great day!

Tao

A quick update

2011-10-09T08:14:00.002-06:00

I have really enjoyed the weather lately. I LOVE waking up to crisp/cool weather. I already busted out my sweaters and coats. :)

Boulder, CO (80305) Weather

Save This Location

Updated: Oct 9, 2011, 7:45am MDT

UPDATE DATA

NEW! See what people are saying about the weather in Boulder

View 24-Hour Storm Report for Denver Area

ALL ALERTS 1

Alert:Freeze Warning

until Sun, 9am MDT

TodayOct 9

Mon10

Tue11

Wed12

Thu13


AM Clouds / PM Sun	Sunny	Partly Cloudy	Sunny	Sunny
52°FHigh	63°High	68°High	65°High	65°High
37°Low	42°Low	44°Low	43°Low	41°Low
Chance of Rain: 20%	Chance of Rain: 0%	Chance of Rain: 0%	Chance of Rain: 0%	Chance of Rain: 0%

Details

Next 5 Days

I realized that shez official got real when I came across this at my local grocery store:

It's actually AMAZING!! It sounds weird but is totally delicious.

I am wearing L'oreal Project Runway blush in Charming Cockatoo. I used a MAC 187 because this shade is so pigmented. I quite like the result though. Very fresh.

The last thing to this absolutely random post is that my Avon serums came!!

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

Tao

Review: L'oreal Project Runway Super Blendable Blushes

2011-10-07T07:55:00.001-06:00

I recently ran across a special edition display for L'oreal Project Runway collection and literally did a double-take.

The entire collection was BEAUTIFUL! There were 4 color stories that featured 4 completely different Fall trends.

While all the products seemed intriguing, the blushes were the ones that screamed my name (isn't it always the blushes?). Lucky for me because there was a promotion for 40% off L'oreal cosmetics, so I ended up getting all 4 blushes (and a lipstick).

PROS:
--Blend-ability. True to their names, these blushes are very easy to blend out and look natural.
--Pigmentation. DEFINITELY use a light hand. These blushes can get bright QUICK.
--Size. 10 grams of product? Hells yeah.
--Packaging. They look so chic in the slim and slighted decorated cases.
--Colors. The blush shades are all very wearable and versatile.

NEUTRAL:
--Price. While $10 is quite high for a drugstore blush, you have very high quality and A LOT of product.

CONS:
--Limited availability. There were only 2 of everything set out. When I asked the manager if they had more, she told me that was all the stock they received.

Watchful Owl: Slight brick-y and terracotta-ish. This is the most pigmented one. It would be a great neutral color for people with medium to dark complexion.

Charming Cockatoo: A soft rose color. It's slightly more pigmented than the rest, so use a light hand. It's very face brightening.

Audacious Amazon: a peachy-bronze. It'd look great as a bronzer for fair-complected people. It would be a great highlighter for people with darker skin. It has a frosted finish.

Sultry Raven: Light lavender pink. Very similar to MAC Coy Girl, so innocent and sweet. It has a shimmery finish.

Sultry Raven's Pout: AMAZING creamy neutral pink in the tube, but it goes on a lot nuder.

Swatches from left to right: Charming Cocktoo, Watchful Owl, Audacious Amazon, Sultry Raven, and Sultry Raven Pout.

I will definitely do some FOTDs featuring these products, so please stay tuned!

Have a good one!

Tao

New Month, New Hair

2011-10-04T08:15:00.001-06:00

How the HELL is it October already?!!! Next thing you know it'd be Halloween! EEEEK!

Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOOOOVE Fall/Winter, but I just feel that time is going by too quickly. I feel so old....:(

Anyway, I metioned how I wasn't going to color my hair anymore...but I lied. I was just tired to seeing the new growth. The color difference, albeit subtle, was enough to drive me crazy. I was also getting sick of the orange-y color at the tips, so I marched into Sally's Beauty Supply and got my hands on my favorite hair color:

L'oreal Preference Mega Browns in Coffee.

I normally use Truffle, but I decided to go a week bit darker for the colder months, creative right?

This was my hair before:

This is my hair now:

I quite like the color. It's very rich and subtle indoors, but when the light hits it it turns into this gorgeous deep wine color. One thing I dislike about it is how fast the red fades, but then it's a risk with ALL red hair dye though. :/

Anyways, are you doing anything new to your hair?

Have a great day!

Tao

New Obsession

2011-10-01T11:07:00.001-06:00

You all know how much I LOVE me some hydrating serums. I don't care about the brand, as long as it works well and doesn't make me file for bankruptcy, then I'm on it like white on rice.

I've been using MyChelle Ultra Hydrating Serum for a while now.

While it works amazingly well, the price is rather hard to swallow at around $40 each. I mean, you can find them on sale at your local health food store like Whole Foods/Sprout/Trader Joe's, but the cheapest I've managed to find was $20 each (that's when I bought mine). If you wanted to try it, you can read more about/buy it HERE.

Then I recently placed an order on Avon for some skincare products, and came across this:

Avon Solutions Plus Maximum Moisture Hydrating Booster

It was originally $12.99 but is now on clearance for $2.99!! I got 2 just to try it out.

HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER. This is one of the BEST hydrating serum I've EVER tried.

PROs:

--It's a gel consistency. Some serums can be too liquid-y so you HAVE to work fast to prevent it from slipping off of you hand. You get more play time with this.

--It smells AMAZING. So fresh and clean.

--It gets absorbed instantly leaving your skin glowy and ready for your moisturizer.

--Extremely hydrating yet not greasy. It claims to boost the hydration instantly by 253% and I believe it.

--The price. I mean even at full price $13 is an amazing deal (I've paid about that for my Garden of Wisdom HA serums and I thought those were cheap), but at $2.99 each?!! Click on the link immediately to get some!!!!

CONs:

--Might be discontinued since it's on sale.

After using it twice a day for a week, I'm convinced that this is Holy Grail material and promptly placed an order for 20 more. Yes, you read that right. TWENTY!!

I'm set for life.

I hope all of you go try this out. Believe me, you will LOVE it.

Happy weekend!

Tao

So Fresh So Clean

2011-09-27T19:27:00.002-06:00

Recently I've been ADDICTED to fast and simple looks, especially when I just running errands in Boulder. People here are so down to earth that it always makes me feel weird when I go out with a full face of makeup.

This is been my go-to errand look:

What I used:

Face:
--Garnier Skin Renew anti-dark circle roller under my eyes
--Maybelline FIT concealer in Sand on pimples/on top of the eye roller under eyes
--MAC Studio Careblend in Medium <--amazing powder for people with dry skin. Review HERE

Cheeks:
--Physician's Formula Glow Boosting Pressed Shimmer Bronzer Light-medium
--MAC Harmony to contour
--NARS Dolce Vita <--I recently discovered that ELF studio blush in Blushing Rose is a DEAD RINGER for this.
--Fyrinnae highlighter In The Spotlight <--*gasp* this could potentially replace MAC Soft&Gentle as my HG highlighter

Eyes:
--Ben Nye Essential Eye palette in Cork (lid), Vanilla (highlight), and Mink Stole (bottom liner)
--Maybelline Colossal Volume Waterproof in extreme black
--L'oreal Voluminous on top
--Stila e/s in Nanda Devi on brows

Lips:
--a wee bit of left over NARS Dolce Vita l/s <--Got it a couple days ago and have been wearing it nonstop.

More pics:

Close up:

Over-exposed cheesy smile:

I know this look is boring, but it's so nice to be able to bust this out in 10 minutes after wearing a ton of makeup on a daily basis.

Blog sale coming up. :)

Tao

This is why I don't cook. (GRUESOME PICS)

2011-09-26T14:20:00.001-06:00

I've had my fair share of kitchen disasters as a child who had spent way too much time in the kitchen with her nanny.

You would've guessed that I'd be an expert chef from all the injuries I've obtained from being in the kitchen. Yet unfortunately...I'm not.

Nathan and I often choose to go out to eat because:

1. It sucks to cook for two people--There's no quite the ideal amount of food to prepare. It's always too little or too much.

2. It takes WAY longer to prepare/clean up than the actual cooking.

3. Economy of Scale. It's actually cheaper for us to go out to eat than to cook.

Over the weekend I was feeling particularly adventurous (mainly because we got this AWESOME Japanese cooking sauce), so I decided to make chicken w/ potatoes.

Sounds harmless right?

Well...I guess there were some water on chicken when I put it in the hot oil, because the oil splatter on my hand in big globs.

Before you know it...

This is immediately after the incident

Two hours later..

The next morning...

So it's safe to say that Nathan and I will continue to eat out and there won't be any new product swatches for a while.

Don't fret though, I've got some pre-shot swatches on my files. :)

Also, I'm in the process of doing another blog sale soon, so stay tuned!

xoxo

Tao

The Fun in Life

2011-09-23T19:47:00.002-06:00

Not gonna lie, this gif made me giggle for hours.

Ah I love animals. :)

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette

2011-09-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Most of you already know about my addition with makeup palettes (what makeup category aren't I addicted to?!), but for those who didn't know, I LOVE MAKEUP PALETTES!

Why do I love palettes?

Well, you get to try out many colors without breaking the bank AND can easily travel with a palette without having to carry 10 different products.

My most recent acquisition is the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette.

I told myself that I wasn't going to get it because I already have so many e/s, but it's limited edition (almost full-sized)15 e/s for $59 that comes in a super cute packaging....How can I NOT get it?!! Yes, I know, my will is very weak.

I did suffer from buyer's remorse right after I bought it because, again, I already have so much. That is, until I swatched the colors....

PROS:
--The variety of colors is great. You get your bronzey/charcoal neutrals, but you also get insanely pigmented brights.
--The texture of the shadows is so smooth and creamy.
--The pigmentation of the shadow is off the hook!! They are one of the most pigmented e/s I've ever used. Literally a light swipe w/ brush/finger will give you A LOT of color.
--Cute packaging. Need I say more?
--Affordability. You get 15 eye shadows are 1.3 grams each for $59. That's almost $4 each. MAC e/s are 1.5 grams/$14.5 each. You do the math.

CONS:
--There is some fall out due to the smooth texture of the e/s. Be careful when you apply them.
--It's kind of heavy because of the metal casing.
--All but one (blackout) shadows are shimmery/frosty.

Close-up and swatches: All the swatches are from ONE light swipe. Impressive huh?

Overall, I LOVE this palette. I would strongly recommend it if you are in the market looking for affordable pigmented e/s.

Thank for reading this. I hope this was helpful for some of you.

TGIF!

<3

Tao

Make 'em say WOW

2011-09-17T09:47:00.000-06:00

Here'e a little quick FOTD for you today. It's a really light smudgy eye w/ a BRIGHT red/fuchsia lip look.

It was very simple to do, and I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. It's simple, face-brightening, and screams "LOOK AT ME".

What I used:

Face:
--Estee Lauder Max Coverage on selected areas
--MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NW20 under the eyes
--Maybelline Dream Matte powder in Sand to set fdtn
--ELF Blush/bronzer duo (just the bronzer side)

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony to contour
--Ben Nye blush in Fresh Coral from the Fashion Rouge palette<--I would marry this palette if I could.
--ELF Facial Whip in Lilac something. The writing was rubbed off. <--surprisingly AWESOME and only $1? Yes please.

Eyes:
--Ben Nye Essential Eye palette in Mink Stole, Dark Brown, Cork, and Vanilla
--L'oreal Voluminous mascara <--STILL not a fan

Lips:
--Prestige lipliner in cameo
--Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in Red Haute <--possibly one of the hottest red lipstick I've ever used
--Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Julio just on the center of lips

I have filmed a tutorial on how to create this look. It will be up and running in a few days.

For those of you who wanted to see my updated foundation routine, here it is. Enjoy.

Have a great weekend guys!

Tao

Lucky

2011-09-16T13:20:00.003-06:00

I don't know why I made this post, but I just want to say that I must have done something AMAZING in my previous life to deserve my mom and Nathan.

I've been pretty stressed out lately due to work and couldn't get off of the emotional roller-coaster.

It was Nathan who's always by my side comforting me. It was my mom who's always just a phone call away no matter what time of day it is. They were there to break down my shield and take care of the real me; they were there to analyze all the things I've been dealing with and try to come up with solutions; and most important of all, they were there for me unconditionally.

As a lot of you might know, I'm a greedy person. Good is NEVER good enough for me. I'm always trying to be better, to be the best. I would often feel so burnt out that I just want to quit life.

Both my mom and Nathan offered to take care of me if I ever wanted to take a break from work. They were worried sick about me. I know it's horrible to say, but the selfish part of me was so happy that the people I cared about the most about didn't think I'm crazy.

I know my mom and Nathan don't read my blog, but still, I want to tell them this:

I now must face life and all of its challenges with a brave smile because I've got the best support team in the entire world.

Have you found your support team yet?

XO Tao

Why a lack of FOTDs?

2011-09-11T10:40:00.000-06:00

This is why...

See, I'm VERY not photogenic. There's probably only one picture I can use out of 100 pics I take. Then I get frustrated and feel all ugly.

Also...I'm dumb and put all my pics in one folder named BLOG so I forgot which ones I posted and which ones I didn't.

Yeah, that's how I roll.

I'm back~

2011-09-06T17:03:00.000-06:00

Ah, a short trip to a place full of authentic Chinese food and quality family really did me some good. I'm and now refreshed and re-energized for the road ahead.

After this trip, one thing is for certain. If I had the money, I'd move to Irvine, Ca.

Don't get me wrong, I love Boulder, but with similar real estate prices, you get more bang for your buck at Irvine. I mean, LOOK AT ALL THE GREAT FOODS! I literally ate myself into oblivion. I gained 5 lbs in 3 days and had some of the best foods I've had in a LONG time.

While the trip was rather rushed, my mom planned it so well that we accomplished a lot.
--Went to Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, and LA.
--Went to Universal Studios
--Ate at 7 different restaurants and reduced my craving for Chinese food.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

We were at some random restaurant because my mom was craving some stir-fried beef noodles... I think I will never be a great blogger because I ALWAYS forget to take pics of the most important thing: FOOD!! We just devour everything the second they were brought out. They were soooooo delicious.

Next up, my mom's friend who's a Californian (is that even a word?) took us on a real estate tour. While he and my mom talked about different investment possibilities, I got dibs on all the fancy houses in Newport Beach.

If I remembered correctly, I was shocked to find out the price of the house I liked in this pic.

I think this was Laguna Beach? Beautiful houses and a great beach.

Universal Studios. I've been to the one in Orlando numerous times, but it's always fun to go to amusement parks. We took the Studio Tour to see the sets/stages where the stars work. It must be fun to act for a great-paying job. I for one think that everyone acts on a daily basis for free. LOL.

Look ma! I'm in Hollywood!

LOL! All in all that was a great trip. We all need to get away from real life once in order to recharge our batteries.

Oh, and I'll be hosting a huge blog sale sometime this week. Please stay tuned! :)

xoxo,

Tao

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

2011-09-02T11:25:00.000-06:00

Hi guys!

I got a few days of vacation from work, so I decided to pack my bags and do a little quick visit to see my mom.

As we all know, it's better to travel light. Airport security can be a BIATCH. My advice is don't take anything that will make you cry if then threw it away. Also, make sure that all the liquid products are under 3 fl oz and in a separate bag.

This is what I brought with me:

My skincare:

--Neutrogena Makeup Remover towelettes to take off all my makeup.
--Dr. Haushka (sp?) Rose Day cream <--I use this as a night cream because it's so emollient. Also it has no SPF.

--Shiseido Sunscreen for face/body SPF38 <--My mom already told me that there will be a lot of outdoor activities, so I brought reinforcement.
--Neutrogena Ageless Essentials face lotion SPF25 <--Not a huge fan, but I don't have any other day cream smaller.

My Makeup:

--Milani Glow Natural foundation: I would've brought MAC F&B, but that's too big. This is more convenience and has less risk of spilling.
--Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark circle roller <--eyecream/concealer in one
--Dior Long-wearing moisturizing concealer <--need it b/c of my DARK DARK circles
--Coverblend concealer<--for brightening up my under eye area
--Estee Lauder Doublewear Max Coverage foundation in Creamy Vanilla <--I made a little sample of this for ease of carrying. I use this strictly for pimples, scars, etc.

--MAC Gold Go Lightly bronzer to give my face a sunkissed look.
--MAC blush in Harmony to contour
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF to highlight

I brought all my Ben Nye palettes with me.

This has some bright colors just in case I'm in a bright-eye kinda mood.

This is all the essential colors for my smokey/basic kinda mood.

My favorite blush palette. There's a color for every mood/occasion.

--Maybelline Colossal Volume mascara in Waterproof <--I'm out of my Shiseido Lasting Lift. :(
--Lancome Hypnose drama <--to add volume
--Dior Diorshow Maximizer mascara primer<--to fake length and volume

--WnW gel liner
--Prestige Total Intensity in black <--LOOOOOOOOVE this liner
--Duo glue

I didn't pack any lip products because my mom will have a ton. I don't do lips anyway.

Hope that was helpful enough. I know that "what's in your bags" tag are always fun to watch/read. Enjoy!

xoxo,

Tao

LINER'S BACK!!!

2011-08-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

Thank Baby Jesus we are sporting Fall/Winter trends, which means that I can sport my signature super fierce wing liner again!

YAY!!!

This is my signature look:

What I used:

Face:
--MAC F&B fdtn in C2
--EL Doublewear max cover in Creamy vanilla
--Dior diorskin Nude concealer in 001 Ivory under the eyes
--Physician's Formula Bronze Booster Pressed Shimmer Bronzer in Light-Med. <--Amazing!

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony to contour
--Ben Nye blush in Fresh Coral
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--NARS All About Eve duo
--Ben Nye e/s in Mink Stole on the outer V
--Stila Smudgepot in black
--Bobbi Brown e/s in Espresso on brows <--I'm obsessed with super FIERCE brows lately

Lips:
--Hm....I THINK it was MAC Oyster Girl lipglass, I'm not sure though

More pics:

Ah....I've missed you so much winged liner. Let's never be apart again.

I hope everyone's having a great day. I promise I'll get more vids up when I get a few days off. :)

xoxo,

Tao

When you work at a cosmetic counter yet don't want to wear makeup...

2011-08-21T08:53:00.000-06:00

this is a look you should do.

This look literally took me 10 mins from start to finish.

What I used:

Face:

--MAC F&B fdtn in C2

--EL Doublewear Max Cover in Creamy vanilla

Cheeks:

--MAC Refined Golden to add color

--MAC Harmony to contour

--NARS Deep Throat

Eyes:

--WnW Walking on Eggshell (bronze color all over lid)

--WnW I Got Good Jeans (navy under my eyes)

--MAC Nylon on brow bone

--falsies

Lips:

--Maybelline Shinesesational l/s in Raspberry crush

More pics:

Close up:

Why yes, I do make duck face. It shows my contour oh so well.

I am so tired today. I'm enjoying my day off immensely.

Why do I feel like death you ask?

Yes, I started the Insanity Workout.

Shawn T, you so FINE!

I've been doing all the workout EVERYDAY for a week. I honestly feel like I've been ran over by a train. I will have to do it more to properly review it, but DAMN, this sh*t is BANANAS.

I'm out guys, enjoy your Sundays!

xoxo,

Tao

Time Flies...

2011-08-15T11:18:00.000-06:00

You know how sometimes you plan on taking a little break for a couple days, but then WEEKS pass before you even realize it?

Yep, that happened to me.

I just wanted to completely enjoy my few days off without making any videos, blog posts, etc, but then I just lost complete interest in starting back up. I know, I'm ashamed of myself too.

Anyway, I'm back with a FOTD. Holy Guacamole it's been forever!!

What I used:

Face:
--MAC F&B in C2
--Estee Lauder Doublewear Max Coverage in Creamy Vanilla on acne
--Dior Long Wearing Moisturizing Concealer in 520
--Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Light 0-1
--Physician's Formula Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Pressed Shimmer Bronzer in Light to Medium <--that's a LONG name!!

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony Blush to contour
--Tarte Amazonian 12-hr blush in Tickled <--Came with my 2nd installment of QVC Tarte set
--Stila Kitten e/s as highlight

Eyes:
--MAC Woodwinked on lid
--MAC Shroom to highlight
--MAC Steamy on bottom liner
--false lashes
--Stila Nanda Devi on brows

Lips:
--Nothing in the pics, but later threw on some Love Nectar lustreglass.

More pics:

Close up of the eye:

I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE period pimples

My recent addiction:

Well, I hope you enjoyed this long-overdue post. I'm gonna go do inventory at work today. It's a midnight shift yo'. I expect it to be filled with gummie bears, Red Bulls, and a lot of counting.

Have a great one!

Tao

This review made my day...

2011-08-08T23:11:00.001-06:00

This is why I love the internet.

During the bleak financial crisis our world is going through right now, it's up to ourselves to find humor in little things in life. I hope this review made you chuckle, even just a little bit. Remember, it's always darkest before the dawn.

I always have to keep telling myself that life is short, so enjoy it. Stop and smell the roses. I'm so anal when it comes to certain things that I just can't relax. I always compete with myself. I always have to be THE best. That way to life, though financially rewarding, is tiring. I need to slow down and take a moment to reflect on my life. You'll never learn if you don't look back and see what you did wrong/right.

Have a great day guys. Remember, when life gets overwhelming, spread out your arms and take a deep breath. It works wonders, I promise!

<3

Tao

P.S. Good luck on your certification Siobahn!

Don't you just want to blend in?

2011-08-01T23:28:00.000-06:00

Today I want to talk about a topic that's close to my heart. It's not beauty related and could get ramble-y.

I've NEVER blended in anywhere in my life.

While I've always had a group of friends, I never felt that I was very emotionally involved with anything. I'm the kind of people who can be your best friend when we're in class/at work, but you don't know much about me. I don't like talking about my personal life. As many of you noticed (and pointed out), I don't social network and talk a lot about what's going on in my life. I just don't feel comfortable sharing stuff like that with a lot of people. Internet doesn't go away. Everything you say, everything you do could potentially turn on you in the future.

I feel horrible for saying this, but the only person who I share absolutely everything with is Nathan. That's right, I even pick and choose with the stuff I tell my mom. I love my mom, but she's the type of parents who always want to have the last word. When I tell her stuff she will always use that to teach me a lesson. While I appreciate that, at times I get overwhelmed. I've learned from experience that Nathan won't judge me and try to change me.

I've always thought that something's wrong with me. Nothing excites me, nothing intrigues me, nothing could make me care.

You know the type of people who are just sooo good at dealing with others that they just seem to effortlessly make everyone like them? Yeah, that's not me. I just simply don't care to suck up, to fake, or to lie my way to friendship. When I was little, I've tried really hard to blend in, to be "popular". As I got older, I realized how draining that way of life is. Not that I don't still want to be well-liked and popular, at this point in my 23 years of life, I simply do not care.

I don't care that some people don't like me. You can't please everyone. I've learned to be true to myself. You don't always have to be defensive, but definitely don't go out of your way to change yourself in order to fit in. That way of life will come back and bite you in the butt.

Honestly, take it from someone who's been through it all: Be true to yourself. I know it's cliche, but in the long run, your life will get easier and less stressful. Was it lonely in the beginning? A little bit. Did it get better? Absolutely.

Lastly, I leave you all with the wise words of Beauty Addict Kitty:

Have a wonderful day. Remember, always be true to yourself. If someone doesn't accept you for who you are, they'll never truly accept you.

xoxo,

Tao

Lessons Learned

2011-07-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

Whew! Finally I have two days off from work. I love working, but it can get very overwhelming (wedding season, anyone?)

Now we all learn something new everyday. Here are some of the things I've learned.

--You cannot count on anyone but yourself. Really, just because someone is your friend does not mean they will stand up for you.

--You need to be THE best at whatever you do. You have to make yourself indispensable.

-- It's better to invest your time and energy on something that no one can take away.

-- If all three of your payment cards get rejected, it's probably not the best idea to use your BILL MONEY to buy lip sticks.

-- DO NOT complain about being broke and then go spend money on useless stuff like alcohol, cigarettes, and jewelry. Yes, I just called jewelry useless. Sue me.

-- When people ask for your honest opinion, they really DO NOT care that much for the truth.

-- Greek yogurt with honey, blueberries, and oats is orgasmic.

-- I probably should have listened to my mom and gone to medical school.

I'm going to enjoy my days off. Ah...bliss.

Review: NEW Maybelline Shinesational Lipsticks

2011-07-27T10:19:00.001-06:00

Confession time: I HATE the regular Maybelline Colorsensational lipsticks that everyone seems to love. I hate them due to the rancid smell and the fact that they seem to accentuate EVERY dry flake I have.

However I've bought several Shinesational lipsticks and I love them. They smell great, feel moisturizing, and look fantastic. So, it's no surprise that when I came across the new Maybelline Shinesational lipsticks at Rite Aid a week ago (I was trying to find the new Wet n' Wild trios and yep, I found them.), I had to buy them.

These are different from the original Shinesational lipsticks due to the fact that they are actually more of a jelly consistency. They look transparent with a bright tint if that makes sense. I think the pictures will speak for themselves.

The Packaging:

They are very attention grabbing with the cute little bright coral-pink tubes. In fact, that's what made me distracted in the first place (I swear I was VERY focused on my wnw hunt).

The Scent

They smell sooo good. Very fruity and sweet, but no cloying. The scent lingers for about 15 minutes, which makes me sad because I love it so much.

The Colors

I got (from L-R) Fruit Punch, Citrus Slice, Raspberry Ice, and Pink Lollipop. As you can see, they are very transparently colored (?). They are also the PERFECT example of summery colors.

The Pigmentation

Now this is what I'm sorely disappointed with. I know they are supposed to be sheer, but I honestly couldn't tell them apart when swatching. They have absolutely NO pigmentation (well, I lied, maybe a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit, if you look closely).

I've noticed that they get a LITTLE bit more pigmented after being on my skin for about 10 minutes or so.

Now I'm not gonna lie: they will feel AMAZING on your lips. Very moisturizing but not oily. Its texture has some substance to it, not just a thin greasy feel. But still, at $6-7 a pop, I expected a little bit more.

Overall I would give these a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. They are great for people who are looking for a LIGHTLY tinted lip conditioner (yes, they are that moisturizing), but the search continues on for someone like me who wants best of both worlds in terms of pigmentation and comfort.

Hope that helped!

<3

Tao

My Go-To FOTD for the month

2011-07-26T12:02:00.001-06:00

Hi guys! I'm back with a FOTD!

Now working for a cosmetic company that's known for its creativity is incredibly fun but challenging. You are constantly updating your looks, despite how uncomfortable it might make you feel.

For instance, it's decided that black winged liner is not "in trend" this season, so we can't wear black liner to work. Let's take a second and reflect on my previous looks. It's safe to assume that my heart stopped briefly when I heard the news. HOW CAN YOU SAY MY SIGNATURE LOOK IS NOT IN TREND!!!!!

Nonetheless, I had to change my looks. So this is what I came up with.

I've been wearing this look on at least 2x out of the week, especially when I'm rushed for time.

What I used:

FACE:
--MAC F&B fdtn in C2
--MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NW20
--NARS Laguna bronzer
--MAC mineralized blush in Dainty
--MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle

EYES:
--MAC Soft ochre paintpot
--MAC e/s in Star Violet on lid
--MAC e/s in Woodwinked in crease
--MAC e/s in Dazzlelight as highlight
--false lashes
--Stila e/s in Nanda Devi on brows

Lips:
--MAC Fabby l/s with a bit of Oyster Girl lipglass on top

More pics:

Close up:

Thanks for reading guys! I will do a tutorial for this look soon! :)

Have a great one!

P.S. I've decided to make a little To-Do-List for today (my only day off for this week).

--Take out trash (trust me...you don't want to see)
--Do dishes/clean kitchen
--Clean clothes pile <---work clothes. It's a WHOLE lotta black.
--Clean out product pile in bathroom <--it's getting a little too overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that I bought TWO professional sized moisturizer in Hautelook today.
--Clean out Nathan's drawer (technically my blog sale postage receipt drawer)

I'm going to hell for this...

2011-07-21T09:08:00.000-06:00

but I don't care! I'm still ROFLMAO!!!

Sorry for lack to beauty-related updates recently guys. I find it difficult to talk makeup after staring at them for 9 hrs straight everyday. I also forget to take pics of my makeup everytime. I will try to be better at it though. PROMISE!!

Have a great one!

In case you are having a bad day....

2011-07-17T22:55:00.000-06:00

This is the real deal:

SPOT ON I TELL YA!!

I've been LOLing for days.

Hope you are having a great day!

Review: L'oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss

2011-07-12T09:37:00.000-06:00

Is it me or are there A LOT of new drugstore stuff coming out? My wallet was burning when I left Walmart with a huge bag of new drugstore makeup I wanted to try.

First up are these new L'oreal glosses called Colour Riche le Gloss.

What attracted me first was the packaging. They come in a slim squeezy tube with shiny letters that look all high-end. It reminds me to something that Estee Lauder might come up with.

There are a HUGE variety of colors (I think 16?). The claim is that these glosses are light weight, high shine, long-lasting, and super moisturizing with Omega-3, Argan oil, and vitamin E.

I picked up 4 colors because at $7 a pop, you can afford to try more colors.

From L-R: Saucy Mauve, Golden Splash, Nude Touch, and Blushing Berry

Swatches: Same order as above

Now onto the review:

PROs:
--Very moisturizing.
--AMAZING texture. They feel like a slightly thicker version of MAC Lipgelees.
--Smells DIVINE!! They smell like creme brule and vanilla cupcake.
--Lot of bang for your buck. You get 0.4 oz of products for $7, that's a lot of glosses!
--Sleek design and ease of application.
--Decent pigmentation for a gloss.

CONs:
--Not "super glossy" as they claim. It's only semi glossy at best. At times I feel as if I were only wearing lipstick.
--Poor lasting power. They last for 45 mins to an hour on me at the most.

Overall I think they are great basic good smelling lipglosses. I wouldn't buy them full priced again. $7 is a bloody rip-off for what they are. I've give them 3.5 stars out of 5. If you were on the market for something cute/good smelling to try, go ahead and get these. :)

Hope that helped!

I'm in the process of doing another blog sale. Stay tuned!

Tao

I'm a Classy Broad

2011-07-03T10:16:00.000-06:00

...so much so that I went in to Hot Topic.

Well, let's back track. I did not, repeat, did NOT go in there with the intention of buying anything. I went down to the Park Meadows Mall in Denver with my friend BJ to get MAC application certified (which I did, thanks for asking). We were 40 minutes early (I overestimated the amount the traffic we'd hit on a Monday), so we were just walking around the mall to kill time.

We basically went into EVERY store in the mall, so Hot Topic was no exception. I know, I regretted it immediately when I got hit by MASSIVE amounts of Twilight & Emo merchandise. Nonetheless, BJ and I kept walking around (killing time really isn't that much fun, FYI).

We went to the clearance section in the back with the intention of making fun of everything, but then I saw some makeup. So this is what I ended up with...

Guess how much these costed me? Go ahead, guess....

They costed me $4 with tax!! They were only $0.98 each! Deal of the Day? I think so!

Swatches: I THINK the colors are Pink, Hot Pink, Orange, and Red.

Pink & Orange

Hot Pink & Red

Two things I hate about these blushes:
1. Once you get rid of the packaging, you no longer know the names of the blushes for sure.
2. The containers are hard to open at times.

What I LOOOOOOVE about these blushes are the pigmentation, longevity, and their ability to reduce the appearance of my pores. Oh my gosh they are some of the MOST pigmented blushes I've ever seen!!! My favorite is definitely Orange.

Description of the colors:

PINK: It is a very pale cool toned pink; great dupe of NARS Desire blush. It might look ashy on very dark skin. However, on fair skin, it would make you look like Snow White.

HOT PINK: The name says it all. It's a SHOCKINGLY bright pink. It reminds me of the limited edition MAC blush (Her Blooming Cheek) that came out with the 2010 Christmas collection (Tartan Tale). Very very pigmented, so make sure to use a light hand and a very soft brush.

ORANGE: It's not very orange, it's more like a bright peach. It looks GORGEOUS on tan/dark complexion. It just emphasizes the tan so well. Since I'm a bronzer fiend nowadays, I wear this blush whenever I'm NOT working (can't use things that's not MAC, just in case customers want to know what you're wearing).

RED: Not red, but more of a bright coral. It's very similar to Rock & Republic blush in X-Rated. It's gorgeous, but since I have a lot of acne scars on my cheeks, this tends to emphasize it a wee bit. Hence I don't wear it often.

So what's the lesson of the day?

Give unassuming places/products a try. Sometimes they'll pleasantly surprise you. If not, then you've got a great story to tell other. :)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! Guess who's working? *raises hand*

xoxo

Tao

Recent Observations

2011-06-15T09:38:00.001-06:00

I did find my Cannon PowerShot A590 IS camera hidden in my underwear drawer (don't ask). However, I find that camera has the tendency to wash colors out. I'm still experimenting with it, so yeah....

Since I still don't have a (decent) camera yet (or know how to work my old camera), a picture-less ramble post should hopefully suffice.

Here are some things I noticed recently:

* There is MOST DEFINITELY a baby boom going on. Everyone and their grandmas are pregnant. It almost seems like since a lot of people lost their jobs, all they could do is have sex. Oh, and they can't afford condoms/birth control.

* 90% of women who are wearing bronzers DON'T know how to use them correctly. Yes m'am, I DO see the orange dirt stripe on your face.

* People tend to wear WAAAAAAAAAAAY more makeup than necessary. I understand that people want full coverage everything when they are suffering from breakouts, but 18 layers of Studio Fix Fluid topped with 30 layers of Studio Fix powder won't be beneficial to your skin. It also makes you look 50 years older and emphasizes breakouts even more.

* Michael Kors watches are the IT watches. I kinda want one. I'm debating between that and Michele watches though.

* Spray tan smells HORRIBLE. Blech. Don't worry, I don't spray tan, a lot of customers do.

* I lack motivation to do/learn ANYTHING. I want to automatically know how to work everything. I don't want to be bothered learning how to work my camera so I threw away the manual. So here I am with a camera and don't know how to utilize it. That goes for almost everything in my life. My videos, my blog, etc etc.

*Allure Beauty Box is AMAZING. Video/(possible) pics to come.

I have to get ready for work now. Happy hump day. :)

I'm Back...

2011-06-13T11:22:00.001-06:00

but I lost my camera.

FML.

So I'm on the look out for a new camera.

I kinda want a point n' shoot DSLR camera... I know, it's kinda contradictory. I'm not even quite sure that it exists. I just want higher pic quality. After reading blog after blog with gorgeous pics, I've seriously considered switching cameras. I need all your camera savvy people out there to help me out. :)

I have my eyes on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. It's kinda pricey though.

I'm left super broke after I got my mom her very first Chanel Jumbo Flap Bag (Caviar w/ gold chain). It's been her dream to own a Chanel bag and she only likes the classic versions. I've been saving for quite a while, and I finally got it before the June price hike. The bag is now $4300 and I got it for $3000 (with tax/shipping) from Nordstrom w/ my discount. :)

Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions on a high quality camera?

Thanks in advance! :)

Tao

Simple Glamour FOTD

2011-06-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

First up, some house keeping. I'm going to Miami for a few days to visit my mom and attend Nathan's brother's highschool graduation. I'll be back on Monday. I think a few days off of work will do me some good. Working retail 24/7 makes me sooooo jaded you have no idea.

Don't worry, I will film a video on what makeup I brought with me on vacation. :)

Next up, this is a look I've been doing quite frequently as of late. It takes me a total of 15 mins and is great for work and play.

What I used:

Face:

--Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation in Sunny Beige (I got a little darker)

--Dior Long Wearing Moisturizing concealer in 520

--Coverblend concealer in Light

--NYC bronzer in Sunny

Cheeks:

--MAC Harmony to contour

--NARS Dolce Vita blush

--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:

--MAC Soft Ochre Paintpot

--MAC Wedge e/s on lid

--Stila e/s in Nanda Devi on outer V & brows

--MAC Vanilla e/s on highlight

--Stila Smudgepot in Black

--Model 21 lashes in #36 <--Officially my favorite lashes of ALL TIME

Lips:

--MAC Viva Cyndi l/s with MAC Half Red liner

I'm also addicted to the $10 maxi dress I got at F21. Yes, I know it'll get DESTROYED the when I wash it, which is exactly why I only paid $10 for it. :)

I hope you all enjoyed this post. Have a great week guys!

Tao

When Creativity Clashes with Reality...

2011-06-01T08:56:00.000-06:00

this is what WE have to look like...

Recently we had an event at Nordstrom called Mascara Madness. It basically means that buy any two mascaras, get one free. Great deal, right? I'm sure the thrill of getting 33% discount on Dior, Lancome, Chanel, and MAC mascaras will attract more women than the appearance of Robert Pattinson, right? LOL.

Well, our managers thought that it would be a GREAT idea for us to only do makeup on ONE eye. This way people can see the difference between lashes with mascara and without.

First of all, I'm pretty sure this idea would fly in Las Vegas, New York, or even Los Angeles, but we are in Colorado...We are going to look like freaks on our lunch breaks. Besides, I wear false lashes on a daily basis and never had any problems selling mascaras. Women pretty much love mascaras like white on rice.

Well, after a few futile attempts at changing our managers' minds, I just sucked it up and did it. According to my coworkers and many customers, I look like I'm winking....

What I have on:

Face:
--MAC F&B foundation in C2
--Cinema Secret foundation in 302-65A
--Ben Nye poudre visage in Banana

Cheeks:
--NYC bronzer in Sunny
--MAC Harmony blush to contour
--MAC My Paradise powder
--MAC Soft & Gentle

Made-up Eye:
--Soft Ochre Paint pot
--Deep Bronze color from Summer Stash Crush Metal pigment on inner crease/bottom lashline
--Light shimmery pink from the Summer Stash Crush Metal pigment on browbone/inner tearduct
--MAC Gold Mine on outer crease
--Stila Smudgepot in Black
--false lashes

Bare Eye:
--Soft Ochre paint pot
--MAC Prep n' Prime lash primer

Lips:
--I later threw on Naturally Eccentric l/s with Strange Potion l/g on top.

Close up:

When you can't do anything to change the fact, just grin and bear it. It helps working at MAC though because we are known for coming up with random stuff like this. I felt bad for the girls at Chanel/Bobbi Brown.

Have a wonderful day guys! Thanks for stopping by!

Tao

Surf Baby FOTD & An Issue to be Discussed

2011-05-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to all of you who participated in my last blog sale. It was very successful. All the packages are on their way to lovely homes. :) It should take 3-7 business days for all domestic orders, a few weeks fro international ones.

As many of you know, I've had blog sales for quite a while now. This is not only for stash purging purposes (it's a big part though), it's also a way for people to get their hands on some things they want at great prices. I have built up a great clientele base that come back and shop time after time. I think many of you can vouch for me that I am a legitimate blog seller and I have never EVER received payment and not deliver.

Usually when I do blog sales I ship the items to the address listed on the paypal account, unless the person messages me either via Paypal (noted at the bottom of the payment), Blogger, or email right after the payment is sent. You all know how fast I sent out packages since I live literally 3 steps away from a post office, LOL! Generally, if you made the payment then your package will be on its way to you in less than 12 hours.

When you sent me an email and I don't respond within a day, it's safe to assume that it ended up in my junk mail file. I check my email inbox daily, but almost never the junk mail. I'm sure many of you had experienced the how sometimes the legitimate mails end up in the junk mail box. If you needed to contact me urgently, go ahead and leave me a comment on my blog along with the email address. I moderate comments so I read every single one of them. It's a better way to contact me.

Blog sales are a lot of work. Ask any blogger who's held a blog sale. The process of taking pics is tedious; the feeling of selling beloved items are mixed; and once in a long while, you get that one customer who makes you wonder if blog sales are worth it.

Despite all of that, I still think blog sales are fun. It's great to hear back from so many of you when you get your packages and love everything. I have tried my best to deliver a pleasant experience. I will continue to improve and have more in the future, but I need you on board with me. Together, we can create a win-win situation without feeling frustrated. :)

All of that aside, let's take a look at my Surf Baby FOTD.

Again, we have to do a look from the face charts. Mine is Hibiscus.

Here's mine:

What I used:

Face:
--MAC F&B in C2
--Dior Long Wearing Moisturizing concealer in 520
--Coverblend concealer in light on top of dior
--Ben Nye poudre visage in banana

Cheeks:
--MAC Careblend bronzer in Light Lush Bronze
--MAC blush in Harmony to contour
--MAC My Paradise blush <--little bit goes a LOOOOOOONG way, like...all the way to China long.
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--MAC Soft Ochre paint pot
--MAC Short Shorts on brow bone
--Kryolan e/s in Gold on lid blended into crease
--MAC espresso on the outer crease
--Ben Nye Grande Lumiere e/s in Jade on lower lashline

Lips:
--Supposed to be Hibiscus but I don't have it, so I did Viva Cyndi l/s.

More pics:

I hope you enjoyed this guys. More FOTDs coming up soon! :)

<3

Tao

What happens when I properly brush my hair...

2011-05-21T09:25:00.000-06:00

I don't know if anyone knew this, but I NEVER EVER brush my hair.

My hair routine is wash my hair at night, let it air dry, sleep on it to get rid of the frizz, and that's it. My hair is not stick straight like what most Asians have. It has a slight wave to it...not that I don't like it, but I want my hair to look sleek on some days.

A few days ago I took a wide tooth comb to my hair when it was damp, and the result was pretty impressive.

This is what my hair looked like...Yeah, excuse the orange-yness.

And because my hair was so sleek I wanted to do more of a classic look to go with it.

What I used:

Face:
--MAC Pro Longwear foundation in NC20
--MAC Studio Finish concealer NW20
--Ben Nye Poudre Visage in Banana
--NYC bronzer in sunny

Cheeks:
--PF Bronze Booster in Light to medium
--MAC Blush in Harmony to contour
--MAC Blush in Peachykeen
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--MAC Soft Ochre paintpot
--MAC Blanc Type on brows
--MAC Patina on lid
--MAC Goldmine on inner lower lid
--Stila Nanda Devi on brows and outer lower lid
--Stila smudgepot in black

Lips:
--MAC Sheen Supreme in Full Speed

More pics:

So apparently the rapture is happening today. Guess who's working during the supposed rapture? *raises hand*

I have to go get ready for work now. Hmm....I need to figure out what my "Rapture FOTD" would be. I gotta go out with a bang. LMAO!!!

Have a great day guys!

<3

Tao

Moderately Strenuous? Pic heavy, enter at your own risk

2011-05-15T13:58:00.002-06:00

I posted this 2 days ago and could read it online and everything. Fast forward 2 hrs and Blogger's no longer working. I didn't think much of it until the next day...The post vanished.

I swear to God, if Blogger somehow makes this post disappear again, I'd slap a baby prostitute. HARD.

Anyways, I've been pretty obsessed with hiking lately. I was never the outdoors-y type. I'd take staying indoor with my beloved computer (w/ lighting fast internet) and TV over spending a day at the beach ANYDAY. However, the weather has been PERFECT in Boulder lately (not today though....it's my day off and it's gloomy and cold....). I want to take advantage of the amazing weather before it gets extremely hot.

I finally had a day off last week and was feeling bored/lazy at home, so I checked online for different hiking trails in Boulder. Luckily we live right by the mountains, so we had easy access to a bagillion of hikes.

After some careful consideration, I chose Royal Arches.

Round-Trip Length:	3.2 miles
Start - End Elevation:	5,710' - 6,915' (6,915' max elevation)
Elevation Change:	+1,205' net elevation gain (+1,417' total roundtrip elevation gain)
Skill Level:	Moderately Strenuous
Pet Regulations:	Dogs Allowed

This is the description of the trail. They get REALLY technical here. I was all o.O <--Does not compute.
Royal Arch is perched high along a rugged fold in the Boulder Flatirons. These rocks are remnants of the Fountain Formation, a mineral-rich sand eroded from the ancestral Rocky Mountain uplift 300 million years ago. Sediments deposited by the ebb and flow of inland oceans compressed this layer into sandstone, thrust upward 45 million years ago by the same tectonic forces that created our modern Rocky Mountains. Royal Arch is a fragment of the exposed Fountain Formation sculpted by water, wind and mechanical erosion into the 20’ span we see today.

The following describes the most direct route to Royal Arch, which begins at the Chautauqua Ranger Station and climbs Bluebell Road to access the Royal Arch Trail:

Bluebell Road rises steadily over Chautauqua Park past the Mesa Trail junction (.6 miles : 6,005’) and Bluebell Shelter to the official beginning of the Royal Arch Trail (.7 miles : 6,095’). The Royal Arch Trail narrows through mixed pine to a connection for Flatiron #2 and #3 and bends south up a steep, narrow gulch (.9 miles : 6,188’). Note apple, plumb and maple in this ecologically varied riparian corridor.

The trail steepens considerably as it breaks away from the upper-gulch into a thick, cluttered forest (1.2 miles : 6,530’). It continues strenuously and without reprieve to Sentinel Pass (1.35 miles : 6,768’), a rocky notch at the top of Bluebell Canyon. Examine close-up cross-sections of the Flatiron rock formations before pressing on.

The trail drops from Sentinel pass about 100’ and resumes a demanding, twisting climb over the steady trickle ofTangen Spring to the base of Royal Arch (1.6 miles : 6,915’). Walk under Royal Arch to a set of rocky outcrops with sweeping views over the Boulder foothills, eastern plains and, on a clear, downtown Denver.

I made Nathan go with me. He was all: "Nuh-UH! I have to do research (AKA playing Starcraft with his lab mates)!" Then I called him a wuss and made fun of him for being whiter than sour cream. He reluctantly agreed to go on the trail with me, but not before making me fully aware that I would be entirely on my own if I fell off the trail.

On with the pics:
At the base of the mountain.

Ah...we were soo naive. We were just chillaxing and scoffing at the idea of this trail being "moderately strenuous". Where is the moderately strenuous part? Pfffffft.

Oh shiz....

Oh HALE NAW!!! We be dead.

After many near death experiences, we finally got to the top. Celebratory picture pose! Note to self: This is exactly why I need a DSLR camera. *adds to B-day wishlist*

Look ma! A donut!!

The view really is amazing. It got kinda overcast cuz we took forever to get to the top, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Spot those CRAZY ASS ppl hanging out at the edge of the cliff.

I was being a wuss...What can I say? I have a terrible fear for heights.

Overall it was a terrific experience! Sure, the hill was steep and our knees ached, but we had so much fun.

It was a great bonding time for Nathan and I. We have rather opposite schedules. I often don't get home til 10pm and he leaves early to go to school. We don't get to spend a lot of time together because I always crash when I get home (it's very hard to keep up the emotional display all day). This is a great way to get some cadio in while having fun with each other. It didn't feel like we were exercising! Plus, it's FREE! YAY!

I hope this post has inspired you to go out and see what mother nature has to offer. Trust me, it's amazing!

Enjoy your Sundays!
<3
Tao

Why So Blue FOTD

2011-05-11T10:29:00.000-06:00

Well, in this case it's more of an aqua color.

I have to be honest, I HATE pastel colors. Screw those Easter colors. When I do colors (I'm more neutral 99% of the time) I like the vibrant OMG IN-YOUR-FACE colors.

However, with the launch of Fashion Flowers, I had to create a look using MAC Aqua e/s. Not gonna lie, I was freaking out because blues generally don't look good on me (my golden skin turns blue into an ugly green color), not to mention light light aqua blue.

After some experiment, I found out that when you wear any unconventional color on the lid, the look can still be very wearable as long as you have a more neutral shade in the crease.

So this is my look:

What I used:

Face:
--MAC F&B foundation in C2
--EL Doublewear max coverage in creamy vanilla on pimples
--NYC bronzer in Sunny

Cheeks:
--MAC Harmony to contour <--works surprisingly well
--MAC Blush in Blushbaby
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--MAC Soft Ochre paintpot
--MAC e/s in Aqua
--MAC e/s in Kid in the crease
--MAC e/s in Dazzlelight to highlight
--MAC e/s in Deep Truth on lower lash line
--Stila smudgepot in Black
--Stila kajal liner in Topaz
--Model 21 falsies in #36 with half of #25T on the outer corner

Lips:
--I later threw on Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo <--LOOOOOOOOOOVE!! It would TOTALLY be mine if it weren't $32 + tax

Close ups: I know I messed up the liner, but no one paid attention, LOL!

More cam whore

I really like how this look is so summery. I can't deny that I'm starting to like aqua a little more now. I hope this look inspired you to try out some "scary" colors. You might really like the result. Remember, it's just makeup. If you don't like the result, just wash it off. :)

Have a great day guys!

Tao

Am I an Extreme Couponer?

2011-05-09T08:05:00.001-06:00

First of all, special shout out to my friends Indira and Siobhan!!! I know you guys are stalking my blog. :)

I don't know how many people watch the show Extreme Couponing on TLC, but that show drives me bonkers!! It's basically a show about how some people spend their lives collecting coupons and get $2000 worth of groceries for $2.

Yes, it's organized hoarding. Crazy lady, do you REALLY need 53 bottles of Maalox? Maybe, because you got 100 LBS OF CHEESE!!!!

I despise that show and everything it stands for. However, on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, I realized that, maybe sometimes, I could be an extreme couponer as well.

This is my loot from Rite Aid:

My receipt:

Coupon saving:

So I got over $40 worth of products for $1.8 after tax. Not too shabby. Oh, and because I got the 2 Revlon beauty tools, I got $4 Up Rewards back!! So in summary, the haul costed me -$2.

The Covergirl products were 40% off and I had $25 in Up Rewards (like you get money get when you buy certain things). The receipt said "hearing aid" because I had a $10 Up Rewards but the register couldn't read it (it was too wrinkled), so the very nice cashier found some random $2 off coupon in the book and scanned it 5 times.

I'm really satisfied with the haul because these are some products I've been eyeing for a while now. I REFUSE to pay full prize for drugstore products because I know sooner or later they'd go on sale.

Some classic goodies I got:
--Cover Girl e/s trio in Shimmering Sand
--Cover Girl e/s trio in Golden Sunset
--Cover Girl e/s quad in Coffee Shop

I hope this post has inspired some of you to start taking advantage of the sales your local drugstores have.

Just don't go crazy on me, ok? Don't come back and tell me that you got 8000 packs of yogurt just because they were on sale for $0.1 each, got that?

Have a great week guys!

<3

Tao

The wonder of MAC Face & Body foundation

2011-05-02T09:12:00.000-06:00

Summer's letting closer!

What does that mean? People want to be tan, tan, TAN!!!

Are you like me, who embrace their natural paleness and don't want to come close to the harmful rays of the sun, yet still want to look bronzey for the special occasion?

If your answer is yes, then go to the MAC store and get yourself a bottle of MAC Face & Body foundation (get whatever color you want, preferably a deeper shade for summer).

I'm typically a C2, but I got a bottle of C5 to use on my legs. I very rarely wear shorts/skirts, but when I do, I don't want my paleness to blind people. It's also be proven that darker color makes people look thinner.

I did a comparison for your enjoyment:

I'm pretty sure you can tell which is before and which is after.

What I love the most about F&B is how natural it looks. I've tried a lot of self tanners and to be honest, none of them looked natural. They all looked orangey. The first day I wore F&B on my legs to work, my co-workers asked if I've been out in the sun. They were surprised at "how tan I am". I apply it with my hands, rub it in, and layer for a more tanned look.

F&B is designed to be waterproof and transfer resistant, so don't worry about it getting on everything. You bet that I would be flaunting my (F&B covered) gams this summer. :) This is literally like silk stockings for your legs.

At $32 for 4oz, hell I'd used it ALL OVER!! :)

Thanks for reading guys! Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Tao

Review: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

2011-04-29T08:27:00.000-06:00

Why yes, I have been on a new products seeking phase. Thanks for noticing!

I saw a Giorgio Armani counter (the only one!) at Nordstroms in Park Meadows when I was down there for the MAC Master Class. I've heard sooo much about this foundation (and most of the reviews are positive), I figured that it couldn't hurt to try it out.

I admit, the GA counter just looks straight up classy and expensive. You just feel good by shopping there. The GA artist didn't seem like she had her stuff together thought, not gonna lie. She kept pushing skincare to me, without investigating what type of skin I have, what my concerns are, etc. I'm 23, I don't need your $250 Restoring Serum, thank you though.

She also kept matching me in a shade 6. I got little darker, but not THAT dark. If working at MAC thought me anything, it's foundation matching. I matched myself a shade 4. It went on a little light, but after 5 minutes it just morphed into my skin.

This is what the package looks like:

I like the pump, 2 pumps is all I need for my entire face.

The color:

How it looks like on:

The price: $59 + tax

Coverage: Light - Medium in my opinion.

How it feels: It feels weightness and moisturizing.

How it wears: I usually wear a primer underneath, so it lasts all day on me. I do think that because it is so moisturizing that the longevity will be compromised.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

Would I repurchase: No. In fact, I already returned it. While it's a nice moisturizing foundation, it does NOT justify the $60 price tag. I can easily find a drugstore foundation (Milani Glow Natural) that performs the same at a WAYYY lower price point. All in all, it's just an average foundation. It's DEFINITELY overhyped in my opinion.

However, if you have extra money to blow and great skin to start out with, I'd say give it a try. Then at least you'd know what people are talking about. I came, I tried, I failed. Again, everyone's different and products perform different on different people. What works for me might not work for you and vice versa.

Lastly, just because everyone's talking about the Royal Wedding...

Call me immature but I find that HILARIOUS!! LOL!

Happy Friday!

Tao

Products I'm using right now!

2011-04-23T09:24:00.001-06:00

I was reading Sandra's blog and came across this post. I thought it'd be a great idea to update my list, so here it is.

Shampoo: Suave Deep Clean for Men (Yeah, I use shampoo for men. It smells great and cleans like no other. Yes, it’s drying, but that’s why I use LOTS of conditioner.)

Conditioner: Either Suave Almond & Shea butter conditioner or Aussie Moist conditioner

Treatment: Aussie 3 Minute DEEEEEEEEEEEP or Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition 3 minute undo damage treatment (what a mouthful!)

Styling products: I don’t ever style my hair, I just let it air dry. Unless you count leave-in conditioner, in which case it’d be Redken Extreme Anti-Snap.

Styling tools: A wide tooth comb to brush out my hair when damp.

Shower Gel: Um…I think it’s the Tone Moisturizing body wash in Mango Splash. It smells divine!

Body moisturizer: I’m trying to use up BBW Peppermint body cream. It lasts FOREVER!!!

Deodorant: Dove, the cucumber scented one... cucumber and lemongrass, I think!

Fake Tan: I’m giving Jergens Natural Glow another try. I’m using for Med-Dark skin tone. I’m also LOOVING MAC F&B foundation in a deeper shade as a body bronzer. C5 is amazing on my legs.

Makeup Remover: Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil for face (got the BIIIIIIIIG bottle for free, but don’t love it as much as MAC Cleanse Off Oil), Lancome Bi-facil for eyes.

Cleanser: Switching between Philosophy Purity Made Simple and Acne.org Cleanser

Toner: MAC Fix +

Facial moisturizer: During the day I’m using Garnier Fructis Moisture Rescue SPF15 day lotion (LOVE!) and Avon Enjoy Your Day SPF15 cream. At night I use MAC Complete Comfort crème (LOVE!!).

Exfoliator: Acne.org AHA+ or Philosophy Microdelivery.

Primer: Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer

Foundation: Switching among Laura Mercier Crème Smooth foundation in Warm Ivory, Rimmel Lasting Finish in Warm Ivory, and Milani Glow Natural in Shade 1

Foundation brush: Everyday Mineral Flat Top Kabuki

Concealer: Dior Moisturizing concealer in 520 w/ Coverblend by Exuviance concealer in Light on top

Powder: Don’t really use one

Blusher: I’ve been using MAC Secret Blush a lot, which is weird because I’ve never really paid attention to it.

Bronzer: NYC Sunny (LOVE LOVE LOVE!)

Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle

Eyeshadow base: MAC Soft Ochre Paint pot

Eyeshadows: It changes everyday because of work. Some staples are MAC Dazzlelight, All That Glitters, and Patina.

Eyeliner: I’m back to Stila Smudge pot in Black. I also use Physican’s Formula Gel Liners.

Curler: Shu Uemura!!

Mascara: Shiseido Lasting Lift

Lipstick: I’ve been using A LOT of the new Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks. My favorite color is Romance.

Lipgloss: MAC VG6

Nail Colour: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Bittersweet.

Wow. I’m really high maintenance…but hey, at least I look good. LOL!

Thanks for reading guys! What are YOU using right now?

Happy Easter!

xoxo,

Tao

Venturing into the unknown...

2011-04-21T11:09:00.001-06:00

...high end skincare category that is!!

As many of you know, I'm not one for expensive skincare (or anything for that matter).
I'm a firm believer that when you are young (or semi-young like me), it's not essential to use super expensive products that claim to anti-age/anti-wrinkle/lifting/make-everyone-fall-in-love-with-you-within-10-seconds.

I've always found my beloved skincare products at drugstores/online indie skincare companies like Garden of Wisdom (Their HA serums are to die for!!).
However, when my friend Alice raved and raved about Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturizer and how it miraculously changed her skin (and therefore her life), I closed my eyes and swiped my card. I got the 5 oz luxury size for $120 (valued at $190), and the original size is 1.7 oz for $65. It was a deal I couldn't resist.

Alice has combination to dry skin with noticeable pores and redness to her face. She said that this moisturizer gets absorbed within seconds and leaves her skin hydrated, incredibly soft, and minimizes the size of her pores. Sold, sold, and sold!

This is what the package looks like. Very clean and simple looking with air tight pump dispensing mechanism. I really like how hygienic it is. The bottle is semi-transparent so you can guesstimate how much product you have left.

The original 1.7 sized one comes in one of those pressed-down top thingy...I don't know how to describe it. Here's a picture:

Their claims:

Moisturize, rejuvenate and brighten skin with this sophisticated blend of proven anti-aging ingredients. Refreshing and light, Nourish is the perfect daily moisturizer for those interested in preventing and reversing the signs of aging.

- Contains Matrixyl™ 3000 and retinyl palmitate, clinically proven to rapidly diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Encourages collagen production.
- Rich in antioxidants, shields skin from free-radicals.
- Light feel, absorbs quickly and leaves skin balanced, fresh and healthy.

What the cream looks like:

It's almost like a gel consistency. It's VERY easily spreadable. It almost reminds me a little like Laura Mercier's foundation primer.

My review:

First off, let me tell you a little about my skin. I have extremely dry skin that peel and itch if I didn't moisturizer it within 15 seconds after washing. Now that Spring's here, it's gotten A LITTLE better, not by much, but anything helps.

I think Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturizer is AMAZING for people with combination to oily skin. It's light, it's fresh, and in my opinion, it's oil controlling. Unfortunately for me, I need every bit of oil I can get.

What I've been using it for (and it's INCREDIBLE at it) is a moisture mask. I moisturizer my skin like usual (with MAC Complete Comfort Creme), then I use two pumps of Nourish Daily Moisturizer (more than anyone needs as a moisturizer) and slather it in a thick layer all over face, let it sit for about 10 minutes and wipe it off. I'm left with incredibly soft skin and a glow like no other. It seals in all the moisture of the MAC comfort creme and gets rid of the stickiness.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 5

Is it absolutely necessary? Not if you have extremely dry skin, there's something more hydrating than this. I would consider it a possible HG product for ppl with combo skin though.

Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY. While it doesn't really cut it as a moisturizer for me (maybe in summer?), it's wonderful as a moisture mask. It's hard to find something that isn't too thick or too light. This is the perfect balance.

Hope this is helpful for some of you. Let me know if you have any questions. :)

Have a great day!

<3

Tao

Quite cute? Quite cute!! FOTD 3

2011-04-15T09:03:00.000-06:00

So here's my favorite Quite Cute look.

But before that, please allow me to vent a little. IT'S APRIL!!! HOW THE HELL IS IT STILL SNOWING?!!!!!!!! OMGWTFBBQ?!

Anyways, this is the face chart I tried to imitate:

Here's my take:

What I used:

Face:
--Laura Mercier hydrating primer
--Laura Mercier creme smooth foundation in Warm Ivory
--MAC Vibrancy Eye Primer
--MAC Prep n' Prime highlighter in light boost
--MAC Studio finish concealer in NW20

Cheeks:
--MAC MSF bronzer in Give Me Sun! <--pretty legit stuff
--MAC blush in Melba
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--MAC Soft Ochre paint pot
--MAC Paradisco in crease
--MAC Da Bling on lid
--MAC Vibrant Grape on lower lash line
--MAC Macroviolet fluidline
--Model 21 lashes in #36

Lips:
--nothing in these pics, but later on it was MAC Ample Pink plushglass

Close ups:

More pics:
I think I'm gonna wear stars on a daily basis now.

Gotta fob it up yo!

Thanks for reading guys! More updates coming up ASAP!

Enjoy your Sundays!

Tao

Quite cute? Quite cute!! FOTD 2

2011-04-11T21:43:00.000-06:00

Lesson of the Day: NEVER EVER REHEAT TACO BELL!!!

This is the face chart I tried to imitate:

My take:

What I used:

Face:

--Laura Mercier hydrating primer

--Laura Mercier creme smooth foundation in Warm Ivory

--MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20 under the eye

--MAC Studio Careblend powder in Medium

Cheeks:

--NYC bronzer in Sunny

--Ben Nye contour #1

--MAC blush in Sakura <--Surprisingly good color on me

--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:

--MAC Soft Ochre paintpot

--MAC moshi moshi! e/s on lid (pale mint green)

--MAC Fig.1 to carve out the crease/bottom liner

--Tarte Amazonian clay liner (from that 8th world wonder set)

--Shiseido lasting lift mascara

Lips:

--later threw on some Playing Koi l/s

More pics (Sorry no close ups today. I was in a hurry)

Oh!! The hearts were made by MAC Magenta Madness pigment. Pretty cool huh?

I have one more FOTD coming up. I love that one the best. Please stay tuned! :)

Thanks!

Tao

Quite cute? Quite cute!! FOTD 1

2011-04-10T08:53:00.000-06:00

Hi guys! Long time no see~

As many of you know, MAC launched its Quite Cute collection on 4/7 and promptly made A LOT of wallets to commit suicide.

However, this collection, while extremely adorable, didn't do much for me. I'm not one for pastel-y colors. I typically go neutral (my FAVE e/s in MAC Patina), but when I do color, I go BOLD. I got some stuff in gratis (thanks to my manager, everything I got was lavender....I DON'T do lavenders).

Anyways, since we had an event for the Quite Cute collection, we had to copy some facechart looks.

This is what I did for the 1st day. I know I didn't do it right, I went A LOT more drag...well I least I tried!! LOL!

This is my version

What I used:

Face:
--Estee Lauder DW Maximum Coverage in Creamy Vanilla <--SOOOO thick yet covers soooooo well. I wanted that porcelain-doll look
--MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20 under the eye
--MAC Studio Careblend powder in Medium

Cheeks:
--MAC blush in Sakura <---Even though it's lavender, it shows up more like a cool tone pink on me
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF <---Need I say more?

Eyes:
--Cutie e/s palette
--Stila Smudgepot in Black <--Yes, I came back to this
--False lashes <--I used Ardell 117...Can't say I love it. I also bought some Model 21 lashes they are freaking AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (did I use enough exclamation points to emphasize how amazing they are?)

Lips:
--Rimmel l/s in In Vogue <--I thought it looked like Candy Yum Yum...I was wrong.

Close ups:

Look! We got eggs n' bacon necklaces!!

Again, I didn't really like this FOTD. I have two more coming up and I love A LOT more. Stay tuned!

<3

Tao

P.S. I gained 3lbs...FML.
P.P.S. Taco Bell at 2 am is yummier than Taco Bell at 2 pm. Just sayin'

Tarte 8th World Wonder FOTD

2011-04-06T09:27:00.000-06:00

So I did a detailed review on this QVC exclusive set a couple weeks ago and promised to show a FOTD using the set.

Here's the look:

I used everything from the set and added MAC Soft & Gentle MSF (don't tell me you didn't see that one coming), Stila Nanda Devi e/s for brows, and MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

Since the FOTD I've sold the Tarte Amazonian clay foundation because I just couldn't make this work. It accentuated my flakes and slided off of my face. I had a tinge of seller's remorse after viewing Emilynoel83's review, but thinking back on the different ways I tried to make this work, I just don't think we were meant to be.

Close up:

More pics:

Overall this was a great buy! I'm so glad I set up Auto-delivery with this so I get automatically renewed for the new set in a couple of months. They are always coming out with new QVC exclusive shades. I'd just have to find someone to buy the foundation each time, LOL!

Hope everyone's having a great day. It's my day off (finally) and it's gloomy outside. Poo. :(

xoxo,

Tao

The Difference Brows Make + a quick FOTD

2011-04-03T19:28:00.000-06:00

It rather pains me to see SOOO many girls over-tweak or neglect their brows.

I tell customers ALL the time: "Eyes are the windows to your soul, lashes are curtains, and brows are frames". You should embellish each feature slightly in order to achieve balance to your face.

This is me with one brow done and one undone. See the difference it makes?

Now both sides are complete:

I think it made the whole look a little more complete/fierce.

What I have on my face:

Face:
--Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation in Warm Ivory
--MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NW20
--Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana
--MAC Bronzer in Golden

Cheeks:
--MAC Blush in Secret Blush
--MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
--MAC Soft Ochre paintpot
--A little MAC Satin Taupe all over lid
--Physicians Formula Gel liner in for Blue Eyes (blue color)
--MAC e/s in Embark on the outer lower corner
--MAC e/s in Honey Lust on the inner corner

This is how I do my brows:

Hope that was helpful guys! Have a great day!

xoxo

Tao

Simple Glowy FOTD

2011-03-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

Now that it's officially Spring, it's time to bust out all the highlighters/bronzers you can find to achieve that impossibly glowy skin.

While it's true that I've always used more highlighter than what's probably considered healthy, but hey...I can always take it up a notch.

This has been my go-to look recently--Glowy (fake) bronzed skin, less eye makeup, and natural looking falsies on the outer-corner.

What I used:

Face:
--MAC Mineralized Satinfinish in NC 25
--MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 under the eyes
--MAC Studio Careblend powder in Medium to set everything <---LOOOOOOVE! Detailed review soon
--Sally Hansen Natural Beauty (Carmindy) bronzer in Summer <--One of the best bronzers I've ever used

Cheeks:
--MAC MSFN in Medium Dark to contour
--Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten
--MAC Soft & Gentle
--FIX + TIL THE END OF THE TIIMMMMMME!

Eyes:
--Tarte e/s palette using only Shimmering Sand (highlight) and Shimmery Cocoa (lid)
--Physician's Formula gel liner trio for Blue Eyes (brown)
--MAC lashes in #20 on the outer corner
--Shiseido Lasting Lift mascara

Lips:
--I really should start wearing lip stuff on a daily basis.

Close ups:

Overall look

So what do you think? Isn't it time to dust off those shimmery glowy goodness and start OD-ing on them?

Have a great day guys!

<3

Tao

P.S. For those of you who participated in the blog sale and have paid, I already mailed out all the packages. :)

P.P.S. Aren't these the BIGGEST strawberries you've ever seen?!!

Review: Tarte 8th World Wonder Kit

2011-03-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

All I can say is that one shall NOT stay up and watch QVC with easy access to one's credit card.

However, I'm SUPER glad that I got the Tarte 8th World Wonder Kit for a whopping $56 shipped. I think a lot of the products are the world first launch/QVC Exclusive because I can't find them anywhere else.

The kit is HUGE! It is definitely a bargain for all the goodies you are getting.

Here's what it comes in: A cute purple pouch jam-packed with goodies

What you are getting:

What you are getting left to right:

--Airbrush Finish foundation brush

--Amazonian clay full coverage balancing Foundation in Light

--Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara

--Amazonian clay waterproof eyeliner

--PureOptic Lipgloss in Golden

--Amazonian clay blush in Glisten

--Eyeshadow Palette

--Sample of Pure Marahuja oil

Airbrush Finish Foundation Brush:

I haven't actually used it for foundations yet, I've been using this as a bronzer brush. I find it to be almost identical to my beloved Eco-Tools bronzer brush. It's dome-shaped and incredibly soft. It disperses the powder softly and evenly. I will have to try it with the foundation soon.

Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Light

I've tried it a couple of times, and truth be told, I hate it. I don't know if it's because I haven't mastered the art of correctly putting this on or if it's just a sucky product. The color I chose was Light, but it is a little bit too peachy for me. Even though it's a liquid, it has a mousse-y consistency. I tried putting it on with my EDM flat top kabuki brush like all my other foundations but it streaked like nobody's business. I tried with my regular MAC 190 foundation brush and my hands to no avail. Worst of all? It literally melted off of my face. I put it on, forgot about it (because it feels weightless on the skin), then touch my face 10 minutes later...I had a clear finger print on my face.... I still have to experiment with this, but so far it's a fail.

Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara (forgot to take close up pics)

It claims to pump up the volume of your lashes by 424%...It didn't do that for me...AT ALL. To me this is a great defining mascara. It separates and lengthens pretty well, but volumnizing? I didn't see it. I'd stick with L'oreal Voluminous or Maybelline Colossal mascara for volumn.

Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner (forgot to take a pic too, oops)

It's an automatic twisty uppy kinda liner. The color is a great warm burgundy with a hint of golden shimmer. I usually don't do pencil liner unless it's on my waterline. I used it for work and it stayed on for approx. 4 hours. I love the color though. Again, I'm indifferent when it comes to eye pencils.

Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten

This is the whole reason why I got the set. The blush itself retails for $25 at Sephora. This specific color of Glisten is QVC Exclusive. The Amazonian clay blushes have caused a frenzy on MUA. The texture is AMAZING! It's very pigmented, finely-milled, and feels almost creamy. The color is very similar to NARS Orgasm. It's that light pinky peach with gold shimmer. Very spring/summery. I can see it looking breathtaking on almost everyone. It's also a lot easier to work with than Orgasm because you don't have to dig at it for 50 hrs to get any product on your brushes.

Eyeshadow Palette

This palette has the cutest packaging!! I love the design and the feel of it. It comes with 4 shades: Shimmering cocoa, shimmering sand, shimmering bronze, and shimmering plum. The shadows have great pigmentation and a silky feel when you touch them. They are not the easier to blend, especially the darker colors, but then again, I've been spoiled by MAC and UD shadows.

PureOptics Lipgloss in Golden

Well hello there, Stila Lipglaze wannabe! I don't understand why companies keep releasing products with this type of packaging. I had to twist this for 15 times before it started to disperse product. The color itself is a light clear golden pink with micro-gold glitters. It doesn't show up much on my lips, but it makes them look a little fuller. It smells artificially minty...like dental floss. The texture is rather thick and sticky, but it lasts a while on your lips.

Nothing on top, gloss on bottom, no flash

W/ Flash

Lipgloss all over, flash

No flash

I haven't tried the sample of Marahuja oil yet, I will do so soon and report back.

Thanks for reading through all that, I will soon do a FOTD with the this kit.

Happy Sunday!

Tao

OH!! PS: I'm working on taking massive pics for my next blog sale. ;P