Anna Oh

MAC Charlotte Olympia Collection: Golden-Age Glam

March 18th, 2016 by Anna Oh 32 Comments

Hi, everyone! MAC is back with one of the most exciting releases of the year, the MAC x Charlotte Olympia Spring 2016 Collection, and this is one of the bigger MAC collections, too, with an emphasis on lips and accessories.

For those not familiar with the designer, Olympia is a luxury shoe and accessories designer obsessed with the bygone era of old Hollywood glamour and unafraid of a little humour.

The MAC x Charlotte Olympia collection has strong retro-glam vibes packaged in adorable printed boxes. They’re a collector’s dream come true.

MAC Charlotte Olympia — Charlotte Olympia for MAC Spring 2016

mac charlotte olympia spring 2016 — Wearing Retro Rouge Matte Lipstick!

There are no fewer than three different types of lip products (lipsticks, lip pigments, and pro lip liners), and all of them are in various shades of red.

You know how every now and then you’ll bump into a friend looking for their “perfect red lipstick”? Well, you should direct their attention to THIS collection, because each red is GORGEOUS, but just a little different.

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The Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker: This is the Story of a Brow

March 18th, 2016 by Anna Oh 14 Comments

anna oh portrait illustration — A spontaneous self-portrait from the past… Note my uneven eyebrows, ha!

For some reason, I’ve always had one shy eyebrow. There’s nothing overly patchy or horrible about her…but she was always less handsome than the other. It was a small quirk of mine, and it even presented itself in my self-portraits and portraits for others. A face just didn’t seem “real” unless those eyebrows were drawn distinctively different.

But then 2015 happened, and I felt like my eyebrows couldn’t keep up with the Instagram-level makeup happening. I bought my first couple eyebrow products and used the lightest products I thought I could get away with. My only intention was to shade that virgin skin shining through my thick hairs and over to your eyeballs. For a while, it was a nice, natural look, but the effects were completely gone by the end of the day.

That is, until I tried the Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker ($22 for 0.33 ounces).

About Chosungah 22

“As the first major professional makeup artist in Korea, Chosungah ushered in the era of K-Beauty. For 25 years, her breakthrough brand has offered products that come with a twist, allowing women all over the world to enjoy makeup as a form of play and self-expression.”

–sephora

While they’re a little tricky to use at first, the Brow Makers give some awesome results that are well worth the learning curve. This is one LONG-LASTING product that’ll definitely need to be removed at the end of the day.

chosungah brow maker eyebrow — Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker. They look like adorable highlighters!

First of all, the packaging is TOO cute and quirky. They look like chubby highlighters! What more could you ask for!?

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New for Spring 2016: Covergirl Colorlicious Oh Sugar! Lip Balm, a Vitamin-Infused, Moisturizing Lip Treatment

March 15th, 2016 by Anna Oh 12 Comments

Hi, everyone! Is the weather slowly changing for the better where you live? I’m starting to see some exposed legs nowadays, although I’m still bundled up in a coat running my errands. The weather here in the South can fluctuate 20 degrees day to day, so I have to be ready for just about anything — rain, sun, and the chill. My skin has suffered the most, and I had to postpone reviewing and swatching lip products lately — except for these guys!

New for spring, the Covergirl Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Balms (around $8 each) come in 10 sweet shades infused with grapeseed oil and avocado butter, but they feel weightless. With super sweet names like Gumdrop and Sprinkle, the balms are actually not overly sweet-smelling. I think they even smell a little minty (but there’s no tingling sensation).

covergirl oh sugar vitamin infused balm swatches — (L-R) Swatches in Gumdrop, Sprinkle, Cupcake, Caramel

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Some Weekday Glitter Featuring the New Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation

March 14th, 2016 by Anna Oh 23 Comments

anna oh art beauty illustration fashion gold glitter — It’s all about the eyes! Glitter eyes

Hi everyone!

The other day I was having coffee with a few girlfriends — probably the BEST time to get makeup inspiration — and I fell in love with one of my friends’ pretty glittery eyeliner. I tried it out myself and found it to be an awesome way to pull off a little glitter during the day. I call it a “weekday glitter” look, and I hope you’ll be into it as much as I’ve been!

One of the key components to this look is nice and even skin tone. I used the new Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation ($45 for 1oz) in a custom mixture of Golden 2 and Neutral 3. The foundation comes in Golden, Neutral, and Rose undertones ranging between 1 and 5. For some reason, the range isn’t complete, but we will probably find more colors coming with demand.

shiseido synchro skin foundation swatches — Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation in Golden 2 and Neutral 3

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Hello Kitty and Hello Spring: The Hello Kitty by OPI Spring Collection

March 8th, 2016 by Anna Oh 20 Comments

opi hello kitty spring 2016 — OPI Hello Kitty Spring 2016 Collection

That’s right, everyone, it’s time for spring…nails! Never mind that I am writing this in my fleece slippers while catching up on a particularly gruesome season of The Walking Dead, LOL. I’ve managed to ignore the show for several seasons, but my inner fangirl loves a good binge. My inner fangirl is also super satisfied by this super cute collection by OPI. The new Hello Kitty by OPI Spring 2016 Nail Lacquer ($10 each) collection features 12 amazingly bright and eclectic colors for those ready to kick back in flip-flops.

I have 5 shades from the collection, and in usual OPI style, all of the colors, except for maybe the yellow one, are incredibly opaque and smooth. Spoken from the Heart and Super Cute in Pink, in particular, are what I call “1-coat wonders” and were a dream to apply.

I had a little difficulty with My Twin Mimmy, the yellow cream shade, but, honestly, I’ve never come across a stellar yellow, and after 3 coats it’ll do the job.

Last, but never least, are the surprisingly complex glitters. I get a groovy Austin Powers feel from Kitty White — a super fine icy silver shimmer. This shade was a surprise favorite for me!

Starry-Eyed for Daniel — such an awesome name btw — is an amazing multi-dimensional hot pink glitter. It’s very glittery and very kawaii… I think it’ll be a popular one.

opi hello kitty spring 2016 nail swatches — Nail swatches of the Spring 2016 OPI Hello Kitty Nail Collection

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Caught in the Rain With Laura Mercier: The Laura Mercier Spring 2016 Collection, “Paris After the Rain”

March 4th, 2016 by Anna Oh 34 Comments

beauty illustration of the laura mercier lip parfait by anna oh spring 2016 — Illustration of the new SP16 shades of Laura Mercier Lip Parfait

Here’s a look at the new Laura Mercier Spring 2016 Collection, starting with the “Paris After The Rain Eye Colour Collection (a $55 palette). While most spring collections would rather distract us from the winter blues, “Paris After the Rain” imagines a world “inspired by the reflection of lights on cobblestone streets and the dance of colours on zinc rooftops in Paris after the rain.”

Sounds like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel, right?

laura mercier paris in the rain palette spring 2016 — The palette is housed in thick matte plastic (4″ x 3.75″ — smaller than my hand!)

Now, I should mention that I think Laura Mercier can do just about no wrong, and while every product isn’t always for me, I can usually imagine who would like and use them and how.

The Eye Colour palette was a surprise favorite of mine. With four super creamy matte shades (0.05 oz. each) and four soft glittery toppers (0.035 oz. each), it’s a versatile palette with lots of options for day and night.

laura mercier paris in the rain palette swatches spring 2016 — Matte eyeshadows in Champs Elysee, Saint Germain, Tour Eiffel, Le Marais + Multi Chrome Pearl Topper Formula (L-R) La Madeleine, Arc de Triomphe, Rue de Vivoli, Montmarte

lauramercier-paris-in-the-rain-swatches2 — A better look at the Multi Chrome Pearl Topper formula

Laura Mercier calls the baked lid colors “Multi Chrome Pearl Toppers” and suggests patting them on the lid after smudging the matte shades along the lash line. In the swatches above, it took two or three passes to build up the intensity. I think this would give a beautiful soft focus effect, but when swatched over a cream base, they really come to life!

laura mercier paris in the rain palette swatches — Swatches on top of a cream base

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FOTD: A Beauty Voyage With Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2016 and Shop Fresh Nude Foundation

March 1st, 2016 by Anna Oh 39 Comments

dolce & gabbana d&g beauty voyage palette — FOTD with D&G’s Beauty Voyage Spring 2016

anna oh illustration beauty voygage — Ready for the warmer weather

Hi, everyone! I thought I’d share my face of the day and thoughts on two new-to-me products: Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2016 The Beauty Voyage ($150) and The Body Shop’s Fresh Nude Foundation ($25).

dolce & gabbana d&g beauty beauty voyage palette — FOTD using Anastasia, Benefit, Sephora, The Body Shop, and D&G Beauty

Products used:

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde (I use this light cool shade for a softer effect)
Benefit They’re Real mascara
Sephora Bright Future Gel-serum Concealer
The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in Bora Bora / Tiare 012
Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Voyage palette

the body shop fresh nude foundation bora bora — The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in Bora Bora

Since I wanted a sheer and hydrated look, I decided to try out the Body Shop’s new Fresh Nude foundation. With a medium semi-matte finish, it gives a LITTLE glow with none of that awkward greasy 5 p.m. face.

It starts out sticky, but it lasts well for around six or seven hours on my oily-combo face. If you have normal to dry skin, you may really like this option!

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