Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Le MÃ©tier de BeautÃ© Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer

August 21st, 2013 by Karen 6 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Xiao Lim of MessyWands.com. You can also find Xiao on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram.

Just to prove the HG-ness (Holy Grail-ness) of this concealer, in the picture above the tube is completely extended. I am almost at the stage where I have to dig the stuff out with a brush, and I’m close to tears. After all, at $95 these things cost an arm and a leg to replace.

Said concealer, Le MÃ©tier de BeautÃ© Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium, is the first concealer I would ever use up. Prior to this, my favorite concealer was by Cle de Peau, and though that concealed discolorations and under-eye circles very well, it felt a little dry, and the blending wasn’t as seamless as I hoped it would be.

LMdB Peau Vierge Correcteur is creamy, but not heavy, and from the get-go it merged with my skin as if it were a part of it. I may never know whether it’s my eye cream or the Peau Vierge treatment in the concealer that keeps (most) of my dark circles away, but you won’t see me chancing it by changing my routine.

Without any makeup (except drawn-in eyebrows!)

(It’s just my luck that when I had to take an important picture, a giant pimple popped up.)

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Goodbye, Kauai

August 21st, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Hiking down to Hideaways Beach on the North Shore of Kauai, a great snorkeling spot for intermediate and advanced snorkelers (because the trek down to it involves ropes and steep stairs!).

My last day here on Kauai…

I’m so, so sad to be going. In a few hours, I’ll be on a plane headed back to the Bay Area.

I can’t wait to see Tabs again, but I’m not ready to leave these warm waters or my Kauai kitties here at the hotel.

El Hub thinks I should call the hotel (the Marriott at Kalapaki Bay) every once in a while to ask the front desk how the cats are doing… I think that’s perhaps a little too crazy cat lady, myself, but I haven’t ruled it out. 🙂

Before I pack up (le sigh), here’s one last look at Kauai…

Cookie (short for Cookies ‘n’ Cream) the beach kitty works at Ke’e Beach on the North Shore.

Cookie: “I claim this man’s foot as my own!”

Cookie: full-time beach cat, part-time parking attendant.

A Hawaiian Monk Seal catching a breather at Ke’e Beach on the North Shore of Kauai.

The mighty Dragonfruit! — most powerful of all the tropical fruits.

I sliced it open with a plastic butter knife in my hotel room (note: wasn’t easy). It tastes like a watery, less tart Kiwi. Muy delicioso.

The aftermath! Isn’t that pink super cool?

I’ll miss you, Kauai. Until we meet again…

The stairs down to one of my favorite Kauai beaches, Hideaways on the North Shore.

I’m Xiao Lim of Messy Wands, and This Is My Makeup Life

August 21st, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

The My Makeup Life series asks beauty biz insiders, bloggers, makeup mavens and artists to share their holy grail products, tricks, tips and favorite beauty tools. Is there anyone you would like to see featured in My Makeup Life or questions you think I should ask? Let me know here.

Name: Xiao Lim
Location: New York, NY
Day job/current gig: I work in the marketing division of a start-up company.â€¨
Hangouts online: messywands.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+
Current favorite product: RMS Luminizer (one-stop highlighter for all skin tones)
Beauty inspirations: Keira Knightley, Tao Okamoto, Michelle Williams in that recent Louis Vuitton ad, and Gong Li
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Experimental

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

My Shu Uemura retractable brow pencil in Seal Brown. It’s not available in the United States anymore, so I have to buy it in bulk when I visit home (Malaysia).

When did you start getting into makeup?

I was 18 years old when I *really* stepped into a MAC store for the first time…

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

Use fingers. You can blend out eyeshadow in the crease with your fingers if you want it badly enough!

What’s your favorite beauty tool?

Oh, dear. I suppose if my apartment were burning and I could only save one thing I’d say my brushes (it took years of shopping on different continents to amass my current lineup), but skincare is more essential to me.

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?

My mom told me not to put on so much makeup. I still disagree with her when I want to have fun with my face, but I try to remember that behind her gentle admonishment is a reminder that I should take good care of my skin so it’ll last me through, oh, forever hopefully.â€¨

What’s your skincare routine?

In order: Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream, then it’s a choice between Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil, Tatcha Ageless Enriched Renewal Cream, Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil, or Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty?

I racked my brain and couldn’t think of anything that’s truly out of this world. I’ve actually managed to enjoy facial extractions?

Do you have a trademark look (hair/styling/makeup)?

Arianne of The Glitter Geek fame coined my trademark blog photo pose as “deer in headlights,” which is pretty accurate. As for makeup, I go from no-makeup makeup to full on 1920s excess in the space of a single post.

Are there any beauty decisions you’ve made that you look back on and ask yourself, “why?!”

My batwing eyebrow phase, though that’s less a “decision” than an unfortunate (and unfortunately well documented) period of my life when I just didn’t have good eyebrow drawing technique.

Where are your favorite places to shop?

I love Nordstrom.com and Sephora.com for their great testing (otherwise known as return) policies. I try not to return products unless I absolutely have to, but the ease of shopping through those two places is the reason why I’m increasingly relying on e-shopping. As for clothes and shoes, Shopbop.com and Zappos.com have similar policies!

Anything else you want to share?

Puppies are adorable, too!

Do You Ever Make/Bake/Mix Your Own Homemade Beauty Products?

August 20th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

I do and I really enjoy it!

Mostly pretty simple things, like homemade sugar scrubs and yogurt face masks, but I’d like to go bigger one of these days and learn how to make things like homemade soaps and body butters.

How about you? Are you culinarily inclined with your cosmetics? Do you ever make/bake/mix your own homemade beauty products?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. These DIY posts from the archives might give you some ideas…

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Chanel Rose Initiale Joues Contraste Powder Blush

August 20th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Chanel Rose Initiale Joues Contraste Powder Blush ($43)

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Sunny Hu of mostlysunnyblog.com. You can also find Sunny on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Have you ever gone from feeling lukewarm about something to realizing that life without it would be pretty tough? Well, that’s my story with Chanel Rose Initiale Joues Contraste Powder Blush ($43). I’d read that it ticked all of the boxes for a good blush when I first got it, but I wasn’t in love. It just seemed so…ordinary.

It turns out, that’s the secret to its versatility!

The long-running Makeup and Beauty Blog Unsung Heroes series features much-loved permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

Neutral Pink Chanel Rose Initiale is just pigmented enough to show up easily, and the blendability makes sure you never have to fear going too far with it! The tiny shimmer in there looks like a satiny sheen on the cheeks, which gives it a natural finish and keeps it from looking dull.

On the left: Chanel Rose Initiale swatched heavily; on the right: blended out

While Rose Initiale might look like any other pink, it works with absolutely everything! It’s magical! When I can’t decide which blush to wear, I go for Rose Initiale. When I want to take face shots for five different lipsticks in one go, I reach for Rose Initiale. From berry to wine, from nude to red, I have yet to find one single lipstick Rose Initiale doesn’t work well with.

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Call It a Hunch…But Something Tells Me You’ll Like Illamasqua Lipstick in ESP

August 20th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

I don’t know… I just have this unexplainable feeling that you’re going to like Illamasqua Lipstick in ESP ($24), and I’ve always been very intuitive when it comes to makeup (ha!).

Maybe it’s a sixth sense, or maybe it’s simply because of how stunning ESP looks on different skin tones from light to dark.

But this dramatic, vivid matte violet is not a color for wallflowers. Part of Illamasqua’s Paranormal summer collection, it’s one of those lipsticks your eyes lock on when you walk into a room.

Wait! — I just had a vision. ESP is available now at Sephora stores and online. 🙂

Feeling Like Her Royal Cat Lady-ness at Kauai’s Queen’s Bath

August 20th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Queen’s Bath on the North Shore of Kauai

These secluded, ancient pools were reserved for Hawaiian royalty way back when. Now the sea turtles run the show, and they’re doing a great job. This has been my favorite sight so far on this trip!

“Queen’s Bath is actually a large pool the size of several swimming pools carved by nature into a lava shelf with an inlet from the ocean for fresh seawater to flow… If the surf is too high, you would never recognize this place as anything special. But during calm seas, Queen’s Bath is a marvelous pool to swim in. Fish get in through the inlet, making it all the more charming. (Bring your mask; no fins needed.) It’s a great place to take your underwater camera.”

— The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed, 8th Edition

It’s kind of a trek to reach, both because of the parking (VERY limited. We double-parked for 20 minutes to wait for someone to exit the tiny parking lot.) and the tricky 10-minute hike across wet, slippery lava rocks. Having your hands free helps with scrambling over the rocks. We basically left everything in the trunk of the car (shh) except for a camera and snorkeling mask.

Also, wear booties/water shoes — or anything with good grip like Tevas — if you can. Climbing over the rocks (and you will do a bit of climbing) is tougher in flip-flops. You could do it in flip-flops because I did see some people wearing them, but you’ll probably feel more comfortable in better footwear. There was a gal hiking in front of me wearing flip-flops, and she tripped a couple of times.

Hello, lens flare! This way to Queen’s Bath!

There are at least four separate pools/inlets, all pretty close to each other. The first one has a spectacular waterfall fed by a nearby stream that empties right over the edge into the ocean.

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I’m Sunny Hu of Mostly Sunny, and This Is My Makeup Life

August 20th, 2013 by Karen 29 Comments

The sensational Sunny Hu of Mostly Sunny

Name: Sunny Hu
Location: Leuven, Belgium
Day job/current gig: Translator, but I’m really more like a professional feline entertainer typing a few lines when my bosses are taking their naps!
Hangouts online: mostlysunnyblog.com, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest
Current favorite product: It’s a tie between Guerlain Bronze Ora Iridescent Eyeshadow (incredibly stunning and complex shade that functions well on its own) and Dior Bikini Diorblush Cheek Creme (you can apply and blend it out in a pinch, and it sticks around).
Beauty inspirations: I wear a lot of dresses with bold prints, and the prints inspire me to try new color combinations!
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Happiness

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

Hourglass Soft Brunette Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil is the only product I don’t want to be seen without, and everything else is extra! Some other products that get a lot of love around here include a black gel liner (I’ve tried several brands and they perform equally well on me), Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum, Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl (my favorite mascara. Period), Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow, Edward Bess Cosmic Bliss, and Dior Spring Ball Addict Extreme (if I had to stick to one lipstick for the rest of my life, this would be it).

When did you start getting into makeup?

I had a couple of counter makeovers when I was in high school and some basic pieces when I was in university, but I really started getting into makeup about 3 years ago.

Urban Decay Naked Palette was all the rage, and I went through a lot of trouble to score one. I started watching tutorials and reading blogs to figure out how to work with it. Several months later, I made my first luxury makeup purchase (Chanel Mademoiselle Rouge Coco and Peridot Le Vernis). One thing led to another, and here I am with quite a collection (and a blog about it)!

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

Cream/stick eyeshadows! Some shades are pretty enough on their own. If you find a formula that lasts well on you, you can cut down the time you need for eye makeup to about 30 seconds.

What’s your favorite beauty tool?

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?

This comes from my mama: eat healthy and go to bed early. I don’t always follow it to the letter, but I try!

What’s your skincare routine?

This could get really long, despite the fact that I’ve tried my best to streamline the process. A few tried-and-true skincare products in my bathroom cabinet include Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask, Omorovicza Copper Peel, Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, Pai Echium & Argan Gentle Eye Cream, La Roche Posay Effaclar K & Duo, Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid, and Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty?

I had my eyelashes permed! It was years ago, so I might have blocked out most of the memory. I do remember the curl wasn’t all that natural. Suffice to say, I’m pretty happy sticking to my eyelash curler.

Do you have a trademark look (hair/styling/makeup)?

Neutral eyeshadows, winged-out eyeliner, and a bright pop of color on my lips!

Are there any beauty decisions you’ve made that you look back on and ask yourself, “why?!”

Most of my beauty woes are related to my brows. I’ve plucked out too much hair and filled them with unnatural-looking shades because I didn’t know any better. I also used to over-apply eyeshadows before I discovered eyeshadow primers because they would fade before the end of the day/night. I might soon need to do a thorough job destroying pictures in which I have purple eyeshadows all the way to my eyebrows!

Where are your favorite places to shop?

Locally, ICI PARIS XL for my luxury purchases and pharmacies for brands such as Caudalie, Bioderma, and La Roche Posay. Beautybay for a large selection of brands that are not available in Belgium. I also sometimes beg friends who live in the US to order stuff from Sephora for me!

Anything else you want to share?

I’m an introvert (probably not the first thing you’ll notice about me, but I assure you it’s true), but I have a desire to share and make people laugh, which is why I started a blog! I spend a lot of time with my cats, Tango and Muffin. They have taught me patience and mellowed me out over the years.