Around the Internetz: Green Beauty, Blushes for Sweaty Girls (me!), and a Tour of NARS HQ.
Aug 1st
Tyra would probably say: “That’s FIIIEERCE gurrl!”
(Source: Vogue Japan/Nathaniel Goldberg via Beauty Crazed)
I love me some loud eyeshadows, so naturally I was floored by the bright purple look from Christelle’s magazine roundup of looks. [Beauty Crazed]
I don’t usually use any fancy tools to put on my false lashes, but I am seriously considering after seeing this review of the ELF Hollywood Eyelashes kit. [Beauty Scribbler (London)]
I’m slowly trying to make the conscious effort to go green when it comes to beauty products. If you are too, I would love to know what you think, what you’ve tried, what has worked and not. I also found this article on how to detox your beauty cupboard was extremely informative. [Sarah Wilson, found via Google Reader Shared Items]
Since we’re talking about green beauty, has anyone tried natural deodorants before? I don’t usually have a stink but I am very very sweaty. I might try something from this lineup of natural deodorants. [Beauty Editor]
Speaking of sweaty, Joy — a fellow member of Blush Addicts Anonymous, LOL! — shows a couple of her favourite blushes for sweaty summer days. I’ve got my eyes on the Giorgio Armani blush! [MAKEUP JUNKIE]
Who doesn’t love Francois Nars’ dog Marcel? He is quite the tour guide too, apparently, showing us a tour of the NARS headquarters. [Beauty And The Blog]
Scherbatsky’s Video of the Day
Here’s something that Scherbatsky loves playing. I realized after that she was playing “fetch” and not “catch.” Oops!
New Highlights and a Cat Story.
Jul 31st
It’s been a year since I last coloured my hair (the boring black I got last year). This year I’m in the mood for some natural highlights. Yay! So glad I did! Thanks to Emily from LIFT for the new ‘do. The highlights are super duper thin so that it makes my hair lighter overall, and not streaky.
I got a half head of highlights. Of course with a photo because I was bored. 
Oh and I am wearing Chanel Phoenix Rouge Allure Laque here.
Tadaa! Seriously, best hair ever! Those are light golden brown highlights,
which I am seriously considering to maintain as long as I can afford to.
A Cat Story: The Neighbour’s Tabby Visits.
In other news, the neighbour’s tabby dropped by our backyard this morning.
It was a typical Saturday morning for Mingming, just checking out the birds in the backyard. At least, that’s what she thought it was going be.
It looks like the neighbour’s Tabby wanted Mingming to come out and play.
Mingming: “You better not come near me.”
Tabby: “I can has sum play timez?”
Mingming: “Did you not hear me? My back fur hasn’t grown out yet and I’m really shy about it! Growl!”
Tabby: “Kaaaay. Oooh pavement! & photog, plz can taek mai good side? Kthx.”
LOL. Mingming didn’t want anything to do with the Tabby, which stuck around for another 10 minutes while my sister and I petted it in the backyard. What a beauty! 
Oh and yes, Mingming speaks fluent human.
Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Phoenix: the Gateway Lipstick to My Chanel Addiction.
Jul 31st
It’s finally here! My first Chanel. I am this close to breaking out into song: “Like a virgin… touched for the very first time! Like a vu-hu-hu-hurgin…” But you don’t want to hear that. I might have had a minor heart attack when I saw the total, but I am a very giddy makeup addict.
Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 78 Phoenix ($39 — oh hi BF I hope you don’t ever see this price tag!) is a medium bright strawberry pink. If you don’t know anything about these (and of course you do know, but I will tell you anyway), Rouge Allure Laques are ultra pigmented liquid lipsticks. The lipsticks gives the appearance of a lipstick and a lipgloss in one.
I got to try it right after I brought it back to work from the Chanel counter. From my experience so far, it is amazingly smooth, non-drying and has no offensive fragrances. It applies as bright as it appears on the wand. The shine lasts for about 2 hours on me, and the colour fades slowly and evenly after 4-5 hours. Dare I say it? Phoenix is crack in liquid lipstick form.
This is easily my favourite lipstick, but it also costs a little bit more than two MAC lipsticks. However, I will say that it is totally worth my money!
Lip swatch of Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Phoenix
Psst… full face photo to come later! Stay tuned!
Another One Bites the Dust: Maybelline Full ‘n Soft Mascara.
Jul 28th
I won’t beat around the bush here: I was really underwhelmed, or I should say really disappointed with this mascara.
Maybelline Full ‘n Soft Mascara (US$5.94 in Target, CDN$9.99 at Shoppers Drugmart) is the latest mascara to join my usual five-tube rotation. I’m crazy I know, but I like to have options. Full ‘n Soft is supposed to deliver thick and soft lashes. So you probably want to know what went totally wrong here.
They Should’ve Called it Bare ‘n Soft Instead.
Before the complaints go into full force, I gotta give props to Full ‘n Soft for leaving my lashes very soft. So soft that it almost doesn’t feel like I had mascara on.
Okay.
Now to tackle the claims for full and thick lashes? It doesn’t. I found the formula to be quite wet — more wet than I’m used to in a mascara. Maybelline advises that I should layer while it’s still wet, but it really does not build any volume on my wimpy lashes.
1 coat of Maybelline Full ‘n Soft
2 coats of Maybelline Full ‘n Soft
Bare lashes vs. 2 coats
It Lacks (Almost) Everything Else I am Looking For.
Let’s look at the check list shall we?
- Volume: No.
- Length: No.
- Curl: No. This was the most irritating aspect about this mascara. Like seriously, stick straight lashes as soon as the formula touches my curled lashes. Awful!
- Staying Power: Yes! — no flakes or smudges throughout the day.
- Easily Washable (if non-waterproof): Yes! — washes off with face wash and water.
I guess it’s not that bad, but the top 3 items are the most important. I like big, in-yo’-face lashes, and this just does not deliver. Oh well. 
If you are born with naturally batty Bambi lashes, then this may work for you. Otherwise, stay far far away. Rating: D.
Summer Smoky Eye: Softer Browns for the Faint of Heart.
Jul 24th
The Summer Smoky Eye series continues this week, and this time I had the opportunity to make my sister Liza over for a wedding she was attending. She normally wears no makeup (she is poreless anyway!) and her idea of being put together is a little bit of mascara. And by little bit I mean I can’t even tell she’s wearing any. She wanted to amp up the glamour with a soft smoky eye and this is what we came up with.
The colour placement on this one is super basic, so really I think anyone can do this. If the other brown smoky eye was a bit too much for your taste, then you might like this one better.
Swatches (from left): NARS Cordura Duo Eyeshadow, MAC Soft Brown, MAC Arena
Get the Look
For the eyes, using a fluffy shader brush, take a shimmery light peach (MAC Arena) to highlight the brow bone and inner corners. Then, apply a matte medium brown (MAC Soft Brown) all over the lid. Using a fluffy blending brush like the MAC 217, take a deeper shimmery brown (lighter side of NARS Cordura Duo) and apply on the outer 1/3 of the lid and outer crease. Smudge this same colour on the outer 2/3 of the lower lash line. Take a deep brown (almost black like the darker side of NARS Cordura Duo) and apply to the outer V with a pointed crease brush like the MAC 226. Smudge this same colour to the outer 1/3 of the lower lash line. Smudge a black eyeliner on the outer half of the upper lash line (Annabelle Ohmygoth!) and go over the same line with the deep brown. Add mascara (L’Oreal Voluminous waterproof) to the top lashes.
For the cheeks, start with a cream blush (MAKE UP FOR EVER #5 Nip Slip HD Blush) to make the colour last longer. Then go over it with a no- or low-shimmer coral powder blush (MAC Hipness). Contour the cheeks and temples with a matte dark brown blush (MAKE UP FOR EVER #17 Espresso).
For the lips, go with a gorgeous neutral lipstick (MAC Viva Glam V).
