So You Think You Can Have Eyelash Extensions

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />As an Asian girl with sparse and straight eyelashes, I am constantly trying to improve my lash line. From hot lash curlers to volumizing mascaras to fiber extensions, I have done it all. But not until before Lunar New Year that I did manage to try the creme de la creme of eyelash beautification: eyelash extensions!<br /><br />Now, I have heard people raving and ranting about this in both directions. One of the bloggers out there (Xiaxue) confessed to have done this many times over. From her experience, it is a time-saver, especially during the holiday seasons. And I have to admit that was the catch: LNY can be hell with endless trips all over the city. On top of that, I had to wake up really early and look decent for photos, too. The less time I had to spend on myself means more time I got to sleep. So off to the salon to get eyelash extensions I did.<br /><br />Eyelash extensions in Vietnam range from $10-25 USD, depending on the type of false lashes and glue. The good glues tend to hold up better while the good lashes can be really thin and don't weigh your real lashes down. The place I did my eyelash extensions is in the neighborhood. I spent $17 for the initial application and $8 for the touch-up and that was without tips.<br /><br />The process was painstakingly long and you can't see a thing. The lash extension lady put tape around my lower lash line to prevent glue from sticking to my skin. Then, she combed my lashes before applying false lashes to my real ones. Each strand is made either of silk or synthetic materials and they are very black. Since my lashes are short and thin, the lady applied 2-3 false lashes to each real one and the lengths are a tad longer than the real deal. I did not time the process but it was long and sometimes uncomfortable. Once she finished applying the lashes, I slowly opened my eyes.<br /><br />And it burned!<br /><br />The fume from the glue really hurt my eyes. I started to tear up a bit, which was a big no-no since she tried to leave the area as water-free as possible. She did some touch-ups to areas that looked sparse and off I went.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaYh_F8mStV8no47p9YbIKnPI1yI_n9_6My5fT0Ycd7T5vepO6mkpfP7Nc3HlkcKsMPnITfuOe8LPhuKsNvyyqFEKR5iE0omoohVaSCjDTXdXw3d9AHEXW4-dYmFi848_juEleRR65rg/s1600/IMG_7156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaYh_F8mStV8no47p9YbIKnPI1yI_n9_6My5fT0Ycd7T5vepO6mkpfP7Nc3HlkcKsMPnITfuOe8LPhuKsNvyyqFEKR5iE0omoohVaSCjDTXdXw3d9AHEXW4-dYmFi848_juEleRR65rg/s1600/IMG_7156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaYh_F8mStV8no47p9YbIKnPI1yI_n9_6My5fT0Ycd7T5vepO6mkpfP7Nc3HlkcKsMPnITfuOe8LPhuKsNvyyqFEKR5iE0omoohVaSCjDTXdXw3d9AHEXW4-dYmFi848_juEleRR65rg/s1600/IMG_7156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaYh_F8mStV8no47p9YbIKnPI1yI_n9_6My5fT0Ycd7T5vepO6mkpfP7Nc3HlkcKsMPnITfuOe8LPhuKsNvyyqFEKR5iE0omoohVaSCjDTXdXw3d9AHEXW4-dYmFi848_juEleRR65rg/s1600/IMG_7156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaYh_F8mStV8no47p9YbIKnPI1yI_n9_6My5fT0Ycd7T5vepO6mkpfP7Nc3HlkcKsMPnITfuOe8LPhuKsNvyyqFEKR5iE0omoohVaSCjDTXdXw3d9AHEXW4-dYmFi848_juEleRR65rg/s200/IMG_7156.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROxOo71X8VMNYazHz5nbbqu9PwR2_VVHb9QbFJ3v-qu1hbLDpUiUv5MUX-JOQaiQBuDaqNh5Hg_IFG-NTRZRjpnfX3Jwg_DWPI96Ra-cu5X_bJoY1Oi_DRRQLE3roO6kgUqJ1Ltb0aP0/s1600/IMG_7155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROxOo71X8VMNYazHz5nbbqu9PwR2_VVHb9QbFJ3v-qu1hbLDpUiUv5MUX-JOQaiQBuDaqNh5Hg_IFG-NTRZRjpnfX3Jwg_DWPI96Ra-cu5X_bJoY1Oi_DRRQLE3roO6kgUqJ1Ltb0aP0/s200/IMG_7155.JPG" width="200" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I believe those pictures were taken a few days after I did my eyelash extensions. The lady did a good job covering the scar on the lash line of my left eye (which is the right picture.) I was happy for a day or two.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But then, things began to fall apart. Lashes began to drop down like they're hot. Although the lady told me I could keep my extensions for up to 3 weeks, I saw about 50% lash loss after only 1 week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had to do a touch-up and I got ripped off for it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instead of the lady who did the first application, I was sent to a guy. This guy kept on complaining of how difficult it is to work around the scar on my lash line. Then, he wanted to take everything apart, which would make me spend fresh money on a new application again instead of a touch-up. Then, he even managed to complain of how oily my skin was (bitch, please!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The touch-up usually costs $5. He charged me $8 because "Oh, your lashes were so difficult to work with!" I had to bite down and spend my hard-earned money, which was not that big of a problem had it not been gone hand in hand with his attitude.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second time around, it was downright painful. I kept it for maybe another week and removed it all with baby oil. And concluded that I was ripped off because another place only charged $10 for the first application and the hair salon that I went charged the same price but they used better lashes that would not leave me feel a thing! On top of that, they guarantee the extensions to last to a month because their glues are better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I felt like being duped. And on top of that, eyelash extensions can be a nuisance because:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can't wash your eyes with water because it will unglue the lashes</li><li>You can't use mascaras, especially waterproof because it will unglue the lashes</li><li>You have to keep eye makeup to the minimum because makeup removers will unglue the lashes</li><li>You can't rub your eyes because it will unglue the lashes</li></ul><div>In short, I was glad to remove those false lashes with baby oil and be done with it. Although I didn't experience real eyelash loss, it was an annoying feeling to have something unnatural on top of your lashes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Would I do it again? </div><div>No. I'd rather stick to mascaras and false eyelashes.At least I don't have to listen to a guy who complains about everything and anything.</div><div><br /></div><div>How about you? Have you done eyelash extensions?</div><div><br /></div><div>With love,</div><div>Dao xoxo</div></div>

So You Think You Can Have Eyelash Extensions

Hi everyone, As an Asian girl with sparse and straight eyelashes, I am constantly trying to improve my lash line. From hot lash curlers to v...

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Antagonizing over Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Last Friday, I mentioned <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/trendy-in-2013-bb-creams.html">BB Cream as something trendy</a> in this year. I had no idea I would write a follow up about something closer to home: I have been using Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream for a while now. After having various degrees of success with <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-maybelline-clear-smooth-bb-silk.html">Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Silk Shine Free Two Way Cake Powder</a>, I pushed my own button and bought the BB Cream itself. Maybelline is available here in Vietnam and the prices are affordable. On top of that, the cream was 10% off and I received <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/baby-my-lips-with-maybelline-baby-lips.html">Baby Lips</a> as a gift with purchase.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGdGYUczZAdsBQPjBTVY5dEbKD21OA-48pmXMSAwxfKKdhfEv62pqOe-V8D1mnmAjWUZ8kVUukEx8MApua8Nw5znWkKVnZ8RMw7qcoI6uc-Ke0KYxy_Wf3qjRwBeSp6ktiIHFn7jr3BE/s1600/IMG_6563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGdGYUczZAdsBQPjBTVY5dEbKD21OA-48pmXMSAwxfKKdhfEv62pqOe-V8D1mnmAjWUZ8kVUukEx8MApua8Nw5znWkKVnZ8RMw7qcoI6uc-Ke0KYxy_Wf3qjRwBeSp6ktiIHFn7jr3BE/s640/IMG_6563.JPG" width="394" /></a></div><br /> I believe this Clear Smooth BB Cream is available in the Asian market only. Outside of Asia, Dream Fresh is the BB Cream Maybelline sells. Since I don't have the later one, I don't know whether the formulas are different but based on past experience between Maybelline products in the U.S, U.K, and Japan, I believe the formula varies if the name is different.<br /><br />Unlike many other makeup products, this BB Cream comes in a small tube with only 18ml of cream. To put into perspective, a deluxe foundation sample contains around 5-7.5ml. Which means there's not a lot of products to slosh around. The reason people think it's big is because of the packaging. There's simply too much plastic and paper involved in this product. I wish Maybelline to simplify its packaging in the future.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-bN2-8-Oxtsa2Ij8lX7qvQ5Z5oiPqGNazn4eYvBaJvULiCHq6BXvwArpYldGykf9Ea1pFiYYgWFkrJvY9aX03zO0OehVcggqy8uFWzF01-kqSZSqFdzQrKP8cng20zpT2VlrIRz9tm0/s1600/IMG_6564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-bN2-8-Oxtsa2Ij8lX7qvQ5Z5oiPqGNazn4eYvBaJvULiCHq6BXvwArpYldGykf9Ea1pFiYYgWFkrJvY9aX03zO0OehVcggqy8uFWzF01-kqSZSqFdzQrKP8cng20zpT2VlrIRz9tm0/s640/IMG_6564.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />This BB Cream comes in 2 colors: Fresh and Natural. Mine is Fresh, which is a tad too light for my skin. Natural, however, is too dark but has more yellow pigments in it, which makes it more flattering on Asian skins. Fresh, on the other hand, is your typical Asian BB Cream shade: it has this beige color that does not fare well with any skin tones. Once applied, I looked white. Like Michael Jackson white. Like unhealthy ghostly white. Like really, really white.<br /><br />It freaked me out a little. So I waited for it to oxidize, which it did for a moment to make my skin look kinda pumpkin like before I looked less white again. But still, my face was lighter than my neck unless I applied some bronzers to even things out around the jaw line.<br /><br />Texture-wise, it is creamy in the way of a strong non-oil free moisturizer. My face felt very comfortable for the first few minutes before it looks greasy. And greasy it is! This BB Cream creates the greasiest mess on my face since I started puberty. I've come to learn that using silica microspheres as a finishing powder would eliminate this problem. Yes, that's the stuff in Make Up For Ever HD Powder, ELF HD Powder and the like.<br /><br />To fix the weird whiteness problem, I mixed this BB Cream with my MAC NC25 foundation and it looked less pale, more human. Also, since my MAC foundation has lots of oil-controlling properties, the mix created a dewy look that was so beautiful! Reader Laura Humphries mentioned using her new CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation on top of her Two Faced BB cream and had a dewy finish as well. You should give that a try, too.<br /><br />Here is a list of pros and cons:<br /><br />Pros:<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Affordable: cost me around 4 USD and I had a free lip balm</li><li>Can be applied with fingers, although a dual-fiber brush provides much better texture</li><li>Can conceal dark circles to a certain extend</li><li>Feels very comfortable on skin</li></ul><div>Cons:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Has only 2 shades: therefore, those with darker skins or are in between shades can't use it</li><li>Light shade has weird alien white color</li><li>Is greasy!</li><li>Packaging is bulky!</li><li>Needs a lot of creative energy to make it more wearable</li></ul><div>While I love this BB Cream, I don't think it's for me. Those with dry skin can benefit greatly from it as it moisturizes well. However, those with oily skin can move a continent away from this thing. The finish is fabulous, which makes this a regret for me. I truly hope the Dream Fresh BB Cream to be better as Maybelline seems to have many great products lately.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some extra pictures:</div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrpBL_fgE5HT16BmtZPlQoOx6ca5G7TRbXlbxNuaSpaSfKOONbRKH0C1dDfu_MJKZ6IlYCVDOe-_u69Q2KhWALUDMPYfecvZnE0Fv6kuds0-Yleik5CU4TEwSUdmpZJ8K57Js14EhY_g/s1600/IMG_6565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrpBL_fgE5HT16BmtZPlQoOx6ca5G7TRbXlbxNuaSpaSfKOONbRKH0C1dDfu_MJKZ6IlYCVDOe-_u69Q2KhWALUDMPYfecvZnE0Fv6kuds0-Yleik5CU4TEwSUdmpZJ8K57Js14EhY_g/s400/IMG_6565.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The promises: surprisingly, it does all of those, <br />especially the brightening part to the point of whiteness!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7z_vydtux5H7r5szL3z4f3Oiw-VWgkpQM0f5zfIurvE0X9Icq0V-a-Bj6_-AJn8HJkt0Yvz-fX8pwfmNRovaMMKQEVELBUneaL8NRGLRl7jsEvfPHhN4sv3Ioo3-3h3G26LU-5yYHdg/s1600/IMG_6566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7z_vydtux5H7r5szL3z4f3Oiw-VWgkpQM0f5zfIurvE0X9Icq0V-a-Bj6_-AJn8HJkt0Yvz-fX8pwfmNRovaMMKQEVELBUneaL8NRGLRl7jsEvfPHhN4sv3Ioo3-3h3G26LU-5yYHdg/s400/IMG_6566.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient list</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WoL0iMnrhQoYuV6GcDrJqscMZATW70LBCW88BTEDn8WNFpCTVIWx2BjQ458nAHCk7qhDyqdBHXjbT9-s9HXI9IdqsroBtjD-UII9yiXRxxI__WM24xcudfprWG-EqR5w57IIEhxECHs/s1600/IMG_6567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WoL0iMnrhQoYuV6GcDrJqscMZATW70LBCW88BTEDn8WNFpCTVIWx2BjQ458nAHCk7qhDyqdBHXjbT9-s9HXI9IdqsroBtjD-UII9yiXRxxI__WM24xcudfprWG-EqR5w57IIEhxECHs/s320/IMG_6567.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiOYbCNCQV89g8lnbhrc5BQLsh3tqhTwNYrpp-Oxf0ftuhg2GTZUKPOlgnGDucO4uNIju4MrhyO8T9zG4crQzr3EixfRylVXPcGhvcn4iFUKL1DH3fU6EoQm674IC3Cy_1ZVm5RcDAG8/s1600/IMG_6568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiOYbCNCQV89g8lnbhrc5BQLsh3tqhTwNYrpp-Oxf0ftuhg2GTZUKPOlgnGDucO4uNIju4MrhyO8T9zG4crQzr3EixfRylVXPcGhvcn4iFUKL1DH3fU6EoQm674IC3Cy_1ZVm5RcDAG8/s320/IMG_6568.JPG" width="194" /></a></div>Ok, here are two interesting pictures: unblended BB Cream on the left and blended on the right. Look how much brighter the skin on the right hand picture looks :)<br /><br />Last but not least: would I buy it again? Hell to the no! Or maybe when I reach my 40s and my skin gets much drier. Maybe.<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Antagonizing over Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream

Hi everyone, Last Friday, I mentioned BB Cream as something trendy  in this year. I had no idea I would write a follow up about something cl...

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Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara is Crazy Good!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />This turns out to be a Maybelline kind of week as I have 3 products I would like to review. I don't know since when did this makeup line has become good but I remember the old days when all I could afford were Maybelline mascaras. Full and Soft waterproof mascaras to be exact. While they were really cheap back then (less than 3 bucks circa 2003!), those Maybelline mascaras smudged!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUNUn8FYCsOvO4EGCd-OuE-hzHAagDiwjJjQ4iSpmm8IhUF0rl1Nxa24P7CmZ1Q515GJ1bbl4SCtEqF2Kt4sqCK1MXXCtw3mK8aaY88EGGiAaVaQN2u7TGM756yslyJTvpa1rEQWJBd4/s1600/IMG_6538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUNUn8FYCsOvO4EGCd-OuE-hzHAagDiwjJjQ4iSpmm8IhUF0rl1Nxa24P7CmZ1Q515GJ1bbl4SCtEqF2Kt4sqCK1MXXCtw3mK8aaY88EGGiAaVaQN2u7TGM756yslyJTvpa1rEQWJBd4/s640/IMG_6538.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>Since I came to Vietnam, I haven't purchased a single mascara. I depended on friends and relatives to supply me with mascaras and I use them as sparingly as possible. My friend Christine from <a href="http://macnunu.blogspot.com/">MacNunu</a> took pity of my demise and sent me a care package full of makeup! She included <a href="http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Eye-Makeup/Mascara/Volum-Express-The-Falsies-Washable-Mascara.aspx">The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof mascara</a> and <a href="http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Eye-Makeup/Mascara/Lash-Stiletto-Ultimate-Length-Washable-Mascara.aspx">Lash Stiletto</a> for me to try. I tweeted her to ask which one I should use first and she replied, "The purple one!"<br /><br />Now, here's a thing about Asian bloggers: we know mascaras. As we have straight and short lashes, mascaras are our best friends. On top of that, we tend to have oily skin and Asia is full of humidity. Hence, I would take advice on waterproof mascaras from my fellow Asian beauty bloggers.<br /><br />As Christine said the stuff was good, I busted open the purple mascara and gave it a test drive. The juice was really thin upon opening and reminded me of my favorite Japanese mascara called <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/kiss-me-heroine-make-long-mascara-is.html">Heroine Make</a>! And y'all know how insanely waterproof that mascara is. In fact, except for the banana boat shape wand, The Falsies is Heroine Make packed in a purple tube.<br /><br />It is one baAad waterproof mascara! I've tried a lot of mascaras in my life and except for a few (Voluminous waterproof and Heroine Make), the rest tend to smudge after a certain amount of time. But this one is tough with a capital T! I wore it for 8-10 hours under deep heat and humidity but this thing refused to budge. It does not flake, it does not even move an inch. One tough cookie.<br /><br />With that said, it's also difficult to remove. I use an oil base mascara remover to take it away from my lashes and I always have to do so twice. This is one clingy mascara, yo!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnU48Z1GHymyl88hOLzA4UEonTZ30VF99tINhofVaFg9uTn8oGQ1xqveEUjG1VhsZzi2tU4_jXCxldVVSa3YxxwPLaoG-g0UMa-WtkNDV_wg9kKO0ict-1n0xve0oSjY-xFQYTOgQwoE/s1600/IMG_6540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnU48Z1GHymyl88hOLzA4UEonTZ30VF99tINhofVaFg9uTn8oGQ1xqveEUjG1VhsZzi2tU4_jXCxldVVSa3YxxwPLaoG-g0UMa-WtkNDV_wg9kKO0ict-1n0xve0oSjY-xFQYTOgQwoE/s640/IMG_6540.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The wand is something I like: the banana/boat shape wand is flexible. At first, it was hard for me to control but after a while, it became second to nature. If I want curl, I would just leave the wand as is. However, if I want to push my lashes way up, I'd flip the wand concave side up and use it to push my lashes up high. Also, since the wand is big, I don't need to do the wiggle as I have enough coverage already. However, the formula tends to dry really fast and clumps when dried so I have to work it as fast as possible. The good thing is the mascara is very fluid.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-2aZcp3G7CbM9RuqnbPoBbxfUKkbnQdjwuoElA8S4EmAdiMRpy4RfWCrAcpGHnwrQuM-hdg-zSi7s0dMySzipZWBOjZL4wH69huH7BUXqLAkmjC6eQimIRz2SvMP9Q4CKMtlufLZ1qw/s1600/IMG_6546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-2aZcp3G7CbM9RuqnbPoBbxfUKkbnQdjwuoElA8S4EmAdiMRpy4RfWCrAcpGHnwrQuM-hdg-zSi7s0dMySzipZWBOjZL4wH69huH7BUXqLAkmjC6eQimIRz2SvMP9Q4CKMtlufLZ1qw/s400/IMG_6546.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bare nekkid lashes</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQcLEsuwI_ZzY_bO0Tt_IqZPhtUg2SD6eXhv4EIYgIbOJrIROjxUKrtNBkvIs-Eeoak0oLofQeTAJP594hopggRsdFLkNzYYwRTYGsnMoly3ZnOphnrW7aiofeVUiCM91R6X4EUfRJ8U/s1600/IMG_6548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQcLEsuwI_ZzY_bO0Tt_IqZPhtUg2SD6eXhv4EIYgIbOJrIROjxUKrtNBkvIs-Eeoak0oLofQeTAJP594hopggRsdFLkNzYYwRTYGsnMoly3ZnOphnrW7aiofeVUiCM91R6X4EUfRJ8U/s400/IMG_6548.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 2 coats of The Falsies</td></tr></tbody></table>Since I had to stop and take pictures in between coats (and the picture of my lashes after the first coat was blurry!), clumping happened. As I mentioned earlier, this mascara is buildable but you have to build it before it dries. However, the lengthening and curling power is mad, mad I'm telling you! The Falsies does live up to its name. My lashes are actually longer now than before but they are not noticeable without mascara. And this one takes it to the next level. Christine is right, this mascara is awesome!<br /><br />Two funny digressions:<br /><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>After receiving the care package, I went to interview someone at L'Oreal Vietnam and guess what I saw? A display of The Falsies mascara at the front office! Maybelline does have this mascara here in Vietnam and I could have bought it here. In fact, Maybelline Vietnam only has 2 or 3 types of mascaras here and this purple one is their best-seller.</li><li>I've noticed lots of my male friends have long and curly giraffe lashes. Like, why, why do some men have such beautiful lashes while us women need a gallon and a half of mascara a day to coax ours out?</li></ol><br />That's all for now. Thank you, Christine, for sending me this awesome mascara! I really love it!<br /><br />How about you? Have you tried Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof mascara?<br /><br />With lots of mascara love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara is Crazy Good!

Hi everyone, This turns out to be a Maybelline kind of week as I have 3 products I would like to review. I don't know since when did thi...

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A Tiny Guide on MAC Mineralize Products for the Allergic

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />I have this weird unrequited love with MAC Mineralize products: I love them but I can't use them. After trying and owning Northern Lights, my first mineralize skin finish, for 3 days, I realized there was no way this relationship could work. Northern Lights was a LE product that was pigmented enough to be used as a blush. I could illuminate my cheeks like no other. But after a couple of minutes on my skin, I started feeling some tingling sensations.<br /><br />I didn't know I am allergic to bismuth oxychloride. It turns out to be a somewhat common contact allergy caused by makeup. And for some reasons, some MAC mineralize products contain this ingredient but you have to look very closely in the "May Contain" section to spot it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlAvTcBnoJI0Lomiq8nGZiZxx9p9BSGPTp-yAeOBJHKnJ_DLUefgtJ-RitVj9SRRjquyaReV7PkOVZ3keKnKQV3EelLvwLXeXHjfqaAb4IelzL2rFu1EGKPGtX-ccjPHpAbzN2revRBE/s1600/IMG_7029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlAvTcBnoJI0Lomiq8nGZiZxx9p9BSGPTp-yAeOBJHKnJ_DLUefgtJ-RitVj9SRRjquyaReV7PkOVZ3keKnKQV3EelLvwLXeXHjfqaAb4IelzL2rFu1EGKPGtX-ccjPHpAbzN2revRBE/s640/IMG_7029.JPG" width="596" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Years passed and one day, I went to an event and got 3 MAC Mineralize products as door prize. I scratched my head thinking, "What am I going to do with thee?" And then, I went home, put on a wad lot of primers before I applied the makeup. And voila, almost painless!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitqAxPABmSG26cuqP6sjea_H9Q1ebhlZiIshDjwt_a5h-e0pNZm6bf4__eiY4Wl0qTszcnlkiC5mL0xS9IhGV-gcs27v0Ncov4G8m_cikSDcAg80ew424tseiaJBkbkKfN_3xzbrQAbs/s1600/IMG_7038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitqAxPABmSG26cuqP6sjea_H9Q1ebhlZiIshDjwt_a5h-e0pNZm6bf4__eiY4Wl0qTszcnlkiC5mL0xS9IhGV-gcs27v0Ncov4G8m_cikSDcAg80ew424tseiaJBkbkKfN_3xzbrQAbs/s640/IMG_7038.JPG" width="460" /></a></div><br /><b>1. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/158/1507/Mineralize-Satinfinish-SPF-15-Foundation/index.tmpl?LOCALE=en_CA">Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation</a></b><br /><br />I have to admit I was crazy not to use a skin primer before applying it. But to my surprise, I didn't feel a thing, which means this product does not contain bismuth oxychloride. The one I got is in NC 25, which is a tad too dark for me.<br /><br />The Mineralize Satinfinish foundation is definitely not a daytime foundation. The pearlize micro particles gives the skin a nice sheen, which is nice when you do photo shoots or have a romantic candlelit dinner. But for daytime, the particles are very visible. The coverage is good (medium to full and buildable) and if you use a stipple brush, you'll get that dreamy matte finish with a glow.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/157/20500/Products/Face/Concealer/Mineralize-Concealer/index.tmpl"><b>Mineralize Concealer</b></a><br /><br />As you may know, I use this concealer <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/concealer-tricks-to-banish-raccoon-eyes.html">as a highlighter</a> and it does a pretty nice job. When it comes to concealers, if your skin is in the NC range, you should use an NW concealer to counter the darkness. The same thing for NW people. Since mine is an NC20 concealer and my skin is indeed also NC20, it only makes sense to use this concealer to highlight instead.<br /><br />While the good news is the Mineralize Concealer has a rad wand that can reach into tiny crooks and crevices, the bad news is it also contains bismuth oxychloride. This means whoever is allergic to it (me, me, me!) is going to receive the tingling sensation. I do feel it whenever I skip the whole face primer and foundation thing to go straight to concealer. However, if I spackle my face well with primer, I don't feel it as badly and the tingling sensation does go away after a while.<br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/869/3625/Mineralize-Eye-Shadow-Duo/index.tmpl"><b>Mineralize Eye Shadow</b></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjK24nKFd7iOGr60IZC1t3rO7pjQ0YmdQLBH9kIkpaKyZon3_kcdZc2RqSaZ7BZaVrSNAkK0VKEUGggQXGuB_AF1cP1fZk43mB9KRI32SSazi4zAtiHmfEgq4Qif05fWdkKxNwiOb2o9s/s1600/IMG_7031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjK24nKFd7iOGr60IZC1t3rO7pjQ0YmdQLBH9kIkpaKyZon3_kcdZc2RqSaZ7BZaVrSNAkK0VKEUGggQXGuB_AF1cP1fZk43mB9KRI32SSazi4zAtiHmfEgq4Qif05fWdkKxNwiOb2o9s/s640/IMG_7031.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Mineral Mode</td></tr></tbody></table>MAC has 2 types of mineralize eye shadows: one that looks like Mineral Mode above with only 1 major color and lots of veins and another one that is a duo eye shadow (like <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/does-loreal-hip-precious-look-familiar.html">Engaging here</a>.) As far as I've known, the formulas of these mineralize eye shadows vary: one can be quite hard and has major fall outs while the other is as smooth as butter. They are almost always packed with pigments and the frosty finish is amazing!<br /><br />However, the main concern is bismuth oxychloride and The Force is strong in this one. To be honest, the only way I can wear it is to apply a thick layer of eye shadow primer like a shield and make sure I don't apply anything on my lash line as well as avoid fall outs to touch my skin. Crazy, I know. But one touch of it and my eyes will start to water. This is a real shame because I do love mineralize/baked makeup because of aesthetic reason: they do look pretty in the pan.<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/159/782/Products/Face/Powder/Mineralize-Skinfinish/index.tmpl"><b>Mineralize Skinfinish</b></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq9vgCQRgZEKltPrguDlTLWnctrItqjBcItv6Dr63rvvozhHsRo8t-mrB7vSYh2C3VJARVcJpmNonYncffQ4-bm3QkgIzVzBnlfvYgnLM5skLrZwlhKxORDN2LMCy7WOANCsfr9FKf44/s1600/DSCF2829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq9vgCQRgZEKltPrguDlTLWnctrItqjBcItv6Dr63rvvozhHsRo8t-mrB7vSYh2C3VJARVcJpmNonYncffQ4-bm3QkgIzVzBnlfvYgnLM5skLrZwlhKxORDN2LMCy7WOANCsfr9FKf44/s640/DSCF2829.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): Mineralize Skinfinish in Northern Light and Parrot eyeshadow<br />Vintage LE in 2008!</td></tr></tbody></table>You think I would blog about MAC mineralize products without mentioning the most famous item, don't you? Now you have it: I did own an MSF for a brief period of time (1 week) before realizing that tingling sensation was not normal. It was a heartfelt bid of adieu on my part to return Northern Light to the counter. It was perfect as a blush with all those gold veins! But for my own skin's sake, I had to do what was best for me.<br /><br />There are two types of MSF and it's a bit confusing when you go to the store asking for one and receiving another. First of, there is the regular colorful MSF with veins like Northern Light. And then, you have <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/159/1343/Products/Face/Powder/Mineralize-Skinfinish-Natural/index.tmpl">Mineralize Skinfinish Natural</a>, which is a powder for your face. It does give a very pretty glow-from-within look and I've seen a lot of makeup artists using it on people's skins. The MSF Natural does look amazing.<br /><br />But again, bismuth oxychloride. Sometimes I wonder why pretty things can be so lethal.<br /><br />To conclude: while Mineralize Satinfinish foundation is something everyone can use, the rest is not for those with bismuth oxychloride sensitivity. The mineralize range is extremely pretty in term of colors and finishes. I do wish MAC to reformulate this range to make it more usable to those who have sensitive skins and allergy to bismuth oxychloride.<br /><br />My own personal conclusion: while I do love 'em, I can't use most of them. The ones I have are mostly gifts that I keep just for show :) They are too pretty (and expensive) to be in the trash.<br /><br />That's all for now. How about you? Do you have any other experiences with MAC mineralize products?<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

A Tiny Guide on MAC Mineralize Products for the Allergic

Hi everyone, I have this weird unrequited love with MAC Mineralize products: I love them but I can't use them. After trying and owning N...

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Who Makes the Cutest Samples? Benefit Does!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hey y'all!<br /><br />Sooo... I came home after taking my mom to the hospital for an eye surgery (don't worry, Momma MMB is fine!) Upon entering the living room, I saw this cute bag and my mom asked me what was inside.<br /><br />Me: Some samples, mom.<br />Mom: From whom?<br />Me: Benefit.<br />Mom: Never heard of it *paused* Really? There's a makeup brand called Benefit?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S0M5u6H_C9db7FExU8GpaPNZLXyIW-TSAd9MrEBr7xYjYiejaMaPgnlldvXHPiGh-C93MzDTE2q-jp7aZ8RHvJyxHa2Nl4OS5rUVbIebTrRmqaUL_54CzNOtUkpElND7y93PBbC8O-0/s1600/IMG_6278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S0M5u6H_C9db7FExU8GpaPNZLXyIW-TSAd9MrEBr7xYjYiejaMaPgnlldvXHPiGh-C93MzDTE2q-jp7aZ8RHvJyxHa2Nl4OS5rUVbIebTrRmqaUL_54CzNOtUkpElND7y93PBbC8O-0/s640/IMG_6278.JPG" width="486" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/">Benefit Cosmetics</a> finally came to Vietnam a few months ago and I'm seriously in love with their <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/blushes-high-low-benefit-coralista-vs.html">Coralista blush</a>. The product packaging is always cute and quirky. On top of that, the products are decent. I received 2 samples of face products in the bag. Since they are not that small, I assume that they are deluxe samples. The <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/hello-flawless-oxygen-wow">Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation</a> has 5 ml of product and <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/that-gal">That Gal</a> face primer contains 7.5 ml. I'm so glad I got these samples as I've wanted to try Oxygen Wow for ages!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdBpyXK_iVQC2UcFvvQi_TSqbVLDj3tBpPKCavC6IvjkjWATALuOlDieZ1g7_Oy-btDs3zsM9fe6QcEJNVoqPGPcD8gdBDRqwBl3t87n73OivLqwT1QwPzzbBoyyMywdrHUL5zcJAEHk/s1600/IMG_6282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdBpyXK_iVQC2UcFvvQi_TSqbVLDj3tBpPKCavC6IvjkjWATALuOlDieZ1g7_Oy-btDs3zsM9fe6QcEJNVoqPGPcD8gdBDRqwBl3t87n73OivLqwT1QwPzzbBoyyMywdrHUL5zcJAEHk/s640/IMG_6282.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXaygHxL477c-GMn4FMDTbYr2VYe6uBLM7S2Kp1oWhAFBoh7hPJ3EW_RWwy-yJ-nGZCQtJz1lWZjo3sIbhEKZwZ6yzHHWlR8BFeGntzl8abp5Wq9WPY5sexIx9pfI0X7yMV3A7IWMh6A/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXaygHxL477c-GMn4FMDTbYr2VYe6uBLM7S2Kp1oWhAFBoh7hPJ3EW_RWwy-yJ-nGZCQtJz1lWZjo3sIbhEKZwZ6yzHHWlR8BFeGntzl8abp5Wq9WPY5sexIx9pfI0X7yMV3A7IWMh6A/s400/IMG_6286.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): a dot of Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Believe in Me Ivory and a dot of That Gal</td></tr></tbody></table>I was very surprised that Believe in Me Ivory matches my skin perfectly. Before, anything with "ivory" in the name screams "too light!" to me. But recently, I've used a few foundations with this word in it and they match! Even an NC 25 foundation is too dark for me now.<div><br /></div><div>With that said, I used a tiny bit of That Gal underneath Oxygen Wow. Since this is the first time I use it and it's also a humid day, I don't think it works that well as a face primer. However, Oxygen Wow is amazing! It is really liquidy and feels like my Sunplay sunscreen on my skin. At first when I applied, it looked a tad lighter but once everything settled down, it was the perfect match!</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's not it. While it doesn't look like a lot of coverage on my skin, it actually looks really unbelievably good on film. It's like my natural skin but better. I mean, if you don't believe me, just look at this picture:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO51S9Za_6z8aXlqdkb9oMPSxmyWeo1fl-qUvLL9ddnIWxfu1_xJ_GC8S0cQuNQc8-KZTKPxr8163NIWsEQS7Kf76APMwD1EHbOJ8WB_9Amm_bOLMnX5_HYIFKPsFMFkxIUb2SYV1oqFM/s1600/IMG_6303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO51S9Za_6z8aXlqdkb9oMPSxmyWeo1fl-qUvLL9ddnIWxfu1_xJ_GC8S0cQuNQc8-KZTKPxr8163NIWsEQS7Kf76APMwD1EHbOJ8WB_9Amm_bOLMnX5_HYIFKPsFMFkxIUb2SYV1oqFM/s400/IMG_6303.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean?</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Beside That Gal and Oxygen Wow, I used a bit of concealer to hide away my raccoon eyes, a bit of mascara and eyeliner on my eyes and a dab of gloss, that's it! I didn't even bother using blush, highlighter, or contouring powder. Yet, my face looks amazing and I have the glow from within!</div><div><br /></div><div>Srsly, thank you <i>so much</i>, Benefit, for making this foundation! It does feel very comfortable and for those who have oilier skin, you should use some powder on top. By the way, I just found out that Believe in Me Ivory is the lightest shade and I'm about NC 20 now, which means those who have lighter skin than me is kinda out of luck. I wish Benefit could have some lighter shades, though :(</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, here's the deed: if you don't have severe raccoon eyes type of dark circles, you can mix a bit of Oxygen Wow with That Gal and apply it like a concealer onto the under eye areas. It immediately illuminates your eyes without you having to use heavy concealers.<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ECNyoS8I1rPTEscA_yh-ywdoOvxgMl5nCc8PPuI7j4_bcYH8bR7TKgKxjuH-d4DEsdUWZabAJxg3iH9JzmeBnc881LpaB76IgIGYnNE_ZYyX7Cx6QWrltnY9HERMbLWb1iD2jsaOiTI/s1600/IMG_6283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ECNyoS8I1rPTEscA_yh-ywdoOvxgMl5nCc8PPuI7j4_bcYH8bR7TKgKxjuH-d4DEsdUWZabAJxg3iH9JzmeBnc881LpaB76IgIGYnNE_ZYyX7Cx6QWrltnY9HERMbLWb1iD2jsaOiTI/s640/IMG_6283.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient list for That Gal</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAjPKIRp_gip4vo4lNx-x2vmsRUwpyonixhvs4y-BcjeGLO8lpDoSxXuYh-ggs7AMLjBbxzpZlL7oqmyCsS6xkYWMQQM1cBPQ95E8ghLtaHrW8Oj6nd4P_Tp6B_tuNZmjG6_Bc4EC0H0/s1600/IMG_6284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAjPKIRp_gip4vo4lNx-x2vmsRUwpyonixhvs4y-BcjeGLO8lpDoSxXuYh-ggs7AMLjBbxzpZlL7oqmyCsS6xkYWMQQM1cBPQ95E8ghLtaHrW8Oj6nd4P_Tp6B_tuNZmjG6_Bc4EC0H0/s640/IMG_6284.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient list for Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow</td></tr></tbody></table>Ok, that's all for today, folks!<br /><br />Oh wait, wait! It isn't. Did you notice anything different? And by "anything different", I mean in picture quality?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGWVvV6U-qgiqeKx4hdvBv30HnzriRh8Sx4pjcZZkUCr0b4dxk96_5M_Y77bpNjnpZ5ADHQUcaI9Ct-vit_uWgPWGmHUMqJgwQWdt3hJ7fmBCLkt3s6FiTrpR7k6Vrl_qf1Oy_lI-dQY/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGWVvV6U-qgiqeKx4hdvBv30HnzriRh8Sx4pjcZZkUCr0b4dxk96_5M_Y77bpNjnpZ5ADHQUcaI9Ct-vit_uWgPWGmHUMqJgwQWdt3hJ7fmBCLkt3s6FiTrpR7k6Vrl_qf1Oy_lI-dQY/s400/021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />After a couple of months of intense savings, I finally had enough money to buy my very first D-SLR. After a lot of debates, reading so many many photography blogs and YouTube videos as well as listening to some of my friends who are pro photographers, I finally settled with <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_rebel_t3i_18_55mm_is_ii_kit">Canon 600D</a> (T3i in the U.S/Canada, Kiss X5 in Japan.) Since Canon just released 650D, the price of 600D came down a bit. I was in luck as the camera shop near my place had a sale on this particular model on top of the already marked down price. The camera + 18-55mm kit lens +  16GB SDHC card cost me a grand total of 650 bucks!<br /><br />After bringing it home, I decided to call my new camera Sookie. Every time anybody attempt to touch my camera, I can yell out, "Sookeh is maihn!"<br /><br />Yup, once a True Blood fan always a True Blood fan.<br /><br />Sookeh is maihn!<br /><br />By the way, dear readers, can you do me a favor? Can you let me know if it takes longer to load up my blog? Since the Canon 600D has higher resolutions than my good old G12, I wonder if loading time is going to be a problem.<br /><br />Thanks, everyone!<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div></div></div>

Who Makes the Cutest Samples? Benefit Does!

Hey y'all! Sooo... I came home after taking my mom to the hospital for an eye surgery (don't worry, Momma MMB is fine!) Upon enterin...

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Have You Met Mythic Oil?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hello everyone,<br /><br />Not so long ago, I an assignment from ELLE to interview <a href="http://www.elle.vn/content/manolis-sevastopoulos-toc-thu-dong-don-gian-chic-va-hien-dai">Manolis Sevastopoulos</a>, L'Oreal Professionnel National Educator in Vietnam. This was a part of the pre-show activities for ELLE F/W 2012 Fashion Show. The interview went well and Manolis actually taught me a whole bunch of things about hair, which, believe me, as a makeup-centric beauty blogger, I don't know much about. On top of that, he was really funny, which made an assignment feel like fun.<br /><br />In the middle of the interview, Manolis asked me a question as a way to answer my question. Just imagine him speaking English with a Greek accent and you'll get the idea :)<br /><br />Me: What's your favorite product?<br />Him: You know about <a href="http://lorealprofessionnel.co.uk/products/haircare/mythic-oil">Mythic Oil</a>, no?<br />Me: *shook head*<br />Him: We use Mythic Oil in everything. We mix it into our hair dyes. It's fantastic. You don't have it? I'll give you. By the way, you should dye your hair. You have lovely hair, why black? Why brown? You should come to our academy and we'll dye your hair.<br />Me: *felt half ashamed as hair was sticking into scalp in the most horrendous manner* *face palm* *speechless*<br /><br />I told you, that interview was fun. By the end of the interview, he gave me a tour to L'Oreal Professionnel Academy in Ho Chi Minh City and asked a guy to give me a bottle of Mythic Oil that the staff was using. I took it home in the rain.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQKAf3ewc56hiIuk5tL0q51HMZIOotAy0SakFSlWOysKbax6mh_jxEgTwBdO3j8TZ0L5i13hYGsr2MPWJEKwxmvnc_JkqvNLhmrYmHbuB_iWIKDb0lSi4uX_NSuiG1ZhNC77kZigvtRo/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQKAf3ewc56hiIuk5tL0q51HMZIOotAy0SakFSlWOysKbax6mh_jxEgTwBdO3j8TZ0L5i13hYGsr2MPWJEKwxmvnc_JkqvNLhmrYmHbuB_iWIKDb0lSi4uX_NSuiG1ZhNC77kZigvtRo/s640/026.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />Because of the rain, I decided to wash my hair that night and used Mythic Oil before blow drying it. Since I came back from the vacation, my hair was in an utter state of dread: it was oily at the root and dry at the tip. On top of that, it felt rough and shed like Belly's hair in summer. I don't think I've said this before but I don't like hair oils or serums that much as they tend to add more oil to my root and deflate my hair as well.<br /><br />But again, I was desperate so I pumped a healthy dose of Mythic Oil and rubbed it from root to tip without touching the scalp (as Manolis warned me not to do so.) Then, I blew dry the crap out of my hair.<br /><br />The result was uh-MAY-zing! My hair was softer, smoother, and sleeker at the first try. I slept on it and on the next morning, I saw more volume on top. Usually, my mop of hair would be greasy by day 2 but at the end of the second day, it was fine. So I stretched out for one more day and on day 3, my hair was greasy as it would usually be on day 2. However, this would not be the end of awesomeness. I've noticed less hair falls as well. For the first time since ever, I have met a product that truly makes my hair look and feel better.<br /><br />So what is Mythic Oil, anyway?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO9YGXFyr00SrCx3jmjYaMCNGar6Af8KBx25JDxX4AwKpCDTJYlLhWbwwVTfO93vYWCUgQf_v5K3Zc6xYCIR9K69RjXSqAYauLhpN_DK92ncAmMsl9raEdib1ThztipwKzIltfTW3CQY/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO9YGXFyr00SrCx3jmjYaMCNGar6Af8KBx25JDxX4AwKpCDTJYlLhWbwwVTfO93vYWCUgQf_v5K3Zc6xYCIR9K69RjXSqAYauLhpN_DK92ncAmMsl9raEdib1ThztipwKzIltfTW3CQY/s640/029.JPG" width="390" /></a></div><br /><br />According to L'Oreal Professionnel, Mythic Oil is "enriched with a special blend of avocado and grape seed oil, this lightweight oil cares and pampers all hair types. Nourishing even the finest hair, the formula leaves hair looking shiny, feeling nourished and supple."<br /><br />Here are the ingredient list and instructions:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51PcnvEIqbL8T692OeNOwblPQS_FUJZP8Fm1fsTVRBzm1F-MJRYtBPdgeWmakT1qof04e3PqTXG8xdLh_U1dG53HWW39s0u9n3Pv8vFct_wjUNQU7WlvWdKRg5pZOvweJrJ6we8hRjUs/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51PcnvEIqbL8T692OeNOwblPQS_FUJZP8Fm1fsTVRBzm1F-MJRYtBPdgeWmakT1qof04e3PqTXG8xdLh_U1dG53HWW39s0u9n3Pv8vFct_wjUNQU7WlvWdKRg5pZOvweJrJ6we8hRjUs/s400/034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWJsvFYBh8Qxog4U1RBlhqkk2qb5jzawHOJQKiiNTyHqWb8PiWl526oPlRGNzXcNKn76j2423xodpqHj88c_6NIraa_DzdLh1gZjR7Yl3zMwSHIXeO7RopXTqXXBQPENfip979jHMoLY/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWJsvFYBh8Qxog4U1RBlhqkk2qb5jzawHOJQKiiNTyHqWb8PiWl526oPlRGNzXcNKn76j2423xodpqHj88c_6NIraa_DzdLh1gZjR7Yl3zMwSHIXeO7RopXTqXXBQPENfip979jHMoLY/s400/036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />As you can see, all the hair smoothing and sleeking powers come from cyclopentasiloxane and dimethiconol. However, as avocado and grape seed are number 4 and 5 in the ingredient list, they are abundant enough to make a difference. In the past, I remember rubbing a little bit of Moroccan Oil in my hand and because it felt really, really tacky, I decided not to rub it on my hair. Moroccan Oil, as I recall, doesn't have a lot of argan oil. Therefore, I can't compare between Mythic Oil and Moroccan Oil. However, if Mythic Oil is the answer to Moroccan Oil, I guess L'Oreal Professionnel just won.<br /><br />Believe me, I was very cautious of what this Mythic Oil would do to my skin. Usually, hair products with intense amounts of those two compounds would cause my skin to freak out. I would see zits sprouting around my jaw line and the perimeter of my face. But nope, after half a month of continuous use, I saw none of the above.<br /><br />Now, here's the thing: while L'Oreal Professionnel is a salon brand, you can hardly find it in the U.S and Japan unless you hit up Amazon.com which <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loreal-Mythic-Oil-Unisex-Ounce/dp/B00576OC1U">sells it</a> for an exorbitant amount of money! In the U.K, I've read somewhere that you can get this on sale for around 10 pounds. In Vietnam, it is currently priced at around $22 USD.<br /><br />However, and this is a big however, I've found out that you don't have to use a full pump to get smooth and sleek hair. While it is not greasy when you use a lot of Mythic Oil, I don't see much of a difference when I use 2 pumps or 2 big drops. This is the amount of Mythic Oil I'm using now, considering how expensive it is going to cost me once this 4.2 ounce bottle runs out:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGAe235Jx4PpybhOvw95_LoU-eMtPXSWx5T2XblxRGFla-jeJzhO8mUtu5hchxZ6qK5qR5dc6OAwOxD8ZhcZ6iUFA3bzVbgwUz2DtJ_mVwGdzaO8YHGvCZdshxCIgp3pXimaKajuvBdE/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGAe235Jx4PpybhOvw95_LoU-eMtPXSWx5T2XblxRGFla-jeJzhO8mUtu5hchxZ6qK5qR5dc6OAwOxD8ZhcZ6iUFA3bzVbgwUz2DtJ_mVwGdzaO8YHGvCZdshxCIgp3pXimaKajuvBdE/s400/031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The trick of how to apply it is to dispense 2 or 3 drops of oil on your palm (it smells floral, btw), then rub the two palms vigorously together. This will warm up the oil and help spreading it better. Once the oil contacts with your wet hair, it will toughen up and become hard to spread. After dispensing the oil close to the scalp without touching, you rake your hands down to the tip of your hair, then twist it back and forth while running the palms up and down the length. Then, you can go ahead and blow dry your hair out and see how shiny it is.<br /><br />Am I going to buy another bottle after this one runs out? You betcha! Mythic Oil is officially The Good Stuff in my book. This is rare to me when it comes to hair products as I'm very anal about them. I remember buying a bin full of hair care and styling products only to donate them to those in need (the YMCA Summer Camp at some point became a benefactor as I dropped boxes and boxes of hair products at their door!)<br /><br />So if you are in Europe and Asia but not Japan, I hope you'll give Mythic Oil a try. It is so really, really, ridiculously good that it makes me and my hair happy. For those who live in the U.S and Japan, Amazon.com can be your best friend :)<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! I hope you'll get to try Mythic Oil soon.<br /><br />May you have a good hair day,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Have You Met Mythic Oil?

Hello everyone, Not so long ago, I an assignment from ELLE to interview Manolis Sevastopoulos , L'Oreal Professionnel National Educator ...

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I Heart Argan Oil

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Recently, I was introduced to argan oil via <a href="http://purearganoil.co.uk/">Pure Argan Oil</a>, a website in UK that sells 100% pure oil imported from Morocco. She sent me a 15ml roller ball vial to try and after a couple of uses, I was hooked! Yes, I have tried olive, jojoba, and even coconut oils on my skin but this argan oil tops them all!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YyzfQ8zyJXR-xcJ8N2aYWjffs7Q884efe_7CT3Evo9GUMPY6bEkEUAfuRpVKK13QI0Tp_pnsDOqtSupsDB6yXDtgd_wKA2Evz7EZqLEfmO__wzD9aLDyeM22KrDmtnBzLbejpGXzIn8/s1600/IMG_7354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YyzfQ8zyJXR-xcJ8N2aYWjffs7Q884efe_7CT3Evo9GUMPY6bEkEUAfuRpVKK13QI0Tp_pnsDOqtSupsDB6yXDtgd_wKA2Evz7EZqLEfmO__wzD9aLDyeM22KrDmtnBzLbejpGXzIn8/s640/IMG_7354.JPG" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 15ml sample I received</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsWXiS_JWSHVH_eVGwRFx4LfJ455oJbYgSL9Etp2dRYxY_qYzt2UWeydKbtYwYLunU3GNCWUyw4XtkEMoGTcqhq8i0Ch9HDRYkN6GHFG2lcSpnVEEup3ZAEm8FoiiOXZcCHoI1rsLEs0/s1600/IMG_7355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsWXiS_JWSHVH_eVGwRFx4LfJ455oJbYgSL9Etp2dRYxY_qYzt2UWeydKbtYwYLunU3GNCWUyw4XtkEMoGTcqhq8i0Ch9HDRYkN6GHFG2lcSpnVEEup3ZAEm8FoiiOXZcCHoI1rsLEs0/s640/IMG_7355.JPG" width="374" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has a roller ball on top, which is nifty to apply on my skin without wasting too much product</td></tr></tbody></table> First of all, unlike the other oils I tried, argan oil does not feel oily. I have tried jojoba oil before and although it is technically a wax, I still feel like it sits on my skin when I use too much of it. Both olive and coconut oils are thicker but they both feel oily as well. However, argan oil is quite unique: while it is a heavy oil with lots of fatty acids, it permeates into the skin well without making me feel too oily.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZZtXYLKpwL_pMBFpjVUSZPFHecuA19WfdwOIahKeSdbNfv6zDMMSCyjxjuPfMtsQ3JnKqfy0EKSBUIiVYctfI36KguBBZ31DgMuqp6FNooE1M4r5Aq3BNPbu0Uyhi6AR5vOsobdxlVk/s1600/IMG_7356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZZtXYLKpwL_pMBFpjVUSZPFHecuA19WfdwOIahKeSdbNfv6zDMMSCyjxjuPfMtsQ3JnKqfy0EKSBUIiVYctfI36KguBBZ31DgMuqp6FNooE1M4r5Aq3BNPbu0Uyhi6AR5vOsobdxlVk/s400/IMG_7356.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of argan oil on my skin</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZQilrgnGk_CrdNKItjFn5e_utg3O3SGXmE-OsDEyP2JieSIpukSPRUhlASBZ6HO60wQVx5_p7zbBJgfZD8JZs7EQtBNWiaEH94SRSdai86eVUBkfb7NgPR_f3UM_cJ4jXC2P6jDrYGU/s1600/IMG_7357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZQilrgnGk_CrdNKItjFn5e_utg3O3SGXmE-OsDEyP2JieSIpukSPRUhlASBZ6HO60wQVx5_p7zbBJgfZD8JZs7EQtBNWiaEH94SRSdai86eVUBkfb7NgPR_f3UM_cJ4jXC2P6jDrYGU/s400/IMG_7357.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then I rubbed it. The skin looks significantly smoother already!</td></tr></tbody></table>Prior to using it, I was trying a $350 USD face cream which left my skin both oily and dry at the same time. Then, I switched over to Kurahito, which hydrated my skin to a certain extend. But once it started using this pure argan oil, things went for the better. For the first time ever, the skin areas underneath my eyes were moist! And I have been using expensive eye creams that vowed to do the same job but they did not!<br /><br />Insane, right?<br /><br />Turns out argan oil contains vitamin E, phenols, squalenr, carotene, and 80% unsaturated fatty acids. It is also deemed to be more stable than olive oil when it comes to being oxidized. On top of that, you can use argan oil on your skin, hair, nails, and even lips! This is an edible oil like olive and coconut oils!<br /><br />I used it religiously for a month and I've noticed 2 things: I only need to use a tiny bit of argan oil right after washing my face and it does pull the plugs out of my skin similarly to jojoba oil. Also, it smooths hair flyaways without making my hair look greasy at all.<br /><br />If I have to choose between the expensive Moroccan Oil (a hair care oil) vs. pure argan oil from Morocco, I would take the later one in a heart beat. Moroccan Oil is full of dimethicone, which makes hair look smooth, sleek and lustrous but it does not have the healing power that argan oil has. Also, the amount of argan oil in Moroccan Oil is little. It's better to use the original and natural oil anyway.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! I hope you are having a fantastic week ahead!<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: The <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/skintritious-giveaway.html">Skitritious giveaway</a> ends at 11:59 PM EST tonight. Please join before it's too late!<br /><br />P.P.S: New readers and lurkers, please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

I Heart Argan Oil

Hi everyone, Recently, I was introduced to argan oil via Pure Argan Oil , a website in UK that sells 100% pure oil imported from Morocco. Sh...

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Inside Out Beautification with Skintritious

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">About a month ago, Meg, the wonderful owner of <a href="http://www.skintritious.com/shop.html"><b>Skintritious</b></a> contacted me regarding a reviewing opportunity for products from her company. After a little bit of research, I said yes, as Skintritious products are made from natural ingredients and free of preservatives. After a couple of weeks, I received a package with the delectable Orange Blossom Body Scrub and Skin Tea (both can be seen <a href="http://www.skintritious.com/shop.html">here</a>.) However, during transition, the body scrub was leaked and I lost 1/3 of the products. I shed some bitter tears over it. After all, the body scrub smells awesome and it totally works!</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0osWtbJxOF-aiWOt39dh003WkwHkHnH8bmIVbr8EVjNhN0KsehShU0b5ULKRoseTXbNHOhfQ3jp6rVkbsb3wrLsA4RCjXnLMgKT0YE1lxYKv2oHGGLwwYwPuyXY2FYc2kXYZrl-5sNg/s1600/Body+Scrub+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0osWtbJxOF-aiWOt39dh003WkwHkHnH8bmIVbr8EVjNhN0KsehShU0b5ULKRoseTXbNHOhfQ3jp6rVkbsb3wrLsA4RCjXnLMgKT0YE1lxYKv2oHGGLwwYwPuyXY2FYc2kXYZrl-5sNg/s640/Body+Scrub+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Skintritious Orange Blossom Body Scrub ($13 USD)</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyip5jWUBiAYf3GQPyYGe1kd_iVLMlwqky9nrtHtEXh8ubTdibKADxCYsqK129Cb1BbXvFmhjAUVHksESV_OHKakcmccF1SOTjlp-Jv_NlPaXHsvLry_NDlhVd7n8Vr4rXXnmcvPxgRHo/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyip5jWUBiAYf3GQPyYGe1kd_iVLMlwqky9nrtHtEXh8ubTdibKADxCYsqK129Cb1BbXvFmhjAUVHksESV_OHKakcmccF1SOTjlp-Jv_NlPaXHsvLry_NDlhVd7n8Vr4rXXnmcvPxgRHo/s640/IMG_7079.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cap with direction, caution, and ingredients<br />It was soaked with oil, hence the blurry words :(</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuWolM_1Egt3LAWSohmEhAaERaSeV_ITWBS0n_NaJ5T0Id_4ixAHLWVJpYUrib0dRGax0cVAebReBAJXtSmGxDVMrccDIA7PUSzQpPPQipDuXah3UIsWiFLIaqsY_Rr96TUGc64oFu88/s1600/IMG_7075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuWolM_1Egt3LAWSohmEhAaERaSeV_ITWBS0n_NaJ5T0Id_4ixAHLWVJpYUrib0dRGax0cVAebReBAJXtSmGxDVMrccDIA7PUSzQpPPQipDuXah3UIsWiFLIaqsY_Rr96TUGc64oFu88/s640/IMG_7075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The body scrub is a mixture of brown sugar with olive oil, vitamin E oil, and minerals with a lovely orange blossom scent. During the transition, the package leaked and I received the jar with a lot less oil than it was supposed to be. Instead of a slushy mix, what I got has a wet sand texture. While that is not a bad thing, I would prefer more yummy scented oil in the mix.<br /><br />However, it was not Meg's fault as I'm sure the transition from the U.S to Vietnam can be rough. The body scrub is awesome! The first time I used it was on my hands and I have had dry and itchy cuticles for a while now. The scrub not only removes dead skin cells but also replenishes moisture. My hands felt so soft that I braved up and scrubbed my body from the neck down.<br /><br />Since I had a rough day, the orange blossom scent was heavenly. It picked me up and the oil was enough to keep my body moist. I love how it softened the rough parts on my heels. I came out of the shower not only feeling better about myself but had much, much softer skin as well! My only wish was Meg to come up with a face scrub with the same scent. It would be fabulous!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydH4ie6zfglG0iCXTqk_w1g0vkyodkPUQrbzgWrMvka4ibaRoRCwvD5f85pBUn3Jag6ByKjHzXYeHqGHjQEvEQIyZY87NMRUmkq03ORbCGG4T-wPz6WkqAHqoniUdJGBHajRWHrToK1g/s1600/SkinTea1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydH4ie6zfglG0iCXTqk_w1g0vkyodkPUQrbzgWrMvka4ibaRoRCwvD5f85pBUn3Jag6ByKjHzXYeHqGHjQEvEQIyZY87NMRUmkq03ORbCGG4T-wPz6WkqAHqoniUdJGBHajRWHrToK1g/s640/SkinTea1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Skin Tea ($8 USD)</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2I1_IdwPNoTUOdFXFetsphZkJ6lCwZh2VBU4WPcJlXvCj4vD1yuq00vXLqdv5lL4LtolFhaWa5Nn8Jh2NmN6TmqE9B_RrN5T0En3hkrDUd2afUEQU1v9_o96Qj3xnoRdCOOR8q7D2yU/s1600/IMG_7055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2I1_IdwPNoTUOdFXFetsphZkJ6lCwZh2VBU4WPcJlXvCj4vD1yuq00vXLqdv5lL4LtolFhaWa5Nn8Jh2NmN6TmqE9B_RrN5T0En3hkrDUd2afUEQU1v9_o96Qj3xnoRdCOOR8q7D2yU/s640/IMG_7055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGtbpilpvf-u5OD77p1PWzxOry666tIi0jvA-z9E05o7vHCwupszEcEYJglSuPUufoeb9iTmqyN2C-i1eRVFnsnM5WIYRXgxd7TehGVtS0ZJl8WGLZzYV8dOPPArWqAuR8N3Ea64ZtWU/s1600/IMG_7058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGtbpilpvf-u5OD77p1PWzxOry666tIi0jvA-z9E05o7vHCwupszEcEYJglSuPUufoeb9iTmqyN2C-i1eRVFnsnM5WIYRXgxd7TehGVtS0ZJl8WGLZzYV8dOPPArWqAuR8N3Ea64ZtWU/s640/IMG_7058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />For $8, you get 2 pouches of herb mix made of green tea, spices, and crushed food to use in your steam bath as a facial steamer. As it is an edible product, you can drink it as a tea, too! Since I was aching for some tea, I boiled some water and drank it. The smell was earthy but the taste was not something I am used to. Nevertheless, I drank and went back to work.<br /><br />The skin tea is a nifty product to try if you are into DIY facials at home. In fact, it is the least perishable product Skintritious carries. Meg chose these two products for me after knowing my skin type. The body scrub can last up to 6 months if you put it in a cool, dry place. I've found out as long as you don't let it sit in the open for too long and has water dripping over it, you are fine. With water and air contact, the sugar granules can lump together but after a quick stir, everything is fine.<br /><br />Overall, I'm madly in love with <b>Skintritious Orange Blossom Body Scrub</b>. I think it is a wonderful products for those who have dry and flaky skins. Also, since it is packed full of oil, it is a good product to use during the winter months as well. However, it can cause a slippery surface so be very careful when you use it. Personally, I would like to use it for my hands as it keeps them soft and moist. The <b>Skin Tea</b> is a nice product for those who love facials and tea, although I would not advocate drinking it, though. Skintritious has friendly pricing for their handcrafted products and if you don't know what to get and/or want to improve your skin conditions, Meg offers a skincare consultant at $30/half hour. She is, after all, an experienced aesthetician whose clients are stars.<br /><br />Last but not least, Skintritious ships products to the U.S and Canada only and buyers pay for shipping.<br /><br />That's all for today, folks! I hope you are having a wonderful Monday!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />Disclosure: The reviewer received press samples for reviewing purposes.<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Inside Out Beautification with Skintritious

Hi everyone, About a month ago, Meg, the wonderful owner of Skintritious contacted me regarding a reviewing opportunity for products from h...

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The Real Deal: Coastal Scents Shea Butter

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Around Thanksgiving in 2010, I braved up and bought 1lb of <b>pure shea butter</b> from <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/">Coastal Scents</a>. That winter was the first time my skin was extremely dry. I tried all the lotions but none of them could make the flakes on my calves go away. However, I noticed that my face seemed to love moisturizers with shea butter. I think Coastal Scents had a Thanksgiving sale that drove the price down even more so I made my own little purchase. A couple of weeks later and this arrived at my door:</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0n0b5aI_eUdG69OJNpXIs8aELYZ0UaHMZ2hc7F6NVXxPQr8ElWGH18Whx6nBJTCX7OcL4bYw6VzZIs9SKCnSETj7HCb1PYv85wM1EyY4n-6lCbSB8jHz-789_TLpSCVO0aaBBS1OfWU/s1600/IMG_3513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0n0b5aI_eUdG69OJNpXIs8aELYZ0UaHMZ2hc7F6NVXxPQr8ElWGH18Whx6nBJTCX7OcL4bYw6VzZIs9SKCnSETj7HCb1PYv85wM1EyY4n-6lCbSB8jHz-789_TLpSCVO0aaBBS1OfWU/s640/IMG_3513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1-lb bag of shea butter!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4kMrCFXzKAqyXIYhl2iGSSWGzZoEbyOIQux8kw9Scfm98cBtaerT8zORHCfoKgPDYz_a86J1AFvJODd2Ce6LTFuC6jj5SKqpEJO5D8YvnFr25iLD-GOVcrAv164p-WrYwkc637gEblU/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4kMrCFXzKAqyXIYhl2iGSSWGzZoEbyOIQux8kw9Scfm98cBtaerT8zORHCfoKgPDYz_a86J1AFvJODd2Ce6LTFuC6jj5SKqpEJO5D8YvnFr25iLD-GOVcrAv164p-WrYwkc637gEblU/s640/IMG_0153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After almost two years later, I still feel giddy while looking at this picture.<br />I mean, can you imagine a pound full of moisturizing goodness?</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/bath-and-body/made-in-africa/body-butter/bw-002.html">Coastal Scents shea butte</a>r is made in Ghana. From what I read in the website, Coastal Scents has a partnership with a village in Ghana to produce high quality unrefined shea butter for the company. In return, the money helps the village to thrive and send kids to school. Since the practice sounded fair to me and the price was right as a result of no middle men, I decided to get me the smallest quantity of shea butter, which is 1 lb.<br /><br />For those who are not familiar with shea butter, it is the product of the nuts of the karite trees. It has a thick consistency that is en par of cocoa butter. When it comes to purchasing shea butter, it is advisable to buy unrefined butter as all the skincare goodness is still retained. The shea butter is unbleached and the original scent is still there. The scent is quite earthy and pleasant, although not quite as noticeable as that of cocoa butter.<br /><br />The first thing I did was to scoop a tiny bit of shea butter in a jar and microwave it so the butter could fix in the jar nicely. Since I had a pound of stuff, I split with a friend who had sensitive and flaky skin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZS4OEYY0M1OhM4Xmo5D36EggZ2JTHwvyvBZ86ibjnBCkdsatvmtYp16ac7gx1B-jsLQCIgJc6I7lDutFOjmGPfPYxYpONLvOieSjSZjwlYrTTnHjt7ZguULFpMIPvHVtKrMDOvTkv2I/s1600/IMG_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZS4OEYY0M1OhM4Xmo5D36EggZ2JTHwvyvBZ86ibjnBCkdsatvmtYp16ac7gx1B-jsLQCIgJc6I7lDutFOjmGPfPYxYpONLvOieSjSZjwlYrTTnHjt7ZguULFpMIPvHVtKrMDOvTkv2I/s640/IMG_0159.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you are familiar with Bath and Body Works, they have a couple of shea-infuse moisturizers priced utterly high. However, the percentage of shea butter in those products are at 20% maximum and you pay a lot more for a small tube of synthetic materials mixed with some shea butter. With this, you get the real deal.<br /><br />I rubbed a tiny bit on the palm on my hand and watched it melt. Shea butter is solid at room temperature but melts on your skin. Once it melted, I rubbed it all over my hands and waited...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC08BSxaRCFtPGVdeYT43-Mfpkjqx1fsxLWdYeRylS2sHNSzxqx3Q9dUJHQ-5Ih1AmXLFkxHLwBKxTC51nR-nZ8IbBPQp7oBd95Jo7nYqqKWiejewvlFgwa06EiFlTGQTs7nQA-nLHw8/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC08BSxaRCFtPGVdeYT43-Mfpkjqx1fsxLWdYeRylS2sHNSzxqx3Q9dUJHQ-5Ih1AmXLFkxHLwBKxTC51nR-nZ8IbBPQp7oBd95Jo7nYqqKWiejewvlFgwa06EiFlTGQTs7nQA-nLHw8/s640/IMG_0161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />At first, it was a little bit tacky and oily. I told myself this stuff didn't work. But then, something miraculous happened: the thick and sticky shea butter sank into my skin!<br /><br />I mean, look at it! Amazing, right?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3BjtAvCw24sdtkdm7_y-sBuh0pPbEQHBhZl0xnnABrE9NYnIwXzWrpH6NQaA_wqmDV0iisvQ0p4sw1TxorcNYgMuWjgs_9yTZmMLLcLkkmbIFvLPUtni-5BKkjunmvwOMuF28XQSntw/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3BjtAvCw24sdtkdm7_y-sBuh0pPbEQHBhZl0xnnABrE9NYnIwXzWrpH6NQaA_wqmDV0iisvQ0p4sw1TxorcNYgMuWjgs_9yTZmMLLcLkkmbIFvLPUtni-5BKkjunmvwOMuF28XQSntw/s640/IMG_0162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I was so happy that I rubbed it all over my arms, legs, and feet before going to bed. When I woke up, my body felt so soft and amazing! I felt so happy that I made the right choice of choosing the real deal over synthetic stuff!<br /><br />Now, here's the precaution: shea butter is made from tree nuts and you should not use it if you are allergic to nuts. Also, while it is an awesome moisturizer, it is advisable not to use shea butter on your face if you have acne, as it can clog pores. I personally did not have issues with either problems, although my skin was still misbehaving back in 2010.<br /><br />I'm so glad that I got a chance to try shea butter and finally get to write up about it. If you have dry skin and not allergic to nuts (pine nuts, tree nuts, and regular nuts), please get yourself a pound of shea butter. Believe me, it is the cheapest pound of moisturizer you can get and you can use it in so many ways. I melted some shea butter and used it as a hair mask and my hair felt really amazing as well.<br /><br />Right now, I'm looking at the pictures with longing in my eyes. I really miss that 1lb bag of shea butter, I really do!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

The Real Deal: Coastal Scents Shea Butter

Hi everyone, Around Thanksgiving in 2010, I braved up and bought 1lb of pure shea butter from Coastal Scents . That winter was the first ti...

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