Monthly Archives

December 2016

Beauty

Sigma Brushes

Happy day after Christmas everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and ate a ton of really great food.  I definitely gained a few pounds in the last few days.

I have been on the lookout for a new blush brush.  Every time I watch Youtube videos of makeup people putting on make up, their brushes look so nice and fluffy.  It applies their makeup so nice… I want that!  So when my good friend told me that she had purchased some Sigma brushes online during Black Friday, I immediately went to find some deals.  Sigma has been having great deals since then and I scored!

I already have a kabuki foundation brush that I bought for the same good friend as a gift, and I love it!  I have to say that Sigma brushes are pretty on point with the brushes you can buy at the fancy department stores.  Plus, when you get the package it’s like opening a Christmas present.  Their packaging is on point!

F40 – Large Angled Contour Brush Copper | Sigma Beauty $23:  Fluffy angled brush with soft bristles.  It may say “contour” in the title and you may think it’s for “contouring” but you can actually use it for blush or bronzer.  It’s a great brush for really getting into the hollows of your cheeks and makes applying blush so easy!  The option to get a copper handle didn’t help me make it love it even more!

F23 – Soft Angled Contour Brush | Sigma Beauty $26:  I wanted to use this with my Charlotte Tilbury ‘Filmstar Bronze & Glow’ Face Sculpt and Highlight (read the review here).  Initially I was using the powder brush but figured I should invest in a brush for contouring.  This brush is so soft but stiff enough to contour my cheeks.  Plus, this is great for highlighting the tops of my cheeks too.  I definitely recommend this brush if you are looking for a new contour one.

Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning Mat | Sigma Beauty $25:  This thing has great reviews.  You know how I love washing my makeup brushes so I figured if this would give my brushes an even deeper clean, then why not?  Well, I have used this twice already and I think my hand is better at cleaning my brushes than this thing is.  I got the “Express” one because it’s made to fit smaller sinks.  Truthfully I don’t know if my sink is considered to be smaller than normal, but I didn’t want to risk it and get a mat that is too big!  There are suction cups on the back to help stick to your sink. Sadly this is a big skip.  You do not need this at all.

Brush Cup Holder | Sigma Beauty $25:  There was a promotion going on when I made my purchase and it came with a free Brush Cup Holder.  I think this will be great when I have to travel.  I have a lot of trips coming up in the Spring for work, perfect for trying this out.  So far, seems fine.  You just have to be careful that you stand it upright and not crush the bristles.

Moral of this story.  Sigma brushes = good.  Cleaning mat = bad.  Anyone have any other suggestions for affordable, but high-quality makeup brushes?  If so, leave me comment below.

 

Beauty Style

Red Flannel Scarf

I love the holidays.  I never used to.  I used to hate it with a passion, but ever since I left retail/wholesale, I love November and December.  A lot goes on during these two months including 2 whole weeks off for holiday break. Last weekend I went to our team holiday party.  I have to say, I am very lucky to have a group of coworkers that I enjoy being around.  I was a party animal and did not get home until 1am. We had a nacho bar, white elephant exchange, played King’s Cup and a whole lot of shenanigans that I can’t repeat (but may have been posted on Snapchat).

Anyway, this was my lovely outfit for the holiday party.  My closet is not filled with red or green, but I do have this red flannel scarf and red lipstick that I love to wear during the holidays.  I bought this scarf last year and it is the warmest, thickest scarf that I have.  For these cold winter days we have been having in SoCal, it is the best!  The red lipstick?  I got it for free from NARS & Sephora for my birthday and it is one of the best reds for Asian skin tones ever.  It’s called Cruella which is the best name for it.  I paired these two with a comfortable, soft sweater, slim boyfriend jeans, slip-on Converse and I was good to go!

Also, some insider scoop for my readers out there.  My favorite store Madewell has a ton of stuff on sale and they have been doing an additional percentage off on top of it!  Start looking!

Outfit Details –  Scarf: Madewell (similar is on sale!) | Sweater: Nordstrom | Jeans: Madewell | Shoes: Converse | Handbag: Goyard | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Watch: Michele (similar) | Lips: NARS

 

Beauty

Charlotte Tilbury 2.0

charlotte-tilbury-2-0-9Last month I was invited to attend a Charlotte Tilbury Master Class held at my local Nordstrom.  I didn’t know what to expect but I have to say that when I left, I had a different view of these classes.  I learned so much that I didn’t know about the Charlotte Tilbury line and applying makeup.  For example, did you know there’s the “feline flick” that Charlotte is known for? Did you know that every single product of her’s has ingredients that are beneficial for your skin?  Yeah, I didn’t know that either.

Here are reviews on some of the products I picked up after the class!

Magic Cream Treat & Transform Moisturizer | Nordstrom $100:  Let me start by stating the obvious, this stuff isn’t cheap.  Luckily I had a few Nordstrom Notes that I had saved up and decided to splurge on this little beauty.  Charlotte Tilbury made this for the models who would come in to get their makeup done for runway shows and had dry, unhappy skin due to smoking, not eating right and not getting enough sleep.  This stuff definitely helps to make your skin look healthy after application.  I also love the rose gold packaging!  This cream looks luxurious and heavy, but surprisingly it is not.  It actually absorbs quite nicely into your skin and does not leave your face greasy.  I have been using it every single morning for the last month and my skin actually looks much smoother.  The cream has SPF 15 which makes it good for day but you can also use it at night as well.charlotte-tilbury-2-0-7

Color Chameleon Color Morphing Eyeshadow Pencil in Amber Haze | Nordstrom $27.00:  I really wanted to love this.  It looked great when the makeup artist put it on the model.  It’s perfect for creating a smokey eye.  However, my contacts really hated this pencil.  Every time I used it, I would get a cloud on my contact.  If you do not wear contacts, I recommend getting this.  It’s wonderful and the color looks great for those with dark brown eyes, but sadly I had to return it.

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‘Hot Lips’ Lipstick in Kim KW | Nordstrom $32.00:  I didn’t think that I would love this but I did!!!  Paired with the Pillow Talk Lip Liner, it looks great.  Yes, it is nude so if you are not the type who likes a natural/nude lip, then you will not like this.  Me, personally, I love anything natural and nude.  The lipstick itself is very moisturizing and not dry at all.  I also like how the lipstick itself is shaped.  Great for making sure to stay within the lines of your cupid’s bow.charlotte-tilbury-2-0-4

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*Kim KW lipstick on the bottom, Pillowtalk lipliner on the top*

‘Lip Cheat’ Re-Size and Re-Shape Lip Liner in Pillowtalk | Nordstrom $22.00:  This color is the better version of my natural lip color.  I love it.  I use it with my Hot Lips Kim KW and my Matte Revolution in Very Kate.  It just adds the right amount of color to nudes and natural lipsticks.  It is also velvety and easy to put on.  I love it!

‘Wonderglow’ Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash | Nordstrom $55.00: I saw the makeup artist apply this to the model after the Magic Cream and her skin looked amazing.  This is a primer/anti-aging elixir/complexion-enhancer. When I tried , I didn’t really notice anything except my face was shinier.  I have continued to use it day after day because I keep hoping that one day I will fall in love with it.  At this price, I say skip it.  This may have to go back to the store.

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*straight from the tube on the bottom, blended into my skin on the top*

Gift with Purchase – ‘Magic Night Rescue Cream’ Intense Firming, Plumping Balm-Elixir | Nordstrom $145.00:  I love the gardenia smell that this has.  It is my absolute favorite scent.  This cream is a bit oily since it is a “balm/elixir,” but I think it does its job in the dry winter months.  I am going to wait until I use up this deluxe sample but I really like using it at night.  This is a love!charlotte-tilbury-2-0-5

Have you tried anything from the Charlotte Tilbury line?  Good or bad, I want to hear what you thought!  Do you share the same obsession as me?  Tell me!

Until next time!

Beauty

November Birchbox Review

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December is one of my favorite months of the year.  I love holiday shopping.  Even though I worked in retail for a very long time, I still love the smell of stores.  Since I do not get to go into malls as often anymore, when I do, it’s the best!  The energy during the holidays, the smell of stores, the excess amount of merchandise and the cold crispness in the air … I LOVE IT!  It’s even better right now because it’s actually cold in LA.  I have been wearing jackets and scarves the past few days and I love it!

Enough rambling about how much I love the holiday season.  It’s back to the real reason for this post.  I am late for my November Birchbox review, I’m sorry readers.  But, I have a good reason for waiting so long.  First of all, this was NOT a good representation of what Birchbox offers. I opened the box and was simply unimpressed. This is strike 1 Birchbox.  You hear me?  This month it was all about extras.  I received a moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, fragrance and a lip & cheek stain.  Can you guess which one I was actually excited for?  The lip & cheek stain of course!

I’m going to try to keep this post short and sweet.  Happy reading!

jane iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain (Forever Pink)| Birchbox $25:  This adjusts to your body’s unique chemistry to create a customized, flattering hue.  This was actually pretty light on me even after it adjusted to my body chemistry.  I know this is supposed to be a deluxe sample, but the product is so small it’s really awkward to use it.  Fail….

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Marcelle New-Age LumiPOWER 3-in-1 Moisturizer | Birchbox $26:  this is a day moisturizer, night moisturizer and eye cream in one.  This actually turned out to be something I liked.  It’s light, doesn’t have a smell and would be great for the summer.  I actually wouldn’t mind using this.  If you have sensitive skin or want something lightweight that won’t leave your skin greasy, this is it!

Rene Furterer Lumicia Shampoo & Conditioner | Birchbox $22/$24:  This is a luxe French shampoo.  The perfume smell is super strong.  It lathered well but my hair didn’t feel incredibly clean.  The conditioner is formulated to neutralize hard water buildup on your strands so that your have weightless strands.  I didn’t find that it really made my hair feel silky smooth like it should with a “luxe” conditioner.  Double fail.

Etat Libre d’Orange Dangerous Complicity | Birchbox $149:  This is fruity and floral – coconut and ginger are my favorites of the notes.  Unfortunately I didn’t really smell any of this.  I can tell that once I put this on, it will be very musky on me.  I am usually more drawn to clean floral scents.  This was not one of those.  Fail.

If you have read my other Birchbox reviews, I generally enjoy my samples and use them up throughout the month.  If you would like to sign up and subscribe to Birchbox, click on my link!  You may find some new products that you love.  I sure have!

Until next time!