September Ipsy Glam Bag

My September Ipsy bag arrived last weekend while I was in SF & I've been meaning to post about the goodies I received, so here it goes!


This month’s bag came in a silvery studded pouch.  Inside, I received the following:

1.       Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss:  I thought this lipgloss was okay – the color was more on the berry/plum side upon swatching even though it looked to be deep red in the tube. The consistency is a bit runny but that might work for those who don’t like anything too thick or sticky.




2.       Pacifica Eyeliner:  It was a shimmery slate gray shade.  I can’t speak for the staying power because I haven’t used it yet but it is a pretty flattering color that I think would work on most skin tones!
3.       Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Cleanser: Made with aloe vera, cucumber & watercress, this fragrance-free formula is meant to be safe for all skin types with no irritation.
4.       Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream:  This hand cream had a scent that I was not entirely fond of – I can’t explain it but it just smells a little too chemical-y for my taste.  My mom really liked it though, so I’m handing it over to her so it doesn’t go to waste!
5.       Crown Brush C476 Crease/Shadow Brush: I’m pretty excited to use this brush because I LOVE dual-ended brushes/products – anything to keep my makeup bag a little lighter because I need all the help I can get!  The brush quality appears to be pretty good – the bristles feel soft & substantial. 

What did you guys think about this month’s Ipsy bag? Comment below!

Halloween Makeup Idea: Skull Face

Halloween will be here before we know it, and I started early with Halloween makeup ideas!  Shing was such a good sport today for letting me practice skull makeup on him.  I think it turned out pretty well - What do you guys think?

Products Used:
Chanel Perfection Lumiere 10 Beige
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil "Perversion"
Random Black Grease Paint from Party City
MAC Fluidline "Blacktrack"
MAC Liquid Liner in Black
Stay tuned for more Halloween makeup ideas in the next several weeks!

Make-Up Monday: MUFE Aqua Brow & Sigma Beauty's Brush Holder

Happy Makeup Monday my dears!! 

After a quick trip to San Francisco for the weekend, I (not surprisingly) came back with some beauty purchases that I am extremely excited to use.  The first is Aqua Brow in #25 by Make Up For Ever.  I'm always game to try something new for my brows - but have been stuck in a rut lately with my MAC rectractable brow pencil in "Spiked".  It's fast & easy - what more can you ask for in a brow product?! But alas, I've been suckered in with MUFE's Aqua Brow, a tinted, water-resistent gel that is used to fill in your brows.  I wouldn't recommend it for newbies because it dries quickly so you need to work fast with the product.  I actually really like it because it's over 100 degrees over here in Southern California this week, so anything to help my brows stay on is A-OK with me!
Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow, $20 from Sephora

Swatch of the product - the color intimidated me at first, but it goes on much lighter once it's applied to your brows !
I totally wiped off a corner of my brow before taking this photo .. oops!


I also purchased a travel brush holder, because the brushes on my kit were getting all over the place & the brush belt was just not cutting it.  After years of working with clients, I've found that the best way that works for me to display brushes is to keep them in a cup/holder rather than on a belt around my waist - that way, I can actually see what I'm reaching for rather than constantly looking down & digging around.

This brush holder by Sigma is made with faux leather & seems pretty sturdy - it has a clasp closure & opens up to two separate cups so you can separate your face brushes from your eye brushes.  I have yet to use this on a shoot/ appointment, so I'll definitely get back to you guys on the performance of this product! The one thing I like about it so far though, is that it will fit all my larger, full-sized brushes.

Stay tuned for my next post - Ipsy's September Glam Bag!

Sigma Brush Holder, $25 from Sigma Beauty
This is what it looks like when it's closed & ready for travel.


Star Sighting: Mario Lopez!

Shing & I went to Universal Studios a few weeks ago and saw Mario Lopez live while taping an episode of EXTRA! Let me just say that he looks as beautiful in real life as he does on television. *total fan crush moment*


 

We went on the new Minion Mayhem ride & were thoroughly disappointed. I feel like the ride was totally overhyped and after getting off the ride, Shing & I were pretty sad campers.  The upside was that we watched the Water World show for the very first time & it was loads of fun -- if you guys have never seen that show, you must check it out!  I'm lucky that Shing covered me while the "pirates" were blasting us with water guns!

Have you ever been to Universal Studios? If so, what is your favorite ride at Universal?

I'm Cheating on my Chloe . .

My current favorite perfume is Tory Burch's new fragrance.  I don't know what I love more - the beautiful, lightweight floral scent with a tangy top note or the gorgeous packaging - honestly, how amazing is this packaging, you guys?! I am obsessed with the gold (I'm actually obsessed with all things gold), the laser-cut cap and just the overall design of her line.  The entire collection is so beautiful that I might just pick up a few items for the sake of having something pretty in my bag!

via The Glitter Guide
Have you ever purchased an item just because the packaging was cute? Comment below!

Quick Trip to San Diego

Shing & I took a quick overnight trip to San Diego a while back ... it was a much needed getaway that involved a lot of shopping & eating -- perfect in my book, if you ask me!

Our delicious breakfast which composed of an omelette, acai bowl, breakfast sandwich, fruit & lattes!  We needed to fuel up before our shopping adventure at Fashion Valley ;-)

Right before we had a feast at Crab Hut!

Toby's First Sleepover

 Toby had his first sleepover at my sister's new apartment recently! He was so excited for his new squeaky toy that he played with it for hours & even fell asleep on top of it! My parents were devastated without Toby making noise & causing trouble at our house.  My mom even called my sister at 12:30am to ask what they were up to! 



Poor baby is finally tired in this photo <3

Hiking in Pasadena

Hi Loves! 

Wow, it's been a while since I've last posted but rest assured that I haven't forgotten about you!  I have several posts that I need to publish so they will be up shortly :).  I wanted to post this collage from the morning that my girlfriend Steph & I went hiking.  You're probably thinking - where are the pics from the view at the top? Well....... Long story short, I was a pansy and made it only halfway :X so I had a brilliant idea to go grab some acai bowls and waffles instead!  We ended up at Sidewalk Cafe, which was just a mile or two down from our hike and shared a delicious acai bowl + waffles!  Now that's my idea of the perfect end to a hike (although I'm sure the view from the top would have been beautiful as well ... ) ! 

PS. How amazing are Steph's brows!? 




Obsessed! with MAC Soft Savour


You guys! I'm totally obsessed with this soft nudish-pink color - it's perfect for day and night and works great on my brides.  I saw this dupe list on Pinterest from Temptalia and wanted to share!  It's the perfect nude-y color for someone who doesn't want to go too nude - if you haven't tried this yet, I'd highly recommend it!  It can't be bought as a stand-alone item though, so if you want this bad boy, you're going to have to purchase the "All About Nude" goodie box from MAC!




New Product Spotlight: CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet, $45
Okay, Okay ... I know this is not exactly a newly launched product, but it is a new product for me.  I've been using this product on customers since it launched, but I never understood how amazing this foundation was until I used it for the first time on myself 2 weeks ago.  Lightweight, smooth, and matte - it quickly became my go-to foundation (I feel so bad for cheating on my beloved Missha BB Cream!).

The drawbacks of this foundation is that it is not long-wearing enough for my 12 hour workdays and it is not full coverage- I would say this gives a good 6 hours of wear before you start to notice your oilies coming out and it's time for a touch-up - but the flawless, smooth and natural finish that I get from this foundation is definitely worth it!

Wedding Makeup - Chino Hills, CA

I had the pleasure of doing makeup for a group of fabulous ladies yesterday for a wedding in Chino Hills, CA.  When I left the hotel room at 3:30pm, the temperature was 85 degrees!  That definitely called for an extra spritz of setting spray to hold everything in!








The ladies were so happy with their makeup - it is so gratifying to know that I am able to make people feel as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside!  I honestly feel that that is the most fulfilling part of doing what I do - feeling so blessed and thankful today :-)  Happy Monday!

Currently Obsessed with...... Chloe Eau de Parfum

I am currently obsessing over this Chloe Eau de Parfum !  Perfect for any time of the year, but particularly for Spring/Summer, its light floral notes are subtle and office-appropriate.  I currently own it in the rollerball version, reasonably priced at $25, until I take the plunge to purchase the full size (1.7oz) for $105.

What scents are you loving for Spring? 

via theKit

IMATS 2014 Haul

Happy Monday my lovelies!

IMATS has come and gone, and let me just say that this year's turnout was INSANE!  I attended the Sunday show, and there was a line literally 2 blocks long to get into the Pasadena Convention Center. Next year I will be sure to purchase tickets for the 1st day because a lot of items were sold out, much to my disappointment... And probably much to my wallet's delight!  In 2.5 hours, I was able to score the following products:


Face Atelier Foundations - Set of 7 ($150)
My very sad attempt at swatching the Face Atelier Foundations


In the process of creating my own personalized Palette with the PRO Z Palette ($19), and 6 INGLOT lipsticks ($4 each)


My complete Z Palette! It was my first time "de-panning" so I ruined 2 of my CARGO Blu-Ray Powders :-( Ahh!!!!! 


INGLOT Freedom Palette - 10 pan ($60) (this was really pricey.. but I couldn't help it - it was too gorgeous to pass up!)


Bdellium Tools Brushes - I bought so many that they couldn't all fit in the photo.  12 brushes: ($98)



Of course, my ABSOLUTE favorite Brush Cleaner by Parian Spirit ($25 for the enormous bottle, $5 for the spray bottle)

Here I am, absolutely exhausted, but happy as a clam :-)