My Top 10 Beauty Products of 2010

I can't believe 2010 will be over in two days. Now is a great time to think of what products I started liking and sticking with through the months. There are many to mention, but naming 10 of them will be more fitting for me and the year 2010. :D Especially at this hour. (It's now 3:18 AM. :P) I can't sleep, but I will force myself to soon after I finish this post. :P

There are a few products I've shown before on past entries and others I use VERY often that I haven't shown yet. What I'm about to feature are mainly go-to products. They are things I use on a daily basis. If not on a daily basis, I use them rather frequently.

First off is the St. Ives Naturally Clear Facial Scrub. This mildly exfoliates the face. I've been using this for a month. So far, it's been working very well for me and I love it. :) This actually was my sister's, but she left it behind when she came down here from San Francisco last Thanksgiving. Being one with sensitive skin, I was quite reluctant to try this facial scrub out. I remember trying out another facial product from St. Ives a long time ago. I can't recall what it was. All I remember was that it made my pimples worse. Now that I don't have much of a pimple problem anymore, trying out new products haven't been a problem for me either. It's still good to be careful and cautious of what you put on your face though. Anyway, I love how this scrub makes my face feel soft. The area under my chin can feel a bit rough sometimes. This scrub makes that rough feeling go away. I don't use this each time I wash my face though. I only use it every other day or three times a week.

Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse has been a go-to foundation for me. It's very easy to apply and blend. You can actually use just your fingers to spread this all over your face. I like to dab a little of the product on sections on my face. To spread and blend it evenly all over my face, I use a wedge-shaped sponge. I really like how this foundation gives my face a nice flawless looking finish. I don't have to worry about looking shiny or worse, greasy. Hehe... For me, this was especially great to wear in the summer. I still wear it even though it's already winter. I just love the matte finish on my face. I also love how two shades in this foundation actually work for my super-fair complexion. I use either Light Ivory or Porcelain Ivory.

I've done a review on the third product before. It's NYC's Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent. I love using this to set my makeup. It does a great job of holding foundation and concealer in place. For something really inexpensive (Less than $3 for sure.), your face will get that quality airbrushed look. What satisfied me the most is that it did not give my skin a bad reaction.

It's quite hard to come by matte bronzers that actually work for my fair skin. I am glad I found Sephora's Bronzer Powder in Riviera. I use this as a contour. I like how this isn't too dark or harsh looking for my skin tone. I sometimes don't wear a blush with this when I'm too pressed for time to do a complete makeup look.

I believe it was my friend, Helen, who had gotten me into using this Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover by Neutrogena. This is practically half the price of the eye-makeup removers I used to purchase from Clinique or Estee Lauder. It COMPLETELY removes all your eye-makeup. Even CoverGirl's LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara, which is VERY stubborn to remove. Hehe... I usually use this before actually washing my face.

Urban Decay's Primer Potion is Sin has been very good to me whenever I just don't have the time to bother with eyeshadow. Sin gives a very pretty champagne colored shimmer to your lids without the fuss. Compared to the original UDPP, Sin is a little more runny in consistency. To avoid creasing on the lids, it's best to use this product sparingly. A little of it gives pretty results.

If you don't want to spend $16.50 on MAC's Penultimate Eye Liner, LA Girl's Fineline Liquid Eyeliner works just as great for only $4.99. That's how much it costs at Reflection. It's a little shoe store in the local mall. Other than shoes, it sells accessories and some cosmetics too. I'm sure you can find it cheaper than $4.99 in other places. For a liquid eyeliner, Fineline is very easy to use because it's in the form of a pen. I sometimes have days when my hands feel a bit wobbly, so this liquid eyeliner pen gives me better control. There is a slight problem of having to wait a while for the liner to dry, but I'm patient enough to wait. Plus, the wait isn't very long anyway.

My ULTIMATE favorite mascara is CoverGirl's LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara. There are other mascaras I like too, but this particular one is THE BEST for me. It lives up to its name by giving my lashes volume. Other than that, it gives my lashes crazy length too. Now that saves me from pairing this up with an actual lengthening mascara. Another rave about this product is that it separates very beautifully. You won't have to worry about ending up with the five clumpy lash look. My only complaint about it is that it can be quite stubborn to remove. Then again, it still cannot withstand the power of the eye makeup remover I use.

These two Sonia Kashuk brushes have been my absolute favorite brushes. They both are soft and dense, so they do an excellent job of applying face makeup. What I like about the Angled Contour Blusher Brush is that it works great for applying either bronzer or blush. As for the Synthetic Flat Blusher Brush, this works great for applying cream blush or even liquid foundation. I think it should also apply loose face powder nicely too.

Last, but not the least is the eyelash curler from Shiseido. I like how the arch on this curler is not too high. For me, maneuvering it in different angles is easier. It helps me get the the tiny inner corner lashes. It was quite a struggle to do that with other eyelash curlers. I still like my Revlon one though, but I like my Shiseido one better. I think it likes me too because it doesn't pinch me. Hehe...

Whoa. All this typing is putting me to sleep. I guess it's time for me to sleep. Actually, it should've been time HOURS ago. I surely had a great time sharing what had become my favorites this past year though. :)

Quiet, Cozy Christmas Celebration

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope all of you are having a very happy and safe celebration right now. I know Christmas is over in some parts of the world, so I hope you had a happy and safe celebration in your part of the world too. :)

Just like last year, we had a simple celebration this year as well. It's more fun this year because we watched a few Christmas programs on TV. I really enjoyed watching performances by Natalie Cole, Andrea Bocelli, and David Archuleta. I remember how I used to love watching televised Christmas programs as a kid. I used to look forward to watching Christmas cartoons too. Especially the ones with all the Peanuts characters. :D

I also had a pre-Christmas celebration with Ben last Wednesday. Because it was raining that day, we kept things simple and cozy as well. We booked a room at Courtyard by Marriott in the Rancho Bernardo area. We relaxed and hid from the rain. When it finally stopped, we had a very yummy dinner at Souplantation. This restaurant is the place to be if you want delicious and healthy comfort food. It's a nice place to take your family and friends to eat too. Because it is a self-serve buffet, you have the option to either stuff your face or eat lightly. Ben really loved his custom-made salad and New England Clam Chowder. He was happy I suggested we eat there. I was happy he liked the food there and that he likes soup too. :) I don't know very many people that like soup as much as I do. LOL. Don't be fooled by the name. Souplantation has more than soup too.

I was really happy I got to spend some quality time with him. Hopefully, I'll get to see more of him while I'll be on vacation from work for the next couple weeks. After all the holiday madness, I decided to give myself a big two week break. Now that's a birthday present for myself. Haha... :D

Speaking of presents, I have a couple. Ben gave me Versace's Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette Natural Spray. I was surprised and psyched he gave this to me. I've smelled this from those rub and sniff perfume samples on magazines. Makes me wonder now if there's a specific name for those fragrance flaps on magazines. LOL. Anyway, I really loved the scent after smelling it from a fragrance flap. I never expected to actually have it. Thank you so much, Mahal. It's really sweet and generous of you to give me perfume so nice. :D

I'm not very good at describing fragrances, so I cheated and read somewhere that it has peony notes with purple freesia and jasmine. I did notice it has a fresh floral scent. For something floral, I like how it's light and very friendly and pleasant to the nose. Even though it is light, it still lasts the whole day. Some of my co-workers really love the scent too. :) They also think Ben is such a sweetheart. He sure is. :D

Another present I received was from my co-worker, Jamie. She got me PS I Love You shower gel, fragrance mist, and body lotion from Bath and Body Works. This smells so good. So far, I've tried the lotion and the scent lasts very long. I'm sure the same will go for the fragrance mist too. I haven't tried shower gel from Bath and Body Works yet, so using the one Jamie gave me will be something to look forward to. This also has a floral scent. I think this would be great to wear on a date. :) It was really nice and sweet of Jamie to give us presents. I like how she gave different scents to each girl. I felt like she took the time and effort to personalize what scents she thought we'd each like. I think one girl got Sensual Amber while the other was given Twilight Woods. I'm so happy I got PS I Love You. :)

One of my co-workers actually has another job at Bath and Body Works. There was one time when she and I talked about different Bath and Body scents for like 15 minutes. I told her about how much I love Warm Vanilla Sugar. Just like makeup conversations, I love talking about perfume and lotion too. Oh, and let's not forget food as well. LOL.

This post is getting a little too long. Good night, everyone. :)

A Package of Mini Bourjois Goodies

Sorry it took me such a long time to make another post. I noticed my last post was 11 days ago already. Yikes! There's just so much going on. I've been very busy with work. Holiday season is hectic in the retail world EVERY YEAR. That is really not a big surprise. LOL. I was lucky to get Wednesday off this week. Ben and I spent some much needed quality time together. It was a lot of fun. I'll get into detail about that on another post. :D

I was very happy to receive a package last Tuesday coming from Greece. I was very excited too. Super excited, I ended up swatching and using the products right away. Hehe... The kind person who sent them to me was LM. She is the beauty behind Beauty is Within. Thank you so much, LM, for sending me all these cute purse-sized products. :D I was really surprised to have won her giveaway of Mini Bourjois cosmetics. :D Please do check out LM's amazing blog. I really love her fashion-related posts. She will keep you up to date on the latest styles. She has very precise reviews as well if you're interested in checking out certain cosmetics that are out in the market. :)

The package contained four very cute and tiny cosmetic items that are meant to be stashed in your purse or makeup bag. These products come in really handy for people on the go. Because of how tiny they are, you won't have to worry about extra bulk in your bag. They save up a lot of space for other items you'd like to make room for.

What I got from the package is a Volume Glamour Ultra Black Mascara that also doubles up as a cellphone charm. It's really neat how you can attach it to your cellphone. You can call or text your special guy and have pretty lashes at the same time. Hehe... Other than that, it does make either the cellphone or mascara easier to find in your purse. I put mine in my clear makeup bag though.

I also got this gorgeous black nail polish. If you'd like to paint your nails at the last minute for a quick glamour fix, this tiny cutie will instantly give you fabulous nails. I don't think you'll have to worry about spillage from this bottle. It's sealed very tightly when you twist the cap well.

Worn by itself or with other colors, the Color Exciting eyeshadow from this package is GORGEOUS. It's a shimmery silvery-white eyeshadow. Even while you're in a hurry, you can still manage to dab this eyeshadow with no fuss for that instant pop of shimmer on your eyes. This color will be great for waking up tired eyes too. Take a sponge-tip eyeshadow applicator and dab the small, narrow part of it on your shadow and apply it to your waterline. You can also use this color as a cheek highlight as well. This is very multi-purpose.

Another multi-purpose product is the Blush 08 cream blush. Other than this perking up that sweet flush of color on your cheeks, this also perks up your lip color as well. This is slightly shimmery, so this adds glow as well.

I know Ulta and Sephora carry Bourjois. I am not sure if any place around here would carry Mini Bourjois. These cute, little products will make any makeup lover happy. Thank you once again, LM, for these special gifts. :)

A Kiss of Milk & Honey

Let me tell you... I am on a roll with lip product reviews. Haha... What I have here is a lip balm from Nivea. It's called A Kiss of Milk & Honey Natural Defense & Soothing Lip Care. Phew. A rather long name, huh? Hehe... I bought this at CVS for $2.99 a couple days ago. I know it's quite soon to do a review. Then again, it's never too early. Well, it depends on the product. For me, it's usually foundation, powder, and skincare stuff that take a while for me to get acquainted with.

A Kiss of Milk & Honey promises to soothe your lips and they will feel naturally healthy, hydrated, and soft as well. Its soothing formula also promises to boost the lips' natural defenses.

I say it actually lives up to its promises. It's been just two days and my lips feel smoother than ever. Because of that, I hadn't really felt the need to constantly reapply the product. My lips haven't chapped or peeled yet ever since I used this balm. I especially like applying this lip balm before I sleep. I wake up to really soft and supple lips. I also love the consistency. The balm itself in the tube glides on really smoothly. It does not feel gooey or pasty to compared to a few other lip balms. I also like how it's portable and travel-friendly. Pretty much a lot of lip balms are that way though. On this one, you can never worry about the cap opening on accident because it is long. There are some lip balms with shorter caps that come off pretty easily while they're still in the makeup bag. Because it's not in a pot, you don't have to worry about using your fingers to apply the product. I don't really mind potted lip balms though. I always make sure to have clean hands when I put my fingers in them.

I have a few cons to discuss regarding this product, however. First, is the smell. It doesn't really smell like milk and honey to me. I have liquid hand soap with a milk and honey scent and it actually smells that way. This one smells quite floral. I can't pinpoint what type of flower it is, but it's not a flower I would like to sniff. Then again, the smell isn't so strong and it doesn't linger either. That's tolerable enough for me. Another disappointment is that I see no mention of it having SPF. For me, having SPF in a lip balm is important because it really hurts to have sunburnt lips. I guess I'll have to wear another lip balm if I'm going to spend a few minutes out in the sun. I know other lip balms from the Nivea lip care line actually have SPF. It would've been nice for this one to have it too. As for my last complaint, it is a very mild one. Although $2.99 is quite a reasonable price, I think bumping it down to $2.50 or even $2 is more compatible with its size (4.8g). Its price of $2.99 still isn't a bad though. Plus, it's from Nivea, which is a very reliable brand when it comes to skincare and lip care. Paying $2.99 is worth it. Maybe other stores that carry Nivea lip balms might be lesser in price too. I'll scope them out when I run out of what I have now.

I will definitely repurchase this product. Even early on, it takes great care of my lips. I have a feeling I won't have to worry about having dry lips for a while as long as I constantly get A Kiss of Milk & Honey. :)

Cozying Up to Warm Colors

Now that the weather is cooler, I'd love for things around me to be warm and cozy. Even when it comes to makeup colors. I don't mind wearing cool colors too, but warmer toned colors give me this really comforting feeling. It's quite like eating hot chicken noodle soup or being tucked under a blanket (Hands free, of course. LOL.) while drinking a cup of delicious, hot chocolate. Even though I prefer warmer weather (Not last summer's sweltering heat. NO.), there are a few things I love about winter. Soup, hot chocolate, blankets, and CUDDLING is another one of them too. Well, actually, I like cuddling ALL YEAR ROUND. So yes, let's get started with today's look.

Based on the eye photo, which is the last one, the colors look quite washed out. They are actually more intense in person. Not crazy intense though. It's still wearable for the daytime. My color scheme for the day was dark reddish orange, burgundy, and very dark purple. All around, I used a light color. Almost white, but not quite.

For my all-over color, I used Chamomile by MAC and Opal by NYX. I used Flirty by Ulta on the crease. That's the burgundy color. I blended that in with a dark reddish orange shadow, which is MAC's Firecracker. I used Opal to feather out the dark reddish orange color. On my outer-V, I used MAC's Shadowy Lady. It's a very dark purple shade. It somewhat reminds me of eggplant. Except darker. I also used this color to line my lower lash line. For the upper lash line, I just used basic black eyeliner and the lashes are just basic black as well. Nothing fancy.

On my lips, I lined and filled them in with Plush Plum by Jordana's Easyliner For Lips. I topped it off with a Buxom lip balm called St. Barth (an orchid color), Rimmel's Moisture Renew lipstick in Crystal Mauve, and NYX's Red Tint gloss. Yes, a lot of lip products going on. I actually like the result of all four lip colors combined. It's like a plummy looking fuschia. LOL.

I experimented with the color combination on my cheeks too. I combined Vintage Grape and Hipness together. I used Vintage Grape as a contour and Hipness on the apples of my cheeks. The combination works well together. It's not crazy in picture or in real life. I did not apply Vintage Grape with a heavy hand either. Otherwise, I would've looked like I used grape flavored Kool-Aid as a cheek stain. LOL.

The scarf I had on earlier gave me the idea of this whole color scheme. It really helps to get inspiration from an object sometimes in case you need to come up with a look. It can be a makeup look, an outfit, or anything you'd like to get creative with. :)

Shoes in a Blue Moon

Believe it or not, I'm one of the rare people who HARDLY ever shops for shoes. I like shoes, but I'm pretty happy with just a few pairs consisting of all the basic colors I need. For some unexplainable reason, however, I went crazy with shoes for the past few weeks. Haha... Out of four of the shoes featured on this post, I purchased two pairs. As for the other two, I was more than happy to actually get them for free. Getting free shoes is actually a first for me. Unless I count past hand-me-downs. LOL.

The first pair are dark gray suedette boots I got from Forever 21. Before getting these, I realized I didn't have any type of footwear in gray. You can dress gray shoes up with pretty much any color. It's very basic and practical. Straying from the latter adjective are the four inch heels that the boots have. Being immune to high heels, I wasn't able to withstand the power of those heels. Haha... I've only worn them a couple times. Maybe I'll get used to them within time. I won't guarantee that they'll be worn often. LOL. I might eventually buy a comfortable pair of gray boots.

I bought the next pair of shoes at my workplace. They're a pair of animal print flats by SM. I don't know if you guys have heard of this brand because I know I haven't. They are cute though, so I just had to buy them. They are very comfortable too. I really love the lining inside these flats. It's very soft and cozy. It also keeps your feet warm without that sweaty, icky feeling. If you're not in the mood for boots, flats like this nice and comfy pair are a consideration.

The lovely pair of boots on the third picture are one of the pairs of free shoes. About a couple weeks ago, Alyssa hosted a contest via CSN Stores. I ended up as the lucky winner of the $100 gift certificate the website was giving out as a prize. (Thank you for the millionth time, Alyssa and CSN too. :D) I have never won a contest online before. I was real stoked because that gift certificate was my first win ever. :D Alright. Back to the story of these boots. They're called Women's Dame Boots by this brand called Funtasma. The name Funtasma cracked me up a little because it reminds me of fantasma, which means phantom in Spanish. My brother and I always use this word when we want to scare the crap out of each other. Oh, the things siblings love to do to get on each other's nerves. Anyway, back to the boots AGAIN, they are ADORABLE. The lace accent around the bootlaces make the boots look very ladylike and sexy. Plus, the heel is really low and comfortable. I have just one thing to complain about. Tying up those laces seem very cumbersome. Okay, I should stop being lazy. LOL.

Another pair I got from CSN Stores are these Women's Star 16G Flats also by the brand, Funtasma. The color I got is in Blue Glitter. The ribbon detail is really cute. I thought the glitter would be real fun for a pair of flats. I would not mind wearing them wherever I go. They can add some sparkle to even the simplest of outfits without looking too crazy or obnoxious. On the website, this particular model of flats comes in a variety of colors. I was initially thinking of getting the ones in Purple Glitter, but I realized I did not have a blue pair of shoes yet. That resulted to my final choice of Blue Glitter.

I'm very excited about wearing the first two pairs of shoes more often as well as wearing the last two for the very first time. It's always nice to treat myself to a few pairs of shoes every now and then. For someone who's on her feet almost everyday wearing plain black shoes (which I don't have a problem wearing), I definitely need to dress my pair of feet up with color or print occasionally. These latest pairs of shoes in my tiny collection will surely do the job. :)