6/30/2012

What A Week!

Hello my loves,

Just got home and I wanted to remind you that I'll be posting the winner of my giveaway tomorrow :)

Also, I'm sorry for not posting much lately, I've just been very busy with work and other things. I do have some amazing swatches coming up, so keep your eyes peeled.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/27/2012

Laura Mercier 20% Off Friends and Family

Here's another savings lovelies!

By the way, I'll be posting the winner to my giveaway on Saturday...so keep your peepers posted :)

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/25/2012

Francfranc Purchases!

I just got home, it's 11:09 (so, I apologize for the poor quality of these photos), but before I begin my nightly rituals, I want to show you a few things that I picked up at Francfranc today.

Francfranc is a Japanese home furnishing store, similar to Pier 1 Imports in the states. I love home decorating and Francfranc is a fun place to find cute little knick-knacks and accent pieces.

Got some new towels to use at the gym.

I have no idea what I'm going to use this for yet, but I liked the colors and print.

The other side of the bag. I think it would be good for travel.

I love this basket! I'll probably use it to store makeup or jewelry.

Okay guys, so that's what I got at Francfranc today. Did you pick up any random goodies today?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/25/2012

L'Occitane Plum Blossom Eau de Toilette

Hi everyone!

Regrettably, I'm going to share with you, a fragrance that I've fallen out of favor with, and that fragrance is L'Occintane's Eau de Toilette in Plum Blossom.

L'Occintane describes Plum Blossom as a "vibrant, floral fragrance that combines the delicate powdery scent of white blossoms with the fruity sweetness of plum fruits, which fill the air with a liqueur-like scent, with hints of bitter almonds". Although I agree with L'Occintane's description, I find Plum Blossom to be too sweet, powdery and the floral scent overbearing. As you can see in the photo, I really haven't given this Eau de Toilette much love ( I was trying to use up other perfumes at the time), but I did like this fragrance when I purchased it a year ago. The other day, I put Plum Blossom on and after 20 minutes of wear, I had to take another shower to wash it off, since it was giving me a headache. I guess my sense of smell has changed in the past year.

I'll either give Plum Blossom away or just toss it...shame since the bottle it so pretty :(

Have you ever fallen out of favor with a fragrance before?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/25/2012

Giorgio Armani Friends & Family

Hello lovelies,

As you know, I love to share whatever promo savings I receive by email, so here you go :)

Giorgio Armani Beauty is offering this 20% off savings until 6/30/12...making my list :P

Hope you're able to take advantage of this saving :)

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/24/2012

Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!

We did it lovelies!!

I'd like to thank all of you gorgeous members for participating in this giveaway : ) Also, a BIG welcome all new gorgeous members...WELCOME!

I'll be drawing the winner sometime this week (I need some time to write all the names out :P). So keep an eye out for that post :D

Once again, thank you so so much for joining and being a part of my little world :')

And you know I don't like photoless posts, so, here are a few pictures from our day trip to Kamakura a few years back.

On the steps of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.

Strike a pose :P

A photo of Mecha Buddha...you can actually go inside :O

After day tripping in Kamakura, we had to head back to Ginza for a birthday party.

Our expressions in this photo are of genuine terror. Aki was knelling down to take this photo when he was almost hit by a car.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/23/2012

TheBalm's Stainiac: A Hint of Tint for Cheeks and Lips

With Summer finally underway (bye,bye good hair days, hello frizzies!), I often find myself gravitating more towards cream, liquid, and stain blushers, since they seem to perform better on extremely hot and humid days. June marks the beginning of rainy season over here (it's actually pouring outside as I write this post), and with the humidity levels rising, I've been reaching for TheBalm's stainiac almost every single day.

Stainiac is a light weight gel-like formula that comes with a doe foot applicator. The stains gel-like consistency allows the product to spread and blend easily. Stainiac doesn't dry quickly, providing enough time to ensure an even streak free lovely flush. I love the velvety soft doe foot applicator. I find the doe-foot to be much easier to work with than a brush or fleet tip applicator.

I love using this stain on both my cheeks and lips, the pigmentation is fantastic! Stainiac can be applied lightly for a subtle, yet natural flush, or built up for a more intense vivid color. I love how this product feels on my skin, as well as my lips. Neither my cheeks nor lips ever feel dry, tight or constricted. Also, the staying power of this product is ridiculous! This stain last ALL day and then some!!

From left to right: Homecoming Queen, Beauty Queen, and Prom Queen.

Homecoming Queen: An exquisite orange Popsicle stain that's playful, yet sophisticated. My favorite of the three Stainiacs.

Beauty Queen: A charming raspberry stain.

Prom Queen: A flirty strawberry stain.

A few weeks ago, I was at the Les Merveilleuses Laduree beauty counter (like you do :P), and the SA's keep complimenting me on how beautiful my makeup looked and how they loved my blush and lipstick. I was wearing Homecoming Queen on both my cheeks and lips, with Urban Decay's Lip Gunk in Shifty as my gloss. By the way, here’s some personal advice, if you’re going shopping for makeup, even if you're not intent on buying any lipsticks, don't wear an industrial strength lipstain like I did, since it will make all lipsticks trying futile :P

Stainiac is an amazing product, an absolute favorite! I adore all three of my children equally...okay, maybe I have a little more love for Homecoming Queen, then the other two, but their all gorgeous just the same :P If your a lover of cheek stains or interested in purchasing one, I highly, HIGHLY Recommend TheBalm's Stainiac!

Stainiac can be purchased at thebalm.com (TheBalm does offer international shipping) or wherever else TheBalm is sold and retails for $17.00 (8.5g/0.3oz).

Have you ever tried TheBalm's Stainiac?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/20/2012

Gomen Ne!! I Forget To Include An Item in My Giveaway

Hey guys,

Yesterday didn't quite turn out the way I had planned. I got a call from my dad with some upsetting news. After a two hour conversation, whatever was left of my evening went to h@ll...along with any desire to write a post (I'm sorry guys).

But we must move on right?

As I was packing all the goodies for the giveaway, I realized that I didn't include an item.

The Sephora + Pantone Universe Color of the Year Lip Gloss in Tangerine Tango Luminous.

So this little lovely will be included in the giveaway :)

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/18/2012

A Doe-Eyed Beauty, VECUA's Wonder Honey Bambi Eyeshadow in Natural Brown

Today's post features VECUA's Wonder Honey Bambi Eyeshadow in Natural Brown. VECUA is a high-end Japanese beauty brand that specializes in skincare, spa &body, and cosmetics. As I researched the brand, I found it's history to be quite unique, with the most unusual parent company. In 1979, Sony Creative Co. (a subsidiary company of Sony Music Entertainment Co. Ltd) partnered with Stendhal and established BCL, a cosmetic division in France. BCL moved its offices to Shirokanedai Minato-ku, Tokyo in 2001, and in 2003, released ‘VECUA’ exclusively to department stores.

From what I've gathered (and this is pure speculation), the wonder honey line is VECUA's mid-end cosmetic line. In all honesty, I'm not a fan of clear packaging as I find it to look rather cheap and unrefined...sorry shu that means you, but I love your products anyway :) So, back to VECUA :) As you can see, in the photo above, this product does not come with a mirror...which I'm personally okay with since I carry a compact mirror with me.

Here's some more information behind the brands name. In French, Vecu stands for experience, and the "A" represents the grade quality of the ingredients found in the products.

Although not stated on the packaging, VECUA's Wonder Honey Bambi Eyeshadow is a cream formula. The Bambi Eyeshadows come in four colors, but I only picked up natural brown. Natural Brown is a warm sandy fawn. I tried natural brown on its own as a wash of color on the lid, as well as setting it with an eyeshadow; keep in mind, I don't have oily eyelid, so I did not experience any creasing. Overall, I'm very pleased with the simple, yet lovely sandy neutral shimmer that Natural Brown gives my lids. A happy random purchase indeed :)

VECUA's Wonder Honey Bambi Eyeshadow retails for 1,050 yen ($13.22) and, although there are a few VECUA spas in the states, the skincare and cosmetics lines are currently exclusive to Japan.

Have you ever tried any products from VECUA?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/18/2012

Hosting My Second Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

As the title suggests, I'm hosting another giveaway :) I was going to wait till I hit 200 gorgeous members to host this giveaway, but I'm too impatient (and we're almost there :D) so here you go...

What you'll get:

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in My date's my brother, Carte Blanche, and Marry Up.
Inglot eyeshadow in Ds 461 (swatch coming soon).
Mac pigment vials Softwash Grey, Dark Soul, and Mauvement.
Mac Glitter vial in Reflects Gold.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on Eye Pencil (1.2g/.04oz) in Electric.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on Eye Pencil (.8g/.03oz) in Zero and Bourbon.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on Eye Pencil (.5g/.02oz) in Binge, Ransom, Rockstar, Stash, and Mildew.
Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx.
Stila Eye shadow pan in Sajama.
L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in 222 Infinite Sky.
Mac Eye Shadow pan in Vellum.
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe.
Addiction by Ayako Eye Shadow in Sandbar.

Deborah Blush in Rame.
Mary Kay Cheek Glaze in Pomegranate.
Accessorize Merge Baked Blusher in Scandal.

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Lip conditioner.
Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip in Denise.
Mac Lipglass in Tour De Fabulous.
Smashbox lipgloss (.14fl oz/42ml) in Radiant.
Smashbox lipgloss (20fl oz/ 60ml) in Luster and pout.
Smashbox Reflection-High Shine Lip Gloss.
Nars Lipstick in Joyous Red.
Stila Lip Glaze in Apricot.
Stila Jewel Lip Glaze in Pink Diamond.
Stila Lip Glaze in Palm Peach.
Victoria's Secret Lip Gloss in I want candy, Cherry Bomb, and Strawberry Fizz.

This giveaway will end once we've reached 200 members...only 52 gorgeous members to go!

Once again, the gorgeous winner will be selected using the same advanced (and updated) form of technology known to man...or woman...

That's right...It's the same technology as the first giveaway, but this time it's Aki's hat :P I'll be rocking it old school and drawing the name from Aki's hat :)

Here's how you can increase your chances to win (same method as my last giveaway):

#1. All gorgeous members are automatically entered in this give away and get an entry into the hat.

#2. If you Comment on this post you will earn another entry into the hat.

#3. If you blog about this giveaway, you'll earn another five entries into the hat. (please link the post in the comments, thank you!).

# 4. If you refer anyone to this blog and they notify me (god, that sound so official) of who referred them (that being you), you'll earn another three entries.

I hope you enjoy these items I've selected for this giveaway, and I'm looking forward to seeing who will win :D

Also, BlogLoveTherapy is host BlogHop # 17, so please follow the link below if you want to discover some amazing bloggers!

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/17/2012

400 Blows...More Like 400 Coats! Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Blow

Hey guys!

Sorry for not posting these last few days, but you know how it goes...busy, busy busy!

Indoors in natural lighting.

On Thursday, I painted my nails with blow, one of my newest Illamasqua nail varnish additions. Blow is a creamy pastel lemon yellow. I love Illamasqua polishes, and I've always praised them for their top quality and brilliant performance...but blow has to be the first varnish to disappoint.

With flash.

Blow's formula is extremely thick and a little goopy. Application was painstakingly difficult and frustrating. After two coats, I still had streaks, four coats took care of all streaks, but now I had to deal with bold spots. I had to apply six coats in order to achieve opacity.

I love the color of blow, but boy do I hate applying it! I'm so glad I paid £7.50, instead of the retail price of £13.50. I probably would have felt somewhat disgusted with myself if I had paid full price. Ironically, Blow definitely lived up to its name and did just that : (

What is your favorite yellow nail polishes?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/17/2012

Skin as white as snow, Lips as red as the blood, and Hair as black as ebony.

A booklet that was given to us when we bought our tickets.

Hey guys,

I just returned from having seen Snow White and the Huntsman...now, one of the many things you don't know about me is that I'm a huge lover of fairy tales and fables. So, when I heard of the live action film adaptation of Snow White, I was intrigued (and somewhat fearful) to see how they would breath new life into this fairy tale classic...and surprisingly, I liked it!

I enjoyed the acting, special effects, the wardrobes, and of course the makeup!

For those of you who may not know (I don't want to assume here :D)...going to the movies is quite an experience in Japan.

Buying your ticket: In Japan, they have reserved seating. After you've paid for your ticket, the cashier will show you a seating chart for your movie, let you know what seats are available for your selection.

Heading on over to the concession stand for our eats and drinks. You'll find an array of tasty treats like: popcorn (by the way, they don't offer extra butter...shame, I do so enjoy clogging my arteries), caramel corn, churros, a limited selection of boxed candies, and various other snacks. One thing I do miss are pretzels and nachos...god do I miss the nachos!! The beverage selection is basically the same, except they also sell beer. I wasn't surprised to find alcohol being sold at the movies, since I'd see it before in Europe.

Programs! Get your programs here! Next to the concession stand, you'll find a small shop where you can purchase programs, posters, as well as other merchandise (i.e. stickers, postcards, key chains, etc) on the current films playing in the theater.

SHH! Once inside your selected theater, you'll find the same stadium setting, but maybe a little nicer. When the lights dim, and the movie starts, the one thing I always notice is that the audience goes silent...I mean REALLY silent. No laughing, no cry, no frightful screams, no emotional response, no nothing. After the film is over, everyone remains in their seats until the credits are finished and the house lights come back on.

I thought this was a cute and clever marketing touch to stick these mirror frames throughout the mirrors in the women's restroom.

This is the only Snow White-esque image I have.

I hope you enjoyed this post :)

What's the movie experience like where you are? What's the last film you saw at the theater? What are your favorite snacks?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/13/2012

Inglot Freedom System 20 Eye Shadow Palette #3 Swatches

It's time for another Inglot Palette post!...Hope you're not getting tired of these???

For those of you who may be new to the brand...

Inglot's Freedom System allows you to custom build your own face, eyes and lips palette. Offering a variety of color selects and endless amounts of fun :)

Inglot's Freedom System offers a variety of eye shadow finishes: AMC, Pearl, Matte, Shine and DS (double shine).

From left to right: S16, S41, AMC59, DS477, AMC58.

S16: An icy yellow chartreuse with a yellow gold sheen.

S41: Similar to S16 except S41 leans more towards lime than yellow.

AMC59: A matte acid green with sparkles.

DS477: A matte bright lime green with sparkles.

AMC58: A matte bright grass green with sparkles.

From left to right: S32, P412, AMC56, DS471, S44.

S32: A shimmery muted deep turquoise.

P412: A pearlized muted chartreuse with a golden sheen.

AMC56: A satiny army green.

DS471: A matte dark khaki olive with green and gold sparkles.

S44: A shimmery black-brown based murky forest green with a golden sheen.

From left to right: AMC57, P418, P414, S17, P413.

AMC57: A matte deep green with sparkles.

P418: A pearlized black-brown based deep hunter green with a green sheen.

P414: A pearlized black-brown based dark mallard green.

S17: A pearled celadon green with a gold-green sheen.

P413: A pearled aqua blue.

From left to right: P419, S10, P407, S15, AMC51.

P419: A pearled muted khaki olive with a tarnished gold sheen.

S10: A shimmery soft cantaloupe.

P407: A pearled coral-peach with a golden peach sheen.

S15: A pearled orange-coral with a golden sheen and sparkles.

AMC51: A bright matte safety cone orange with sparkles.

My favorite shadows from this palette are:

S32, P412, AMC56, DS471, S44, P418, P414, S17, P413, P419, S10, P407, S15, and AMC51.

The Inglot Freedom System Eye Shadow Squares are now priced at $6.00 each and the Freedom System Palettes range from $6.00- 39.00. Apparently, the eye shadow squares ($1 increase) and the Freedom System 40 Eye Shadow Square palette ($4 increase) have increased in price since my last Inglot post...which was 23 days ago >:( Careful there Inglot...or you'll soon been treading on thin ice!!

So what were your favorite shadows from this palette? What do you think of the price increase?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/10/2012

Addiction By Ayako Shangri-La Look

It's been a while since I posted a look, but now that my allergies are somewhat under control, and the skin around my eyes is beginning to heal, I'm able to post today's look :)

Over the last two months, I've made numerous Addiction Purchases, and I've decided to split them up into several posts.

Here is the first of many :D

From left to right: Shangri-la Eyeshadow (2,100 yen ), African Sunset Blush (2,940 yen), African Sunset Cheek Stick (2,940 yen).

Shangri-la Eyeshadow: A rusty pinkish-copper red frost.

African Sunset Blush: A peachy-tangerine with a gorgeous gold sheen.

African Sunset Cheek Stick: Similar to its sister blush, except the cheek stick leans more towards peach than tangerine.

Here's a look I wore the other night feature all three products.

Products used:
Face:
Dior Diorskin Nude Glow Healthy Glow Complexion Enhancer in 001.
Dior Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup in 31.
Shu Uemura Hard Formula brow Pencil in Seal Brown.
Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna.
Addiction By Ayako Blush in African Sunset.
Dior Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup in 030 .
Eyes:
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener.
Mac Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20.
Laura Mercier Secret Brightenting Powder #1.
Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base.
Mac Eye Shadow in Orb. On the brow bone and inner corner of the eyes.
Addiction By Ayako Eyeshadow in Shangri-la. Placed all over the lid and blended past the crease.
Nars Single Eyeshadow in Cyprus. Pat lightly over the center of the eye and along the lower lash line.
Addiction By Ayako Eyesahdow in Arabian Ruby. Lightly blended into the outer crease and along the upper lash line.
Mac Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 used to line the waterline.
L'Oreal Voluminous Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara in Black Brown.
Smashbox Hyperlash Mascara in Blackout.
Lips:
Mac Lip Pencil in Stripdown.
Addiction By Ayako Cheek Stick in Africa Sunset.
Urban Decay LIp Gunk in Shifty.

Slipped into something more comfortable :)

I don't think I'll ever get used to taking pictures of myself. I can't seem to master the blue steel :(

As always, I hope you enjoyed this look :)

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/08/2012

Pat Me A Mani As Fast As You Can!

Hi guys,

This weeks mani is an old Spring/Summer favorite...Mac's Nail Lacquer in Peppermint Patti. Peppermint Patti was released in Mac's Sugarsweet Collection back in 2009.

Natural light.

Peppermint Patti is a creamy mid-tone vibrant jade-celadon green with a yellow undertone.

With flash.

This polish SCREAMS Spring! The only drawback with Peppermint Patti lies with its watery formula. Although the nail polish goes on kind of streaky, it's not difficult to work with, and all signs of unevenness are gone after three coats. I've been wearing this polish for three days now, and I've already received several compliments, a girl who works at my local drugstore even stopped to ask me what I was wearing on my nails. With all the new polishes I've been adding to my collection, I've totally neglected Peppermint Patti and forgotten how much I love it. Peppermint Patti is simply BEAUTIFUL!!!

What are some of your favorite greens for Spring/Summer?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

6/07/2012

Customs Finally Released my Package From Illamasqua

Evening lovelies,

After being held for two weeks, Japanese customs (the bane of my existence) has finally released my recent Illamasqua order.

So without further ado...here are my newest Illamasqua goodies :D