Review| MUJI makeup organization

As someone with borderline OCD tendencies and the obsession level of a crazy cat lady, organizing my makeup on a weekly basis used to be a must. I stored all of my lipsticks standing up and my face products in wicker baskets, making it hard to identify shades. In the end, I'd end up having to manually cycle colors through so that I would remember to use them.

MUJI drawers are the gold standards for a lot of beauty gurus, and it's easy to see why. The 5 drawer size fits lipsticks and eyeshadow pans perfectly, allowing you to see exactly what colors you need. I also picked up a deeper 2 drawer with a pop up lid to store bigger face pans and lip products. Both were around $25 each on Luvocracy (which by the way, is completely useless otherwise.) 

Without further ado, here's a look of most of my makeup stored neatly within the drawers.

The top layer stores all of my drugstore lip products, as well as glosses and "easygoing" lip products that don't require much time. I've placed some of my setting powders on the very top for easy access.

The second layer are all of my "miscellaneous" lipsticks and Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks. If you think this is shameful, look below.

My MAC lip colors, NARS, and Maybelline Vivids live in this drawer. I had to try this layout to make space.

These are all of my eyeliners, eye pots, and cream shadows as well as eye related tools. I find that laying the pencils flat rather than stuck in a pencil jar make it easier to find anything you need.

Finally, my smaller eyeshadow pans live on the very bottom row.

On the other side is the 2 drawer which I had bought exclusively to store face products. 

All of my blushes, bronzers, powders, and powder foundations nestle in very comfortably when the lid is pushed up. 

On the bottom I have an eclectic mix of very high end YSL lipsticks, Revlon color balms, and lip liners.

If you can find them on Luvocracy or can afford the crazy shipping prices on MUJI's website, I would suggest picking up at least one deep drawer and one 5-drawer set for your makeup collection. I'm really happy that almost all of my makeup can be streamlined, displayed, and organized very neatly in just two drawers. Perhaps one more for my foundations and I'll be set. 

How was your Xmas and holiday season? I had a lot of fun visiting family and eating great food. 

XO ,Be

Review| Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused and Dior Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond

As a dry-skinned gal in the winter (and fall, and some of spring...) I have no time for such nonsense as mattifying primers or setting powders. I prefer to over-moisturize and use a neutral foundation, rather than using a moisturizing foundation that can oil up around the sides of my nose or become patchy as the day wears on. My best bet is to use a long wearing foundation that holds another powder product whose main job is to illuminate the skin. 

Hourglass powders are a hit or miss for many people, but they are a definite hit for me. Some people say they are like the emperor's new clothes; does absolutely nothing but at least it looks fancy and you feel good applying it right?? My first powder was Ethereal Light, which gave my skin a soft-focus look that was very dreamy. I picked up Diffused Light ($45 retail at Sephora) to use as a setting powder for foundations that like to stray or look too matte. 

Then, in order to really highlight my cheekbones and bring about a warm bronzed glow, I chose Dior Shimmer Star (sounds like a stripper's roll on glitter...) in Amber Diamond ($45 retail at Sephora.) I was expecting a lot for its price point and it definitely delivered as well as UD Naked Flushed's highlighter or Benefit's Watts Up.

That is to say, it's very uniquely warm but doesn't blow anything else out of the water. I like the luxe packaging and texture of the powder. It isn't chunky, but it's very obvious. Applied with a brush, it gives a healthy sheen from talking distance but GLITTERS if you stand too close to me. I don't use it on my cupid's bow/nose bridge for this reason. Glittery nose. Yum.

You can see the Dior highlighter on top and the Diffused Light powder on the bottom. These are very heavily swatched twice so that they would show up. 

Here is another view for you. The highlighter is very apparent without being gaudy imo, and the powder is nicely yellow. Seems like the warm girl's alternative to Dim Light.

They are both blended in here. If you apply the highlighter to such a large area (god bless your cheekbones) you can definitely see that it's almost bronzed. Meanwhile the setting powder dissolves into oblivion.

Look closely, however, and you will see that my skin on the Hourglass side is eerily smoother.

So there you have it, two products that can be workhorses for your winter season's parched skin. I wouldn't say that they are absolutely must-haves, but very fun splurges that could make your skin look "even better" even when you're hacking up a lung and sore all over.

I've just gotten over a bout of the flu (and the "man flu" after giving it to my dear baby husband) and don't feel great without perfecting my base every morning. I don't even feel the holiday season in full effect yet except for crazed nouveau riches shopping for presents at South Coast Plaza.

How's your holiday month going? I can't wait to get in the car and drive back to San Jose!

XO, Be

Review| Shiseido Eye Bar

After a brief bout of obsession, I thought I was over the fling with obsessive-swatch-searching for Shiseido's limited edition Eye Bar ($50 retail, I found online at Nordstrom). Nope. One swap later, it was in my hands. I was first afraid of committing to such a "colorful" palette. After all, it has plenty of vibrant looking colors that only the bold could wear on a daily basis.

On the contrary, I found it to be very subtle, sheer, and versatile. Not to mention small. It's a sleek cardboard package barely bigger than the palm of my hand and includes a decently sized mirror and magnetic closure. The gimmick with this is that you can use any of the colors alone, or add the "magic" shimmer shades on top for more depth and dimension. The colors are, in the words of Dick Page, supposed to represent ingredients a bartender would use to mix up drinks.

All shades are swatched sans primer, with two coats. Yup, two!

As you can already see, these shades aren't exactly ground-breaking or particularly striking, but follow the same formulation as Shiseido's singles or trios. They are buttery to the touch, yet sheer in pigment and don't translate to hooker eyes unless you have the time and dedication to pack it on. Also, that annoying plastic film used to identify color names causes things to happen, like that finger mark in the purple shade. Grr. Best to throw it out.

Another look at swatches.

For me, all of them performed well except for the two brown shades. How you can mess up browns, I do not know. The top brown is a matte and was rather powdery and patchy. The bottom is very, very sheer. Do not want.

I haven't tried layering them deliberately, but you can take a look at my makeup here and see for yourself what happens when you apply everything on your eye just to test out the colors.

For me, it's a great steal for nine Shiseido eyeshadows, but the individual colors don't impress me as much as the trios. I'm glad I skipped out on purchasing, but it's still a fun palette to own if you like color but don't want to look like you're attending the rave that is your office cubicle. It's a very classy palette, but only if you're already a fan of Shiseido eyeshadows. 

What's your Xmas looking like? I'm finally heading home for the holidays, after two years! And now that I'm legally allowed to imbue alcohol in public, it's time to hit up Santana Row for some klassy adult entertainment. 

XO, Be

Favorites| November 2013

Yup, another month. November and December are pretty much crazy for me. My husband's birthday, my birthday, Thanksgiving, and then a slew of Christmas parties means I have to really step outside the box and up my makeup game or go home. Or, y'know, hide in bed sans makeup for any day that's not a special event...

This past November has been even more stressful with the pressure of job interviews, and most of my makeup has been barely there or neutral when I'm in the practice. To be honest, I wanted to play with fall colors but still stay very professional and not over the top.

Just to make you squint, here are some low res and blurry pictures, much akin to low budget makeup porno: Lorac Unzipped palette, Sleek Contour Kit in Light, Shiseido eyeshadow trio in Beach Grass, Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blackquer, Lancomes Cils Booster XL, Hoola Bronzer's brush, Hourglass No.28 Serum primer, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed.

Lorac Unzipped can be palette for your wash and go or 12 shadow looks, especially for the cold months. Blend accordingly, and wear high on the crease. It looks amazing with black eyeliner and a dark lip for night. 

The Sleek contour kit was received in a swap, and I absolutely love it. Very nice quality in the packaging, great middle ground brown for hollowing out cheekbones, and the highlighter isn't a frosty mess. See that castaway brush? It's actually amazing. Last minute attempt at duping Nars Ita brush, but with a little wrist technique everything eventually comes, right?

I've been loving an all-around tightline look, and the MJ Blaquer lasts all day without running down my cheeks, chola style. Combined with some lash primer and a volumizing mascara, it's a lazy girl's heaven. For extra brownie points when you're not drooling half asleep in the morning, slap on some No.28 primer, a quick tinted moisturizer, Tarte Exposed, and finish with a pink gloss for an every day muted look. 

Of course, Shiseido's Beach Grass is a new adventure for me. Beach Grass is one that looks hideous and clashy in the pan but AMAZING on the eyes. Trust me. I can build up to an evening look or keep it light for workI've never used Shi shadows before, and this encounter has blossomed into a long term relationship. So smooth, creamy, blendable, iridescent, refined, and...that sounds like a unicorn smoothie. 

So as you can see, my makeup taste is very muted for this past month. I've dabbled in dark lipsticks, but I still have to work up the courage to bring it to work. A red lipstick didn't get any comments, but I'm betting a dark purple would!

XO, Be