Weekend Update

I'm trying to be a good blogger and blog some more hehe. Sorry for not replying to comments -__-'
The job fair wasn't what I expected, nothing useful except the teaching course I looked at while in Korea. I managed to get a part-time job though, through my friend's mom. I just work 4-5 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays checking application forms and emailing them to insurance companies. I get $12/hr, not bad, it'll pay for my monthly tuition and other stuffs.

I don't think I posted this MM swatch before. This along with the yellow was part of their most recent collection. This is the PK441 shade. Out of all the MM polishes I have, this one applies most evenly and least streaky.

Cam-whoring.. I don't think I've ever used this term haha.
I think the Geo Nudy Greys go very well with purple shadows. I love using them with the JS 08 Crystal Sky or the Lunasol Purple Gradation palette. Seems to make my eyes pop out that much more hehe. I'm using the Lunasol here. Compared with the JS, the Lunasol looks more "sweet" and the JS looks a bit more dramatic.

For those of you in the Toronto/GTA area, don't forget there's the Markham Fair happening between October 1-4!!! It's a $10 entrance fee but you can download the $2 coupon on their website. I'm so excited to go! Wonder what I should wear. Dang Canadian weather, it's so chilly already.

Yellow As Lemons

I know I haven't really been around blogger a lot. I'm still unemployed and I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm home about 90% of the time and don't really have motivation to blog and use with my makeup when I'm not going out.
But good thing for me, there's a 2 day job fair at downtown Toronto that I'm going to attend on Wednesday. I really hope that there are some job offers for Hong Kong, that'll be quite ideal for me.
Thankq for all the recent followers! Although I haven't been updating daily XD

Here's a long overdue swatch of the LE MM nail polish. I had a very difficult time locating it in Hong Kong, probably because it's so popular, so I ended up picking it up in Tokyo.
This is the YE242 shade, super bright yellow, great for the summer, too bad I've only started using it right when summer is ending hehe.
I also have a picture with the D Nails Gel Look Topcoat. You can purchase this on Ichibankao for about $23USD. I got mine for about 1500yen.

The D Nails is top coat is supposed to give your polish a gel nail like finish by being super glossy/shiny. I honestly didn't really notice a huge difference with this and the usual PA top coat I use.
This top coat is made in the states and I'm sure you can find something similar in North America. I don't think it's really worth the 1500yen because it's not over the top glossy.

The yellow polish is very similar to the Vita Lemon Teas, yum!

Since I don't have anything to do at the moment, I started to spend more time cooking. I made this Buttery Apple Cake from the William's Sonoma Savouring Desserts cook book.

I've been meaning to do a look with the Lunasol Dazzling Light palette, but I can't seem to get it to work for me. Maybe because I'm not used to using such dark colors, but when I apply it like I normally do for shadows, it just looks weird. I tried following Fuz's look with the palette, but it still looks strange on me. Hope to get it right soon.

Powder My Nose!

Sorry my posts are super long, I didn't want to play around with the coding again, it's too annoying.
I recently got 2 new powders, the Primavista Keep & Reset Pressed Powder and the Lunasol Micro Finish Powder N which is a loose powder.
The Primavista comes in only one shade whereas the Lunasol comes in transparent or natural beige (I have natural beige which came with the Lunasol set)

I mentioned once that the Lunasol powder is a bit too light for me, but after a few minutes it blends in with my skin. The powder is super fine and easy to spread. It doesn't look cakey and even if I pat too much on my cheek, it's easy to spread out without looking uneven.
As for lasting powder, it's not that bad. After a few hours, the usual area on my nose will start to get shiny. I don't bring this out with me for touch ups because it's inconvenient.
I think this is a lot better than the loose powder I was using before (Lavshuca Loose Powder in Lucent). When I apply this after foundation, my skin looks a lot smoother and because there's a light tint in it. It helps even out the little bits of uneven-ness on my skin and sets my foundation very nicely.

The next powder is the Primavista pressed powder from a swap with Nic nic. Primavista also has a loose powder if you prefer those ones.
I wanted to get a pressed one so I can take it out with me. I already have the Coffret D'or pressed powder, but the Primavista one looked very interesting because there are 2 parts to this. The top pale pink portion is a transparent powder while the bottom beige portion has a really light tint to it, kinda like the Lunasol powder but not as light.
You can mix the 2 powders or use each on its own. The beige portion is supposed to act like a founation touch up because it has the slight tint to it. I like to mix both the powders together, it's just easier that way.
The powder refill and case are sold separately. The case is made of plastic and it's a pale pink with a deep purple border and bow to match the rest of the Primavista products. It comes with a soft flat brush and a piece of plastic which sits just on top of the powder. I don't really like this concept because it's so inconvenient. I rather the company make a separate compartment for the brush.

I use the powder to touch up after blotting my face. I think it does very well in terms of oil control and my skin looks fresh after application, no cakeyness. I have a feeling that in the hot humid months, my nose will get oily even if I touch up with the powder.
I think if you were to choose a pressed powder, I'd recommend the Primavista one. I like how there are 2 powders that you can mix or use on its own and I also love how they included a brush!
I'm not sure if I've posted this video before, but it's a Primavista demo by makeup artist Gary Chung in Hong Kong. The video is in Cantonese, but it's pretty straight forward, he just explains each product.

I tried the Lunasol Nuance Change Foundation yesterday. This is a transparent shimmery cream and I think it's supposed to be used as a highlighter. I used very little on my cheeks to create a more dewy look. If I overy apply, my face will look like a disco ball. I'm not planning to buy the full tube, I still have the T'estimo highlighter to do that job.

I did my nails yesterday. I originally wanted to get 3 horizontal bars of colors, but my nails were too short and I didn't want to get fake nails. I walked into this tiny ass pink nail salon and the 2 girls that worked there didn't speak English! Luckily, a customer there spoke English. She happened to be friends with one of the workers and she helped me translate. The girl worked at a hagwon (private institute) and teaches English.

The worker said my nails were too short so I started to panic and didn't know what to do! Then the girl asked if I wanted something similar to her nail colors so that's what I did. I came out with orange and green nails that had white polka dots. It's not the same as the girl's nails because the colors were on different fingers and she didn't have the polka dots. It was 15,000won for the job which would have included tidying up my cuticles. I didn't do it since it was my first time, next time I will tho, the girls there were so nice. The polishes are the China Glaze, I don't know what color.

On Friday, my school had a field trip. I had a choice between going to a tomb with the grade 7 and 8s or going to the Children's Grand Park with the grade 9s. I chose to go to the park because my grade 9s talk more so I wouldn't be too bored.
There were at least 8 grade 9 classes and I only managed to take one class picture with their homeroom teacher.
My students are a strange bunch, the poses that they do crack me up. They really enjoyed talking to me during the trip, not like at school!

Night Routine

I've talked about my skincare routine a couple months ago in this post. After visiting Hong Kong, I got some new things to add into my daily skincare routine, this time it includes some new products for night time. I've stuck to using the Orbis products for the day time because the moisturizer is very light so I figured I should get something more hydrating for night time.

My cleansers include the Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover, Orbis Cleansing Liquid and Lush Coalface.
The moisturizers are the P&J skincare items: Moisture Lotion, Moisture Cream and the Eye Treatment Cream.
For extras, I use a lipbalm, Ardell Lash/Brow Accelerator on the brows and Canmake Eye Essence before bed. I also use the Treatment Oil 1-2 times a week and the Skinfood Black Sugar Scrub 2-3 times a week depending on how dry my skin is.

It sounds very complicated, but I'm sure it's waaaay fewer steps than some people out there XD
The P&J items were a great addition to my routine. Not only are these products super hydrating, they also smell soooo nice, like floral and citrus scent.
A quick note about the Moisture Lotion and Cream. Sometimes my cheeks feel tight after I wash my face, once I apply the lotion, my skin immediately feels relieved and moisturized.
The Moisture Cream is super hydrating and doesn't break out on me. I do have a minor rant, it feels slighty sticky/oily on my skin. I don't mind this at all since it moisturizes very well.
Out of all the products I've used on my skin, I think the P&J ones are the most moisturizing, it even beats the Laneige Emulsions.
I almost forgot about the Skinfood Black Sugar Foam Scrub. I still think it smells like lemon dish detergent but it doesn't bother me. I like how it makes my skin feel super smooth, but the sugar granules are a bit too rough. It melts away as I massage my skin, but I just don't like the initial feeling of it. I'm gonna be getting something else after I'm through with it.

I saw on a blog (can't remember which one) that minty green polishes are supposed to be the IT color. Lucky for me I got this in September so I didn't have to hunt for one. This is the PA polish in A86. It costs about 280yen but I can't remember how much I got it for.
I used 2 coats plus the PA topcoat. I think it's a bit difficult to apply the polish evenly, if you look closely, you can seem some streaks.

Most of the time, I don't like eating dinner with my teachers. I just feel so alienated by them and it's so difficult to communicate, even with my coteachers. But it's interesting to see what's for dinner because I don't eat Korean food outside of school. I have to admit I'm quite sick of Korean food since I eat it everyday for lunch, I miss eating Chinese food.
I don't remember what this soup was called. Mine was the only non-red one because I don't eat spicy food. The flavour was yummy but it was super salty!

Some sam-gip-sal (??) fatty pork and rice. I think I was the only one that ate the lean parts of the pork XD I didn't eat the kimchi either, it was mainly pork, soup and rice for me.

The last class of grade 9 students to see me were a funny bunch. They were obviously impressed that a person who looks Korean to them could speak perfect English, so there were plenty of oooohs and ahhs.
When I walked around to check if they were doing their assignment, I usually talk to them. The boys were REALLY shy!! There were 2 boys whose faces turned red when I spoke to them. They tried to cover it with their hands while being teased by their classmates haha.

Lunasol Winter 2008

So how were the weekends? Mine was spent shopping...for groceries. It ain't fun if it's crowded with people!

Try as I might, I only ended up with 2 pictures for my FOTD =p I have problems taking pictures of myself cuz my chubby cheeks annoy me. So if you ever see me in person, I probably look a bit chubbier than this just because I'm trying to hide my cheeks haha. I think the lack of natural lighting also causes me to delete a lot of pictures that I took haha.

I used my Lunasol Winter 2008 set to create this look. I'm kinda bummed that the colors didn't turn out well on camera even though I used a primer and base.
The items are listed as palette EX04 (soft silver lighting), blush EX01 (soft silver rose) and Geminate Liner EX02. I didn't use the nail polish yet.
The item in the small jar is the P&J Moisturizing Foundation Primer 03. I really like how it spreads so smoothly and it feels so light. I don't think there's sun protection in this one. I wanted to get this but the SA told me this transparent one doesn't have it.

Everytime I take a picture of what I used, it seems quite ridiculous. I haven't even taken a picture of one of the makeup mists I used. *sigh* The things that girls do to pretty themselves XD
I have to mention that I like this Lunasol palette more than the Layer Bloom eyes. The EX04 is more pigmented and has better staying power. I also think it blends slightly better than the purple gradation palette. I'm glad I got the winter 2008 set because I really like the EX04 as another everyday palette. It's pink, but it's toned down a bit so I can easily match any outfit.
The Coffret D'or pressed powder is what I'm reaching for right now. For some reason, the slight shimmer in the Lavshuca powder seems a bit too much for me. However, the puff that comes with the CoD powder is kinda crappy and it doesn't pick up enough product.

After applying the primer and MM base, I applied the highlighter shade from the crease to the brow bone. Next I applied the rosey pink all over the lids and dabbed the silver shade in the middle of the lid. Finally, I lined the top lashline with the brown shade and finished it with the geminate liner.

Sometimes the MM mascara and base clumps or feels stiff. I don't know why, but it gets annoying. It sort of clumped a bit today which made it difficult to apply the fiberwig mascara.

Ulzzang wannabe?? haha...definitely not. I don't have the photoshop skills nor do I want to bury myself in crazy makeup. This Ulzzang phenomenon puzzles me.
The P&J 061 has no pigmentation whatsoever. It's more like a lipgloss in a tube, even then, the shimmers are really subtle.
I need to ask everyone, do you think pink eyes, pink blush and pink lips are overboard? I was tempted to use a subtle pink lipstick today but I held back because everything in the Lunasol set was pink toned.

I forgot to mention how this Softymo Point Makeup Remover has replaced the Mandom Express remover. This stuff works a lot better than the Mandom and it doesn't leave any residues that might show up the next morning. I don't think it works as well as the Neutrogena oil free makeup remover because I have to hold the cotton pad on my eyes for a longer period of time. I got this for $99HKD and it contains 120mL. The texture is similar to an essence lotion and I feel that a little goes a long way.

Trying out my MM nailpolish in PK313. It doesn't apply very evenly, but as it starts to dry, it kinda spreads out on it's own and leaves a more even finish. I don't know why haha. you can barely notice any color on my nails, but that's because I only used 1 coat.

I don't think I'm made for falsies. I don't like how it feels on my eyelids and sticking them on is such a pain in the butt! I even got an eyelash holder to help stick them on easily, but I failed miserably. It's cool how it works. You put the lashes into the grooves on the stand, then pick it up with the clip, so simple right? But I don't think I'm ever gonna use falsies again any time soon.

Update on the Daily Fresh peel from the previous post! It comes out as a clear thick gel that smells slightly citrusy. You're supposed to leave it on for 15-20 mins, but I ended up leaving it on for 30 mins because it took so long to dry! It was worth it though, because the peel pulled out the gunk quite successfully, much better than the time I tried the Naris Up peel (which I'm waiting for in the other luggage to be sent over).

I need everyone's help! After using the Gatsby hairspray, I noticed about a month ago there were residues on the top of my head that I can't wash away. I don't understand why it's on top of my head because I never spray it there anyway, it's like all the gunk migrated up to the top o_O It actually looks slightly greasy on my head which is quite gross. I only have half a small bottle of the Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo left and it's not available in Korea. Does anyone recommend any other brand of shampoos or what kinda of home remedies to use? Korea is very limited with its shampoo selections =/

Fun With My Lumix & FOTD

It's been a while since I did a FOTD, but now that I have a new camera, it's so much easier and more clear. I used my new MUFE and Sephora e/l. I think I understand why the MUFE e/l is Fuz's HG. It's sooooo smooth and it didn't even budge! The Sephora e/l isn't as great because I noticed a wee bit of fading a smudging. I'm sure it was the Sephora liner because by the end of the day, there wasn't as much on my eye as the morning.
I didn't used foundation today because I don't like how I look so pale. Again...darn those masks! I probably won't start using foundation until my skin turns back to normal.

I made a meatball bun today, it's not really big and you can't see it on top of my head because my hair isn't super long. The lighting in my box makes it so difficult to take pictures.

A close up of my nails. I used the Majolica Majorca nail polish in GR102 to do a gradient look. I love this color!

I have a whole bunch of pictures I took around Myeong Dong. I can't seem to not go there every weekend because it's so boring anywhere else.

Yup, foie gras macaroons. I saw these in the Hyundai Department Store. There are a ton of pastry shops, food stands and a grocery store. There were also fruit baskets for $160 and heart shaped strawberries. The cupcakes are so cute! They're 4300won each and they're not that big. I didn't get a chance to get them.

i luuurve nails

Wow, I'm surprised that people read my blog and I just started this on the weekend =) Thanks for the comments!
I loooove nails. Everytime I look at those Japanese magazines I wish I could have those pretty acrylic/gel nails with all the wee little bits glued on it. I regret sooo soo much that I didn't do my nails when I went to Hong Kong a few months back, cuz they were only $30CAD!!! However, being a such a devoted *cough cough* SB barista, I'm not allowed to even have clear nail polish on. Instead, I must keep my nails short and "neat" according to the rule book. This doesn't really bother me, except when I have to peel those damn bananas on the bottom part. I finally figured out why underneth my thumb nail is brown. The cheap gloves they provide doesn't stop the banana nasties from getting there. It's like a permanent stain now.
Unfortunately I only do my nails if I have at least 2 days or more off from working. Which I do right now. So here's a pic.
I used this pink nail polish I got from Shanghai waaaay back then, the Majolica Majorca SV831 to make that French manicure lookish and the topcoat from PA, another Japanese brand.
I absolutely adore the Majolica Majorca(MJ) products. It's a cheap drugstore brand from Japan, I can't remember what the price ranges are but I will post it up once I find out and do a review of it. The nail polish I purchased from Adambeauty for about $7CAD, and they last soooooo long. There is little to no chipping as long as I use a top coat. The bottles are tiny though, about 5mL, but it lasts me a long time since I can rarely use polish now anyway.
Please excuse my nasty looking hands, the SB sanitizer is the reason to my aged looking hands haha.