Create Your Own Stia Lip Glaze Trio @ Ulta

I am a fan of Stila Lip Glaze and right now, exclusively at Ulta, they allow you to customize your own trio.  There are 16 shades available, pick 3 for $15 or $8 individually.  If you order online, there is 6 additional "online only" shades available.

May is Small Business Month

Did you know that May is Small Business Month?  Personally, I enjoy patronizing small businesses.  It may sounds silly to you but it makes me feel good.  I love, love Etsy and small boutiques in my area.

This month Opensky, Dotbox, Dwolla, Edison Nation, Goodsie, ShopKeep POS and several other companies are joining forces to launch a campaign call Small Business BreakThrough.  Basically, it is a way to encourage people everywhere to help their favorite small businesses break through the noise created by big box retailers and grow.  You can do this by visiting www.SBBreakThrough.com to nominate your favorite small business(es) for a Breakthrough Award and then share your nominated business(es) with friends via social media using the hashtag #sbbreakthru.

 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  Have you pick out a gift yet?  Do you need some ideas?  Well, if you do, I hope this will inspire you.


1.  Chloe gift set from Sephora, $120.  This is one of my all time favorite perfume, I always get ask and compliment whenever I wear it.  It is a very fresh floral scent that is not overwhelming.  This set has a matching scent body lotion as well.  Read my full  Chloe Eau De Toilette Review.

2.  Personalize necklace.  Nothing is more sentimental than a piece of personalize piece of jewelry.   Small pendants of initial, birthstone, and symbols are just so adorable, delicate, and well...personal.  The pictured necklace is from JCGemsJewelry on Etsy or Stella & Dot also make them.

3.  Orchid Plant.  Orchid is beautiful, exotic, delicate, yet very resilient.  If you take good care of it (water once a week and plenty of sun), it will bloom for months unlike most flowers that wilt within days. 

4.  Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Portfolio Palette from Sephora, $78.  I am lusting over this palette.  It got eye shadows, cake liners, and blushes in one convenience booklet.  It has color for both day and night and flattering to most skin tone.

5.  Sabon Organic Dream Set from Sabon, $47.  Oh, I first discovered Sabon during my trip to NYC and I have love them ever since.  They are a body and face skincare line with stores based in NY and expanded to Chicago.  This set consists of organic hand cream, foot cream, and soap made of medicinal plants from the Swiss Alps.

Cheers to all the mom out there! 

Tickle My Fancy: Garnier Olia Oil Powered Permanent Hair Color

I rarely ever color my hair and when I do, it is normally done at home, by myself.  Lately, the new Garnier Olia is so tempting that it makes me want to color my hair.  The fact that it is oil based, it contains 60% of oil blend and amonia free automatically make me feel like it is less damaging than traditional hair coloring.  Also, the tear drop shape dispenser is cute :)

If you go to the Garnier website, there is a little 3 questions survey you can take and it will give you recommended color that is best for your hair.

Have you tried it? 

Dr. Jart+ Facebook Fan Giveaway

I have some giveaway news I want to share with you.  Starting TODAY through Friday, April 6th, Dr. Jart+ will be rewarding one fan per day with a Dr. Jart+ prize package, featuring our Water Fuse and Premium Beauty Balms (both of which I had reviewed) along with our NEW limited release Hydrogel and Pore Medic cloth facial masks. Visit our Dr. Jart+ Facebook page and click on our Spring Giveaway tab to enter. One winner will be selected everyday, for a total of five prize winners.


Dr Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm Review

Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm Review

How Safe is Your Lipstick?

Yesterday, I came across an article from the Washington Post about FDA recent testing result on lead in lipsticks (click here for full article). Similar study was done in 2007. In its most recent study, the FDA picked 400 popular shades and found that half of the top 10 lipsticks that contain lead are from L’Oreal and Maybelline (both are under the same parent company, L’Oreal). Actually I am surprise that even natural brand like Burt’s Bee is on the list.

FDA’s Full List of 400 Lipsticks Containing Lead

If you are like me, you are probably wondering how does lead get into lipstick? According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, this occurs when raw materials or pigments use in lipstick are contaminated with lead. Also, FDA studies only contain a very small sample of all the brands and shades that are available on the market. At this point, it is hard to tell which product is safe and which is not. On FDA website, when asked if there is a concern about the safety level of lead found in lipsticks, the answer is “no”.

“Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern.”

Whether or not you agree with this statement is a matter of personal opinion.

Eyeing On At the Moment

Hi there! Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate it. Lets start off the new year with a few new items that caught my eyes :)

Boots No.7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream (This has been launched in the UK, hopefully it will come to Target in a few months)

Physician Formula Season-to-Season Bronzer

Stila Spring 2012 Blush

Tarte Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss for Spring 2012

Too Faced Beauty Balm

Jason Wu for Target Trench Coat

Michael Kors Small Madison Rose Gold Watch

Beauty Organization

I have been on a re-organization kick lately. I added some makeup organizer onto my Christmas wish list, trying to stay organize and save space. The only problem with the extra space is it might encourage me to “make excuses” to buy more. Anyway, that is another topic. Just thought I share these with you. If you have any good organizer or idea, please do share!

Caboodles 13 Inches Black Train Case from Amazon.com

Nifty Cosmetic Organizing Carousel from Amazon.com. This come in several different colors: cream, pink, and rose.

Two Tier Sliding Basket, great for under the sink area, from Bed Bath & Beyond.

I am saving the best for last. You can splurge and get this personalize perfectly prepped hair accessories organizer for all your hairstyling tools with your name monogram on it.  Great idea for a gift, too bad I didn't find this earlier to share, in time for Christmas.  Perhaps Valetine or Mother Day gift idea then.

Rachel Roy Eye Palette

Fashion designer Rachel Roy has made her first foray into beauty with the launch of the Rachel Roy Eye Palette! It contains 2 brushes and 10 shades of eyeshadow for either an effortless natural makeup look for day or an electrifying smokey look for night.

You can also snap the QR code on the back of the palette to learn from Rachel how to create her signature day and night looks.

Please check out the Rachel Roy Eye Shadow Collection HERE. Beginning November 1st, the palette is available at select Macy's, macys.com and rachelroy.com for $32.

Staying at Thompson Hotels in New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago? Look out for the Rachel Roy Beauty Palette in top tier rooms across the country. There will also be a QR code on the bathroom mirror linking to a how-to video from Rachel that shares tips for creating day/night looks. If you spot a palette in your room, be sure to tweet @Rachel_Roy and @ThompsonHotels!

How Would You Rate Sephora's Customer Service?

I am sure many of you shopped during Sephora's current friends and family event.  Did you get what you wanted?  Did you run into any problem?

I placed my order on 10/20, the first day of the sale, just to make sure I got everything I wanted.  I got an order confirmation email but I waited and waited and never got a shipment confirmation email.  Today, 10/25, I called to check on the status.  It turned out that 2 of the items I ordered is out of stock so they cancelled my order.  There were other items that I ordered so I asked to have the rest of the items process.  They can't do that either.  Why?  I placed my order with an e-gift certificate combine with a credit card.  Apparently my $50 e-gift certificate status is "been used" and there is nothing the customer representative can do about it other than advise me to wait 2-3 days and try again. 

Here are the problems with this situation:
-Why would the system allow me to check out when an item(s) is "not in stock"?

-My order was cancelled, how come I did not get an email notifying me that there is a problem and my order is cancelled?

-My order is cancelled, I got no good yet I can't use my e-gift certificate to place another order?  Try again in a few days to see if it will process does not sound assuring at all.  What if it does not work?  I lost $50 bucks?  A customer should never be left hanging in the dark like that.

-I will either miss the sale or in this case unable to reuse the 20% coupon since it is a one time use only.

-I used the 100-points to redeem an item, did not get the item and lost the points.

Finger crossed that nothing will be charge to my credit card and that in a few days, I can use my e-gift certificate.  Otherwise, this will waste more of my time.  I am one of those people that is willing to pay a little more for good service and customer service is so important, it is almost like insurance, a peace of mind.

I hope you guys have a better experience. 

Support Breast Cancer Research Through 100% Pure Lip Gloss

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and in support, all month long, 100% of sales from the 100% Pure Sugar Plum Sheer Twist Pen Lip Gloss will be donated to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is a non-profit breast cancer organization, working on conducting groundbreaking breast cancer research, and is the leading resource for information about breast cancer and women's health.

Learn more at www.DSLRF.org.

In addition, 100% Pure is also currently having a 48-hour special! Get 20% off the Coffee Cherry Sun Damage Corrective Cream with code CAFFEINE.

Coffee Cherry Sun Damage Corrective Cream is a super nourishing facial moisturizer that contains extracts of Coffee Cherry and Green Coffee to provide your skin with instant hydration and anti-aging nutrients to address aging and sun damage. The ingredients list is impressive with Green and White Tea being the main ingredient along with other nourishing oil such as rosehip and pomegranate.

Offer expires Thursday Oct. 13th at 12:00PM PST.

Koh Gen Do is Now Available at Sephora

I honestly have never heard of this brand before.  Koh Gen Do is a Japanese brand that was created 25 years ago by the late actress Ai Saotome. The brand started with the actress search for skincare that would protect her sensitive skin and has now developed into an eco-friendly makeup line that is specifically made for high-definition camera. 2011 marks 25th Anniversary for the brand and their products are also now available at physical stores like Sephora and Barneys in New York and 3 other Barneys stores in Chicago, Boston & Dallas. If you don’t live near these locations, you can purchase their products online at Sephora.com or kohgendocosmetics.com. Although small, Sephora.com has a nice selection that piques my curiosity.


Aqua Foundation SPT 15 PA++, $62
Aqua Foundation hides discolorations and covers skin with a fine light-diffusing layer to minimize pores and imperfections for clear, satiny smooth skin under any lighting. Seawater minerals and white birch sap extracts keep skin hydrated and radiant. This pH balanced formula, ideal for all skin types, delivers a high density of minerals and nutrients for a healthy, nourished complexion.

Aqua Foundation Illuminator SPF 15 PA++, $39
A sheer complexion illuminator made from the same exclusive Aqua Foundation formula. This multifunctional liquid gives skin a transparent luminosity wherever it is applied. It creates a fine, light-diffusing layer that minimizes pores and imperfections while adding vibrancy to skin.

Moisture Concealer, $54
Moisture Concealer is an advanced concealer, with skincare benefits, that covers discolorations, dark circles, and primes your eyelids, all in one easy palette. Gentle moisturizing botanical ingredients take care of areas prone to dryness, such as under the eyes, where concealers are usually most needed. The smooth, soft texture applies evenly, allowing sheer layering that applies perfectly onto skin with long-wearing results.

Face Powder in Jar, $42

Made with a unique silk powder formula, Maifanishi Face Powder sets the foundation like a sheer silky veil. It also protects your skin's natural luminescence with gentle, ultra-fine elements that quickly blend with your skin.

Update and Physician Formula Launches New Skincare Line!

Hi there! Here is a little update as to why there is a lack of post lately; I have not been feeling well. I have been dealing with morning sickness, except in my case, it is all day sickness. The pregnancy is messing with my diet, sleep, and it does not help that my job has also become a lot more stressful and demanding lately. At the end of the day, I am still a beauty fanatic and this blog is still my baby so thank you to those who still stop by and visit from time to time.

Moving on to other topics…

Physician Formula is offering a brand new line of skincare. There are three different sets available: for aging, moisture balance, and sensitivity & redness. I was looking at the ingredients for their aging line and it does contain some promising ingredients such as Lamanaria Algae Complex, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and Hydrolyzed Pea Peptide Blend. Currently, Physicians Formula Skin Care products are available exclusively at select U.S. Wal-Mart stores and will be available in Canada beginning Spring 2012. For more information, visit http://www.blogger.com/”http://www.physiciansformulaskincare.com/”

Proactive Back 2 School $5 Off Every Product Event

Regardless if you are a member or not, Proactiv currently has an exclusive offer of $5 off any individual product on the site, on up to 5 products! Here's your chance to save up to $25 on Proactiv's top blemish-blasting acne products. While supplies last, Proactiv Members AND Non-members get $5 off up to 5 of the most popular Proactiv line single items such as:

Refining Mask: The Refining Mask contains 6% sulfur, an antibacterial ingredient known to help heal and prevent acne, while simultaneously refining the skin’s tone and texture.

Advanced Blemish Treatment: The Advanced Blemish Treatment helps erase problem pimples fast using the acne-fighting ingredient, benozoyl peroxide, that kills acne-causing bacteria on contact.

Daily Protection Plus Sunscreen SPF 30: This light, oil-free sunblock helps to protect against UVA and UVB rays and is specially formulated for acne-prone skin.

Mini Maintenance Kit: This travel size 3-Step System is the perfect way to keep skin clear and acne-free while traveling or heading to the gym.

Medicated Cleansing Bar: The Medicated Cleansing Bar gently washes away pore-clogging impurities and excess oil with 1% salicylic acid, a natural exfoliant and bacteria-fighting ingredient.

Proactiv Members, get your exclusive offer here: http://bit.ly/pPVukg
Not a member? Not a problem! Get your exclusive offer here: http://bit.ly/okOCMQ

Sula from Canada Made it Way to the U.S.

I was browsing Ulta.com the other day and came across a new brand call Sula.  Their gorgeous packaging immediately grabbed my attention (the power of marketing).  Sula is an eco-friendly Toronto, Canada base company that seem to started with fragrance and expand into cosmetic as well.  Lets check out some of the items they carry.

The image above is their on the go perfume oil, available both individually or in a set.  Come in six scents and also eau de parfume version (below).

They also have a collection of cosmetics that include eye shadows, lipsticks, lipglosses, lip&cheek tint, blushes, and eye crayons.  All cosmetic items are retail for $8 each and available at Ulta.com.  I am not sure if these are available in store, I have to check.  Do you know?

New Too Faced Lemon Drop Primer

If you have read my review, you know that I love Too Faced Shadow Insurance, the original formula. They came out with Candlelight (shimmery) and now Lemon Drop version. Lemon Drop is a color correcting eye shadow primer with yellow tone that will neutralizes redness and ruddiness while ensuring eye shadow shades are clear and true every time.

Happy 4th of July to those that are in the U.S.!

Chanel Fall 2011 Illusions D'Ombres Collection

Sometime I find it a bit strange that Summer just began officially last week and we are already taking about the Fall collections, but they are here. In fact, I find the Illusions D'Ombres de Chanel Fall 2011 collection quite hypnotizing. The focus is on luminous shimmers and dramatic metallics that bring touches of radiant colour to face and fingertips.  Visit Chanel.com for a complete list of products.

Want It! Mario Badescu Glycolic Eye Cream

I am having a mediocre relationship with my current eye creams of late. I feel like I need something with a little bit of a punch to it. I saw Mario Badescu Glycolic Eye Cream in my inbox and immediately thought, I need to add this to my wish list.

It claims that mature skin showing signs of wrinkles and sun damage will enjoy the benefits of this skin smoothing, rich eye cream. High in antioxidant Vitamin E and a blend of oils for a soft, and more youthful looking eye area. Eye cream with a price tag of $20, you can’t beat that. Do I make you want to try it too? =)

FDA's New Law for Sunscreen Manufacturers

Everyday, there are more and more awareness on the important of proper sun protection. Base on an article from InStyle, the FDA just issued new guidelines for the sunscreen labeling, designed to give us more information about its effectiveness, the L.A. Times reports. The changes are expected to take place by next summer. In the meantime, here are six things you need to know:

1. Time to toss the SPF 75! Sunscreens will no longer be able to carry an SPF value higher than 50, and the highest category will now be 50+. Studies found that sunscreens with an SPF higher than 50 don’t actually provide greater protection.

2. For the first time, sunscreen labels will be allowed to claim that the products protect against skin cancer and wrinkles.

3. Sunscreens may be labeled “broad spectrum” if they block UVB radiation and a percentage of UVA radiation. UVB causes sunburns, while both UVA and UVB can lead to skin cancer and early skin aging.

To read the full article, please visit InStyle.

New Cover Girl NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara

When I saw the ad for this NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara, the "mousse" part peak my curiosity. I wonder, does this mean it will be lighter and airy? Darn marketing! Cover Girl describe it as a mousse mascara that provide luxurious volume that leave lashes light and lifted. They have also swap out the synthetic material with the more natural alternatives of beeswax and honey. It comes in the regular and water resistant formula, each with shades of black and brown.