Year-end Surprise ^.^

Yesterday I got quite a pleasant surprise in my Inbox - a comment from Julia of Colour Me Cute giving me a neat little blog award ^.^ 

I started this blog in 2007 as an outlet for my hobby, and the occasional interaction with the lovely gals who dropped me a comment or two, and gave some excellent advices and recommendations along the way(!!!), is already more than enough of a reward for me. But for someone to actually think of giving me a blog award? How sweet is that? Thank you for thinking of me, Julia!

And so I am happily passing this sweet gesture on. The "rule" is really just to pass this on to 7 other blogs that you read with a brief note, so below are my 7. Oh, and repeats are okay, or so I've been told. 

My 7 in no particular order:

- Julia from Colour Me Cute has given me some great advices, the best of which has totally changed the way I view and use Japanese greasy cream eyeshadows. 

- Same goes for Kuri from Tokyo クリ

- Citrine from Citrine's Blog and I have had some fun conversations too ^.^ And some of her blog posts cracks me up and I really appreciate her humor and candor. 

- Rouge Deluxe

- Kimoko's Journal

- Bang Bang She Shoots

- Snowkei's Blog (in Chinese)

Canmake Cream Cheek (Picture Heavy!)

I've been collecting these Canmake Cream Cheek since they came out, skipping only 06 Nut Cream because it was too brown for my taste. Though now that I think about it, I should have bought it too and use it for contouring. Or not. I can't decide. It just looked so...brown. Oh well, may be I'll go back and check it out more carefully later!

I like cream blushes in general, but these Canmake ones go above and beyond your average ho-hum cream blush. They're really just as fantastic as everybody says they are. Smooth, creamy, and pigmented colors that can be sheered out or layered. In short, they're awesome and very buildable, suitable for the chicken-shit me and the braver others. And they're cheap too, only 580yen (~$7.50) a piece. Given that you really only need a tiny dab for each cheek, these will probably last for a loooong time. What's not to love? 

Here are all the Canmake Cream Cheeks I have, from 01-05, 07-12, only missing 06 Nut Cream.

Because I bought some while back at home and some here in Japan, some pictures were taken indoor with flash and some in natural light without flash. I'll be sure to note which is which. These two were taken in natural light without flash.

Non-no October 2011

Posting the Non-no October 2011 backissue today! It came with a set of MilkFed pouch, pen case, and tissue holder. I was actually going to skip this issue, but then I was starting school and was looking for a pencil case and decided I should just get this.

And plus I saw this set on display at a local bookstore and they don't feel too bad, despite being unlined.

More otaku dorkiness

Another totally random post ^.^

My sister finally got a glass cabinet to enshrine her growing collection of figurines which includes the 3 Gintama figurines I bought for her back in August. 

Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow-Liner Part II

Here's a preview for a couple more of Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow-Liner. Back in mid September, after posting about Bunny Hop, I went and got 2 more colors off of E(vil)bay just to try  out and brought both back with me from my home visit in late September. Again I haven't actually worn these out and have only played with them at home, so they haven't been tested for lasting power.

Sippin' n Dippin': a very pretty and bright candied peachy orange with an iridescent gold sheen. So depends on which angle the lights hit, this will look either peach or golden orange, like an iridescent and peachier version of Canmake Metallic Eyes in 11 Summer Orange. That said, it's a tad too opaque for my liking and I wish it was more translucent, though I guess that would be tough to do since it is iridescent ^.^ I'm asking for a lot, I know. 

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Only in Japan...

It's not just fashion and cosmetic brands that churn out seasonal, and often limited edition, collections. I don't know about else where in Asia, but in Japan, many snack and beverage (read: American) brands like Pepsi, Cocacola, and KitKat like to put out "limited edition flavors" too. And I don't know why that works so well in Japan, but the folks here are beyond curious and these limited edition flavors almost always sell out extremely quickly. I remember one Christmas a couple of years ago, my sister came home with a giant box of KitKat with 12 different flavors as present for my dad and he looked at her like she was nuts. Mean while, both she and I marveled over the different flavors and how far and beyond she had gone to get a hold of that gift box LOL! I guess that makes us one of the curious ^.^

And then the other day at the local groceries, I spotted this curiously pink bottle of Pepsi. Alas, it was one of the 2 bottles left on the shelf of the limited edition Pepsi Pink "Strawberry and Milk" flavor. I grabbed it, despite hubby's eyebrow-raising. It was...interesting. Like a strawberry and milk flavored soda and nothing reminiscent of Pepsi. LOL!

T'estimo Color Lighting Part III

Happy Thanksgiving!

These are the last of my T'estimo Color Lightings that I've been holding onto since forever but haven't had the chance to try :( But it's shimmer season, so I'm going all out with all my pretty daytime highlighters ^.^ 

These T'estimo ones are even more subtle than the Canmake Highlighter in 05 Beige I reviewed yesterday. Their pearlized shimmers are less dense, so even with scattered shimmer particles that are a little more visible, the overall effect is more gentle. This makes me regret not trying these sooner as they might be passable for use during the summer too. Oh well, there are sunny days during the winter, and these light up my face when the sun hits. Love it! The down side is that during cloudy days without any sun, these don't make much of a difference at all and I couldn't even tell I was wearing any highlighter. Boo. 

EX-08: an off white with gold color dots and gold shimmer overspray. 

All pictures taken indoor with flash.

Canmake Highlighter Part II

I saw this new Canmake Highlighter in 05 Baby Beige at the local drugstore about a month or two ago and snapped it up immediately. I was hoping it would be like the original Canmake Highlighter that I bought a few years back in that I can use it for daytime without looking like a disco ball ^.^

Highlighter in 05 Baby Beige. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

SkinFood Fresh Fruit Lip & Cheek

I've had my eyes on these SkinFood Fresh Fruit Lip & Cheek for a long time and only recently did I buy all 6 available colors, though not all at once.  

I bought #1-4 on a home visit earlier in the year, so I was able to take pictures of those with my SLR at home, which has a nicer flash with more consistent indoor lighting. I prefer natural lighting over indoor with flash, but here in my apartment the sunlight shines directly in through my windows and paints everything yellow -.-' That's why many of the pictures I took here in Japan in the past year are either washed out (the sun was too bright), having a distinct yellow tint (from the sunlight), or too dark (cloudy/rainy day) T.T 

From left to right: #1 Pomegranate, #2 Berry, #3 Grapefruit, and #4 Apricot. Left picture taken indoor with flash. Right picture taken in natural light without flash. I was lucky on that day to have caught the perfect natural lighting that's just right, not too bright and yellow, but not too dark either ^.^

#5 Peach and #6 Lychee I bought while living here in Japan, as shipping from Korea to Japan is a breeze. The 2 countries are next door neighbors, after all.

Etude House Moonlight Shimmer Blusher Part II

Just a quick post for the Etude House Moonlight Shimmer Blusher 04 - Highlighter. Since using the 01 - Pink and 02 - Orange this past summer, I've been wanting to use this Highlighter, but couldn't due to the super wet weather. Now that it's drier, I didn't waste any time in digging this pretty pink compact out :) Hello shimmers, here I come!

04 - Highlighter. All pictures taken indoor with flash.

Etude House Fresh Cherry Blusher Duo

I have this Etude House Fresh Cherry Blusher Duo for a while now but never had the chance to use it until now. I bought it because it reminds me of the Stila Convertible Color compact I have with Lillium and Gerbera ^.^

All pictures taken indoor with flash, unless otherwise noted.

Anthony Logistics Glycolic Facial Cleanser

Bought this Anthony Logistics Perfect Shave Kit for hubby's bday, and ended up "borrowing" some of his Glycolic Facial Cleanser. Everyday for the past week. xD

The Perfect Shave Kit includes the 2 oz. Pre-Shave Oil, 2 oz. Facial Scrub, 8 oz. Glycolic Facial Cleanser, 6 oz. Shave Cream, 2.5 oz. After Shave Balm, as well as the black toiletry bag. It is a really nice deal as the products are all generously sized and just the retail value of the Pre-Shave Oil, the Glycolic Facial Cleanser, the Shave Cream, and the After Shave Balm combined is already $80. The Facial Scrub and the toiletry bag are just extras bonuses thrown in.

Anthony Logistics Perfect Shave Kit. 

From left to right, the Pre-Shave Oil, Facial Scrub, Glycolic Facial Cleanser, Shave Cream, After Shave Balm, and the black toiletry bag in the background. 

***Picture from Sephora USA.

With November 2011

It's been a while since my last magazine post, isn't it? I just got really sick of Japanese magazines (still am, actually) because they all seem to publish the same damn fashion articles over and over again, albeit with different clothes. Come on, how many freakin' 30 days of coordinates, top 5 key pieces, new hair, new shoes, new bags, blah blah blah, do I need to see in every damn issue?!? I know I know, they are women's interest magazines, and most women are interested in shopping (I do, don't you?), at least it seems that way with Japanese magazines. And I guess the magazines at home aren't that much better. They all repeat the same damn articles too. 

But I'm a total hypocrite, of course, because I still bought these magazines for their freebies and the issues from August, September, October, and November are starting to make a huge pile in my apartment xD So I thought I should start posting magazines again. It is more than half way through November after all, and many magazines have already put their January 2012 issue on the stand! Sheesh folks, it's not even December yet! If I have time, I'll go back and post the other backissues later.

Anyway, this is With November 2011 issue that comes with a Jill Stuart makeup case and matching tissue holder. 

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Face Powder

Along with the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Correcting Powder in Translucent, I also brought back with me this Powder Palette Multi-Colored Face Powder in Highlighter. I've also debated greatly whether I should get this as well, but I've already b*tched enough about the packaging in the Mineral Correct Powder post so I won't put you through it again ^.^

Powder Palette Multi-Colored Face Powder in Highlighter. All pictures taken indoor with flash. 

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Correcting Powder

One of the few (many?) things I brought back with me from my late September/early October home visit is this Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Correcting Powder in Translucent. I actually debated for quite a while whether I should even buy this, because the packaging is completely idiotic and unnecessarily bulky. But in the end I went with it (and a few others -.-').

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Correcting Powder in Translucent. All pictures taken indoor with flash.

Seiko-en Yakiniku

Hubby and I crave for spicy Korean food all the time recently, and so we dragged ourselves all the way up to Ikebukuro to Seiko-en Yakiniku, which totally hit the spot. And no, we didn't just blindfold ourselves and picked this place out of an advertisement. It was introduced to us by hubby's advisor, K. sensei from his university. She speaks Korean and has lived and taught in Korea before, and when she said this place was good, we believed her. Actually, it was so freakin' fantastic we came back, despite the 1-hour train ride from Yokohama. 

Check out their website, it even has an English version ^.^

Katsu-don

Since coming to Japan last August, hubby and I have resisted our urge to indulge in anything to do with tonkatsu, a deep fried pork cutlet that's super common and popular. The reason is simple - it's really very fatty! Think a patty of pork with a layer of fat, breaded and deep fried. Eeps!!!

And then we paid another visit to Mrs. H., mum-in-law's college roommate who lives in Zushi, and she insisted on sending us home with a gigantic patty of tonkatsu -.-' We couldn't refused of course, and I ended up making katsu-don instead of eating the tonkatsu with just sauce and shredded cabbage. Urgh.

If you're wondering how the katsu-don fared, well, ...it was damn good ^.^ And to be honest, that's the bigger reason why hubby and I avoided eating it for so long, because once you start, you can't stop. Despite all our efforts in staying far away from this stuff since last year, we finally broke down and have since bought a few ready-made tonkatsu to make katsudon again (and again). Sigh...

Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick

I got these itty bitty little tubes of Clinique Blushwear Cream Sticks as GWP and I'm taking quite a liking to them ^.^

I was intrigued when Clinique first came out with a cream cheek color, but not curious enough to go buy a full size just to try them out. Which is why when I saw a GWP with these adorable little tubes, I jumped on the chance. I told you I love Clinique's Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipsticks, so what other excuse do I need, right?

Glow

Rosy

Stila Color Push-up Part III

This post is way overdue, and it features the rest of my Stila Color Push-ups in 3 colors, Sweet Flash, Cream Flash, and Rouge Flash, rounding up my small collection together with the 2 previously-reviewed Fuchsia Flash and Pink Flash. 

I really wish Stila didn't do away with these as I honestly love them, from their outer super cute packaging to their color sticks inside. Not only they have a smooth texture, I feel the color blends easily and is very buildable. The only inconsistency I see is in the pigmentation. Admittedly, these Color Push-ups are generally on there sheer side, and some are even sheerer than others. While I very much appreciate a fool-proof cheek color, I understand many others may be frustrated with the lack of color. 

Sweet Flash. Pictures taken indoor with flash, unless otherwise noted. 

Cream Flash

Rouge Flash

DHC Rose Beauty Shimmer Cocktail Powder Q10

This DHC Rose Beauty Shimmer Cocktail Powder Q10 (bleh...what a name!) is an illustrious case of how great packaging can sell a product. I'm generally a practical consumer. I do have a preference for small and functional packaging, and I very much dislike big and bulky packaging. But most of the time, I don't really care and don't really mind if a product has plain and simple packaging. After all, my attention is on the stuff inside and not so much on what's outside.

That was not the case with this DHC powder. This powder is one of the rarer items I actually bought for its outer packaging as well as the powder itself. Take a look at that pretty pearly iridescent pink rose embossed compact, isn't it pretty? It's a tad big and a little too bulky for my taste, so it's certainly not ideal, but given its uniqueness, I'll give it a break on the sizing aspect. May be there are similar compacts out there, but I sure haven't seen any, so I'd say this compact is pretty neat :P Each powder compacts comes with a mirror and puff, and the compact itself feels substantial and not flimsy.

All pictures taken indoor with flash.

NYX Mosaic Powder

A couple of years after Victoria's Secret discontinued my favorite Mosaic Highlighter, I was thrilled to have stumbled onto NYX Mosaic Powder line, which has an identical highlighter to the VS one I so loved. At at least judging by appearance, they look identical. That got me really curious of course, and upon looking into NYX I ended up with several of the Mosaic Powders and then some! ^.^

I haven't actually used any of these powders yet, so this post is just a preview with pictures. I can only tell you that their packaging is really bulky and the compact doesn't feel very sturdy. But otherwise, the powders feel fine and smooth and do not produce much dust. In fact, to the touch they feel just like the Lancome Blush Subtil I'm using! I have read about the 01 Highlighter breaking a few folks out, but again I haven't used mine so I really don't know. It doesn't help either that I brought them all home on my last visit in late September/early October and left them there, simply because they are too bulky and I just don't have the storage space for them here in Japan. So yeah, unfortunately no swatches for them either. Sorry!

#01 Highlighter. All pictures taken indoor with flash.

Lancome Blush Subtil

I was never a big fan of Lancome Blush Subtil, because they honestly look boring to me. From the packaging to the color options, they're all similarly lackluster. So I kept putting off trying these GWP blushes for other much more fun options out there :P

That's not to say Lancome isn't coming out with anything interesting, or that I won't be buying any Lancome blushes at all. Lancome does put out pretty neat stuff, and I have bought a few of them, like the Butterflies Fever Blush in Glowy Ballerine, the Desert Rose Blush, or the Maison Lancome Blush released this summer, none of which I've actually gotten around to even take pictures of! For now, enjoy these stock pictures ^.^

Butterflies Fever Blush in Glowy Ballerine

Desert Rose Blush 

***Pictures from Lancome USA.

Maison Lancome Blush 

***Picture from Nordstrom.com.

Happy birthday to hubby!

This is hubby's 2nd bday in Japan and we're celebrating it more quietly this time than we did last year. Hubby was still in school then, and all our friends and his classmates knew of his bday and insisted on celebrating. But of course, that was several different groups of friends, so we ended up celebrating several different times, each with a separate group. Hubby was very flattered, but in the end he was all partied out. So now that he's done with school and we don't see our friends and classmates everyday anymore, we decided to keep it quiet just between the two of us ^.^

We went out to lunch today to hubby's favorite Korean restaurant - Saikabo. Running into our neighbor S. on our way out, she offered to help snap a picture of us and we were happy to take her up on her offer. Despite the cloudy day appearance, it was actually sunny and we were both squinting because the sun was hitting directly at our eyes. Can you believe hubby and I have been together for a decade now? We have been married for over half that time. How time flies!

Jordana Easy Shine Glossy Lip Color

Guess what guess what!!! I actually found dupes for Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Glossy Shine Sticks in the form of Jordana Easy Shine Glossy lip Color!

Let me tell you, it's been ages since I stepped foot inside an American drugstore, and what do you know, it didn't take me long to find a nice surprise along with these gems! Just look at them, from the package of the tube to the color, save for their names and fragrances, they're almost exact dupes of the VS Beauty Rush Glossy Shine Sticks I love so much! *squee*

Raspberry

Berry Colada

Sweet Strawberry 

Raspberry, Berry Colada, and Sweet Strawberry. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Etude House Orgel Light Eyes Part IV

I never had the chance to use the remaining 3 of my Etude House Orgel Light Eyes palettes, so for the past month and a half, I've been wearing these everyday (yes, everyday!) to school ^.^ 

All pictures taken indoor with flash unless otherwise noted.

Palette 04 Peach Brown

Palette 06 Grey Blue 

Palette 07 Khaki Brown

Komenuka Bijin Toner

Starting using this Komenuka Bijin Toner sample after I finished up the 2 sample bottles of SkinFood Black Raspberry Toner (it took me 2 weeks to finish 1 bottle!!!). I have read a lot about this brand and how people say the rice bran in it does miraculous things for their skin. I'm not about to shell out the dough for a miracle (if such miracles exist, that is), so for now I'm content with just trying this toner sample :P

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion

I love L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream, so I was looking forward to using the L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion on the rare occasion that requires me to dress up pretty and all that girly stuff at a party :P This is a 2.5oz. travel sized bottle that came with the Mystery Gift Event in late 2010.

From left to right: Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion, Almond Shower Oil, Almond Soap, and mini Shea Hand Cream. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Lancome Le Rouge Absolu Lipsticks Part II

My first post about Lancome Le Rouge Absolu Lipstick was written well over 3 years ago, and since then they stopped giving out these awesome lippies as GWP. The 2 colors below I've actually been using occasionally for over a year now but never gotten around to swatch until last month.

- Coquette: this has moderate coverage and is seemingly warmer than the same Coquette color in the Rouge Absolu Creme version and no longer silvery. This version is more of a pale and pearly petal pink that turns a bit frosty on my lips.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish Diamond

Finally, the last of the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips set! Hooray!!!

This is a preview for Buxom Full-On Lip Polish Diamond in April.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips set 

All pictures taken indoor with flash unless otherwise noted.

Benefit Cosmetics Posietint

Happy November!!! I can't believe it, but year end is already drawing near!

I'm still trying to finish up all the small items in the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips Set, and this preview is for Benefit Cosmetics Posietint in Poppy Pink.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips set

All pictures taken indoor with flash unless otherwise noted.