Maybelline ColorSensational Color Whisper Part II

Finally got around to the few limited editions of Maybelline ColorSensational Color Whispers released last summer. There were 6 colors released: 280 Nude Night Out, 285 Pink Bombshell, 290 Strike a Rose, 295 Plum Setter, 300 Coral Tease, 305 Red Around Town. Despite not liking the formula too much I still ended up buying 3 of the 6 colors, which I guess makes me a sucker for limited edition colors.

From left to right: 285 Pink Bombshell, 290 Strike a Rose, and 305 Red Around Town. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Suisse Programme Cellular Revitalizing Toner

Last June, Sasa HK had a nice promo for a Suisse Programme Caviar Deluxe GWP, and so I was tempted into trying out a pair of Cellular Cleansing Milk and Cellular Revitalizing Toner, with each full size bottle having 200mL/6.76fl oz. of product. There are several different skincare lines from Suisse Programme, but I chose Cellular because it looks like the most basic line, and I didn't want to pay a pretty penny just to flirt with a new brand.

Suisse Programme is an Asian brand. And although all the product I have say made in Switzerland but they're available exclusively in Asia, particularly Hongkong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, etc. I didn't see it in Japan when I was there, but I might have just missed it.

PharmaAct Additive Free Cleansing Oil

Started this bottle of PharmaAct Additive Free Cleansing Oil a few weeks ago in May, because I got bored of the Hadanomy Collagen Cleansing :P I missed the feel of a cleansing oil on my skin and I have so many different ones lining up, so I thought what the hell, why not?

I got this bottle at the same time as Beaua 10 Essences Cleansing Oil, at a Japanese drugstore at the Zhongxiao Fuxing-Zhongxiao Dunhua underground mall in Taipei. Let's just say I got several different bottles of cleansing oils there, because I had never seen any of those before and wanted to try them all ^.^ 

Hadanomy Collagen Cleansing

Ah jeez, is May gone already?!? Sorry for lagging behind again :(

Anyway, been using this Hadanomy Collagen Cleansing since April and it's about time for a review. This makeup cleansing gel is not your average foaming gel cleanser. In fact, it will not foam at all. This is actually a gel alternative to the cleansing oil, only it remains a gel through and through, not a gel-to-oil either.

Why? Because some folks are uncomfortable with and/or dislike the oily or silicone-y feel of cleansing oil, or find that cleansing oils are messy, spill-prone, and generally inconvenient to travel with (this I somewhat agree with). Hence the makeup cleansing gel that takes off both makeup and sunscreen, just like the cleansing oils do. 

And yes, you start with dry hands and dry face, just as you would with a cleansing oil. Massage thoroughly to remove makeup and sunscreen, then rinse. Some people like to add a little bit of water first to emulsify, just as others do with cleansing oil, massage some more before rinsing. After the dry hands and face it's pretty much personal preference.

Vitabath Hand Cream

Half way through this 6g/2.1oz. tube of Vitabath Hand Cream, which has been in my nightstand drawer and I reach for it every night.

This hand cream comes out of the tube super thick and firm, in a pearly white color. From the thickness and firmness I assumed would also be greasy, but was surprised to find that it applies clean and absorbs clean. It is scented with a mild mango citrus scent, which I find pleasant. Since I apply it before bed, I wake up to nice and soft hands, nothing magical but it works decently enough. Will probably move on after finishing the tube though ^.^

Pixi Beauty Pretty Eye Perfection Kit

This Pixi Beauty Pretty Eye Perfection Kit, along with the mini Endless Silky Eye 1-Black Noir and Eye Bright Primer, were freebies when I order my other 3 Endless Silky Eye Pens. I've seen interesting eye shadow palettes from Pixi but was never tempted, because there are just too many colors. The last time I bought a huge palette like that (Stila Daydream and Dream in Full Color Palettes, which I'll probably never get around to reviewing because it's just too much), I was completely overwhelmed with so many colors and combinations! So now I limit myself to 10-12 colors at most in one palette, which is still a whole lot but somewhat more manageable than say, 20.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Sephora Hot Hues Baked Eye Shadow Palette

Sephora Hot Hues Baked Eye Shadow Palette is another perfect example of why Sephora packaging is just god awful. Granted, this was one of Sephora's first attempt into the dry/wet baked powder eye shadows so from these to the most recent Outrageous Prisma Chrome Metallic Eyeshadow has been a gigantic step forward. But still, can a compact be any uglier?

Burnished Cocoa and Vivid Mulberry palettes. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

For one, take a look at how big and thick it is! And cheesus crisp it's heavy! What in the hell did they put in there?!? I can almost bash someone in with it!

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Corrective Serum

I have two of these 9mL pump tubes of Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Corrective Serum from two separate GWPs. Recently my skin's gone on the offense and has been excruciatingly dry, and after my second mini sample bottle of Eudermine Revitalizing Essence didn't help, silly me busted these out of the bag when they're really made to target firmness and elasticity ^.^

Sephora Collection Outrageous Prisma Chrome Metallic Eyeshadow

After the Sephora Collection Prisma Chrome Eye Shadows, I was happy to give their successors, the Outrageous Prisma Chrome Metallic Eyeshadows, a try, especially when they were on sale for $3 a piece ^.^

Along with these eye shadows, I also picked up an Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss for my sister, a Tarte Thoughtful Treasures Best-Sellers Set, and got the Festive Cheery pouch as GWP (contents in right picture) from which I got the Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Sephora winter 2013 GWP event.

***Screenshots from Sephora USA.

Inner Richmond, San Francisco (Picture heavy!)

Ack, May already! Time to play catch-up again with my posts! Let's start with Inner Richmond. Instead of Chinatown, hubby and I go here for Asian food and groceries. I've read that foggy Inner Sunset is another great neighborhood for awesome Asian food, but Inner Richmond is more conveniently located for us and so we haven't been too tempted ^.^ We'll see, when we get bored of Inner Richmond, we'll probably find our way over to the foggy side...

There are many many shops and restaurant in Inner Richmond and this is just a brief glimpse of the few hubby and I absolutely love. 

- Brothers Restaurant (Korean BBQ/yakiniku): Hubby and I LOVE Korean BBQ/yakiniku, and wherever we go we'd always make a point to find ourselves a good Korean place to get our yakiniku fix. We've tried several places here in SF, several others in different states, even in different countries, with the exception of South Korea itself which is definitely on our list of places to go. But hands down Brother's on Geary is the best yakiniku we've had. Surely there are better Korean food elsewhere, hell, there might be better right here in SF, but we wouldn't know it because every time we come to Brothers, we'd leave in a food coma and have no brain power left to ponder whether the grass is greener across the street.