Illuminare Cosmetics: FREE SHIPPING 24 HRS ONLY!

for the next 24 hours - beginning tonight (July 9th) at 6pm PST and ending tomorrow night (July 10th) at 6pm - Illuminare Cosmetics is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders (within US). FYI - this is the brand that i am about to test; i received the trial pack yesterday but haven't tried yet. it has pretty good reviews on makeupalley.com. what's good about this coupon deal is that Illuminare will pay for you to ship it back if you don't like the product. check out the site for more info. =)

mascara primer

i never really considered buying mascara primer because (1) didn't think i needed it (therefore, considered it a waste of money), and (2) didn't think it did much other than weigh your lashes down while "protecting" them.

boy was i wrong. well, kinda sorta. one of the very few mascara primers i've used in the past was the one by Clinique, which i tried because it was part of a free gift. it did exactly what i thought it would do -- coat my lashes a little and weigh them down. ehh. BUT from time to time, i'd come across a good review on the mascara primer/base by Shiseido which got me interested in giving mascara primers another try.. so i did.

Shiseido: The Makeup - Mascara Base


first of all, the color of the base is an opaque white and you don't see an even coat around the brush, so it LOOKS like it isn't going on to go on well. because of that, you don't even feel like enough is getting on your lashes during application... OH, but it is!

what i found most interesting about this mascara primer is that you DON'T HAVE TO OVERCURL!! this product keeps your mascara from weighing your lashes down even if they normally do. this is an OMFG moment for me because i discarded many mascaras because they couldn't hold a curl (e.g., MAC Zoom Lash, L'oreal Voluminous), and now, i can probably USE them! however, i noticed that my mascaras go on better/smoother without it. maybe i just need more practice..?

here are a few pix from today. i'm wearing the Shiseido mascara base under L'oreal Voluminous on the left and Dior Blackout on the right (click for closeup):


btw- i know my lashes are outta control esp. on the right outer end.


oh, and did i forget to mention...I DID NOT CURL MY LASHES!!

why does L'oreal look better than Dior now?! whoa... (well, Voluminous is the most raved-about drugstore mascaras, but still). i may give Voluminous another try, but ONLY w/ the mascara base and more practice to reduce clumpiness. it doesn't look that clumpy here, but i usually have that problem when using Voluminous. for some reason, Blackout looks just as clumpy in these pics but it's actually less spidery in person.

ok, to wrap it up:
PROS: keeps lashes UP and protects your lashes from getting over-dried (although i didn't really have that problem in the first place -- maybe more noticeable when using waterproof mascara?); provides the extra layer of thickness that allows you to use less of your actual mascara.
CONS: didn't notice a difference in lengthening; creates a slightly rougher surface area for your mascara to go over (because there's another coat of something dried on your lashes); EXPENSIVE!! $25 (i was thinking a mascara base would help me use less mascara, but it's the same price as Dior Blackout!!)

Price: $25
Where to Buy: any department store
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Tip: don't overcurl!

currently testing

foundation, foundation, foundation!!

i don't wear foundation every day (i've actually been wearing BB cream w/ SPF + powder OR sunscreen + full coverage powder) but now i'm on a quest to find the best-ever liquid/creme foundation. nothing beats the baby soft look that a good foundation (+ good technique) can offer. what i'm looking for is medium-to-full coverage THAT LASTS.

currently testing:
- MAC full coverage
- MAC face & body
- MAC studio sculpt
- MAC studio tech (creme)
- Clinique repairwear
- La Mer the fluid
- Chanel mat lumiere long lasting luminous matte fluid

just ordered (will be testing!):
- Illuminairé fantastic finish
- Illuminairé extra coverage
- Illuminairé ultimate all-day

if anyone has an HG foundation you'd like to share, please do! remember, my blog is a place where i can share my knowledge as well as receive!

beauty junkies uinte! ^__^

check UV index daily!

added a new widget to BB (scroll down and see right column). it's for checking the daily UV index (by area code)!!! woohoO!
am i the only one stoked?
probably. hahaha

fancy french

update of my life... i graduated!! why this is relevant to BB: i can update more! woohoO!

anyway, i had some time today so i did my nails. i've been trying to conserve $ these days so i've been doing french tips on my own:


excuse the cheesy pose. hahaa i'm too lazy to use my digicam.

what i used:

(horrible picture, i know)

* OPI Alpine Snow (the solid super white)
* OPI I'll Take the Cake! (the sheer pinkish)
* Canmake 708A (clear polish w/ iridescent med & small glitter)
* Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
* some cheap flower nail stickers from Forever21
* soft file block (for 'roughening up' the nails slightly so the polish has more traction)
* dense smudge brush (normally used for makeup -- from Target)
* ONYX Professional 100% acetone nail polish remover

what i did:
first, i filed/buffed my nails to give them some texture so the polish will hold/stay on better. then i applied OPI Alpine Snow to the tips of my nails, and w/ the smudge brush + polish remover, i cleaned off/shaped the jagged parts of the white tips. i let the white dry for a bit, then applied the pinkish OPI I'll Take the Cake! onto the upper/non-polished part of my nails (the part opposite from the white). this polish adds a soft & subtle pearl to your nails that that makes them look acrylic. before it dries, i added the clear coat to the white tips and work up, going over the freshly-applied pinkish coat. (FYI- if you coat your whole nail w/ the OPI I'll Take the Cake!, it will smudge your white tips! the clear coat, however, doesn't smudge them.) after this is done, you have your basic french do.

i wasn't going for the crazy jdm look so i didn't add too much to my french tips, but i did want to make them a little more fun by adding the Canmake 708A glitter polish and the flower + rhinestone stickers on my thumb and ring fingers. (i absolutely LOVE 3D nails but they kind of bother me when they're on. i end up picking at them - bad bad BAD!)

alrighty, time for bed... almost.

in case you didn't get the memo...

woohoo~!

meet chloe

balancing on my juicy bag. lol






my <3