SweetShuGaHon's MAC Giveaway

This is an awesome giveaway. SweetShuGaHon is having her 1st giveaway and the great thing is its MAC....Click here to enter.

XOXO

OMG..Milani Cosmetics on Cherry Culture

Good news people..you can now order Milani cosmetics on Cherry Culture. I have always wanted to get the Milani Mineral blush in Mai Tai ($5.99 USD on cherry culture) especially after watching Emily's videos on YT. And I have also heard a lot of good things about the Milani eyeshadows ($3.99 USD) and how some of them can be good dupes for MAC. I am very excited about this. This is a great news especially for those who do not have CVS/Walgreens or any other drugstore near by where you can get Milani cosmetics. Now you can order both NYX and Milani together=). However, I think they do not have the entire collection up on the website..hopefully they add them soon.

How I fight my breakouts??

Alright ladies this is the story of my battle against my breakouts..I think acne breakouts is a very common problem that most of us experience at one point of our life. I have had on and off issues with acne..most of my acne is related to hormonal changes I think. I just can not stop those ugly zits coming up during that time of the month. Recently I have become more and more conscious of my skin and trying very hard to prevent breakouts. Here are some things which I have been following religiously for quite some time and I am sure I can see some difference in my skin..I am not saying this totally prevented my breakouts but definitely reduced the number, frequency and also the size of the zits.

1. Neutrogena pink grapefruit oil-free acne wash foaming scrub

I use this everyday in the shower. Even though it says its a scrub, it is definitely not too harsh. The exfoliating beads are very gentle and I think it can be used almost every day for someone like me who has oily skin. This product has salicylic acid which is good.

2. After washing my face, I take an ice cube and wrap it in a cotton cloth and gently dab it on my face. I first start with eyes because it doesn't get too cold initially. Then I concentrate on my cheeks, nose and chin. Ice cube is a great stuff, it prevents the acne from getting bigger.


3. Cetaphil daily cleanser for normal to oily skin

I use this cleanser mainly in the night to remove my makeup. This is a very gentle cleanser and at the same time does a decent job in removing my makeup. Although I need to use toner to remove that last bit of makeup.


I make sure I always remove my makeup before sleeping. Never ever sleep with your makeup on period.

4. Aspirin+Honey Mask

I apply this mask atleast once a week..sometimes twice. I love this mask, its cheap and the best mask for acne. Both Aspirin and Honey helps fight against acne. Check out how I make the mask here

5. Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask

I use this once a week. This mask essentially helps my acne to dry while the aspirin mask helps in preventing my acne breakouts. My skin feels fresh, squeaky clean after using this mask


6. Clean and Clear Parsa Gel 5

This contains 5% benzoyl peroxide which is another common ingredient found in many acne control products. This when used with all the above products works well for me. It dries out my acne in 1-2 days most of the time. But I am not too sure about this product when used without my HG stuff like Aspirin mask or Neutrogena face wash.


7. Finally I make sure I drink a lot of water everyday..atleast 2 litres or 3 if I workout. I feel a huge difference with my skin when I drink a lot of water.


8. A quick tip..After using the acne medication my skin around the acne tends to get dry and flaky...makeup makes this worse. So I usually spritz some Mac fix+ right after I finish applying my foundation and concealer. The yucky flakes just disappear after this. I then apply some setting powder. I love fix+..its such a life saviour!!



I hope this helped some of you out there battling against your breakouts. If you have any HG acne control product please let me know..I would love to try them and see if it can totally prevent my acne..ha maybe that's that too much to ask.

MAC Exchange policy...Interesting

Today I went to the MAC store to exchange my MAC 109 brush which I got this past Friday. The barrel on the brush was little lose and it was kind of annoying so I had to return it. The MA was more than happy to give me a new MAC 109. But after that I noticed that she threw the one I gave back to a bin....which looked like a trash bin. I thought maybe that's where they keep the returns and then send it back to the warehouse to fix , clean/sanitize etc etc...and I casually told the MA 'hope its not a trash bin'..and to my surprise she said it is a trash bin..wow..they don't actually keep the returns..they simply throw it. I wonder where they dump the trash from that bin:P...LOL. I thought this was very interesting. Are all the cosmetic companies like this or is it just MAC? no wonder MAC is freakin expensive..they have to account for all the returns that goes waste.

Chocolatey Nails

Please don't mind the dry cuticles. I need a manicure very badly. I love colorful nails for the summer. I was going crazy with blues and greens and thought for a change I will try browns. Rexall had a sale on Revlon nail polishes a while ago and I got 2 of them- Totally Toffee and Silver Screen.

Totally Toffee is a dark chocolate brown color. This can be a perfect color for the Winter. I did not want to wear bright colors to work this week..so tried this instead. I used Bath and Body Works's Seal the Deal base coat and Sally Hansen's Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Topcoat. I love this top coat and I think that it prevents my nail color from chipping and maintains it at least for a week. I can definitely tell the difference if I don't apply this top coat.
Totally Toffee is just a basic chocolate brown color..nothing special. I am not a big fan of revlon nail polishes though..they streak so much that its very hard to get a even finish.

MAC Haul

MAC 109
MAC 217
MAC blush in Peaches
MAC select moisturecover concealer in NW35

I went to the MAC store yesterday and picked up 4 items..I finally got a MAC blush..my first MAC blush:)....I got MAC 109 and MAC 217 brushes. I can now strike off 2 things from my wish list....OMG I love these brushes...can't wait to use them..I still haven't washed them yet. My MAC 109 brush barrel is kinda lose..I think I will go to the store again and exchange with another new one. Did anyone of you experience this with any of your MAC brushes?

I did not want a pink blush as I already have some non-MAC pink blushes..I asked the MA for a warm matte blush and she recommended Gingerly and Peaches. She applied both on me and I liked peaches better than Gingerly..Gingerly was more dark and since I have oily skin the MA said it might get more darker with time. I was hoping to get Sunbasque because of the great reviews on Makeupalley..However the MA said Sunbasque has too much shimmer in it. So I finally decided to get peaches..

MAC blush in Peaches

Then I got a NW concealer for my undereyes. My shade is NW35 and I got the Select Moisture Cover. I tried Select cover up as well but did not like it..it looked totally unnatural on me. I am currently using Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Beige Medium. I am thinking of doing a comparison between this and my new MAC concealer later.
I also got samples of Prep and Prime and Prep and Prime Face Protect SPF 50. I have combination skin.. more on the oilier side. I really hope one of these controls the oiliness and keeps my face matte. I am planning to get the full sized one if it works out for me.

Simple Work Neutral Eye Look

Here is the video where I got my inspiration from. This is a re-creation of Xteeener's "Neutral Eyes and Deep Berry Lips" look. Xteeener is one of my favorite Youtube guru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkzYko6ncuM&feature=channel_page


I tried this look for work today and I think it is totally office appropriate. I did not necessarily use the exact same products.





Here is the list of products I used to recreate the look

UDPP- to prime my eyes
ELF Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan (the lighter shade all over the lid)
NYX Champagne all over the eye lid
NYX Dark Brown on the crease
MAC Vanilla Pigment as Highlight and very lightly on the inner corner
Coastal Scents Gel Eye Liner in Black
ELF Eye Lash Curler
L'oreal Telescopic Mascara in Black Brown

I did not do berry lips like how Xteeener did in the video. I just went for a neutral pink lips.

NYC Lips- LOTD from past 2 days

Click on the picture to zoom

NYC Pink Gold and 410B. I love both these colors. I applied a little bit of matching gloss just enough to give my lips some moisture and shine.

What do you think? Which one looks better on me?. For reference my lips are very pigmented and my skin tone is NC42.

EOTD- Dramatic Blue Eyes using CS 88 Original Palette

I love this look. I tried this out for the first time and it turned out pretty decent. Perfect for a night out.

Products I used to achieve this look

Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette-
Colors Used- R7C6 all over the lid and on the inner lower lash line, R8C6 on the crease/outer corner and outer lower lash line, black just to darken up the outer corner(R stands for Row and C stands for Column)

NYX Champagne under the brow bone

Coastal Scents Gel liner in Black

Revlon Colorstay Eye pencil in Black on the lower waterline

ELF eyelash curler

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Mascara in Very Black

After taking the pictures I realized that my brows are just blah...I should have filled my brows. I am on the look out to find the perfect color to fill my brows. Almost all the colors that I tried does not look natural on me..Anyone got any recommendations for me?

Looking for a good Flat Top brush for Mineral Foundation??

Coastal Scents Deluxe Buffer Brush

vs

Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush

Coastal Scents Deluxe Buffer Brush

http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm/product/793_37/deluxe-buffer-brush.cfm

Price- $4.25 USD

I got this after I read great reviews on both YouTube and Coastal Scents Website. I use this to apply my mineral foundation and it does a pretty good job. I read some had problems with the way the bristles smell but I did not find the smell bothersome. It did shed a little bit initially when I washed but not after that. The bristles are soft (sometimes little pokey) and the short handle is perfect because I have more control when I buff in the mineral foundation. I like this brush and you can’t beat the price.

Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush

https://www.everydayminerals.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=20&Itemid=46

Price- $10 USD ($5.6 when you buy it in the personal custom kit, even less with the super custom kit)

I got this with my personal custom kit in which you can choose any 6 full sized EDM items for $34. So I only paid $5.60 for this brush. This brush is simply awesome. I use it to apply my mineral foundation and it does a great job. The bristles are super soft and dense. No shedding at all. I love this brush and CAN NOT live without it.

Overall I like both the brushes. Both are good, but the EDM Flat top brush is a sure winner. It is more soft and dense compared to the CS flat top brush. Both the brushes are almost the same price (when the EDM brush is bought in a kit), so if you are looking for a good brush for mineral foundation I definitely recommend the Everyday Minerals flat top brush. It’s an absolute must have.

Mini Haul from Shoppers

Today I went to Shoppers after work and got the following



L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Black Brown ($9.99 CDN)
Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Beige Medium 2-4 ($7.99 CDN)
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Metallic Shimmer ($4.49 CDN)

Everything I got was on sale..I have never tried any mascara other than black or rather blackest black. I guess if someone wants to create a more natural, not so bold eye look they can opt for black brown. I have been wanting to try this concealer for a long time and lets see how it turns out.
I love this lipstick shade. Most of the Rimmel products were on sale at Shoppers drugstore. Now that I am home I feel like I should have also got the Rimmel lipstick in Vintage..for $4.49 its an awesome deal.

Swatch of Rimmel's Metallic Shimmer

Aspirin Mask

I guess my acne is not very severe but there is at least one blemish 60% of the time and I really hate it. I have tried humpty number of acne control stuff ranging from Aspirin mask to Clinique. My skin reacts very well initially to the acne control product but after a while it stops working. Now I am trying this Aspirin mask twice every week and its been working pretty good**knock wood**..I really hope this doesn’t stop working eventually.

What I use to make the mask

3 Aspirin tablets (preferably uncoated)

½ tbsp Honey

Water to dissolve Aspirin

First I take the Aspirin and add just enough water for the aspirin to dissolve. Then I add ½ tbsp Honey and mix it well. I apply this mix all over my face and leave it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I rinse with warm water while exfoliating at the same time.

Aspirin mask makes by skin super soft and clean. Aspirin has salicylic acid which is one of the main ingredient in many acne control products. This can be little drying so I make sure to put a lot of moisturizer after this. The honey in the mask also helps in moisturizing. Also, another important thing is to use this mask only in the nights. I read somewhere that the skin becomes very vulnerable to sun damage after using any product which contains salicylic acid. So there you go a simple, cost effective mask for those with problematic skin like mine.

ELF Drama

Check out Emily's YT video on how to achieve a $2 smokey eye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18RTvazQAHE


I love all her videos. She is amazing.

I have the ELF quad in Drama and I thought I will give this look a shot and this is how it turned out to be. I did not have the ELF's base and used NYX black bean instead. By the way this is my first attempt to try out a smokey eye look. And I was very lazy I just tried on one eye:P just so that I can put a picture on my blog

Neutral Eyes

This is what I wore to work today. Please excuse the unkempt brows.




Products used

L'oreal Adventurous the lighter shade all over the lid
NYX Dark Brown on the crease
NYX Champagne under the browbone
Maybelline Quad in Mocha Motion- The Brow Bone shade on the inner corner of my eyes
Wet n Wild Eye liner pencil in Bronzed- I was in a hurry and didn't do my liner properly:((
ELF Eye Lash Curler
Maybelline Define-a-lash volume mascara

My very small lipstick/lipgloss collection

I used to be a chapstick girl sometime back...this is my small still growing lipstick/lipgloss collection. Some of the products I have were recommended by Youtube Gurus..some I picked it up just like that..and there are some which I regret buying.

click on the image for a zoomed version

L'oreal Aishwarya's Beige- This is very sheer for me. My lips are pigmented and this doesn't show on my lips. I regret buying this even though I like the texture of this lipstick. I might probably buy another color in the same line. I heard the one with Eva Longoria is good.

Rimmel Airy Fairy- This is my favorite lipstick...its a very nice pink lipstick

NYX- Thalia, Rea, Frosted Beige. I feel Thalia is very similar to Rimmel's airy fairy. Rea is a good nude shade. It can just erase your lips. So I top it with a peachy lipgloss.
Frosted Beige is too frosty for me. Its okay..not too great

ELF- Cool Coral is one of their Mineral lipsticks. I love this color, its very different from the rest of the shades that I have.

MAC- My only MAC lipstick- Capricious. I don't know what I was thinking when I got this. Of all the good MAC lipsticks, I had to get this:X. I guess I was a MAC illiterate at that time when i got this lipstick. This lipstick is not all that bad..just that there are way too many other good MAC lipsticks for which I could have spent my $14..anyhooo

Cover Girl- Golden Apricot- I just got this because it was on sale for 3.99$ CDN. I ended up liking this coppery, golden color lipstick.

NYC- Pink Gold, 410B- Pink Gold is a beautiful pink lipstick with golden undertone, 410B is a dark kinda brown shade..one thing I don't like about NYC lipsticks is that it is very drying.

Lancome- Sugared Maple- I don't even remember how this got into my collection. I guess I got this free somewhere in a fair. I hate this lipstick.

click on the image for a zoomed version

Oh well..My lipgloss collection is even smaller than my lipstick collection.

I love ELF's lipgloss in Goddess and Malt Shake. Although it doesn't stay longer on my lips its well worth my $1. I also like their liquid lipsticks- Baby lips and Ruby Slipper.

I only have one NYX lipgloss- real nude. This is a very nice pinky nude lipgloss and it smells very good too. I should get more of these..time for a cherry culture haul:)

Clinique's Moisturing gloss- Lilac and Ginger. I love both of them. I got these a long time back at one of the CCO's for $9 I guess.

NYC- Pick Sand. It's a basic sheer peachy lipgloss. To me this is a okay lipgloss. I like to use this once in a while

Rimmel- Delirious- Since I did not have any darker lipgloss I had to get this. This is super shiny but very thick.

Revlon- Life is a Peach. I got this after seeing Xteeener's videos
(http://www.youtube.com/user/xteeener). She uses this gloss very often. This is a very nice peachy lipgloss, not very sticky at all...I love the texture of this lipgloss. I love xteeener's videos. I have learnt a lot from her.

Mary Kate & Ashley- Rumor- I hate this lipgloss..It looks pink but when applied it looks silvery..very sticky and frosty.

What I'm using right now tag!!!

Just thought this would be a fun tag to do..

HAIR

Shampoo- Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo

Conditioner- Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Conditioner

Hair Mask- Pantene pro v deep conditioning treatment

Styling Products- Biosilk,Garnier leave in conditioner,Garnier sleek and shine anti frizz serum, Finesse hair spray,Tresemme heat protecting spray


BODY

Body Wash- Olay body wash, trying out some of LUSH soaps-Ring of roses,Sexy peel

Body Moisturizer- St Ives, Johnsons baby oil

Anti Perspirant- Dove stick

Fake Tan- yeahhh right!!


FACE

Makeup Remover- Neutrogena Eye makeup remover, Rimmel Eye makeup remover, Baby wipes

Cleanser- Cetaphil Oily Skin cleanser

Exfoliator- Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit scrub, Clean and Clear Morning burst facial scrub, Origins Never a Dull Moment

Mask- Queen Helene's Mint Julepe Mask, Aspirin+Honey mask (loving it at the moment)

Moisturizer- Olay Complete Moisturizer for combination skin


MAKEUP

Primer- Rimmel Fix and Perfect

Foundation- Everyday Minerals, Studio Fix NC42

Concealer- Searching for a good concealer..right now using MAC select cover up,EDM sunlight and Intensive medium concealer,ELF cover stick in light

Powder- MAC MSF in Medium Dark, Finishing dust from EDM

Blush- EDM Apple, Cover girl cheekers

Bronzer- Not a big bronzer person yet..if I use bronzer I use Wet n Wild bronzer in Medium Dark or NYC All over bronze glow color wheel

Highlighter- Rarely wet n wild highlighter shade in Stike a Pose Rose

Eyebase- UDPP

Eyeshadow- Coastal Scents,NYX

Eyeliner- Revlon colorstay liquid and pencil

Curler- ELF curler

Mascara- Cover Girl Lash Blast..my all time favorite

Lipstick- Rimmel Airy Fairy, NYX,ELF liquid lipstick

Gloss- Revlon life is a peach,NYX round lip gloss

Nail Varnish- NYC Color

Everyday Minerals Haul

Finally I got my EDM package after 3 weeks. I was very disappointed when I came to know that I had to pay an additional $10 for customs. I had to pay $10 and collect my package from a post office outlet. All that disappointment just vanished as soon as I opened my package. This is my 2nd order from EDM. I ordered the personal custom kit this time for $34

I got 6 full size items,samples and a free gift:)..I know free gifts are amazing. They do that for ELF and Coastal Scents too. Anyhoo this is what I got

Olive Medium Intensive foundation
Sandy Medium Intensive foundation
Finishing Dust
Apple pressed powder blush
Flat top Brush
Long Handled Kabuki

Samples
Olive Med Original Glow foundation
Golden Med Intensive foundation
Olive Neutral Matte foundation
Sunlight concealer
All Smiles blush

Free Gift
Morroco Eye Shadow


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Tips for new buyers

*It is better to try out the samples before buying the full size. Samples are free and you just need to pay for shipping(about $4 USD)

*Always Always get the free sample when you are ordering any other item from EDM

*Be aware that you might be charged extra if it is an international order

*Check their Community->Specials section for any specials

*And most important look out for some kind of discount codes when you make the order. I got a 5% discount code from www.retailmenot.com