I am joyc ♥: 2012

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Puffy Eyes Remedy & Makeup Tutorial

So maybe your son of a b!tch boyfriend broke your heart or you simply bawled your eyes out from The Notebook rerun, either way, your eyes are now puffy and red. I admit, I tear very, veryyyy easily! On the other hand, I laugh very easily too.... Everything amuses me for some reason.... Anyway, so this is my routine after an epic crying session.

Hydration

Replenish those fluids! Water, or even better, some hot tea~ Tea always makes everything better. Dehydration can cause puffy eyes so stay hydrated!

Cold shrinks and heat expands

Of course the frozen spoon trick works great but what if you forgot to keep something non-edible like a spoon in the fridge? A cold can of Coke works just as great! Just roll it gently and you'll look refreshed in no time!~

Puffy Eyes Makeup

This is going to be very different from your usual eye look.

Instead of a light base color, use a dark shade and apply all over lid to a little over the crease. This will give it more depth and look less puffy.
Then dab a light shimmery champagne eyeshadow on the middle of your eyelid to bring out a more dimensional look.
Use the same champagne eyeshadow to highlight your inner corners. This will take away some of the redness and also makes your eyes look more awake~
Now line your eyes but not the waterline! Lining the waterline may give your eyes more definition but it always makes your eyes look smaller. Your eyes are already smaller from all that puffiness.
Load on the mascara and that's it! Nobody can tell you just cried because they'll only notice your awesome makeup ;P

Don't cry and keep on smiling my loves <3

Monday, 17 December 2012

3 -step Low Carb "Risotto" recipe

I've been addicted to quinoa lately ever since I got a giant bag from Costco. It satisfies my comfort food cravings while I feel good about eating it! Quinoa tastes like a grain but it's actually a seed. It is high in protein and fiber and packed with nutrients!

I was getting bored with eating it as a salad. Seems like salad is the only way people know of. I think there are endless way to eat quinoa. I had some cream cheese that I had to finish so I came up with this!

As usual, I inhaled the whole bowl before I could take a picture....-_-"

Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
1 1/2 tbsp Cream Cheese (regular or light)
1 tsp minced Garlic

1 cup mushrooms sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook quinoa with the water until fluffy.
Sautee mushrooms with garlic, salt and pepper.
Mix quinoa, mushrooms and cream cheese in a bowl until everything is coated in creamy goodness. Volia!

Tastes so similar to a risotto but so much easier to make! Best of all, so much healthier, especially, if you use light cream cheese!

Saturday, 15 December 2012

Essence is so awesome haul

I've loved every product I've bought from Essence. Their prices are dirt cheap starting from $1.99 at regular price. Yet, their quality are never compromised. I also like how their products are made in Europe. Makes it feel extra special and fancy ;)

Colour & Go Nail Polish in 110 Modern Romance $1.99

This is a pastel peach with iridescent pink shimmer in the bottle. The shimmer doesn't show up on the nails though. Nonetheless, this is the perfect peach shade! It goes opaque in 2-3 coats. Pretty impressive for a pastel. Made in France.

Gel Liner in 02 London Baby $3.99

This gel liner is the bomb! Better than MAC or Bobbi Brown! It's smooth, pigmented and ultimately lasts!! Unlike MAC which dried up into a rock, Essence is still creamy smooth after being used for many months. London Baby is a gorgeous shimmery deep taupe~ The shimmer doesn't show up much once on though. It looks like a natural black on my pale skin~ It also comes with a heavy duty glass jar just like other highend brands. Made in Italy.

Eyeshadow in 35 Party All Night $2.49

This is a gorgeous golden taupe. It claims to be metallic but it's not very shiny for a metallic eyeshadow. More of a shimmer finish. I love how I could just put this on by itself and it would give my eyes great depth! My new favorite neutral~ Made in Germany.

MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm Compact SPF 30 reviews

This line has been launched recently but there doesn't seem to be any North American reviews surfacing yet~ These are in Chinese so you'll need to Google Translate them. Nonetheless, they all have many detailed pictures and swatches that are very helpful!~

http://forum.pchome.com.tw/content/8/17449

http://www.iswii.net/myswii/showpost/53247

http://beauty.pchome.com.tw/myroom/yang8162/article/1323585302

http://blog.fashionguide.com.tw/3449-anitakuo/posts/51909-%E8%A9%A6%E7%94%A8%E8%BC%95%E3%80%82%E8%96%84%E3%80%82%E9%80%8F%E7%9A%84%E8%A3%B8%E5%A6%9D%E5%B0%8F%E7%A5%95%E5%AF%86-mac-bb%E8%BC%95%E7%B2%89%E9%9C%9C-spf30pa

Hope this helps some!

Friday, 14 December 2012

Face Lace - Art for the Face~

I stumbled on this recently and I had to share with you...

A line of intricate art work for the face. Definitely a foolproof way to stand out from the crowd!

The laces are made of very thin vinyl with hypoallergenic adhesive backing.

So pretty.... I want to collect them all!

http://face-lace.com/

Monday, 10 December 2012

Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57 review

Claims

A concealer brush that applies correcting formulas with a flawless, airbrushed look.

Discover the secret to the smoothest finish possible with this unique round brush that precisely conceals dark circles, redness, and all other imperfections in one gesture. The short, synthetic bristles allow you to buff and blend from light to heavy, and achieve perfect, even coverage across your face.

My experience

I've seen many raves for this. I also know there are many honorable dupes but it seems like this really beats all dupes. So, I couldn't resist because I am simply a concealer junkie. I'll stop at nothing until I can magically conceal my zombie looking dark circles flawlessly!!

ELF on the left, Sephora on the right

This brush is made of incredibly soft synthetic material. No furry animals were harmed to make this :) It is soft enough even for my delicate undereye area. I have the ELF Studio Flawless Concealer Brush dupe and this is definitely softer and fluffier.

I like applying a thick layer of concealer on my dark circles. Then I use this brush to go over it to smooth things out. Lastly, I use it to blend the edges seamlessly with the rest of my face. This definitely works better than using my fingers creating a smoother look. This also works wonderfully concealing redness around the nose.

It comes with a heavy duty cap/case that has two locks~ Gotta protect your precious brushes, right? LOL I ditched the cap as soon as I started using it cause my brushes are safe at my brush holder already~

Conclusion

99%

It does what it promised!

Sunday, 9 December 2012

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner - Classic Nude Palette review

Claims

Modern and versatile palettes for a new twist on classic nude shades.
Modern, "greige" shades create a nude look with a classic, cool appeal.
Wet & Dry application for two finishes: wet for dramatic, intense color with ultra long-lasting wear. Transforms shadow into a liner. Dry for a softer result.
Hypoallergenic. Fragrance-free. Paraben-Free. Gluten Free. Dermatologist approved. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

My experience

Isn't the packaging gorgeous? This looks so high end like something that should be sold at Sephora!

The range of shimmery champagnes and taupes practically gave me an orgasm hahaha! So I snatched this immediately even though I know where I got it was overpriced at $17.99.

This palette is designed to create 3 different looks from natural to playful to dramatic from right to left. There are 9 eyeshadows and 3 for each look. Every section includes a highlighter, lid color, and liner from right to left. It makes creating a smokey eye extremely easy! Or you can mix and match to create your custom looks~

From right to left. Natural, Playful, Dramatic

I thought this would be my HG but sadly no.... cause overall the pigmentation were not great... The medium lid shades show up much lighter than as shown. The liner shades are also too sheer to really define the eyes.

It also comes with a specially designed sponge tip applicator. This was very useful to use in a pinch~ You can really create your look from start to finish with this one applicator! Perfect for on the go!~

Here's the directions written on the box:

Create the Classic Nude Eye: 1. Sweep medium shade over lid as base. 2. Apply darkest shade to upper & lower lash line with pointed tip of applicator to line eyes. For added definition, apply darkest shade in the contour of upper eyelid. To intensify color, wet applicator. 3. Use lightest shade to highlight brow bone.

Conclusion

85%

I love this to death but the lack of pigmentation really took some points off :(

Saturday, 8 December 2012

Truth In Aging haul

I took advantage of their Thanksgiving weekend 20% off sale and hauled a few items that I've been lemming for a while. Shipping was fast~ Packaging looked professional but not perfect... They didn't tape the cleanser so it leaked a tiny bit... No biggie tho~

Juice Beauty Tinted Mineral Moisturizer SPF 30 in Ivory

I am obsessed with good tinted moisturizers with SPF lately... Always looking for the perfect all in one product! This caught my eye because it's the winner of the EWG Skin Deep 2012 award and the Delicious Living Beauty & Body Best Tinted Moisturizer 2011 award! Also, the ingredients list looked very promising :)

My criteria includes:

Light coverage
Matches my pale yellow skin
Moisture, moisture!
Doesn't highlight my dry skin
Doesn't ball up
SPF 15+
Pure physical sunscreen
Preferably only Zinc Oxide

Quite a list eh.... Hope this can fulfill my wishes~

100% Pure Organic Lavender Honey Facial Cleansing Foam

This is designed for dehydrated skin. It has no chemical surfactants aka sulfates. It uses natural saponified coconut oil to get you squeaky clean! Plus, lavender and honey sounds so calming and nourishing for the skin mMm..... So I had to get this even though it's a little more expensive than my usual cleansers :)

Skinfinite LOL Eye Serum

Saw the many glowing reviews for this so I had to get it! Lots of people reported that this not only helped with fine lines but also made their dark circles disappear!! :O Can't wait to add this to my rotation of creams and potions tehehehe!

Friday, 7 December 2012

Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow - No. 10 Light Blonde review

Claims

Aqua Brow is a waterproof eyebrow corrector that fills, defines and lengthens brows. Formulated with volatile oil and carnauba wax, its creamy gel texture gives an even, natural result with a long lasting hold. The result remains flawless throughout the day and holds up under all conditions (water, heat, etc).

My experience

HG Alert!!!

I am a fan of brow powder and liquid brow pens but they are not exactly my HG. I like the look and ease of brow powder but it doesn't last long enough for me. I like how liquid brow pens last on me. I don't like that it takes me longer to apply and it doesn't look exactly how I want though.

Aqua Brow is the perfect medium between a brow powder and liquid brow pen. I think it is more of a mousse like wax than a gel as stated.

It is truly waterproof and smudgeproof as promised. It looked exactly like I just put it on even after a night of clubbing and after party!

The texture makes it extremely easy to elongate and create natural full brows~ This is what really reeled me in <3

It is super pigmented so you only need a pin drop to both brows~

To show you how waterproof this is....

I ran it with water and rubbed it. Everything stayed in tact perfectly~

Aqua Brow comes in 7 shades but only 3 of them are available in my area. I got it in shade No. 10 Light Blonde which is a light ash brown. It is just dark enough to look natural but defined on my pale complexion.

Conclusion

100 %

Can't get better than this!

Thursday, 6 December 2012

O Hui Smart Cover Sunblock SPF50+ PA +++ - review

Claims

Liquid sunblock easily allows makeup application.
Water and sweat-proof. Prevents oiliness caused by excessive sebum or sweat.
Keeps the skin from becoming overly dry while concealing blemishes and protecting the skin from UV rays and dryness.
Comes in two shades: No. 1 Light Skin & No.2 Natural Skin

My experience

This is basically an awesome tinted moisturizer with high sun protection. I got shade No. 2 Natural Skin and it's actually a wonderful pale beige! No peachines, pinkiness nor grey undertones~ It matches my NC 10 - 15 perfectly! It makes me wonder how pale No. 1 Light Skin would be though....

My skin is dry and icky from lack of sleep. This didn't highlight a single dry spot! It's a silicone moussey texture. It gives a semi-matte finish. I love this more than Canmake Perfect Serum BB Cream Light because even Canmake would emphasize my dryness somewhat but not at all with this! It gives light coverage similar to Canmake. It evens out my skin just the way I like it~ Concealer will be needed for blemishes and dark circles though~

I searched high and low but I can't find the ingredients list for this ARGH! I need to know what sunblock is used.... Always such a pain in the bum to finds the ingredients list for Korean cosmetics...

I am using a sample sized bottle. The full size is kind of expensive though. 48000 Korean Won for merely 20ml. That is about USD45. Plus, usually facial skincare comes in at least 30ml/1oz. a bottle... The innovative design of the full size bottle makes it worth it though. It comes with a twist up sponge and mirror in the cap. The pump comes from the side of the bottle so it looks really cool too.

Here are some reviews with lots of detailed pictures of before and after and the cool packaging:

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=yjoppy&logNo=120130612330
http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=dbwjd6162&logNo=150110352394
http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=asachu&logNo=10110209605

Conclusion

90%

Pretty much perfect if only I knew what ingredients are used....

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Something different haul

I feel like sucha tween wannabe shopping at Hot Topic XD

This is too cute, right?! So I had to have it!

It was Buy one get one 50% off the entire store. (It seemed like the whole mall was doing the same sale?) So I went to hunt down something else to buy in the store... Shopaholic's logic hahaha!

....And this is what I found

....Then I saw this at Urban Planet

This dress caught my eye cause it seemed very refreshing apart from the usual dresses I see! It's a gorgeous minty color but it also comes in sweet pink too. The mint definitely helps make the dress standout above all though.

I needed a dress for the upcoming holiday parties anyway.

The best part, $24! Take my Visa please!

Sephora BI Promo Haul

Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow 10 - Light Blonde

$22

Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57

$29

My subtotal came up to $51 + tax :) Just $1 over the $50 minimum! I am so proud of myself LOL! It took me a lot of restraint not to buy everything in the store....

$15 off $51 is basically 30% off! That's an even better deal than the earlier Friends & Family sale.

Hope everyone had a great haul too! Reviews to come ;)

Monday, 3 December 2012

Gmarket haul #1

The truth is this is like my billionth Gmarket haul lol! Gmarket is one of my favorite places to shop cause it has everything you can imagine and for cheap too! Well it used to be cheaper but the prices increased quite a bit throughout the years cause of the rising Korean Won... Anyhoo! Lets check out my haulage!

I order from Etude House pretty much every time because they always have something new and cute that I want to try. Plus, they always have awesome GWP's. Sadly, I was super disappointed with the GWP this time. Just two packets of their Moistful Soothing Creams. Booo.... >.<

Etude Eraser Show Cleansing Serum

Serum type.
Easy cleansing with strong water proof make-up.
Contains both cleansing and moisture at the same time, and makes skin smooth.
No-surface active agent. Cleanses gently without burdens on skin.
Argan oil, and aloe vera leaf extract

A moisturizing cleanser that takes off waterproof makeup too! I am in!

Etude Sweet Lace Nail Seal in Black and White

Etude Dear My Deep Color Nails in Tint Mint

Etude Look At My Nails Color CGR702

Both nail polishes were opaque in two coats! Tint Mint is more of a dusty blue compared to CGR702 as a minty turquoise. Definitely love CGR702 way more, which is kind of unfortunate, cause Tint Mint comes in a bigger bottle... All four nail items were under USD3 each~ Can't wait to do a NOTD with these new toys!

O Hui Smart Cover Sunblock SPF50+ PA +++

Liquid sunblock easily allows makeup application.
Water and sweat-proof. Prevents oiliness caused by excessive sebum or sweat.
Keeps the skin from becoming overly dry while concealing blemishes and protecting the skin from UV rays and dryness.
Comes in two shades: No. 1 Light Skin & No.2 Natural Skin

This was a random pick because I ordered it to meet free local shipping minimum. Might as well get something than spending money on shipping right?! LOL me and my excuses... ;P Only shade No.2 was available but it actually matches my NC15 skin well. It's a siliconey mousse with light coverage. I love how Koreans have sample sizes for every skincare they sell. A nice way to try everything without commitment. The Anna Sui mirror dupe is a GWP.

Missha Time Revolution Bestselling Special Set

It includes:

Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence 150ml + 30ml
Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule 50ml + 10ml

This costs about USD73. Been lemming these two serums for a while. The First Treatment Essence is supposed to be a dupe for the legendary SK II's Facial Treatment Essence and the Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule is Estee Lauder Advanced Repair. The ingredients lists are very similar, if not, even better. Missha`s versions only cost a fraction of the originals though WOOT WOOT!

This seller was very generous with GWP's. Look at all the samples!

They also gave me a eco friendly shopping bag and these Lotto tickets and coupons. The Lotto tickets are in Korean and probably only useful in Korea but I still thought that was a cute gesture :)

Got two new additions for my winter wardrobe. Love this chunky sweater! I am sure it's all acrylic but it's so soft! It's only around USD12 too!

I sort of expected this black cardigan not to look good in person but it was only around USD7... The fabric is kinda thin but I should be able to layer this to make this work.