I dreamt of it long...

I've been told by Lucy several times that I should try using clip on hair extension instead of teasing my hair crown to get that volume I desire. Much as I thought about getting it, I didn't want it bad enough to purchase them online. For fear that they might not suit my hair color or I'd be disappointed with the length.

So when I happened to stumble upon a wig store in Jakarta, I was excited. Without thinking much, I tried on several pieces and it actually looked good.

I am not sure actually where you can get it here in Malaysia, but I have taken their telephone number and I will definitely re-order some pieces soon when I feel like it. I will definitely write about a store in Malaysia that sells this product if I ever come across one.

Meanwhile, this is how I look with those extra inches...



And a video tutorial I found on Youtube to show you how to put them on (Just in case you are curious!) ;)

Good day, Mr. Sun part 2

Oh My God! I found out from a magazine today that it is NOT ok to put makeup on when you plan to be under the sun for a long time... I have been doing that every time I was out playing golf, minimum of 4 hours at a time..! Wow! Luckily for me, I haven't seen or noticed the effect of such action.

Apparently, putting on makeup and foundation when you are going to be under the sun and sweat can cause bad effects... It can cause blocked pores thus resulting in black heads and acnes! Especially to people with open pores and oily complexion... Yup! That's me...

The magazine also said that if we must put on makeup for some reason, the best way is to use tinted moisturizer instead... The problem is they mostly come with SPF 15... which is not really enough because I believe that in Malaysia (tropical countries), we probably need at least 30++! Maybe slapping more means you give your skin a double doze but that doesn't sound right...

So, I'm going off to the cosmetic counters soon and start my hunt on the ultimate Tinted Moisturizer... Heard that the Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer and the Origins Nude and Improved Bare-face Makeup with SPF 15 Sunscreen are good buys... Well, we'll see about that.. Stay tuned for my review.

MAC Tendertones

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

For a girly girl who likes the color Pink, this is a God Sent! The new lip color from MAC...

I'm going to MAC counter in a bit and get one and will let you know my finding... I am searching one pink lipcolor to replace my finishing one anyway..

Until then...

Sexy Smoky Eyes!

Everybody likes to feel vampy & sexy at times, apparently the smoky eyes are the way to go if you feel like it. Though it looks like it needs a lot of work, it's actually the easiest to do! You can't go wrong creating this look... As long as you know a few basic rules:

1. It should be darker near the eyes and go lighter towards the brow. (not sure how to explain this properly)
2. Blend the medium shadow & highlighter at the crease so you won't see the 'lines' thus, creating smoky effect.
   
3. Line the eyes with heavy eyeliner, preferably with gel or pencil (liquids are for steady hands). My fav is BadGirl by BeneFit.
4. Line lower eye and smudge it with same eyeshadow you used at the lid.
5. Apply fake lashes if you like or you can just apply 3 coats of mascara if you are blessed with long, thick lashes.
6. Go easy on the cheek and lips. Light pink on the cheek and nude color on the lips.
7. The trick is blending well and drawing attention to the eyes.

Now that you have the smoky sexy eyes, dress to kill and oh.. don't overdo the hair.. attention should be to the eyes, remember?

If you can't really visualize the above, feel free to watch this home made video tutorial I found on Youtube...



Just to share, these are my tools for creating that smoky eyes...

Eyebase: MAC paint pot in Rubenesque
Eyeliner: Benefit's BadGal
Eyeshadow: Bobbi Brown Black Plum
Highlighter: Bobbi Brown Vanilla
Fake lashes: Shu Uemura's Smoky Layers

This is a version of my subtle smoky eyes

Face/Off

No, I'm not talking about the infamous movie by Nicholas Cage/John Travolta. I'm merely talking about makeup here. Makeup Foundation to be exact.

There are a lot of different types of foundation nowadays that I believe us girls are spoiled for choice. I remember when I first started wearing makeup, I didn't believe in putting on foundation. 16 at that time, press powder was enough on my still immature skin. I didn't have lines, dark spots nor a bad T zone.

As I grew older, I've tested and tried a few different foundation - Liquid, stick and 2-way powder. I remember my first 2-way powder foundation was from Revlon, my first stick foundation was from Maybeline and my first ever liquid foundation was from Cover Girl (At that time, the only store that carried Cover Girl was Tong Hing in Gaya Street).

And then just like skincare, no matter how comfortable I was with my first batch of foundations, I have to change them to adapt with the ever changing condition of my skin. I was quite happy with the Bobbi Brown stick foundation, but it felt 'cakey' on my oily skin. Maybe because I had to apply thick layer to smoothen up those uneven surface of my face skin. And it always ended up making me look like I slapped a few layers of paint on my face, you know, when it's too fair on the face and a tanned on the neck?

Recently I discovered a new liquid foundation by Shu Uemura. It's called Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation. It's the best so far!


I've been applying foundation using sponge all these times, until the girl at Shu Uemura counter taught me how to apply foundation with the foundation brush. She was trying to push the foundation brush for me to buy but I bought this Bobbie Brown professional brush set not long ago and I was sure that foundation brush was in the set. And so I've been applying foundation with the brush. The finishing effect is much better than applying with a sponge and not so wasting. You know it's wasting that you use sponge, right? Sponge absorbs the liquid and you end up with less on the face. So. I've thrown away all the sponge that I have in my make up bag... Besides, they are not really that hygienic.

The beauty of going to a cosmetic counter is learning all these skincare & makeup trick from their in-house makeup artist. This is what I learned about setting foundation. After washing, toner and serum & moisturizer, wait for 3-5 minutes to let the moisturizer set before applying the foundation, and then only the concealer. And finish it with loose powder.. You get this routine, you'll get longer staying smooth face. Happy trying!