Update on L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish

Over a week ago, I went to the Target near my house and saw more colors were added to the L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish Collection. I can't help myself buying more colors because the quality of those nail polishes are so good. I tried on some colors and I was so glad I got them.

The pictures below are the nail polish after about a week. There was no chipping, no breaking on my nails at all. I use my nails as tools sometimes, but the nail polishes just stay put. The colors are pretty too, and I only need couple coats to get the opaque colors.

 

 The first picture I have Club Prive from L'Oreal Color Riche Collection and Sea from Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect Color collection. I found the new Sally Hansen nail polishes when I picked up the L'Oreal ones. They last as long as the L'Oreal nail polishes, but you need more coats to get the opaque finish. The quality of the new Sally Hansen polishes are great, I just personally don't like too sheer nail polishes. The more coats you need, the longer it takes. Plus, I don't really want to have very thick nail polishes on my nails. If you are fine with sheer nail polishes, Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect Color Collection would worth your money.
All the nail polishes from Sally Hansen's new collection are pastel colors, that's why I purchased at first. I think they are perfect for spring.

The second picture I have Eiffel For You and Because You're Worth It on my nails, they were both from L'Oreal Color Riche Collection. The glitter polish I have on my index finger (over the Because You're Worth It) is Synergy from LA Girls. That glitter polish comes in big chucks of glitter particles, and it doesn't have much color itself. I think it's a good glitter polish, more importantly, you have many different color choices.
Eiffel For you is a color between purple/Lilac and gray. Very pretty.

I also bought two other colors Jet Set To Paris and Penthouse Pink from the same L'Oreal collection, and one other nail polish called Sorbet (It's a pretty peachy pastel color) from Sally Hansen.

Definitely try those out next time you see them! It might not look as luxurious as Chanel, Dior, and some other high-end nail polishes, however, they are very good everyday nail polishes that saved a lot of time on re-applying with good color pay-offs.

Surprisingly Long-Lasting Nail Polish--L'Oreal ColorRiche Nail

I recently went to Target and saw L'Oreal had the nail polish display next to the popular Infallible Eyeshadows. I picked up three pastel colors and wanted to try them out.
They are Satin Sheets, Walk on the Beach, and How Romantic.

The colors looked great after at least two or three coats. The first coat application was not very opaque and the color was not so evenly covered. The formula is kind of thick, so I would say don't go over three coats, and wait longer between each coat.

My Secrets of Having Long and Curl Lashes without Applying False Lashes

Secret I: Basic Eyelash Curler
I used to hate curling my eyelashes and putting on mascara. Not only because I have typical Asian's straight down lashes, but also because my eye shape is flatter (there is not such thing like deep crease on my eyes...) and most lash curlers don't fit my eye shape so well.
Last year, many people was raving about the Shu Umera Eyelash Curler so I decided to give it a try. Well, it works definitely better than most other lash curlers I have tried. It doesn't use the traditional spring mechanism, that makes it effortless to curl.  It had not been replaced as my top favorite until I found the Japanese Super Wide Eyelash Curler.
Just like its name, the Japanese Super Wide has a 39mm wide plate head that will curl every lash on my eyes. It uses spring mechanism which I don't have any more difficult using it compare to the Shu Umera one. The plate head is not as curvy as the Shu Umera but not much (fits my eyes so much better than the Shu Umera).

If you found the Shu Umera Eyelash Curler works perfectly for you, stick with it. I just think the Japanese Super Wide works best for people have eyelashes and eye shape like mine. Shu Umera Eyelash Curler is no doubt a great product, but it's impossible for it or any product to fit all of us.

Secret II: Eyelash Serum and Primer


Eyelash Serum is used to protect your eyelashes from falling off when apply mascara or remove mascara, also it will moisturize your eyelashes and help them to grow thicker, longer, and stronger over time. I haven't tried many serums, but my favorite one so far is Shu Umera Lash Builder. It really prevents my eyelashes from falling off. More importantly it made my eyelashes grow longer and thicker after using for couple months. I am not talking about dramatic change, the difference is very small but I am already grateful about it.

Foundation Result Comparisons

I applied all of my favorite foundations (mentioned in earlier posts) with a BeautyBlender (slightly damp) on my left hand, one at each time. The lightings were not so good, hopefully the pictures can show clearly enough for you to tell the differences.

I have to say that how the foundations show up on my hand is still not the exact result when it is on my face. However, something like whether the coverage is good or not, and if the finish is matte or dewy, look very much the same on my hand as on my face. I cannot really show the lasting power over the pictures, so I made notes in each picture.

I hope the pictures are not too crappy...

My Favorite Beauty Products-(II) Neutrogena Healthy Skin and Make Up For ever Mat Velvet +

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +(No.45)


Make Up Forever Mat Velvet +is made for people who tends to have oily skin and wants to  matify the skin. Just like what it claims, this foundation will give you a mat finish and will last throughout the day without a problem. Compare to the Neutrogena Healthy Skin which is more watery, this foundation is definitely thicker. I have combination skin, I like the fact that the foundation can matify the oil on my face. However, I like my face to look more natural, a completely mat face is not "natural". So by combining both the Neutrogena Healthy Skin and the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + gives me the best finish.

I like both of the foundation individually, but the mixture of the two is my absolutely favorite. The MUFE one is a little bit darker for me, with the Neutrogena, it comes out perfect match to my skin. Since both foundations have very good lasting power, the mixture would only be the same, if not better.

One thing the MUFE Mat Velvet + is better than the Neutrogena Healthy Skin is that you don't need to worry about how to get the product out of the bottle. The MUFE has a small pointed opening to prevent you from wasting any product.

The price for MUFE Mat Velvet is more expensive than the Neutrogena Healthy Skin. If you compare with other high-end products, the MUFE price is very acceptable. I bet if you find a foundation you like and it works well on you, you will pay no matter how much to get that, right? ^0^

My Favorite Beauty Products-(II) Neutrogena Healthy Skin and Make Up For ever Mat Velvet +

My Favorite Foundation II

I have tried quite a few liquid foundations last year (2011), and Neutrogena Healthy Skin and Make Up For ever Mat Velvet + work the best for my skin so far.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin (Neutral Beige 60)

I know there are a lot of people compare this with Nars Sheer Glow, in my opinion, this is definitely better than the Nars Sheer Glow.

I love the Neutrogena one because it not only gives you good coverage, but also give you the luminosity. You can apply a thin layer to even out your skin tone, or you can build up to have full coverage without getting the heavy feeling. 

One thing I don't like about this foundation is that it does not come with a pump, so sometimes I might pour too much out. In order to solve the problem, I transferred the product into a travel-sized container that had a press-open top (See the picture below). Even though there would be some product left in the original bottle, it was so much easier to use with the new container. The travel-sized container you can find at Target or Walmart for only couple dollars, and it usually comes with a pack of various travel-sized containers.

Another important thing I expect to find in a good foundation is to last all day without breaking me out. The Neutrogena Healthy Skin is absolutely one of the best foundations in the market.
You can find this foundation in most drugstores and ULTA. The price is a little bit more expensive than a regular drugstore foundation but way cheaper than high-end ones. I think the quality is even better than many high-end foundations in the market.
Nars Sheer Glow is a good foundation, but I found it oxidized on my face during the day. What i meant is the color matches my skin just fine when I apply in the morning, but after few hours, the color slightly changes to a darker shade. I am certainly not a fan of that. I guess if purchase a shade lighter than my actual skin color could make the product worked better. About the lasting power, I think the Neutrogena one is as good as the Nars Sheer Glow, if not better.
I don't even need to compare the prices, we all know how expensive Nars makeups are. You might need to purchase a pump for the Nars Sheer Glow for an extra of 7 dollars when you purchase the product. You can find it at Sephora, some Department Stores, or the Nars Website.

My Favorite Foundation I - Make Up For ever Duo Mat

My Favorite Foundation I

Before I talk about the actual product, I want to say my skin type first.

I have light-medium colored skin, and with a yellow undertone. I am about NC30 OR 35 in MAC. I have combination skin with oily t-zone, the rest of my face is slightly more oily in the summer but drier in the winter.

I am not an acne-type girl but there are always couple pimples here and there on my face once a while. I do have some blemishes because I poped my pimples when I didn't have patient.

I also have freckles on both of my cheeck-bones. The pores around my nose area tend to look larger (this is what I expect a foundation to cover...).

Let's start...

1. Make up For ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation #205

Since I have drier skin in the winter, normally I would not choose products that would make my face cakey. However, this one really surprised me when I first used it. It made my skin looked so smooth, evened out my skintone, and covered most of my blemishes without putting on any concealer. As I mentioned earlier, I want my foundation to cover the pores, because this is a powder foundation and the best way I found to apply is to use a damp beauty blender, it didn't work as well as liquid foundations to cover the pores. In order to solve that problem, I used liquid foundation (only a little is enough because you will have the MUFE powder foundation on top) first to apply around my nose area with a foundation brush in a circular motion. After the pores are taken care of, then I would use the beauty blender to apply this powder foundation.

My Favorite Beauty Products List I - All About Face Makeup

My Favorite Foundations:

• Makeup Up For ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation (#205)
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation (Neutral Beige)
• Make Up For ever Mat Velvet + Foundation (45)

My Favorite Concealer:

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment (Under-eye)(50 Neutralizer & 60 Brightener)
• Clinique Airbrush Concealer (Highlight)(04 Neutral Fair)
• Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer (blemish)(SC-5)
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NC 35)

My Favorite Face Primer: 

• Nars Oil-Free Pro Prime - Pore Refining Primer
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
• YSL Mat Touch Oil-Free
• Benefit the Pore-Fessional
• BH Cosmetics Foundation Primer
• Lioele Blooming Pearl Base

My Favorite Cream Bonzer: 

• Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel
• Three Custom Color Creme Concealer/Foundation (I use as a bronzer)

My Favorite CREAM/Liquid Blush:

• Kett Cosmetics Hydro Foundation Blush (Life, Love, and Angel Blush)
• Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush (20 Peach Satin & 25 Rose Petal)
• Inglot AMC Face Blush (#83)
• Jemma Kidd Satin, Flush, Blush Concentrate (01 Pose)
• YSL Creme de Blush (#1)

My Favorite Face Powder:

• Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (Translucent)
• MAC Mineralized SkinFinish Natural (Medium plus & Medium Dark)
• TRUE Cosmetics Protective Mineral Foundation Compact with Ldebenone (Medium 4)
• Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Bronzing Powder (Glowing) (I use for all-over face powder or highlight)
• Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Powder (Beige) (Highlight)
• The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer - The Luminizer (Highlight)
• Bare Escentuals Brightening Gold Minral Veil (All-over Face Powder)
• Bare Escentuals All-Over Face Color (Clear Radiance) (Highlight)
• ELF Mineral Booster (Sheer) (Highlight)
• Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc (Mosaic) (Highlight)

Powder Blush:

• Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush - 55 In Love
• Benefit Box Powder Blush - SugarBomb
• Milani Baked Powder Blush - 02 Rose D' Oro
• Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Lover
• Make Up For ever Fard a Joues (Blush Powder) - No. 69
• Bare Minerals Blush - Five Star
• La Femme Customized Blush Palette
• Inglot Customized Blush Palette
• ELF Blush - Peachy Keen & Candid Coral
• MAC Powder Blush - Melba, Coygirl, & Mocha

Powder Bronzer:

• ELF Warm Bronzer
• Sephora Bronzing Powder - Aruba
• Jane Cosmetics Oil-Free Bronzing Powder - 07 Sunkissed Bronze
• Urban Decay Baked Bronzer - Glided

Non-Powder Highlighter:

• Victoria's Secret Pro Radiant FX Face Illuminator
• NARS Multiple - Copacabana
• Fusion Beauty ILLUMIFILL Line Filling Luminizer with AMPLIFAT