7/31/2013

Eyes Love You! Hide Museum 2013

Last Saturday, Aki and I went to the Hide Museum in Odaiba.

Hide was the lead guitarist of the legendary hard rock band X Japan, and they were the pioneers in founding Visual Kei. He also had a successful solo career, until his untimely death in 1998. For those of you who may not be familiar with Hide, please feel free to read this link.

I love how DiverCity Tokyo Plaza decorated the entrance of the festival area with images of hide.

During the day, the area was too congested to take a photo of the trailer. This was taken 40 minutes before closing.

Hide Museum 2013 'To The Future' is a portable exhibit that features personal artifacts from the artist such as a visual discography, guitars, clothing and accessories worn in videos, concerts and photo shoots; they also have Illustrations and writings as well as clips from videos and concerts. Along with each piece, there are several excerpts throughout the exhibition giving fans a more candid glimpse into the mind and life of Hide.

Back in 2002, I was fortunate enough to have gone to the original Hide Museum before it closed in 2005.

This truck is painted just like the Burny Yellow Heart Guitar that hide used during X Japan's last live concert.

Hide is one of my favorite musician (if not my MOST favorite), and his songs are always on the top of my daily playlist. Sometimes when I'm listening to his songs, I catch myself in a bittersweet moment knowing that he'll never release another song or album; that as much as I love the music, this is it. We will never hear anything new. I always wonder what could have been, and how he would have evolved as an artist. Hide made a great impact in the Japanese music industry, and his influence and popularity continues to thrive.

My first white day gift from Aki (he's making a cameo), a B.C. Rich Mockingbird; the signature shape of hide's guitars.

Who are some of your favorite recording artist?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/29/2013

Admire The Beauty of The Glossy Moon. Lunasol Sheer Glossy Eyes EX01 Nuance Gray & EX03 Soft Brown Swatches

Released last Autumn, these limited edition lovelies were in heavy rotation last week. Lunasol's Sheer Glossy Eyes give the lids a beautiful, lustrous, sheer wash of color that can be built up to full opacity, or layers over (or under) for added dimension.

The formula and texture of the Sheer Glossy Eyes is quite unusual (but, in a great way). In the pot, they appear to have a creamy or whipped mousse consistency. However, to the touch, the product has a bouncy, cushiony, almost memory foam (but, not a foam) texture. The Sheer Glossy Eyes are an ultra-buttery, smooth powder that truly feel like a cream.

From left to right (natural light): EX01 Nuance Gray, EX03 Soft Brown.

EX01 Nuance Gray: a soft lavender, taupe-grey with silver, violet, and mint green micro-shimmers.

EX03 Soft Brown: a warm, champagne, slightly-peachy, brown with silver micro-shimmers.

From left to right (with flash): EX01 Nuance Gray, EX03 Soft Brown. The micro-shimmers are more apparent with the flash.

Lunasol's Sheer Glossy Eyes come in four colors (EX01 Nuance Gray, EX02 Shiny Gold, EX03 Soft Brown, EX04 Peach Beige), retail for ¥2,625 and contain 3.6g of product. Although they are limited edition, and were released last year, I've seen them at the Lunasol counter at Isetan and Odakyu in Shinjuku.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/27/2013

A Delectable Piece of Paris in Shinjuku...Tasty Related, Not Beauty Related

Can I tell you how hard it was to get this shot without someone walking in the photo...very!

After Shopping at Isetan Mirror, I treated myself to my favorite Laduree soft serve ice cream in Paeva (violet). By the way, I love, love, love, LOVE anything, and everything, Violet!

You're being watched, so no skimping on the sauce!

and the pieces of Cassis Violette Macaroons >:)

Aki ordered the Malesherbes, that's my Paeva right next to it, and our friends ordered the Ispahan.

It was so hot, that my Paeva quickly turned into a soup.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/25/2013

Package from Cutie Fishball

My package from Olivia arrived today! Isn't that bunny precious ; D

I love this guy <3

Forgot to include the Maybelline blushes in Wild Blossom, Golden Fuse, and Coral Burst.

Olivia did send Two Twizzlers bags, but I was devouring one while taking these pictures ^-^

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/24/2013

Les Merveilleuses Laduree 'Parure de Bal' Autumn Collection 2013

Les Merveilleuses Laduree's 'Parure de Bal' Autumn Collection 2013 will launch on July 26th (this Friday!) and September 6th.

Products launching on July 26th:

Pressed Cheek Color (limited edition) in 101, 102, 103 (¥3,990).

Eye Color Palette (limited edition) in 101, 102 (¥4,200).

Matte Rouge (permanent) in 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07 (¥2,625).

Eye Shadow Brush Set (¥6,825).

Products launching on September 6th:

Cream Cheek Base (limited edition) in 104 (¥4,410).

Shimmering Pressed Powder (limited edition) in 101, 102 (¥6,300).

Moisturizing Day Serum (¥3,990).

As usual, I'll be picking up the limited edition pieces first, I'm teetering on the Eye Shadow Brush Set. I need to feel the bristles and the fabric of the case, and I'm not sure on the Moisturizing Day Serum.

What items are you looking into?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/23/2013

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Fragrances & Body Creams! L'Occitane Citrus Verbena Summer Fragrance & Sorbet Body Cream

L'Occitane's Citrus Verbena Collection is one of my favorite Summer scents. I love the light, refreshing, citrus scent of both these products.

The Summer Fragrance is a deliciously invigorating, crisp scent that's not overpowering during hot and humid weather. The sorbet body cream is just as lovely; it has a lightweight, gel-like consistency that is moisturizing, soothing and adsorbs instantly into the skin.

What fragrance and body cream are you enjoying this Summer?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/23/2013

A Photo Does Not Blush, But these Creams do! Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush Swatches

Some time ago, my good friend Ari gifted me the PhotoReady cream blushers in Pinched 100 and Coral Reef 300. I liked them so much, that I wanted to complete the trio, and ordered Flushed 200 from Walgreens.com.

The texture of these blushers is non-sticky (somewhat dry, resembling a cream-to-powder formula), but the finish is a soft, translucent glow.

From left to right: Pinched, Flushed, Coral Reef.

Pinched: a warm, nude-peach with shimmers.

Flushed: a blue-based fuchsia.

Coral Reef: a blood-orange coral.

I've REALLY enjoying all three of the PhotoReady cream blushers (especially Coral Reef and Flushed) this past week. I love customizing the colors by layering them over one another, especially Pinched; if applied lightly, it can work as a highlighter, and looks pretty over Flushed and Coral Reef.

The Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes retail for $12.99 and contain 0.44 oz. of product.

Have you tried Revlon's PhotoReady Cream Blushers?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/21/2013

Gone, But Not Forgotten: Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer

In my short-time blogging, it seems as if we become consumed with the "up and coming", that I often wonder, where does last season's (let alone older) collections go to die? Consequently, for some time, I've been toying with the idea of doing posts on products that are loved (or not), but no longer available. Hence, enter stage left the "Gone, But Not Forgotten" series.

Stila's all over shimmer liquid luminizer can be worn alone, mixed with moisturizers, primers, bb creams, tinted moisturizers, foundations (the list goes on-and-on), or over said products to provide a luminous glow to the skin.

The nail polish inspired brush applicator.

#1: a pearly, off-white with a beige tinge and silvery-white shimmers.

#3: a pale, yellow-gold with gold shimmers.

#6: a pale, pinkish-peach with a golden sheen and gold shimmers (and my favorite of the three).

All three of these luminizers have micro-shimmers (#3 containing the most), but the shimmers are fine, and not so excessive, that you don't look like you went a few rounds with Gary Glitter, and lost.

I'm not sure if Stila has reformulated the all over shimmer liquid luminizers, but the brand has revamped the color selection and the exterior packaging (keeping the brush tip applicator).

Although these shades are no longer available, you can find them on ebay or allcosmeticswholesale.com.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/19/2013

Let it Be Written, Let it Be Done! Requested Look

A long, long time ago, in an email far, far away, I was contacted by a gorgeous reader named Anna. In the email, Anna enclosed some images (two of the lovely Kristen Stewart), and asked me to create a "more subtle" version of the looks.

Besides the images, Anna also let me know that she has pale skin, black hair, and bluish-green eyes; as well as letting me know that plum, cranberry, burgundy, bronze and gold eye shadows work best for her, which with her description, I image that would : )

I know I look nothing like Kristen. Our skin tone, eye color and features are nothing alike, but the idea is to create a more "wearable", subtle, rendition.

Swatches for color comparison.

From left to right: MAC Eye Shadow Vanilla, Pink Freeze, Soft Brown, Cranberry.

From left to right: Prunella Eye Kohl, Sculpt Sculpting Powder, Russian Red Lipstick.

In the photo, Kristen's brows are a little untamed, so I did the same with mine by combing them upward.

My lighting muted out the intensity of the eyes, so in person, the color was more vivid and closer to Kristen's.

Products used:

Face:

No foundation.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent.

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt (used to contour).

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Buff (barely dusted over the apples of the cheeks).

Eyes:

Shu Uemura Hard Formula brow Pencil in Seal Brown.

Mac Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC30.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (dusted under the eyes).

MAC Eye Shadow in Vanilla (blended on the brow bone and down to the crease).

MAC Eye Shadow in Soft Brown (blended into the crease).

MAC Eye Shadow in Cranberry (Applied on the lid, and blended out just past the natural end of the eye. For a more subtle look, I kept cranberry close to the bottom lashes, extending it downward just a little, and very lightly in the inner one-third of the lashline to keep in from looking to harsh).

MAC Eye Shadow in Pink Freeze (barely patting it on the inner corner and outer-half of the lid to soften the cranberry shade).

MAC Eye Kohl in Prunella (used to tightline. I love pairing purples with cranberry/burgundy, the contrast is beautiful).

MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 (lower waterline).

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes in black (under and lower lashes).

Lips:

MAC Lip Pencil in Auburn.

MAC Lipstick in Russian Red.

Anna (along with everyone else), I hope you enjoy this rendition, and I'm working on the second look(and I'll probably do a more dramatic version later). I had a great time working on this request, and in the future, I'd love to do more.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/16/2013

I Hate To Ask, But Are Nail Polishes Electric? Revlon Nail Enamel in Strawberry Electric

Unbeknownst to me, I own two bottles of Strawberry Electric (I don't even remember purchasing the first one). While applying the polishes side by side, I found one was slightly deeper in color. Today's mani is the lighter of the two.

I keep breaking my nails sparring with Aki. his time it was my index and middle finger :(

Strawberry Electric is an electrified, warm, reddish-hot pink with violet and fuchsia shimmers. Opaque in two coats, I get about 4-5 days of wear before seeing a single chip.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/15/2013

Lipstick Of Whatever Kind, In It's Sheen Supreme Splendor! MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick Swatches

I did it! I finally did it! I color coordinated all my MAC lipsticks. As I begin posting all my mac lipsticks, you'll see it was quite an accomplishment. On a side note, besides being on a personal foundation, face powder and concealer ban, I think I need to add lipstick to that list :P

Today I begin with the Sheen Supreme Lipsticks.

From left to right: Supremely Confident, Tea Ceremony, Can't Get Enough, Bare Again.

From left to right: Gotta Dash, Fashion City, Sheer Mandarin, Look at Her.

From left to right: Supreme Style, Blossom Culture, Ultra Darling, Impressive.

From left to right: Full Speed, Insanely It, Korean Candy, New Temptation.

From left to right: Behave Yourself, Asian Flower, Zen Rose (limited edition), Quite the Thing.

From left to right: Can't Resist, Good to be Bad.

The Sheen Supreme lipsticks are extremely lustrous and pigmented. They have a comfortable, creamy, balm-like texture and provide some moisture (but not much) to the lips.

My favorite shades are Tea Ceremony, Can't Get Enough, Bare Again, Gotta Dash, Fashion City, Sheer Mandarin, Supreme Style, Blossom Culture, Ultra Darling, Full Speed, Insanely It, Korean Candy, New Temptation, Zen Rose, Quite the Thing, Can't Resist, and Good to be Bad.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks contain 3.6g/0.12oz of product and retail for $16.00

What are you favorite Sheen Supreme Shades?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/12/2013

Calling All Gorgeous Members!

I've been toying with the idea for doing another giveaway, but I want to do something different; like some kind of beauty scavenger hunt. I need your help with some ideas. If I use your suggestions, you'll get an extra entry in the hat (^o^) /

This is the only "prize" type picture I have. A treasure chest is kinda like a prize right?!

Wait, I found another picture of my sister and I monkeying around. Apparently, I like to lift things :P

I have a general idea of what the prizes will be, just need help fleshing out the concept/rules.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/10/2013

Kiss Kiss, Balm Balm...Les Merveilleuses Laduree Tinted Lip Balm 01 & 05 Swatches

On those "no makeup" makeup days, when I'm running around, jumping-climbing-trees, and running errands, Les Merveilleuses Laduree Tinted Lip Balm gives my lips a soft, sheer wash of color and emollient slip that they need.

The tin packaging, along with the charming french provincial pansies design, gives the product a vintage feel. The lid screws on, so you don't have to worry about any mishaps while traveling.

I deleted the untouched product pic, so, we'll have to deal with the mangled image above :P

In the tin, the balm does have a faint powdery, Shea butter scent. However, this disappears once applied.

From left to right (natural lighting..overcast of course :P): 05, 01.

05: a coral-peach with micro-flecks of gold.

01: a pink-violet.

besides wearing them alone, I think 05 and 01 will look lovely over Mac's Ablaze and Heroine lip pencils :)

From left to right (with flash): 05, 01.

Despite being the sheerest of the two, 05 gives the lips a youthful wash of a coral-peach; though the micro-flecks of gold don't transfer from the pan. 01 is the most pigmented, and actually leave a slight stain after the balm's 3-hour wear time.

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Tinted Lip Balms come in five shades (01 & 05 being the most pigmented), and retails for ¥2,625 ($26.65).

What are some of your favorite tinted lip balms?

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.

7/09/2013

Blend Softly And Carry A Big Shade Stick! Kiko Make Up Milano Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadows

First and foremost, I have to thank the ever-so-amazing Kate from Drivel about Frivol for procuring these charming eyeshadow sticks.

I own a few of products from KikoMake Up Milano, and I must say the brand never disappoints!

From left to right: 01, 05, 16, 17.

01 Pearly White: a pearlized, off-white with white sparkles.

05 Rosy Brown: a frosty, rosy-taupe-brown with multi-colored sparkles.

16 Purple: a deep, cool-toned purple with multi-colored sparkles.

17 Midnight Blue: a deep, midnight blue with copper sparkles.

Kiko Make Up Milano Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadows don't crease (either worn alone, or as a base), and wear for about 5-6 hours before some minor fading. I'll definitely be purchasing more shades from the collection.

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.