Eyeshadow of Stars
Bao just bought this amazing eyeshadow and loved it! It’s called Stardust Eyeshadow from Urban Decay, one of our top favorites when it comes to the most captivating colors and textures. The glitter doesn’t fall into your eyes and stays put. Good job, UD. You can wear it dry or with a little eyeshadow base for the wet look. Bao picked the color Bobby Dazzle and wears it with white eyeliner. Bao claims this shade of shadow makes your eyes POP and appear bigger. Space Cowboy was also one of her favs.
Here’s the information taken directly from Sephora:
Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow $20
What it is: An eyeshadow that has a prismatic sparkle set against a wash of captivating colors with 40% more glitter than the most sparkly shadows from Urban Decay!
What it does: Stardust delivers a silky texture and an incredible amount of sophisticated, twinkling sparkle. In one swipe, you get a sheer wash of color that’s topped with teeny bits of iridescent sparkle that glisten like wet snow. Reflecks & Mirage Glamour Silver Pigments deliver superior visual effects with a very high level of color purity that will stay on your lids. There will be no fallout, no chunky glitter just stunning, sparkling eyes. From uptown neutrals like black, grey, and brown to bright pops of turquoise, green, and purple, this galaxy of shades creates tons of looks and blends well with other Urban Decay Eyeshadows and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. The futuristic, squeeze-open case holds over two times the amount of product than other Urban Decay eyeshadows.
Oooh, I’m so getting Diamond Dog. Bao, stop making me shop so much!
JADE Nail Polish – Fall 09 Trends
Jade nail polish is in…says Bao. That was one of the gifts Bao gave to Alisa for her birthday dinner we just had only a few hours ago. I don’t know why, but this stood out to me. So I immediately did my usual searches, and sure enough, JADE (green) nail polish is a Fall 2009 must have color.
Chanel started the trend by including it in their Fall lineup, and Fashion Allure quotes, “As for Fall 2009, classical reds, avant-garde blacks, deep violets and navies will still be en vogue. However, the trendiest nail colour for this fall is…green!” It appears that jade, pine, mint and olive are the dominating laquer shades this season. CollegeFashion.net advises that if you don’t want to pay the Chanel pricetag, you can always find a much cheaper alternative at Sephora or drugstores.
Wow, Bao’s trend awareness never ceases to amaze me. GO GREEN!
Hot!
Rihanna wears green too.
As seen in Elle.
Top Five Must Have Cosmetics for the Summer!
Summer is upon us. It’s time to give your makeup pouch a checklist of summer must-haves. Bao has compiled a special list of summer necessities. Check out her TOP FIVE FAVS that she won’t ever leave the house without!
1. Very Voluptuous™ Lip Plumper by Victoria’s Secret
Problem: Thin Lips
Solution: Very Voluptuous™ Lip Plumper
VS’ exclusive way to get deliciously full, supermodel-sexy lips, without a plastic surgeon. Innovative Marine Collagen Microspheres take lip plumping to the next level, instantly plumping and smoothing, while self-adjusting pigment creates a personalized rosy tint. Visibly reduces lines and wrinkles giving lips enhanced natural contour and tone
(search for lip plumper if link doesn’t take you directly)
Orig. $18. Sale $12.
2. Benefit Cute Concealer and Enhancer Set
It doesn’t take a makeover, just the Realness of Concealness, when a little perking up is all you need. This crafty little kit is a mini collection of Benefits’ most coveted concealers and enhancers. Why dig around your bag when you’ve got everything you need all boxed up.
Set includes: 0.04 oz Boi-ing, 0.03 oz Lemon-Aid, 0.09 oz Ooh la Lift, 0.09 oz Lip Plump, and 0.09 oz High Beam in minis.
Super cute!
3. DiorShow Mascara in Black
What it is: A cult-followed mascara that leaves lashes ultra thick, long, and curled.
What it is formulated to do: DiorShow Mascara is Dior’s original, must-have mascara that delivers ultra-glam, catwalk-length lashes. Makeup artists all over the world use this product to create the longest, thickest, curviest lashes ever.
4. Shu Umemura Eyelash Curler
Shu Uemura is gone but his legend is forever.
The one and only shu uemura Eyelash Curler is now even better! This iconic tool, adored by professional makeup artists and celebrities world-wide, has been redesigned to deliver the perfect curl with ultimate precision.
What it does: Perfectly measured and finely balanced, the new shu uemura Eyelash Curler is designed to ensure superior functionality and performance. The upgraded silicone pad in a new “mushroom” shape provides a protective, stay-put edge for improved safety and optimum curl. The new, patented hinge is specifically engineered to apply the perfect amount of pressure on eyelashes. The calculated shape, size of frame length and ergonomic handles ensure stability and control, while the curved angle suits all eye shapes.
5. Sephora Brand Eyeliner in Pure White
Sephora Brand Nano Eyeliner glides on smoothly and comfortably, creating a lovely line of color. Shea butter and rosemary extracts make this formula soft and easy to work with.
What else you need to know: Make impact with your eye look—this must-have comes in an amazing range of colors, for va-va-variety!
Bao’s Tip: White makes your eye color pop and eyeshadows appear more vibrant. Use on lids or lower lids (but not both at once).
Sephora Rewards Program
What?! You’re NOT a Sephora beauty insider? A cute girl like yourself should be ashamed! This program serves only to benefit you. The Beauty Insider is pretty much a rewards program where you earn points based on the dollar amount you spend at Sephora in stores and online. These points will get you FREE makeup, perfume, skin care and more!!! It is the world’s greatest program and it’s entirely free to join.
Here are just a few of the freebies I’ve received just by being a member.
Benefit Mini Mascara
Boscia Eye Treatment Cream (super silky!)
Sephora Brand Lip Gloss Trio (as my Birthday Gift)
Benefit Cream Shadow (love it!)
Girly Cute Bubble Bath by Sephora
Sure you’ll get a few Sephora e-promos, and sure you have to spend some $$$ in order to receive the items regularly. But even if you don’t buy anything, you can still snag that free birthday gift. So join today!
Click Here to Join!
Urban Decay Baked Eye Shadow – Perfect for Summer
I have a crazy and slightly unhealthy addiction for cute eyeshadow palettes. The good part of my addiction is that people know this and tend to buy me really cool shadow palettes from Sephora. The bad part is that I typically don’t end up using all the colors. My palettes always end up with the browns and golds nearly empty and the pinks and powder blues never being touched.
Today I came across a palette that had me completely mesmerized. With a range of golds, bronzes and eye-popping teal, Urban Decay’s Get Baked Eye Kit is a one-stop-shop for your summer peepers. Use “Baked” and “Flipside” together for a cute subtle daytime look and add “Twice Baked” for more dramatic nighttime eyes.
This cute palette comes with a travel-size Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon. It truly glides on ever so smoothly and acts as a great lower lid liner. The set also comes wit a travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin. The greatest eyeshadow primer that will prevent creasing all day long.
Comes in a cute Pucci-inspired exterior, handy mirror on the lid and magnetic closure. Limited time only!
Get Baked for summer!
Click Here to Buy
Best Liquid Eyeliner by MAC
The MAC PENULTIMATE Eye Liner is seriously the best liquid eye liner I’ve ever come across. I’ve tried the inexpensive liners from CVS to the super expensive liquid liners from Sephora and this is by far the best.
The tip of the penultimate is extremely fine and sturdy so you can line your eyes to your ideal thinness or thickness. It goes on really smoothly and totally reduces my eye-makeup time. It’s also very water resistant. This past weekend, I was doing some dishes and accidentally splashed a bunch of water onto my face but the eyeliner didn’t budge.
Loved it so much, I bought a second as I hear it’s a limited time piece. Go get one! $16.50 at any MAC location
Click Here to Buy
How to Properly Use Oil Cleansers
Oil Cleansers are the best thing since sunscreen. It’s so easy to use, and cleanses the thickest, most unwavering mascara right off. I was introduced to oil cleansers on one of my many trips back to Japan. I explained to the lady at the cosmetic counter that I have oily, combination skin and need a good, gentle makeup remover that also cleanses. She introduced me to the Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil. It was awesome because it took off all my make-up, cleansed and even moisturized. I loved it and used it for about 6 years.
On a more recent trip to Japan, I was really hit hard by the all-natural products and was brainwashed into only buying lotions, makeup remover, and sunscreens that was as close to all-natural as possible.
So I found Boscia. I really like Boscia and I use a lot of their products now. Boscia’s Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil (far right in photo) does pretty much the same thing as the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils, but it has no parabens or harsh synthetic chemicals. It’s extremely gentle and even has a hint of mint so your skin feels nice and tingly afterwards.
So here’s how to use the product:
- Make sure your hands are clean.
- Pump a dime size of Boscia’s Makeup Break up oil into your palm.
- Rub both hands together.
- Gently massage across face and especially the eye area. You’ll actually feel the mascara crumbling off your eye lashes. Sounds and feels gross at first but that’s how you know it’s working. You’ll get used to it.
- Once you feel your face is covered pretty evenly throughout with the oil, run you hands through warm water. Don’t completely wash your hands; just run water over the palms.
- Rub your watered down hands together and gently massage across face (again, especially focus on the eye area if you wear heavy eye makeup)
- The oils will slightly foam. Very slightly.
- Rinse and repeat steps 5-7 until all the oils turn to foam and wash easily off face. If you are rinsing and repeating these steps more than six times, you’ve probably used waaaay to much oil.
- When you feel the oils are pretty much gone, wash face with warm water as you normally do.
- Pat dry with towel.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how smooth your face feels and how all the make up came right off without using copious amounts of eye makeup remover and cotton balls. And your skin won’t feel oily at all. The oils actually help make you less oily. Conventional cleansers often remove dirt and grime, but they also strip away all the good oils that keep your face naturally moisturized. To compensate for this loss, your face will produce an abundance of oil, which gives you that dreaded super shiny face leading to multiple trips to powder your nose, and even worse, breakout extravaganza.
Seriously, go to your nearest Sephora and ask for a sample of Boscia’s Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil. Sephora’s customer service is excellent and they’ll pretty much let you sample any of their products. So try it today!
Urban Decay’s Deluxe Eyeshadow Compacts
I love the extra care cosmetics’ companies put into presentation and longevity. Of course presentation is not everything — if your product sucks, I’m not going to buy it. But a great product with gorgeous packaging goes a long way.
Take a look at Urban Decay’s Deluxe Eyeshadows for example. They have mastered product quality and presentation. Each eyeshadow comes in an adorable hinged, mirrored compact with a unique piece of graffiti-inspired art that sits on top. I’ve purchased quite a few of these cute eyeshadows, and I’m using the sturdy compact as medicine and jewelry boxes (great for stud earings) when I finally finish off the shadows (these will last quite a looooong time, by the way).
They are also great for when you want to carry a mirror with you, but you don’t have room in your purse for a normal sized compact. This will allow you to go much more GREEN instead of using eyeshadow compacts from the drugstore, which are often cheaper and will be thrown away after a year or so.
And I know I don’t have to mention the extreme vivid color that comes along with the Urban Decay brand. But just as an FYI, if you want your peepers to make an impression, definitely go with Urban Decay. Each vibrant color has a nice velvety texture which lasts all day (no creasing!) while making your natural eye color POP. The shimmering colors can be used alone or mixed together for added dazzle.
