Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Paris Hilton Impersonation

I did a Paris Hilton impersonation for Pop Champagne's contest.

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& I had to put on a tiara too :)
The Inspiration


I used all the M.A.C makeup that I received from Fashionista514 for this look. To view the makeup used, click here. I didn't get to post a look with all the makeup that I received from Robyn & I took this contest as an opportunity to do that since Paris Hilton's makeup usually doesn't involve really dark or bright makeup, so I thought it would be the perfect time to do a look using the products.

Do I pull off the heiress look? I think I need more hands on practice with money & parties to really get the feeling of being Paris Hilton hehehe ;)
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Monday, June 29, 2009

Beauty Tip: When in Doubt, Always Apply Mascara

Have you ever wanted your eyes to look/appear bigger? Or have you ever wanted to make your eyes open up? Has anyone ever suggested that you use mascara to achieve this? I'm here to show you that mascara does in fact open up your eyes & make them appear bigger. That's right, SHOW not tell. After these pictures, I'm sure most of you will agree with me that...

When in doubt, always use mascara.

[Click images to enlarge]

Here I've added 2 pictures to show you the difference when you apply mascara & when you don't. By the way, I didn't curl my eyelashes.
Did I really need 2 pictures to prove the same point? Definitely not. But I wanted to show my readers that you can tell the difference not only in a clear picture that's taken with the flash on, but you can also see the difference in a picture that's a bit blurry because it was taken without the flash. & which eye looks better in both pictures? No doubt, the one with mascara on, right?

When I apply mascara, I always start from the outer corner & work my way inward. This way most of the mascara gets used on the outer corners & as I work my way to the inner corners, the mascara on the wand decreases, making the corner lashes appear longer. & of course it also helps that I'm wearing one of my favourite mascara's, so my lashes really stand out even though I have a lot of eye makeup on.

Finding your favourite mascara(s) is not an easy task. Warning: Be careful not to fall for cute packaging. Also, when you read reviews online or hear about the product from others, make sure that you understand what the mascara does most: thickens/volumizes, lengthens, &/or curls. Some people have long eyelashes & want their lashes to appear fuller & not necessarily any longer than they already are, so a mascara like Maybelline's Lash Stiletto is not the best mascara to use because Lash Stiletto mainly lengthens.

Now for a full face picture to show you the overall look when I applied mascara on one eye, as compared to the other eye without mascara on.
As you can tell, you can really see the difference. So readers, find a mascara that really suits you & your lashes & do not skip your mascara! Even when you think you're wearing really dark eye shadow & thick eyeliner & you think it wont really show, put it on anyway, especially if you're going to be taking pictures. You might think it won't really show, but it will.

In the full face picture in this post can you tell what else is different on one side of the face as compared to the other side? Take a closer look. On the side that I have mascara on, I also applied blush. Like I've mentioned before, my camera doesn't seem to pick up the colour of my blush unless my blush is really dark (& I look like a clown in person), but you still might be able to see the difference if you look close enough. Blush is another one of my favourite products that I cant seem to leave behind. When the right colour of blush is chosen & applied properly, blush gives you a naturally flushed look & balances your whole look (especially when you have really bold eyes or really bold lips going on).

Anyway, getting back on track... one beauty tool that I cannot live without is my eyelash curler, but no look is complete without mascara. So when in doubt, always apply mascara.
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Friday, June 26, 2009

Bright Leopard Print Eyes

When I saw a post by Miss Yaya on Mehron's coloured leopard print eye makeup at the NYC Makeup Show, I was in awe.

To see Miss Yaya's post on Mehron at the NYC Makeup Show, click the image of the Mehron model below.

Leopard print eyes look gorgeous in pics, but it was the first time that I saw a leopard print eye that was so colourful & I loved it. I knew I was going to re-create that look sometime & when Miss Yaya announced her next Brightest Face Forward contest, I knew my time to re-create the look had come. & also cause I received a Too Faced bronzing powder in Pink Leopard from Miss Yaya herself, so the whole bright leopard print theme reminded me of her.

[Click images to enlarge]

Too Faced bronzing powder. It has a little mirror & below the mirror it says: "You are absolutely purrrfect!" How cute is that?

The Look

So, here's my re-creation of the bright leopard print eye makeup. At times like these I wish I had the Coastal Scents 88 palette or the Beauties Factory 120 palette because I don't really have bright eyeshadows. But, I worked with what I had & added bright pink lips & cheeks & sunshine yellow nails.
No flash

Products Used


I found this yellow nailpaint a month ago when I was cleaning out my room. It's so old & I never really used it, but it's still good so I'll def be wearing this. It's perfect for spring.
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Gold Digga

After what feels like a really long time, I wanted to experiment with makeup once again today. I was cheerful today & even though I burnt my arm once again (I have way too many little burn marks on my hands because of my clumsiness - this one's the biggest burn though), I was still in the mood to get all dolled up. There are way too many pics, so lets get to it. The theme is...

GOLD DIGGA

[Click images to enlarge]

Breakin' a sweat from spendin' 25% of your annual income in a day
I want your credit card...I want your debit card...But most of all, I wanna feel those crisp, new bills straight out of the bank in my hand. Mmm, mmm, mmmm!Nothing less than 22K, so we're on the lookout for the next Mr. Richie Rich
We love our Louis V, our Gucci, our Fendi
But money makin' aint our thing
We just know how to spend
Cha ching. Money on my mind. Which millionaire should I target next?
Outfit change! What? Did you expect us to be walkin' around in the same clothes all day? I don't think so!
Shower us with diamonds & furs.

You know money makes the world go round & you for sure would like some more of it too. Admit it, don't be shy ;)
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Henna on Mum

I applied these designs on mum almost a year ago.

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I hate this first design cause the henna cone was crap & it came out really thick & made the whole design look bad. I didn't even feel like applying the henna anymore cause I was hating it so much.

Mum then made another cone using the same henna. She mixed the henna up, used a plastic shopping bag to make another cone, & filled it up with henna. She then cut a smaller hole in the new cone, which allowed me to make a more detailed design. It's a lot more delicate & I like it way better than the first one.
I took these pics a few days after I had applied the henna & since my mum is always in the kitchen, her henna comes off faster cause she keeps washing her hands every two minutes. I wish I had taken a pic of the second design right when I had applied it cause I really liked the design.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Prizes from Miss Yaya

I got prizes from Miss Yaya yesterday. I was gonna post this yesterday but ran out of time. I won these prizes for entering 2 of her contests: the do's & don'ts in beauty contest and the doll contest. Here are pics of all the goodies from the box.

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L: goodies from winning the beauty do's & don'ts contest
R: participation prize for the doll contest
I haven't tried everything out yet, but I like the stuff I tried/swatched. My fave item from the bunch is the Beauty Rush by Victoria Secret lipgloss in Peach Buzz, which has little sparkles in it. It's not a colour that I would usually pick up since I usually stick to brown shades, but I love it. It's thick & you can def feel it when it's on your lips, but it's not sticky. It also smells just like peaches & it's a bit strong (so much that my mum could smell it once I put it on & went downstairs to see her). I love, love, love it.

I really liked the other lipgloss as well. It's the one with the lightning bolt on the lid. I forgot the brand/shade, but it's a pink shade that smells like coconut. There was also an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eye pencil in Plum. I swatched it & it goes on very smoothly + the colour is gorgeous. Can't wait to use the eye pencil. The last thing that I swatched is the Too Faced pink leopard bronzing powder. At first I didn't feel like using it because it was so pretty when I opened it, but I actually have it on right now. I might add a pic to show you how it looks like later on.

So, I like everything that I tried so far. Thanks Yaya :)

Opening packages is so exciting, especially at times when you don't know what's going to be in there. & for me, I've never really tried expensive brands. Like I've mentioned before, I recently started loving makeup as much as I do right now, so I was experimenting with drugstore brands so far. By entering amazing contests I have had the chance to experiment with my looks & bring out the creative side of me that doesn't show that much during the school year when I'm mostly behind books. It has also allowed me to try out some brands that I had heard of a lot but had never had the chance to try or just couldn't/didn't want to spend that much money on.

I've also had the chance to try out products by Physicians Formula. Here are the recent products that were added to my makeup collection: concealer twins, eye definer felt-tip eye marker, & an organic wear lipstick.

I now have a total of 5 Physicians Formula products in my collection & I really dislike one of the products & I think it's a real shame considering how expensive Physicians Formula products are. I'm thinking of doing a review on them sometime soon. But till then I'm going to enjoy the new makeup that I received.
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Monday, June 15, 2009

New Birdie Layout

I have a new layout! I've been looking for a 3 column layout for a while now. I also wanted one that has a light background, so that the pictures that I post (especially pics of my makeup looks) stand out better. I wish there were more beauty related layouts available, but I thought I'd change it now instead of putting it off over & over again. & since I'm picky, who knows when & if I'll ever find my perfect layout.

I'd like to mention the designer of my layout. Her name is Gisele Jaquenod. I've been through her free templates as well as other templates in her portfolio & I love the colours that she uses. The colours complement each other so well & her layouts are always neat. You can visit Gisele & browse through her work here (http://www.giselejaquenod.com.ar/).

Gisele is also having a blog revamp giveaway. The deadline is tonight, so make sure you check it out asap! Click here for more details on the giveaway. If the link does not work for you, copy & paste the following link in your browser: http://www.giselejaquenod.com.ar/blog/2009/05/22/thousand-birdies-giveaway/

How great would it be to win a personalized skin for your blog? I love the idea & I'm sure you do too, so join in on the excitement.

Oh, & let me know how you like my new layout. If you see something that's not working, let me know as well. I'm still going to be making a few changes, especially to the sidebars. I also have to resize the pics in my blog posts cause I used to upload & resize them according to my old blog layout's width. That was a silly thing to do & now it's going to take a while to resize them all again, but oh well. At least you can still access the pics.

Also, I have added a link to my list of Endless Contests & Giveaways on Blogger on top (below the header) & in the sidebar on the right as well. I haven't updated the list in a while, but I would like to know if people are actually using that list. I put a lot of time into making the list & it would be nice to know if someone's actually benefiting from it or am I just wasting my time, haha.

Doesn't the new layout look much more professional too? I adore it.
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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Natural Beauty by Aldo Facetti

I got a book from the library on natural treatments for healthier skin & hair. Most of the treatments in the book use ingredients & essential oils which I do not have at home & the majority of people don't keep these ingredients in their home either. I liked a small passage from the book though, so I thought I'd add that here.
"...do not forget that hair and fingernails are often the first parts of the body to tell you that something is wrong; you may not be ill, but pay attention to the alarm bell.
Avoid the mistake many make of thinking that hair is like grass and the more you 'prune' it and the more 'fertilizer' you put on it, the thicker and faster it will grow. The only ones likely to benefit from such treatments are the hair salons and the companies selling the products.
The fact is that a well-balanced diet, including fresh seasonal foods, is the best insurance policy that there is for guaranteeing strong hair and nails."
- Natural Beauty by Aldo Facetti. c1991
Of course I knew that diet is key to better health, but I didn't know that you can tell if something's wrong by examining the health of your hair & nails.

I really like using natural ingredients that you can find at home to use for face masks & I hardly ever use leave-in conditioners or deep conditioning hair masks. Instead, I try to oil my hair once a week using coconut oil. I used to apply almond oil, but coconut oil is much cheaper so I stick to that instead. I thought I'd find something in this book, but sadly, there are only a few treatments that I can prepare with the ingredients that I already have.

Which natural treatments have you tried? Have they worked for you or would you rather go for a quick fix & go to the salon or grab a product off the shelf instead of taking the time to prepare a natural treatment?
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Missing in Action

Hey readers, followers, & all those who are just passing by.

I've been missing for the past few days & I haven't been keeping up with the other blogs. I haven't really been leaving comments or replying either. Part of the reason for this is because I've been feeling a little down & also because so much has been going on right now with my parents who are about to be laid off from work. I know we will cope with it somehow but the next few years are def going to be a little tough & it's going to take a lot of getting used to, especially when it comes to how our finances are going to be handled.

I've always heard bout people getting laid off, being out of work for months & months, but it's so different when you actually go through it yourself. My parents' company has never laid off any of it's employees & they did it this time. Also, every company that I hear about is outsourcing. All this just makes me realize how important it is to have a backup plan, savings, or anything you can rely on to get you through the tough period. But mostly, how important it is to network & keep in touch with people because you never know when someone might be able to help you out, hook you up with a job referral, or tip you with some important information.

Anyway, I miss blogging & just wanted to give a quick update as to where I've been. I want to update much more than I have been updating recently, but with so much going on right now & about a gazillion thoughts going through my mind, it's best that I don't make any promises.

Until next time.
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Monday, June 8, 2009

AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection Samples

When summer comes along, it is important to not only give your skin a break from all the products, but it's a good idea to let your hair breathe for a bit as well. After a long winter, anything that promises to treat damaged hair in any way will probably sound good to most of us because in the winter most of us tend to overload on styling products & hot tools (i.e., blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, et cetera).

The new AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection promises to treat damaged hair & it is:
Made with a breakthrough ACTIVE NATURALS® Wheat Complex formula, these products nourish damaged hair back to life in just three washes.
Sounds great, doesn't it? But then again product descriptions are meant to lure the consumer in, so don't get too carried away, hehe.

I came across a link to get free samples from the AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection line. There are 4 different shampoo & conditioner samples that you can choose from:
  1. NOURISH+ MOISTURIZE Shampoo & Conditioner
  2. NOURISH+ REVITALIZE Shampoo & Conditioner
  3. NOURISH+ VOLUMIZE Shampoo & Conditioner
  4. NOURISH+ SOOTHE Shampoo & NOURISH+ REVITALIZE Conditioner

When you go to the link to get your free samples, you might notice that you have to enter your e-mail address. This of course means that the company will most probably be sending other e-mails to your inbox as well. Don't let that scare you though. Once you get your samples, you can always open the e-mail & find the unsubscribe link, which is usually found at the bottom of the e-mail.

Just one sec, we're not done yet. What would a contest or free samples giveaway be without rules & restrictions, right? Here are the restrictions:
Free AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection samples are limited so please sign up quickly. Limit one sample per household. Must be 18 years of age and older or age of legal majority in your state at the time of registration. Offer limited to the United States and expires 10/31/2009 or while supplies last. Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for delivery.
It sucks because this means that I can't get my hands on these samples since I'm not a resident of the U.S. *sigh*. But if you sign up to receive free samples, please let me know once you get them. I'd love to know the size of the samples & how they worked for you.


Okay, I think I've made you wait long enough. Click here to get your free AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection samples now. Or just paste the following link in your browser, if the link does not work for you: https://secure.startsampling.com/sm/100630/quickQuestion.iphtml?item=100630&source=aveeno.com


Also, try to deep condition your hair to restore it back to life & use leave-in conditioner to tame down your frizzy hair when it gets humid outside. It's au naturale season baby. Hah, yeah right. I know that aint happening, but I'll def be reducing the amount of products that I use.
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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Ura & Karina on Ukraine's Got Talent

Ura is 7 & Karina is 6. These kids gave an amazing performance on Ukraine's Got Talent. Just watch the video.



Even the judges look like they are speechless. Aren't they just adorable & SO talented?
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CdM Contest Prizes

I got a package in the mail yesterday. It wouldn't fit in my mailbox, so the mail lady slipped in a key to a bigger mailbox that held my package. I felt special while opening the big mailbox that most people would never get access to, hehe. This package was from Linda since I came in 2nd place with my Cinco de Mayo contest entry.

Everything is so cute. I can't wait to try it all out, especially the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics pigments. I've heard so much about them.

Thanks Linda :)
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Disney-Pixar's UP Inspired Look

For Sarah's Disney contest, I chose to use colours from the character named Kevin (the bird) from Disney-Pixar's animated film: Up. This movie looks kinda cute & I def wanna watch it!

[Click images to enlarge]

The inspiration
Kevin the bird

The look
Nothing dramatic, but def very colourful. I used gold, rust, dark red, dark purple, blue, & light green eyeshadows. I also applied a dark blue liquid eyeliner (you can't really tell in the pics) & used a green eye pencil on the waterline.
You can see the transition from the gold, to rust & dark red better in this pic. Well, the dark red is blended in too much & kinda disappeared.Flash/No Flash

Products Used

I really wanna watch Up now. Did anyone watch the movie? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know.
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