My Goodies (cont'd)

So this is what I did with the Madina and M.A.C. colours mentioned in the previous entry. In the inner corner of my eyes, I used Madina's iridescent sheer pink (#33); in the middle section, M.A.C.'s Electra; then Madina's matte dark grey (#14) in the outer third of the lids.

Conveniently, I used one of the Madina eye colours as blush (#46). It's very matte, but once applied onto the skin, it looks like it's glowing from within.

Goof...

NARS Masai has become my official lipstick! On my lips it appears as a berry colour, and is sheer enough to go with anything.

My Goodies

Excuse the bare face...

So these are the Max & Co. sunglasses I got for my birthday. They're over-sized, extremely comfortable and perfect for the winter sun.

My Madina Milano colours

Madina's eye colour selection is outstanding with literally hundreds to choose from. They have lots of matte colours, which I love.

I love those two matte grey ones (11, 14) because they go with anything, and are a great contrast to my dark hair and eyes.

The two matte orange and red on the right of the photo (46, 26) are beautiful. They're eye colours, but I use them as blushes. They're so pigmented and easy to apply with a contour brush. I've used them for a 12-hour day and the colour doesn't even budge.

The other two colours are iridescent (33, 34)! One is fuschia, the other purple. They're sheer so I plan to layer them on top of a matte colour just to give it extra dimension. Again, these can be used for the eyes or cheeks.

Here are the Madina and M.A.C. Pro tins

As you can see, the Madina ones are more than twice the size.

The wonderful M.A.C. colours pictured are:

• taupe - Copperplate


• yellow gold - Nylon (great for brow bone)


• black - Typographic


• pink beige - Blanc Type (great as a base)


• silver - Electra

Classics

Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes! I'm still full from the cake.

So why don't we start with my first entry on fashion news?

This amazing Valentino dress from the spring/summer 08 collection is a dream. Though the Italian master has retired (with a litter of pugs wherever he goes), I still have faith that we will continue to see beautiful designs from the historic fashion house.

I saw this in the Chanel shop window on Via Montenapoleone this week. I saw the satin version, but the lambskin one is pictured here. The fabric version looks younger, and is lighter in weight.
Ah, a good old Longchamp bag...comforting like a pair of slippers. Any size, any colour is the answer to an active girl who has to be in 10 places at the same time. I have a small one in purple for the office. It's modest enough not to worry about thieves, but just big enough for a book and a pair of sunglasses. And then a big one for the gym (pictured here).

Ta-da!

Happy Birthday to me!

Thank you for all the pre-birthday wishes! This cake was ordered with extra cream and extra fruit inside - kiwi, pineapple, blueberries, etc. That's all I wanted today.

I'm wearing a new blush here and I'll reveal what it is in my next post.

I got some goodies too: a pair of sunglasses and a few blushes. Will post those this weekend.

Fashion Week is coming to an end in Milan, and in the coming days I will be sharing some fun collections with you.

Milan Fashion Week

Hi everybody, I'd like to drop you a quick line. It's a crazy week.

Today I visited Furla, Gilli, Sergio Rossi, Car Shoe, Baldinini and Bally showrooms and got a preview of the spring/summer '09 collections.

What do you think if I incorporated fashion updates onto my blog here? Is this something you'd like to see, besides makeup and my silly face? :-D Let me know.

180 Years of Guerlain (cont'd)

Here is a better image of Guerlain's Parure collection mentioned two posts ago. It includes two liquid foundations: Aqua, Extreme; one powder foundation compact; two concealors, and the Météorites travel compact powder. This is supposed to be available worldwide September so let me know if you spot it in your town!

Almost There

My birthday's Thursday. I probably won't be doing anything very exciting, but there shall be a cake...

180 Years of Guerlain

It's Fashion Week in Milan. Traffic is absolutely mad. I have a company cocktail event on Tuesday night. Lots of clients will be there so hopefully it will go well.

Guerlain's celebrating 180th anniversary with its Parure collection. It's a set of luminous foundations with UVA/UVB protection and crystal pearls.

I was just saying a while ago I don't wear foundation! But I can make an exception for these beautiful things.

The Parure liquid foundation comes in Aqua (SPF 20, PA+++)and Extreme version. The Aqua is a treatment foundation with added mineral properties and contains Italian spring water. Extreme (not here) is the waterproof, transfer-proof, long-lasting version.

So let's try on the Parure powder compact foundation in 02 Rose Délicat (SPF 20, PA++):
The colour matches my skin perfectly. It has a very nice luminosity without being shimmery (I hate shimmers). This is a nice change from the matte look that I usually do.

get all that hair out of my face...

this is a very pink look...

Here I used a brush and dusted Parure all over my t-zone and chin. The rest is pretty basic:

• Make Up For Ever black kohl
• Shiseido bronzer for contour
• Diego Dalla Palma blush
• MAC 2N lipstick, L'Oreal h.i.p. lipgloss in 636 Giddy (a bright fuschia)

Sidetracked

Hi everybody, I thought I'd also share something more personal with you. I'm upset because my longtime friend here in Milan has cancer. The tumor was incorrectly diagnosed a few years ago and was thought to be benign. Apparently it's not!
I got to know my friend almost 10 years ago. Her family and she hosted me for a couple of weeks when I visited Milan for the very first time. They embraced me with their hospitality even though I couldn't speak Italian at that time. Endlessly generous, my friend's someone who always cares for everyone else before herself.
She's being very brave about the bad news. Right now, we know very little, and I'm just concerned that the cancer could be quite advanced now simply because it's been left alone for a few years...
I'm not sure what to do.

Daily Ritual

Oops, caught bare-faced!

I would like to share my daily skincare routine with you, using the products above:

• When I get up, I rinse my face with cold water. No cleanser used.
• Apply Shu Uemura White Recovery EX lotion (refresh version)
• Make my tea while waiting for the lotion to absorb
• Apply makeup

When I get home after a long day:

• I spread Rodial A-list Cleanser all over my face (it's the silver bottle)
• Leave the cleanser on, and remove eye makeup with Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
• Rinse everything off with cold water, pat dry
• Apply RéVive Moisturising Renewal Cream (previously reviewed)

Done and done!

Tragically, I'm running out of the A-list Cleanser and I just found out it's not available in Milan (£$%?!). But I do have a back-up: Taer Icelandic Complete Cleanse. It's the jade-coloured bottle pictured here. It's an organic, eco-friendly brand from Iceland, and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Sheer Joy

I realised that a couple of my blushes are very sheer. I'm not crazy about them, but still use them once a week just to mix things up a bit.

The above is Shu Uemura P Orange 53. The colour looks vibrant, but it goes on sheer and the finish is very pearlised. Sometimes I layer this colour on top of a pink one just to give it more depth.

This one is Majolica Majorca RD255. It's a beautiful, warm dusty pink. Easily buildable, it goes on sheer, and the effect is very natural as if you're glowing from within. This was a random purchase on sasa.com so it was an unexpected surprise.

I think after these blushes reach their expiration dates, I will not purchase sheer cheek colours anymore. I prefer a velvet, intense finish. Do let me know if you have blushes that you're particularly happy with!

Sound Foundation

I don't use foundation. As tempted as I am to go for a perfectly polished look, I've become lazy over the years. The humidity in this city does make it difficult to keep my face feeling fresh for the whole day with foundation on.

What I do is get an excellent sunscreen for day and an amazing night cream that can do some serious repair while I sleep. This is how I got into cellular technology skincare.

Basically, the technology depends on incorporating "perfect" cells into the cream. And as you apply the cream onto your skin, your "imperfect" cells come in contact with the perfect ones and become better. This discovery was made in 1986 by Dr. Stanly Cohen and it got him a Nobel prize in Physiology.
RéVive exclusively patented this discovery for cosmetic use. I got a pretty generous amount of samples through the mail, and am surprised how much each packet contains.

The Moisturizing Renewal Cream is the signature product - the consistency is between a thin emulsion and oil. I use less than a pea-sized amount for the entire face and neck.

(The Intensité Les Yeux is the eye treatment. I haven't tried this yet.)

I used it every night for a week, and woke up with a glow. It's amazing!

But this night cream was so moisturising that after a week of use, I stopped for a few days because I thought I had gotten the benefits from it. I think I will use it once in a while to keep my skin in shape, instead of overwhelming it with products.

The price is $165 for 2 fl. oz. (60ml). Considering this is literally a Nobel-prize-winning product, it's really worth it. I've not even gone through half of the sample packet amount yet!

Smile on a Rainy Day

I know grooming my eyebrows is important, but I've always had bangs so except cleaning them up a bit, I've never done much.

This morning while it was raining and I was stuck home, I gave it a try. Just 15 minutes and I saw a huge different in the way I looked. I pinned up my bangs just so you can see my brows, filled in with a dark matte brown eyeshadow. What do you think?

I used:

Shiseido bronzing pressed powder for contouring

Majorlica Majorca blush in RD255

NARS sheer lipstick in Masai

a mix of warm taupe and light grey eyeshadows

MAC eye kohl pencil in Phone Number

Desirables (edited)

The autumn/winter '08 collections are in store now so I went to take a quick look after work today. Catwalk collections are often entirely brought into boutiques in Milan so browsing is a lot of fun.

Winter wool coats - no matter what length - have narrow shoulders, comfortable sleeves and are A-lined. I found this doll-like silhouette across many brands so this is definitely something to get for autumn/winter this year. Colours don't have to be all greys and blacks. A creamy orange or a classic sandy beige would be a good choice too.

I'm excited about Diesel's new collection. The luxurious Black Gold label debuted with a refined style and less industrial feel. I tried on the "Tubik" skirt from the regular collection:


It's knee-length, has a zipper on the right side and a high slit at the back. I don't know what happened, but I really lost some weight during summer and can't seem to "fill" jeans and skirts like I used to...

Common Scents

Fragrances are such a personal thing. I love historic perfume houses. I got a chance to know Clive Christian through work, and it was love at first smell.

Pictured on the left is the travel size of Clive Christian's 1872 for women. Dated from Queen Victoria, the brand's triple extraction method creates a heady fragrance that is absolutely unique and long-lasting. When I have a big day ahead, a spritz of 1872 really makes me feel ready for it.

Caron is another time-honoured perfume house. Even though the French see it as a bit of an old-fashioned brand, I like it anyway. Mum got me Aimez-moi. The candied scent makes me feel cuddled!

Nordstrom's started carrying these brands a couple of years ago, I believe...?

Questions & Answers

Thanks to Nic Nic for tagging me! This is a fun one.

Here are the rules of the game:

I-Love-Your-Blog Rules:

1. Pass this award on to 7 people.
2. Answer the following questions using only one word (will try my hardest). 



Q&A:

1. Where is your cell phone? Confiscated!


2. Where is your significant other? Sleeping


3. Your hair color? Darkest bronze


4. Your mother? Living

5. Your father? Dead

6. Your favorite thing? A stuffed piggy my brother gave me

7. Your dream last night? Too sound-asleep to dream

8. Your dream/goal? Get rich in a legal way

9. The room you're in? Living room


10. Your hobby? Reading


11. Your fear? Run out of Nutella

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Back in the U.S.

13. Where were you last night? Home (exciting, huh?)

14. What you're not? Fake

15. One of your wish-list items? Cartier Love bangle

16. Where you grew up? Hong Kong

17. The last thing you did? Laughed

18. What are you wearing? Club Monaco t-shirt, Victoria Secret hipsters

19. Your TV? Off (hate TV)

20. Your pet? Hopefully get a pug next year!

21. Your computer? HP

22. Your mood? Good for a Monday night

23. Missing someone? Nope

24. Your car? Sold it!

25. Something you're not wearing? Pants. Apparently I often skip them.

26. Favorite store? Haven't got one yet.

27. Your summer? Spent between Milan and Seattle


28. Love someone? Me-self

29. Your favorite color? Grey

30. When is the last time you laughed? 15 minutes ago


31. Last time you cried? Two weeks ago

32. Are you a bitch? I am trying!


33. Favorite Position? I'm not sure if there's a name for it

34. Favorite Past Time? Work out at the gym

35. Are you a hater or a Lover? Lover

37. Are you genuine or fake? Too genuine

38. Any Vices? Too nice

39. Pro Life or Wire Hanger? What?

40. McCAIN or OBAMA? Whoever can fix the economy.

41. Pro Plastic or Natural? Au naturel!

42. Dream Job? Editor - I am one now.

I'd like to tag these lovely people for their wonderful blogs:

All Things Tokyo
Bliss
Fabu-less Beauty
Fuzkittie
Girl Meets Makeup
Goldfish Cake
My Makeup Affinity

50th Post

Hi, I'd like to say thanks to those of you who've been stopping by my blog. It's probably not as popular as others out there, but I certainly enjoy sharing a thing or two about beauty with you!

Experiment in Grey

The professional camera is fun to use, producing images that are true to the subject. I played around and put together a little collage.


Here's what I used for this grey look:

• MAC Blanc Type as base
  
• MAC Nylon on brow bone


• Make Up For Ever kohl pencil


• Madina Milano eyeshadow #11, #14 (both matte grey), and MAC Electra (silvery grey)


• Madina Milano matte white eye pencil


• Shu Uemura sheer orange blush (too shimmery for my taste)


• MAC 2N lipstick, Clarins Gloss Appeal in #3

In the Mood for Blush

Sofia Coppola is my favourite director. She portrays young women's coming of age wonderfully in films like The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, and Marie Antoinette. I thought the makeup in this last film of hers on Kirsten Dunst was beautiful. I loved the powdered face and matte, stained lips.

I realise that sometimes eye makeup is not necessary what makes a look striking, but the blush. It seems to really set the mood.

I'm playing around with a professional camera, and am trying to take better portraits of myself. Here I used a couple of products that I haven't talked about:

• La Mer Skincolor loose powder in Neutral
  
• Clarins #25 lipstick

Different from all the other powder I have, this one from La Mer has a luminous quality to it. It's amazingly smooth and lightweight without being messy. Thanks to Fuzkittie for mentioning it!

The heavy glass jar makes handling a bit clumsy, but it really prevents dropping the container. (You won't want to know what happened one time when a full pot of French powder slipped out of my hands. It was like the Hiroshima mushroom cloud.)


After concealer, I just use this powder like a foundation. It's pigmented enough to give light coverage. Normally I like my powder extremely matte, but the luminosity of this La Mer product is a fun change.

About the Clarins lipstick, may I just say that I hate it? The colour is a beautiful nude, but the cream texture simply doesn't glide on well. In fact, if I just swipe the lipstick onto my lips, it leaves a horrible layer of stuff. I think I might need a brush to apply it, but the texture just isn't what I'm looking for.