My Makeup Storage

Hey everyone!!

For the past month, I've been a little frustrated with my current makeup storage area. Needless to say, I stuffed most of it in a big drawer in my dresser. The rest went into some cosmetics bag that you get for free from Dior. And, being the super organized person that I am, I was losing sleep over the mess :( *haha*

So, IKEA came to the rescue! Ok, well, not really. I was watching one of my favourite gurus, What Style Is To Nickel and his makeup collection, and it inspired me. I already had a lot of dark items on my dresser (mostly anna sui stuff), so I decided to run with it!

Here are the drawers I got from Ikea:


Both from their Fira collection (ranging from $16-17)

Almost 3 hours later, I completed building them :) *and I thought they come pre-assembled..since theyre small...what was I thinking...?*

I thought, hey I'm done! Now I just have to paint them! Right? Wrong! My dad, whos a carpenter said I had to paint it with a primer. Twice. So I did:


Ok, now just gotta paint it...and...
Well, aparently, you're suppost to sand the entire thing before painting it!! Argh. So, after 4 hours of sanding (inside and out!), finally it was smooth enough to paint.

And 3 coats later of semi-matte black paint, it was done!!! Weeheee!!!

TA DA!!!!
(yes I know the ugly brown dresser does not go with the black drawers. That will be changed in da future!! :P )

And now, on to the organization!!

This first drawer is mostly face/cheeck/primers/powders. The foundation of makeup :)


This one carries all my eyeshadows.


These 3 small ones carry mascaras, lip stuff, and liners of all sorts.


Yes, this drawer is dedicated to fake lashes, mostly inexpensive Asian ones. Because they are good and cheap!! :)


Some tools, new items, and sponges.


My "sad" drawer which consists of my one and only MAC palette (which I love and I have 6 shadows in it so far...) and a few palettes I never touch anymore...

That is all!! Hope you all like :)

What I am using right now: Tag

I caught this from Lollipop26's blog, and thought I'd share the love :) Hope you all likes and join in too!!

Shampoo: Shiseido Aquair Deep Moist Shampoo (I actually like this more than the red Tsubaki one! It's more moisurizing for my dry, bleached hair!)

Conditioner: Stilll using the Shiseido Tsubaki one (red version)

Styling products: TRESemmé Heat Tamer (on my 2nd bottle; best heat protector I've ever used and its only around $4)

Shower Gel: Dove

Body moisturiser: I don't use one <=)

Deodorant: Dove

Fake Tan: I don't fake tan; I think one day the ingredients used in tanning products will prove to be bad for us (hey, I'm just scared that day will come...) so I steer clear of them. So I am currently as white as a ghost :)

Cleanser: For the most part, Obagi (Clenziderm) and sometimes I also use the Shiseido White Lucent one

Exfoliator: Good old aspirin mask

Primer: Primavista's Bright Up Base (I did a review on this recently)

Foundation brush: The Body Shop's Face Mineral brush

Concealer: Lise Watier Portfolio

Powder: My everyday foundation is pressed powder...so yeah, I don't follow up with another coating of powder :)

Blusher: Mostly either Nars Orgasm or MAC's Fashion Frenzy (a hot pink)

Bronzer: I don't use bronzers. I don't even own one <=(

Highlighter: I just use the bright lavender color in the Lise Watier Portfolio wheel. Really brightens up my face.

Eyeshadow base: Recently just bought my first UDPP, and I am in love with it. Why did I wait so long to get one?! (oh right..because Vancouver just got their first Sephora...)

Eyeshadows: I have been changing it up everyday, but most of the time, its the Guerlain 4 color palette in Perle d'Argent 480 (pearl shimmer/ gray/ gunmetal gray shimmer/ charcoal shimmer)

Eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Curler: My favourite by Jill Stuart (its pink!). And also my Anna Sui one if I can't find the other :P

Mascara: YSL Faux cils

Lipstick: Mostly MAC's angel, or Lovelorn (ah, I can't choose!)

Lipgloss: Not really into lip glosses... I hate how my hair gets stuck on my lips :(

Nail Colour: I have Rimmel's Milk Chocolate on right now. A very neutral color that, well, looks like milk chocolate. Will change it soon to something more lively, like a hot pink!!

That is all for now! Hope you guys join in on this tag! :D

Easy Eyes ;)

Hey guys!!

Here is my favorite eye look, which is quiet easy to recreate. The items I used were:


- Guerlain Quad in Perle D'Argent 480
- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Rimmel Glam 'Eyes Mascara
- MAC brushes: 209, 217, and 219

After applying my UDPP, I used the white shade from the quad all over (I have a review on the quad on this blog; check it out!). Then I line the upper lashline with my MAC Fluidliner. Next, I apply the bottom left shimmery grey color on the outer crease, making sure not to go all the way in to the inner corner. Then I use the darkest shade in the quad (after the liner is dry) to smudge the liner, and extend it slightly into the outer 'V'. This is the look I love doing the most, where the crease is very defined on the outer corner. Then I curl my top lashes and apply mascara.

The key thing is to blend, blend, blend!!! Hope you all like this look! :)

P.S: Please excuse the wacky eyebrows...

Review: Sofina Primavista Bright Up Base

Hi y'all :o)

So, I thought I'd do a review on this amazing product, since getting it and using it religiously for almost 2 months. I've tried many bases before, and I have to say that this is by far my favourite!

Here are the pros:

- actually brights up your skin tone! hence the name :P
- only need one pump (about a pea size)
- no funky odor
- doesn't break me out!!!!!!!!!! ( I can't tell you how many times bases have broken me out in the past...this product is a miracle I tell ya!!)
- cute packaging :}
- you'll use less foundation/concealer
- sanitary; pump
- comes in 2 other formulations: clear cover and smooth coat
- has a 'window' on the side so you can see how much product is left
- makes my makeup last all day, even in this humid, 30+ degree weather!
- doesn't change into some weird color; won't affect your foundation/powders' color on top

And a few cons:

- a bit pricey ($30 US on adambeauty.com)
- only contains SPF 10 PA+ ( I usually go for SPF 15, which I apply underneath)


And that's about it! :) I hope you guys check out this awesome line from Sofina. Here's some more info below from their website:


SOFINA Primavista Bright Up Base (makeup base)
Covers skin dullness for a bright, clear finish, complementing SOFINA Primavista makeup foundations

•	Augments violet and blue light spectrum for a bright and clear finish.
•	Prevents makeup foundation from wearing off, for a long-lasting and flawless finish.
•	Moisturizing ingredient (chamomile extract)
•	Fragrance free
•	SPF10 PA+

And now, a little background on Primavista, which I found quiet interesting, as a Graphic Designer :P

Brand Naming
'Prima vista' means 'first look' in Italian. The brand naming reflects the zest SOFINA produces: lively and bright first impressions for all females.


Package Design
The package design - a small box in pink beige, which symbolizes the brilliance in skin, tied carefully with a ribbon in mocha brown - was created with the concept that the purchaser may perceive each product as an intimate gift to herself; a present that enhances her unique beauty.

What color suits your eyes?

I saw this great article in the recent Glow magazine (Canadian beauty mag). Ever wondered what color goes with your eye color. Have no fear, I got it right here!!!!

Click on the images to get them bigger ;)

For those with blue eyes


For those with hazel & green eyes


And of course, all of us with brown eyes (hi:)


Hope this helps some of you out there!!

Review: MAC Studio Scuplt Concealer

I got this about a month ago, and have had a while now using it various ways. From different eye brushes (MAC224, Lise Watier Portfolio Brush, Anna Sui Concealer Brush) and even my ring finger (not so sanitary!). Here's some info on it:

5.5 g /0.19 US OZ
CA$20.00

Yet, the result is usually the same. The creamy, yet thick, consistency might seem nice when you swatch it on the back of your hand, but that's not how it appears when applied to dark circles. For me, it kept looking dry, uneven, and although it is thick, it was not very opaque. I had to keep laying a bunch on, which only made the under eye area look even brighter (and not so natural looking). I will admit though, the waterproof claim made by this concealer does stand true, even on humid days.

When I used my Primavista Bright Up Base under it, thinking this would solve the problem, it actually made my undereyes look worse. Very dry, and cakey. The only thing I put under it was a load of lotion, which only helped slightly.

So, overall, this concealer does not beat my HG Lise Watier Portfolio.

P.S: For all of you living in Canada/U.S who can't get their hands on the Lise Watier portfolio, you can get it here. Also, use the coupon code "KANDEE1C9" to get 10% off! Offer expires 9/30/2009.

Brush Cleaning 101

Hi everyone :)

I just finished cleaning my brush collection...and well, thought I'd tell y'all what I do to get them clean. I usually wash them once a week; you don't want anything (germies) to grow on them, because this might infect your gorgeous face!!

I know there's a lot of "brush cleaners" out there, most notably MAC's version, but I think that paying for some water solution is a little silly. $13 for one bottle? I prefer to use good old Johnson's Baby Gel wash. It gets the job done :)

So, just get the brush's bristles wet first, put some of the gel on it, and move it back and forth on your palm. You don't want to move it in a circular motion, because that will cause the bristles to go nuts and fall prematurely.

Then, lightly pinch the bristles to get rid of any water. And lay them out on a paper towel to dry overnight. Some require more time to dry (...like my stupid Body Shop Kabuki brush...that little monster takes well over a day to dry!! arghhh!!)

Also, I know some people need to clean their brush as they apply their makeup (well, maybe you decided to pull out that green shadow at 8am in the morning!!hehe). I'm somewhat lazy and can't be bothered to 'spot clean' my brushes. So, what I do is have a spare clean wash cloth near by. And I just rub my brush on there, and voila!!!!


Hope this helps :)

P.S: I came across this ad the other day. As a Graphic Designer, nothing irritates me more than spelling mistakes on ads. Can you spot it? ;) !