Soft vs Crisp Liners

Hallo!

About 2 months ago, I got an opportunity to interview a Bobbi Brown makeup artist from Thailand. We talked and talked and all of the sudden, he told me he would do my makeup. Now, I had on full makeup with foundation and everything. Yet, he took it off and redid my makeup with BB products. Then, he took a look at my eyeliners and he was like, "This is too harsh on you. Let me show you how to do soft liner!"

And then came this look. It has a soft grunge edge that I like and you totally don't see a line because I already smudged it out. One of these days, Imma buy a tripod and do a tutorial on this.

While soft liners are very feminine and nice, sharp, crisp liners are always modern. I got me a liquid liner from Maybelline that's really black and shiny. On top of that, it has incredible staying power. While it doesn't look much in the pictures, I had quite a thick line.

Now, for those of you who have problem with they staying power of your eyeliner, I have a small tip: it's called layering! For the sharp liner look, I didn't even use an eye shadow base at all. Yet, it stayed for hours and hours without even a smudge or a smear. And you wanna know why?

I lined my eyes with a waterproof pencil liner first.

Yes, that's the tip, sweetheart. I did that to give myself a guide before using my liquid liner. While pencil liner is easier to use and wipe away, the smudge/waterproof formula is actually a nice base for the liquid liner to hold on to. If you take as much time as you can on lining with a pencil, the later part is going to be very easy. On top of that, your lines will look incredibly black, which is an obvious result from layering a black liner on top of a black base.

Also, did you notice how long and dolly my lashes look? 100% real lashes, baby, with the help of mascaras, of course! I'll share a secret on another day.

Ciao, sweetheart!
Dao xoxo


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My Lip Balm Army

I have dry lips for a while now. It's quite painful when it's cracked and so far, I haven't found any medicated lip balms. In conjunction, I realize I have a lot of regular lip balms that may or may not work for me.

1. Vaseline: not good, not bad, just is. I use it when I want something simple and scent-free.
2. I Provenzali: shea butter stick from Italy. I still have about 1/2 a stick and I don't use it as much anymore. I keep it mostly for sentimental purpose as it was a gift from Gio.
3. Miracle Apo: has the foulest scent in the bunch, also is tinted, also was thrown away after this picture was taken.
4. Nivea: it used to work, now it doesn't. Since it started to melt, I decided to contribute it to the trash as well.
5. Maybelline Baby Lips: my saving grace!
6. Maybelline tinted lip balm: smooth like Baby Lips but with a raspberry tint.
7. EOS: I have to say this is an acquired taste. It takes a while for it to work and then, out of the blue, it seems to contribute to my chapped lip problem. Right now, it is on hold.

So right now, I have a question for you: How do you make your chapped lips better?

I've tried lip balms, I also drink lots of water and take fish oil capsules. None of which seem to work. So...HELP ME!!!

With lots of moist kisses,
Dao xoxo


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Dynamic Duo #1: MAC Margin and Maybelline Fresh Rose Blushes

Hi everyone,

I've interviewed many makeup artists lately and they all said the same thing: when it comes to blush, use at least 2 colors. I am a monochrome kinda gal when it comes to blush but it took a bit of coaxing from a Bobbi Brown makeup artist to make me realize the importance of using 2 blushes. You look more natural, that's all!

Both Margin and Fresh Rose blushes are gifts, one from MAC team and another from my mom. Margin (the one on the left) doesn't look much in the pan. It looks like dirt with shimmer. My initial reaction was, "That's it?" and I pretty much did not have so much hope for it. But when I came home and applied it on my cheeks, wowza! It is this very light and fresh peachy color with a nice sheen, not too much shimmers to make your cheeks look all disco-ball but just a nice sheen.

Maybelline Fresh Rose on the other hand is just what it is: a nice rosy matte pink color. It's quite dry, not as soft and buttery as Margin when dusted on my cheeks. But since it is free and the color build-up is lovely, I've been using it non-stop.

And here's the trick to get the best blushing cheeks ever:

1. You need 2 colors: a lighter one to apply all over your cheeks and a brighter one to apply just on the apple of your cheeks. Depending on your skin tone, they can be either pink or peach. You can mix and match peach with pink like I do but if you want to be safe, just use 2 colors in the same family (warm or cool.)

2. With a fluffy blush brush, apply the lighter color all over your cheeks. Remember to smile!

3. Then, with a smaller blush brush with the size of the head a tad bigger than a quarter, brush the brighter blush just on the apple of your cheek. If you don't know what it is, smile and see the fleshiest part of your cheeks that protrude up on your face. You apply very lightly, skimming the bristles on your skin, not pressing the brush down at all.

4. Then, use the bigger blush brush and lightly blend everything together.

The reason I love Margin so much is the sheen: I don't have to use a highlighter at all. However, if you are around the NC-25 area like me, this is a tricky blush to use. You don't seem to notice it when you apply, but it is there bright and clear when your face is on film. I was a little bit heavy-handed with Margin before I went to an event and seriously, I looked like I was drunk. So, lesson learned: a little bit of blush goes a looong way. And also, blend well!

With love,
Dao xoxo



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Of Bags

As I grow up, I've realized some things have changed while others do stay the same.

When it comes to bags, I have evolved a great deal over the past few years. Maybe the exposure to the fashion industry has given me a different perspective. Or maybe it's because of my upbringing, really. I do have great influence from my grandmother.

The things that have changed are major. They feel like the ah-ha moments that forces everything to make sense all of the sudden. I can count a few of them and here they are:

1.  I no longer buy bags after bags after bags just to use them for one season.

The problem did not come from the bags, it came from me. I loved (and still love) deals. You get a hundred-dollar Nine West down to 20 bucks and I'm in, baby! And I did. I had many, many bags from Nine West and this brand and that brand which all cost less than $30 a pop. They were great. They were sturdy. In fact, the Nine Wests that I had did last for a very long time.

But for some reasons, they became clusters in my closet. I lost interest after such a short period of time. Some of them lost the shine pretty quickly, too. By the time I moved back to Vietnam, I did have a row of bags to donate to Goodwill. There was a suede bag from a reputable leather company that I bought for $10 which ended up in the donation pile, too. I realize now that while I wanted them, I didn't love them.

 2. I no longer stick to "fun" purses and bags, either.

They may be snazzy at the moment but for the long run, I'd like something that I can carry around until I'm old and grey and then I'll pass it on to the next few generations. I have this fantasy that one day I will bequeath my makeup (mostly mineral and MAC pigments), bags, shoes and Chanel jackets to my gay grandson and he would be very happy.

But I digress. Classic bags tend to be in style a lot longer. The Chanel 2.55 was designed in 1955 and it's still one of the most coveted handbags in this world of ours. The Louis Vuitton Speedy was carried around in the arms of Katharine Hepburn and it's still hot as hell today. And by the way, the Céline Luggage Tote is bout to become a classic pretty soon (and right now, I'm lovin' its shape!)

 3. Quality matters

This is where things gets all psychotic to me. As I mentioned in point 1, I do love deals. But since I no longer seek cheap thrills (as I'm more of a quantity-over-quality girl these days), I do allow myself to spend as much money as I can manage without sweating myself all out for better-quality bags that I can afford.

Which aren't many, really.

Which also leads to the things that stay the same:

A. I have never bought a counterfeit bag and I don't intend to do so at all

You could have thought the lil' cheap ole me could have had some fake Gucci or LV stashed around my house but no, I have never owned a fake bag ever in my life so far. All my bags, although cheap and all, fall under some major mass-market brands like Nine West or Target or some sort of Target collaborations with some semi-famous designers before they got to Missoni.

The thought of carrying a counterfeit bag is repulsive to me. For some reasons, I understood the importance of supporting a brand at a very early age. I know Gucci is expensive, and so is Louis, and so is Chanel and Balenciaga and Hermes and Tom Ford and Thakoon and the like but the thought of wearing a knock-off of someone's hard-working design really creeps me out.

B. When it comes to bags, I am anal

I remember shopping for my $20 bags alone many times over because none of my friends would dare to tag along. It was not simply me making a purchase, it was an excursion to a point of almost being a mind game. I would circle around the store many times over, picking up and putting down every single black bag available for at least 5 times, then circle around the store again while doing some sort of mental calculus-slash-statistics on the top contenders. It happened all the time to a point that one friend had to yell out, "Come on, Dao, it's just a bag! Buy it already!"

To which I replied, "No, you don't understand! It's not just a bag, it's the bag!"

See how mental it is? Over a bag?

But again, I am glad to have friends who understand the importance of having the bag. It's a bag that makes you feel all flutter on the inside while manage to stay current for many years to come. It's also a bag that fits your every needs and whimsies while making all of your friends jealous of how lucky you are to own it. It's also a bag that you can buy with the comfort that it won't send you to the poor house.

A bag like that, while sounds elusive, does exist somewhere in Zara. If I have to choose between Mango and Zara, I would go with the later.  It's fashionable but not forgettable. And most importantly, a Zara bag does not feel cheap.

Of course, I still hold out for a Louis, a Chanel, a Gucci et al but one of these days, and I hope soon, I am looking forward to own my first piece of designer hand bag. I really do.




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So You Think You Can Have Eyelash Extensions

Hi everyone,

As an Asian girl with sparse and straight eyelashes, I am constantly trying to improve my lash line. From hot lash curlers to volumizing mascaras to fiber extensions, I have done it all. But not until before Lunar New Year that I did manage to try the creme de la creme of eyelash beautification: eyelash extensions!

Now, I have heard people raving and ranting about this in both directions. One of the bloggers out there (Xiaxue) confessed to have done this many times over. From her experience, it is a time-saver, especially during the holiday seasons. And I have to admit that was the catch: LNY can be hell with endless trips all over the city. On top of that, I had to wake up really early and look decent for photos, too. The less time I had to spend on myself means more time I got to sleep. So off to the salon to get eyelash extensions I did.

Eyelash extensions in Vietnam range from $10-25 USD, depending on the type of false lashes and glue. The good glues tend to hold up better while the good lashes can be really thin and don't weigh your real lashes down. The place I did my eyelash extensions is in the neighborhood. I spent $17 for the initial application and $8 for the touch-up and that was without tips.

The process was painstakingly long and you can't see a thing. The lash extension lady put tape around my lower lash line to prevent glue from sticking to my skin. Then, she combed my lashes before applying false lashes to my real ones. Each strand is made either of silk or synthetic materials and they are very black. Since my lashes are short and thin, the lady applied 2-3 false lashes to each real one and the lengths are a tad longer than the real deal. I did not time the process but it was long and sometimes uncomfortable. Once she finished applying the lashes, I slowly opened my eyes.

And it burned!

The fume from the glue really hurt my eyes. I started to tear up a bit, which was a big no-no since she tried to leave the area as water-free as possible. She did some touch-ups to areas that looked sparse and off I went.

I believe those pictures were taken a few days after I did my eyelash extensions. The lady did a good job covering the scar on the lash line of my left eye (which is the right picture.) I was happy for a day or two.

But then, things began to fall apart. Lashes began to drop down like they're hot. Although the lady told me I could keep my extensions for up to 3 weeks, I saw about 50% lash loss after only 1 week!

I had to do a touch-up and I got ripped off for it!

Instead of the lady who did the first application, I was sent to a guy. This guy kept on complaining of how difficult it is to work around the scar on my lash line. Then, he wanted to take everything apart, which would make me spend fresh money on a new application again instead of a touch-up. Then, he even managed to complain of how oily my skin was (bitch, please!)

The touch-up usually costs $5. He charged me $8 because "Oh, your lashes were so difficult to work with!" I had to bite down and spend my hard-earned money, which was not that big of a problem had it not been gone hand in hand with his attitude.

The second time around, it was downright painful. I kept it for maybe another week and removed it all with baby oil. And concluded that I was ripped off because another place only charged $10 for the first application and the hair salon that I went charged the same price but they used better lashes that would not leave me feel a thing! On top of that, they guarantee the extensions to last to a month because their glues are better.

I felt like being duped. And on top of that, eyelash extensions can be a nuisance because:

• You can't wash your eyes with water because it will unglue the lashes
• You can't use mascaras, especially waterproof because it will unglue the lashes
• You have to keep eye makeup to the minimum because makeup removers will unglue the lashes
• You can't rub your eyes because it will unglue the lashes

In short, I was glad to remove those false lashes with baby oil and be done with it. Although I didn't experience real eyelash loss, it was an annoying feeling to have something unnatural on top of your lashes. 

Would I do it again? 

No. I'd rather stick to mascaras and false eyelashes.At least I don't have to listen to a guy who complains about everything and anything.

How about you? Have you done eyelash extensions?

With love,

Dao xoxo

Oh hai!

Hi everyone,

Apparently, I have been hiding under a rock somewhere. During those weeks that I haven't been able to blog here, I did not even have a nascent thought of putting this blog down for good. I was simply too busy.

Even since before Lunar New Year, I was busting myself up with work. I thought, "Hey, after LNY, I would have some time to blog again." But noooo! Since the new semester started, my research has been running in full gears. I have 2 students to mentor on their senior theses, which involve actual wet-lab research. Most days I am on my feet instructing and directing them. It's hard work but the rewards have been tremendous. To see them finally understand a concept, to see those sparks in their eyes brings some satisfactions in me.

I have so many nice things to write about and I really want to tell you all about them. For instance, there is this brush sent that I had pinned for almost 2 years. And these amazing skincare products. And these awesome gifts my dear friends from the States and Canada sent me. And this, and this, and that. So many things!

I hope April puts things in order so I can continue with my research, writing and blogging as well. There are a few things I have wanted to do. Let's just hope that I can do maybe 1 or 2 of them this year :)

And oh, by the way, you guys never cease to amaze me. I received a bunch of comments and emails that I will slowly reply. Please bear with me!

With love,
Dao xoxo



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The Benefit of Being a Minimalist

Hi everyone,

Steve Jobs, the king of minimalism
I bow down to his awesomeness as I'm not there yet!

After years of being a beauty blogger, I have to admit I'm becoming a minimalist. Now, these two concepts usually don't mesh. After all, being a beauty blogger means having drawers and drawers and a room full of makeup that rivals the beauty department at Barney's. Well, once upon a time in a different land, I did have a makeup closet. But that feels so far away already.

Now, living in Vietnam has one thing when it comes to makeup: the lack of drugstore makeup. Even Maybelline and L'Oreal are expensive here. But who am I to complain? When I look at the pricing of makeup in the UK and the rest of Europe, a $12 bottle of foundation sounds like a steal.

This leaves me to a certain state or sparseness in my makeup drawer. Although I feel sad at the lack of having new toys, I do have to admit my makeup routine has been faster. I know what to use, where to get, and how to get them fast. There's no longer moments when I have to debate which brown I need to use, the MAC one, NYX one or (insert brand name here) one. Now, the choices are less, which leaves me more time to apply makeup than before.

On top of that, I just got a new brush set and I'm happy about it. There's something about having all your brushes laid out in a brush roll and saving time. Before, I used to fumble around just to find one brush. Now, I know where it is and I know how to use it. I am going to blog about this brush set soon and believe me, you'll definitely need it in your life.

In order to be a minimalist makeup lover, here are what you need:

1. A storage system: although I almost busted my back last year to work on this system, it was worth it. Now, I can't go back to storing everything in a bin anymore. That makes finding stuff hell. This system, or any non-bin, non-bag system, works great in saving me time.
2. Core products: the essential items you use everytime you apply makeup are your core products. They are primers, foundations (liquid, solid, gel, powder, etc), finishing powder, brow pencils, eyeliners, mascaras, brushes. You should store them separately and within arm's reach so you can get them as fast as you can.
3. Star products: these are your colored products like eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks. Sooner or later, you'll realize you use one more than the others. With these star products, you should put them in prime spots within their own categories/groups.
4. The will to weed out products you don't use: Expired products? Throw them away. Bad formula? Either throw or give away. Unsuitable products to your skin/hair type? Give away. You'll be surprised of how much more space you are going to have once these products are out of the way.

That's all for today, folks. I hope you'll have more time to work on your makeup this year.

With love,

Dao xoxo

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Antagonizing over Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream

Hi everyone,

Last Friday, I mentioned BB Cream as something trendy in this year. I had no idea I would write a follow up about something closer to home: I have been using Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream for a while now. After having various degrees of success with Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Silk Shine Free Two Way Cake Powder, I pushed my own button and bought the BB Cream itself. Maybelline is available here in Vietnam and the prices are affordable. On top of that, the cream was 10% off and I received Baby Lips as a gift with purchase.

 I believe this Clear Smooth BB Cream is available in the Asian market only. Outside of Asia, Dream Fresh is the BB Cream Maybelline sells. Since I don't have the later one, I don't know whether the formulas are different but based on past experience between Maybelline products in the U.S, U.K, and Japan, I believe the formula varies if the name is different.

Unlike many other makeup products, this BB Cream comes in a small tube with only 18ml of cream. To put into perspective, a deluxe foundation sample contains around 5-7.5ml. Which means there's not a lot of products to slosh around. The reason people think it's big is because of the packaging. There's simply too much plastic and paper involved in this product. I wish Maybelline to simplify its packaging in the future.

This BB Cream comes in 2 colors: Fresh and Natural. Mine is Fresh, which is a tad too light for my skin. Natural, however, is too dark but has more yellow pigments in it, which makes it more flattering on Asian skins. Fresh, on the other hand, is your typical Asian BB Cream shade: it has this beige color that does not fare well with any skin tones. Once applied, I looked white. Like Michael Jackson white. Like unhealthy ghostly white. Like really, really white.

It freaked me out a little. So I waited for it to oxidize, which it did for a moment to make my skin look kinda pumpkin like before I looked less white again. But still, my face was lighter than my neck unless I applied some bronzers to even things out around the jaw line.

Texture-wise, it is creamy in the way of a strong non-oil free moisturizer. My face felt very comfortable for the first few minutes before it looks greasy. And greasy it is! This BB Cream creates the greasiest mess on my face since I started puberty. I've come to learn that using silica microspheres as a finishing powder would eliminate this problem. Yes, that's the stuff in Make Up For Ever HD Powder, ELF HD Powder and the like.

To fix the weird whiteness problem, I mixed this BB Cream with my MAC NC25 foundation and it looked less pale, more human. Also, since my MAC foundation has lots of oil-controlling properties, the mix created a dewy look that was so beautiful! Reader Laura Humphries mentioned using her new CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation on top of her Two Faced BB cream and had a dewy finish as well. You should give that a try, too.

Here is a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

• Affordable: cost me around 4 USD and I had a free lip balm
• Can be applied with fingers, although a dual-fiber brush provides much better texture
• Can conceal dark circles to a certain extend
• Feels very comfortable on skin

Cons:

• Has only 2 shades: therefore, those with darker skins or are in between shades can't use it
• Light shade has weird alien white color
• Is greasy!
• Packaging is bulky!
• Needs a lot of creative energy to make it more wearable

While I love this BB Cream, I don't think it's for me. Those with dry skin can benefit greatly from it as it moisturizes well. However, those with oily skin can move a continent away from this thing. The finish is fabulous, which makes this a regret for me. I truly hope the Dream Fresh BB Cream to be better as Maybelline seems to have many great products lately.

Here are some extra pictures:

The promises: surprisingly, it does all of those,
especially the brightening part to the point of whiteness!

Ingredient list

Ok, here are two interesting pictures: unblended BB Cream on the left and blended on the right. Look how much brighter the skin on the right hand picture looks :)

Last but not least: would I buy it again? Hell to the no! Or maybe when I reach my 40s and my skin gets much drier. Maybe.

With love,
Dao xoxo

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Trendy in 2013: BB Creams

Hi everyone,

BB Cream is not exactly new in the makeup world. Fans of Korean makeup have been exposed to this type of face cream-slash-foundation for ages. In the Asian market, Maybelline has its own BB Cream for a while now. Yet, at the end of 2013, beginning of 2013, BB Cream finally becomes popular to the rest of the world. And by popular, I mean everybody does BB Cream these days. Not only mass-market brands such as Garnier, L'Oreal, and Physicians Formula have their own versions of this cream but also the big brothers like Armani and Dior do, too. This sends a chill to my spine. Finally, BB Cream has taken off the same way as mineral makeup did back in 2008.

Contrary to popular belief, BB Creams are not that miraculous. Sure, they have more moisturizing properties and make your skin look and feel better than foundation but still, BB Creams are makeup. Therefore, proper cares should be partaken the same way as when wearing liquid foundation.

The one thing I am glad to happen within this wave of Western BB Creams is the color selection. Korean BB Creams are notoriously bad in term of color: in certain brands, you can only find 1 (yes, one!) shade and often times, it is in a weird pale greige (grey+beige) color that in no way flatters Asian skins at all! On top of that, the shades - if more than 1 shade is available at all - tend to run really, really ghostly white, so white that white girls have problem wearing them as well. Moreover, they almost always oxidize to some other weird pumpkin colors. And when you find a shade that matches your skin, it would oil up after some use.

Yes, a lot of Asian BB Creams are tres weird. With this new crop of BB Creams coming from the West, they seem to be better in term of everything: color selection, texture, lasting power, and especially oil control property. If you haven't tried BB Creams yet, you should jump onto this bandwagon. I've heard lots of nice things about Rimmel London and Physicians Formula. Please give it a try and tell me what you think!

With love,
Dao xoxo

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Happy New Year 2013!

Hi everyone,

2013 is here and it feels strange. I still feel like 2012 were still here simply because '12 had been a fantastic year for me. I wish you all a wonderful year ahead, so magnificent that at day 365, you are going to look back and realize it has been even better than what you have planned on day 1 (which is today!)

Here are some pictures of the food my family cooked to say good bye to 2012 and welcome 2013:

A part of the spread
We washed everything down with some vino :)

Egg rolls!
My mom made them, I fried them up :9

Honey butter chicken wings :")

My not-quite-chocolatey chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes

The whole spread before we devoured it!

That's all for now. I hope you are having a wonderful New Year Day. Mine has been great so far and now I've gotta catch some zzz. Tomorrow is going to be a work day again.

With love,
Dao xoxoxo

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Appearances: ELLE November-December 2012

Hi everyone,

I've come to realize I'd better do this once a month with each magazine. Compiling them together like this means more time for me to take pictures and edit them. Together for the last 2 posts, I was shooting and editing 40+ pictures and sometimes, it's not easy to edit them to my liking at all!
/*end of rant

Now, let's take a look at what I did for ELLE Vietnam during last November and December:

The cover of ELLE's November issue, which is also their 2nd anniversary
The cover girl is Ho Ngoc Ha (the same one in F-Fashion's December issue)
She is very popular and it's hard to stop by the newsstand without seeing her face these days

I wrote an article for their bridal issue, which is about skin/hair/body care before getting hitched

Got a 4-page spread on skincare A-Z
It took me a loooong time to write and I'm glad the spread is beautiful!

An article about vitamin C I translated

ELLE December issue with Katy Perry on the cover

I wrote for ELLE for more than half a year and finally it happened:
I was on their contributor page!
This is such a huge honor for me!

The art director painted my face
Does the picture look like me?

Got a 3-page spread on makeup in major markets in Asia such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, and India

That's all for 2012, which was a great year for me in term of being in magazines. Not only did my articles get published, my face was also in the magazines twice: once in F-Fashion in October and once in ELLE in December. This has been a huge honor for me and I hope to be able to continue this winning streak in 2013. Last but not least, I would like to thank the editors who have been helping me along the way while writing these articles. Also, my sincere regards go to the art directors who have been beautifying my articles. Without them, those written words may not look as catchy.

Love,
Dao xoxo

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Appearances: F-Fashion Magazine November-December 2012

Hi everybody,

This post was supposed to go up last year. 2012 sounded like so far away but in fact, it was still yesterday that we were in that year. The end of the year had been a busy time for me and I anticipate the same level of busy-ness until after Chinese New Year. So bear with me, alright?

Here are some snapshots of what I did for F-Fashion Magazine during November and December of 2012:

F-Fashion November 2012 issue
The cover girl was Thanh Hang, who is the #1 model in Vietnam

Most Wanted-Beauty

2 looks for I See It First: Red lips (left) and modern cat eyes (right)

Global News

Beauty Blog: I wrote about eye shadows :)

Beauty Report: Stem Cell technology in skin care

The extremely beautiful December issue with Ho Ngoc Ha on the cover
She's the hottest singer in Vietnam right now and also a coach on The Voice Vietnam

Most Wanted
I really want the Cle de Peau luminizing powder and that eye/blush set from Shu Uemura

I See It First: golden looks
I chose golden eyes (left look) and red lips-gold eyes combo (right look)

Global News with Julianne Moore, Gwyneth, Tyra, the Kardashians, and Urban Decay

The focus of this issue is about nails

Beauty Report: gold in skincare
(it's not a good thing to use if you are allergic to gold!)

And last but not least: Beauty Blog
I got a chance to interview Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog for this issue
and it was my honor. Karen was like a sister to me when I started blogging
and this is an opportunity for me to pay her back.

That's all for now, folks! I hope you enjoy the snapshots I took from the magazines!

Take care,
Dao xoxo


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