Face Painting and Playing MP3 Shuffle

Hello, everybody!

Sorry for the late post today! I'm having some sort of a cold feeling that I can't quite shake out of my body. It's either getting better or it's going to drag me down. Only time can tell :(

Because of that, I can't make a real post today. So I have to resort to old materials and somehow manage a post. And boy, let me tell you I should do this more often. I actually have lots of stuff that can make some decent posts if I patch them together.

So, today's story goes like this: Once upon a time, a makeup blogger got some time, eyeliners, and lip liners in her hands. She went to the bathroom and decided to get creative. And here's the result:

It's part Zorro, part wood nymph, part Nero from the new Star Trek movie

It's Halloween comes early!

While it was a lot of fun, I would not do this unless it's Halloween. It took me 2 pieces of EDM face wipes and a pack of Eyeko wipe to clean up the "creativity" on my face :) And in the future, if I decide to run for office, please do not use this against me!

Now, part 2 of the "I-don't-feel-so-well" post: Playing MP3 Shuffle

It's simple, really: all you need is your MP3 player (or iPod, or Zune, or ...whatever, you get the idea, right?) and set it in shuffle mode. Mine is the ancient Creative MuVo 1Gb mp3 player that surprisingly, still playing. And here's my list of 25 shuffled songs:

1. This Love by Maroon 5
2. Kiss from a Rose by Seal
3. You’re Beautiful by James Blunt
4. Don’t Trust Me by 3!OH3
5. Ngau Nhien by Trinh Cong Son (Vietnamese song)
6. My Happy Ending by Avril Lavign
7. Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
8. 4 in the Morning by Gwen Stefani
9. Don’t Speak by No Doubt
10. Noise concentration for staying awake :)

11. Harder to Breath by Maroon 5
12. Ru em tung ngon xuan nong by Trinh Cong Son (Vietnamese song, sang by Khanh Ly)
13. Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira
14. Bad Day by Daniel Powter
15. Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolph, ft. Lil’ Wayne
16. Collide by Howie Day
17. If I Were a Boy by BC Jean (the author of this song, not Beyonce)
18. Material Girl by Madonna
19. She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
20. Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
21. My Love by Justin Timberlake
22. Stronger by Kanye West
23. Ironic by Alanis Morrisette
24. Circus by Britney Spears
25. Come Clean by Hillary Duff

I am a shameless listener to pop music. There are some rock and hip hop songs in the mp3 player as well, but they didn't make it to the list. Ah well, there will be another list for another rainy day.



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MAC 217 Blending Brush: I Can’t Live, If Livin’ Is Without You

Hi there, pretty people!

A quick flashback to the 90s when Mariah Carey still had curly hair, did not sing hip-hop, and did not have an in-house photo retouch person. Although I was not as much of a Mariah’s fan back then, I remember belting “Without You” using all the air from the bottom of my stomach:

“No, I can’t forget this evening or your face as you were leaving but I guess that’s just the way the story goes. You always smile but in your eyes, your sorrow shows. Yes, it shows…”

[more singin’ and beltin’ until the chorus]

“I can’t liveeeeeeee, if livin’ is without you
I can’t live, can’t live anymoreeeeeeeeeee…”

Ok, around this part of the song, either (a) I passed out because of the lack of oxygen or (b) somebody- usually my dad- would run to the room and chased me around with a stick so I would shut up. Since then, I knew I was no Mariah but still, “Without You” remains my karaoke guilty pleasure.

MAC 217: up-close and personal

It was not coincidental when I link MAC 217 to “Without You”. Seriously, it was my mistake not to get this brush any earlier. And I know why: it ain’t cheap, people! At $21.50 USD a brush, the 217 is not the most expensive brush that MAC ever produced. However, it is not the cheapest one in the lineup either. I have resisted the charm of MAC 217 for ages (well, at least for three years, but you get the idea.) I got Sonia Kashuk blending brush ($5.99 a pop, a steal!) and Loew-Cornell Ann’s Mini Mop ¼ inch ($2 something, definitely another steal!) Yet, I did not feel satisfy (which I need to cue another song: “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”).

(L-R)" Loew-Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8', L-C AMM 1/4', MAC 217

(L-R): MAC 239, 217, and SK blending brush

The SK blending brush, while doing a kick-ass job during my blending sessions on the smokey eyes, is a tad too big. It is actually very similar to MAC 224 (but a lot cheaper!) While I love it, sometimes I find the SK blending brush to muddle up my colors, especially when they are not in the same family.

The Ann’s Mini Mop (or AMM) is a great brush to apply eyeshadow to the outer-v area. However, it is not full enough to blend. Even when I did my best to blend eye shadows with the AMM, it always leaves a streaky line. So, I reserve it for applying eye shadows only.

With the weaknesses of the two above brushes comes the strength of MAC 217. To be honest, the 217 is a hybrid between MAC 239 and MAC 224. It has the flatness, strength, and durability of the 239 as well as the flair, length, flexibility, and softness of the 224. On top of that, the 217 tops the other two by having better precision: I can apply two very different colors (eg, blue and brown) without being afraid of them mixing up. The 217 simply places the blue on top of the brown and that’s it, there’s nothing in between!

As I mentioned it as a hybrid brush, the 217 can be used to apply eye shadows without blending as well. Although it feels a bit awkward at first, I like to use it to apply highlighting colors to the area underneath the brow bone and the inner corner of my eyes.

MAC 217 blending brush is a seriously good brush. If you haven’t had it yet, I highly suggest you to get it. I waited for three years and it’s worth the wait. Once in a while, this brush does pop up in MAC special edition eye brush set. However, the 217SE is not as full or soft as the full size one. This brush I have is a dream to use: it is really soft and silky! Everytime I use it, I always am thankful to have this brush in my life.

The only caveat I find in this brush is the white goat hair: it’s a pain to clean! When I use mineral eye shadows, the colors usually wash off very easily. However, the pan eye shadows are a bit of trouble and I find my face wash (Neutrogena Deep Clean) to do a good job removing them. Another tip I’ve learned when it comes to cleaning white goat hair brushes is to wash with Dove bar soap. The person who gave me this tip said it cleans the bristles really well and keep them soft.

My brush roll, can you name all the brushes in there?

And finally, today's soundtrack: "Without You" by Mariah Carey

That's all, folks! I hope you'll have a good week ahead!



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Sunday Beauty Reads

Hi everybody,

Once again, we are facing Sunday. I don't know about you, but I have a big case of Monday-itis. The pretty ladies on the blogsphere and I have gathered our bestest of the best posts for your indulgence. There are several giveaways and interesting reviews. I hope you all enjoy them!


A Little More Beautiful is giving away 1 Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Honey!!

Do you love stilettos but really can't walk comfortably in them? The Advice Sisters discovered a unique tote so you can walk in comfort and in style and have your stilettos, too

Beauty Anonymous loves Chubby Cheeks from Essie's summer 2009 collection.

Dao from My Makeup Blog uses L'Oreal HiP Kohl Liners to create a makeup look suitable for the party scene.

Bésame Cosmetics is revamping its retro glam line. The first product from the revamp is the Voluptuous Lip Color Set. More Than a Pretty Face reviews.

Visit Lipgloss Break and Enter to Win Sunkissed Glow by JLo and AminoGenesis Perfect Reflection!

eye4style has a solution for stressed, puffy eyes - meet Sampar's Eye Rule!

The Makeup Divas reviews several new products from MAC's new Colourcraft Collection.

Hot Beauty Health helps you find your favorite body scrub for glowing skin and discovers a new treatment for hyperhidrosis sufferers.

Type rest of the post here



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