Skin79 Derma RX bb cream vs Mac and Sugar

A lot of you have been asking me about BB Creams and if I've tried any before. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, BB Cream or "blemish balm" is a type of makeup that has swept Asia the last couple of years. It is similar to liquid foundation but is touted to have medicinal benefits and apparently was developed to help heal and conceal patients' skin after laser treatments and surgery.

I'm not sure how much of that has trickled down into mainstream bb creams, but it was enough hype to warrant at least trying it, right?

I bought mine from an ebay auction and got the type DermaRX from Skin79. I've heard that this one is good for acne-prone skin and is a bit darker than others, as well as having fairly good oil control. One bad things about bb creams is that they usually only come in 1 or 2 shades and as you will see, this is a bit grey on me.

I wanted to show the BB Cream size for comparison. This is a China Glaze nailpolish next to it. Pretty small tube, plus it is flatter on the sides.


Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm (beblesh because "blemish balm" was copyrighted), MAC Studio Sculpt foundation NC30, Sugar Tinted Moisturizer


Swatches: DermaRX is a bit grey, Studio Sculpt is closest but a bit too yellow, and Sugar is much too dark and orange. This is natural light.


Indoor light.


Skin79 DermaRX on my face.



Again, it's a bit light and grey on me. Not that bad though, and it does seep in more and match better after a few minutes. I thought the coverage was nice, light to medium applied with a foundation brush but you can layer on areas you need more coverage. I didn't find the oil control to be awesome, but I seem to get oily with any liquid foundations so it wasn't a surprise. Added benefits are that it has spf 20, tea tree oil for acne, and arbutin for whitening. Overall though, I find that I do prefer mineral foundation for everyday use as this still feels like liquid foundation to me.

Off and on lately, I've been mixing my facial moisturizer with a bit of DermaRX and the sugar tinted moisturizer to get my own color match and it's been working out quite well. After topping with Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust, coverage lasts longer than mineral makeup.

Too bad I'm just not a liquid makeup fan. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. I'm just too busy to apply it and mix-and-match everyday! I bought 2 tubes so I'll probably list the unopened one in my blog shop soon.

So, let me know in the comments. Have you tried bb creams? Which ones? What are your favorites? I may not give up completely on bb creams just yet if I can find a really good one that matches my skin better. :)

EOS Adult Grey Circle Lenses

As promised, here is part II of lens madness! This time I received a wonderful package from S2Janie of www.prettyandcute.com containing EOS Adult lenses in Grey. She is a great resource for buying circle lenses (colored contact lenses that enlarge your iris) and her shipping was safe and fast, plus she gives out freebies! I got a cute, blue Snoopy lens case. (please check out her lens shop if you are interested in circle lenses and please let her know Jen sent you!)

Not sure if they are a fairly newer series, but I haven't seen too many people wearing Adult lenses online yet. I will say that the pattern of these lenses are what drew me to them though. It's gorgeous and crystallized. There is no harsh limbal ring, only a soft violet one so it seems to look pretty natural. It doesn't enlarge much, but I prefer this type to lenses that make me look like an alien.

Here is a photo of the promo image of this lens.



It's difficult to really see the pattern from that small image but I can't seem to find any online that are higher quality. After doing some research, I think the lens type also goes under the code E-203 and also be sold by the company ColorVue. No concrete proof on that though, just my speculation.

I was hoping that it would look like a true grey on me, like in the promotional image, but the lens was more lavendar or sky blue on me. It changed depending on the lighting which is pretty cool, just not what I was expecting.

This is the same position, just with flash and without taken in my bathroom. See how the color is totally different?


With flash, bathroom light, and natural light.


Bathroom light makes it look violet


Natural light makes it look more grey or blue-grey


Violet-looking again!


Greyer



What's this?


Dragon tear-drop


I love these lenses so much! From farther away...


And close-up they sparkle


And this one turned out a lot like the promo image. I thought it showed the pattern well.



So I think these are officially my new favorite lens! They are quite noticeable and actually blend in well. You wouldn't think that would be so for such a light-colored lens. A part of me still does wish that it was grey-grey all the time, but I still think the blue and violet tints it turns are still flattering on me so it's not that bad. They are thinner than Soloticas also, but with just as much impact. I can't wait to see how these look with professional photography! I really want to try the E.O.S. Adult browns next to see if they sparkle as much as these do. :D

Just for comparison, I took more photos with the Hidrocharme Verde Marines on the same day so I'll show a few more next time. I think they came out better than last time. Yay for lens-porn.

Let me know what you think of these lenses! Also, let me know what your favorite lens color is. My first favorite was green, but I think blue/grey has officially won me over. :)

J

Solotica Hidrocharme Verde Marine

Hello everyone! This will be lens madness week as I have a couple of new lenses to show you. I am very excited about these and although I am not a frequent lens wearer, I do love the extra pop it can give eyes for special occasions and photos. I hope you guys find the photos and reviews helpful. ^^

The first are a pair of Soloticas that were generously sent to me from wrlens.com. Although I haven't personally ordered through their website, the people I talked to were very kind and their website is very user-friendly since it is already set up in English. They also have an informative blog with real photos of the lenses in eyes as well as video reviews. From my experience, they are also quick to answer e-mails.

I already have tried ocre, mel, and ice so I thought I would get something new this time. Verde Marine is an aqua color which is a very bright bluish-green. In most photos I've seen of this color, the color has leaned more toward bright blue but in natural light on me, it looks almost hulk green at times. Maybe it is because I have very dark eyes and have red undertones in my eyes. I have no idea.

Anyway, here are my photos:

My package of goodies. There was a nylon Solotica backpack-sack, bubble-wrapped lenses, lens case (color matches lens color), and a note.



It came like this. Weird that it was ripped. But I think the name is the same guy at wrlens who sent me the package.


Pretty lenses! See how the pattern gets more translucent in the center? This gives the lens a blended pupil for a more natural look.


Opening the bottle



And here are a few photos of the verde marines in my eyes:

(all without flash) next to my cosmetic light, next to window, batrhoom light


bathroom light


how it looks from farther away


by the window


in direct sunlight


window behind me


window again


And a couple of me just being silly.




Overall, I do like these lenses but I think I prefer my hidrocharme ices. I would've liked these to have been a bit more blue and I'm not sure if it's just the camera or what, but I think these make me look more tan. They are not a very natural color. I also didn't do any color-correcting in my photos and the camera made me look either too yellow or too red with these on. Very strange! They are very fun and dramatic lenses though. If you like drama, these are for you. I also think they'd be more flattering with lighter hair.

Stay tuned for my review on EOS Adult Grey lenses next time. :)

My 1st Anniversary - wedding pics, tips & nostalgia

Aughhhh! I just wrote the entire post up for hours and for some reason, almost all of it deleted and autosaved with almost nothing. T_T Anyway, here's me rewriting everything.

*******


Hey everyone! Sorry I have been posting less frequently lately but it is because my 1 year anniversary is coming up on Sunday! I can't believe it has already been one year and I can't imagine having lived any other way. It has even been, dare I say, easy?

It could be that we had dated for 7 years before we got married and got a lot of bumps out in the past but being around my best friend has been so rewarding emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We are both really good about filling up each others' emotional bank accounts with hugs, laughter, and inside jokes and that helps to sustain us for when times get rough. As long as you are really ready, there is nothing better.

Now, on with the wedding photos.

Size 4 Linea Paolo heels. Mmm, shiny and sparkly!

Tiara


The bouquet. LOVE orchids, they were the theme of my wedding.


My tools. :D


The bridesmaids' dresses. I loved the Grecian goddess bust and the black velvet waist.


My dress


The gorgeous church. Orchids on the pews!


Getting ready


Last minute touch-ups on my maid of honor


I love the little buttons at the back of my dress


Getting my bling put on


Omma adjusting my necklace. <3


This dress had SO many layers that needed to be puffed out!



Crystal lily centerpiece. My mom and I put these all together. :)



Getting the giant veil put on


Pastor and hubs


Appa and me (and my bouquet! Both of which I were gripping onto for dear life!)


Ring, ring!


The kiss (or as my pastor called it, "You may now do the... Holy love action."


Too ridiculously happy


It's all over, we're hitched!



The after-party with a bit of my favorite, salsa dancing!


Our choreographed "Thriller" dance


Our couples dance


That's it, goodnight everyone!



Haha, sorry for so many photos but it was just too hard to choose! Thank you so much to Kassia for her wonderful photography to capture my wedding day. It still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Now onto the makeup talk! There are a few rules that you are going to want to keep in mind for your wedding or special event like prom. I know rules are meant to be broken but for the makeup to last all day and look good in photography, these are good rules to keep in mind:

1. Stay away from glitter and shimmery makeup. You want the photos to show your face, not white reflective dots all over. This includes mineral makeup.

2. Stay away from sunscreen or anything with spf because it will give your face a white cast in photos. The only exception is an outdoor wedding. :)

3. USE PRIMERS! Urban Decay Primer Potion is always great for eyelids, and a face primer is sure to keep your face matte and looking smooth with no touch ups for longer.

4. Consider using long-wear lip colors. I used Maybelline Superstay Gloss in 160 Glass Rose.

5. If you are bent on using lipstick, first apply liner on the entire lip and then the lipstick. Blot lips on a tissue, apply a second layer of lipstick, and dust loose powder over the lips through a tissue. This will set the lipstick and make it last.

6. I recommend using all matte eyeshadows. You can get away with something with a satin finish on the lid or crease, but at least get a good matte highlight color. I used NYX single eyeshadows in white and brown, and the Revlon Colorstay quad in Copper Spice.

7. Exfoliate your skin and lips the day before so you have a smooth canvas to work on.

8. Consider using false eyelashes. They really make eyes shine in photos!

9. Buy and use a new tube of WATERPROOF MASCARA. You will cry. Other people will cry. You will cry because other people cry. Even if you don't, you still want to be safe. ;)

10. Practice! If you are doing your own makeup, you want a game plan before the big day. You'll want the least amount of surprises, trust me. If you are having a makeup artist, is really pays to have a trial run so you know what you are getting. There is nothing worse than feeling awful or self-conscious because you weren't prepared for an uncomfortable makeup artist job. Same goes for hair!

11. Go a little more dramatic than usual, but stick with a classic look that you will be comfortable with. Trendy is fun, but you want everything to stand the test of time. Just look at old 80's wedding pics! Ahhh, the hair and makeup!!!

12. Don't forget your nails. So many people will ask to see your ring and your hand will be photographed more than usual. A simple pale pink or french manicure is really clean and classy.

13. Hire an awesome photographer! Your pretty makeup and dress will all be just memories without a great photographer to capture them. Do not skimp on this, and check out photographers' portfolios before you agree for them to shoot your wedding.

14. Get plenty of sleep and drink a lot of water. You will be going at full speed so it will REALLY be needed!

15. Relax, have fun, and don't sweat the small stuff. No wedding is perfect so whatever happens, just roll with it and have a good time. :)

Good luck and congratulations all of you who are getting married, have already been married, and want to get married some day. It's a truly beautiful thing and I hope you guys enjoy having read about mine as much as I had sharing it with you.

XOXO