Claire's Mood-Changing Nail Polish in Wild/Calm Review

Hey guys! I first of all just want to do a little update on my life. I know that I've been posting slightly less often lately than usual and this is because my life has been a bit crazy lately. I've been feeling a lot of stress and have been extra busy at work and at home as well. I thank God that hubby finally found a job, which is such a blessing in this economy, but it does also mean that there has been less time for everything else. I don't think I've been getting enough sleep and I've had stress dream-nightmares for the last couple of days. I'm sure it's a natural thing that will eventually pass though, so I just want to say thank you for being supportive of the blog since you all really give me strength at times.  <3

I've been trying to squeeze in times to edit some older videos that are backlogged and I had promised that I would post this nail polish review so I uploaded it tonight! It's from the same day that I recorded my Paul&Joe Alice in Wonderland set review if you recognize my outfit. ;)

This is a nail polish that I had heard a lot of hype about among the nail polish blogs that I follow. It's a line of color changing polishes from Claire's, a US-based accessories chain in nearly every mall I've ever been to. I picked up two colors, a teal-turquoise one and the one in my review here, Wild/Calm, a pink-to-purple nail polish.

Here's the color of the polish when my fingers are medium-colder:

And here's the color when my fingers are warm:

But the best way to really appreciate this polish is to have longer nails since it can give a cool funky-french manicure effect with a gradient of pink-to-purple on the nail tips. This naturally happens since your hands are warm but the nail hanging past the finger is colder so it changes to the secondary color.

Just because it looks so different in changes of lightling, I took more pics a couple days later. All the same polish! Look how dark and light it gets. I think it's pretty impressive!

I know it's probably slightly childish of me and I'll admit I don't go into Claire's very often but I just thought this was wicked. The only downside that just KILLED this for me was that it chipped very quickly! Not quite as quickly as my matte Zoya polishes, but it had some pretty good chips after the second day. Only because it's so cool is it worth it. Honestly, I know I will wear this again since it's just like you have 2 polishes in 1. I'll be interested to see what the teal-turquoise Mood polish is like in comparison terms of wear. No swatch pics yet, but it is a cream polish unlike this sparkly one. ^.^

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the review and pics. If you have any words of encouragement to get me through another long work week, I'd love to hear it! It never hurts to share out more love, am I right?

xoxo

Natural Beach Copper Coral Monolid Makeup Tutorial

Hello everyone! I had a looot of requests to do a summer makeup look that will especially work for hot and humid weather so I recorded this while I was at the lake on vacation. The key points to this look are sunscreen, cream + powder blush combo, and waterproof or water-resistent eye makeup. I also used items that would be easy to pack up and travel with. ^.^

This one is a look for monolidders (or those with single eyelids, AKA lids with no visible crease) since I didn't want to use any tape, glue, or lashes when I knew I'd be getting into water. It's a really natural look so the shadow would be appropriate for wearing everyday.

****Oh, before I get to the video I also wanted to note that the From Head To Toe shop is now officially open! I'm selling Wonder Eyelid Tape [click here for previous post + application video] so if you were interested in it please feel free to check it out.****

Products used:

Lancome Photogenic Concealer in Camee *discontinued product, sorry guys :(
NYX Cream Blush in Rose Petal
NYX Mosaic Powder in Dare
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Revlon Colorstay Quad in Copper Spice
DollyWink Liquid Liner
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
Lioele Up & Down Waterproof Mascara
Strawberry Rosebud Lipbalm
Shu Uemura Tsumori Chisato Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in Jupiter Brown
Smashbox Lipgloss in Cactus Flower

If you'll notice, I used the Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow quad which I absolutely love and have used in the past here, here, and here. Actually, if you click "neutral looks" under the labels on the bar at the right, I use it in about half. It was one of my first staple eyeshadows that I wore everyday and I still use it occasionally when I don't want to think too hard about what shadow combos to wear. It's very flattering on Asian skintones and I'm still looking for a high-end dupe to the copper shade! I know, silly right? I'm looking for a high-end dupe to a drugstore product. What's wrong with me?! ;D

But anyway, it's a pretty simple look and I did indeed wear it out to play in the lake that day. ^.^

Just a couple pics of the final look:

And I know it looks the same, but OMG look how tan I look with flash. I wore so much sunscreen and I got so tan already. O.O

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this look. I know it's really very basic but I think those suffering in the sweltering weather lately like me will maybe appreciate it. On that note, I have a question that I'll pose for the comments: What is your best makeup tip for hot, sweaty, humid weather?

My answer:

Eucerin Everyday Protection face lotion with spf 30. It's oil-free, non-greasy, and doesn't break me out. I've been wearing it every single morning! It's my perfect summer day moisturizer.

Ok now your turn to share your tips.......GO!

Sale Alerts for Little Boobies! ;)

This is for all the ladies with itty bitties! I've been hearing so much hype about The Little Bra Company bras on my favorite petite fashion blogs Alterations Needed and Extra Petite so I was super excited for the sale they have going on at Ideeli right now! They carry size 28A-36B which in my humble opinion is totally wicked.

Click the pic below for an invite if you aren't already signed up with ideeli. It's a site similar to Hautelook. :)

If you are like me and have issues finding bras that fit due to not being able to find a small enough band or cup size you should definitely check this brand out. For the record, I measure as being around a 29 band (25" under-boob measurement + 4 = 29) so I rounded up to 30A. The Little Bra Company runs small like "petite" clothing ranges so I'm hoping it's the perfect fit! It'll be a nice change considering I've never actually owned a bra that fit me correctly, according to my lingerie department working friend.

I'm ordering the Lucia (sale $29, orig $56) and Isis (sale $24, orig $54), both push ups for the girls. Trust me, I need the extra lift!

Additionally, I've recently ordered some size 30A bras from the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual sale going on right now as well. I bet you didn't even know VS has 30 bands but online they do! I bought this one in grey leopard and buff.

And this one in 32A in the clearance bins in stores for $26.99 (it's still full price online). Isn't it gorgeous? The lace at the top is see-through in real life so it actually looks really better than in this pic.

I'm crossing my fingers that these bras all fit! For once. ;D

Beautyticket.com Giveaway Winner!

Sorry it took so long the get the winner announced but I am happy to let you all know that the randomly selected winner of the beautyticket.com $100 giftcard giveaway is....

...Tania! She said, "I would definately buy anything YSL too! I've always wanted to try their products but they are sooo expensive!"


I definitely know what you mean. Good thing it's already discounted at Beautyticket.com, PLUS now you have $100 to spend. I envy you. ^.~


I'm sending you an e-mail. Please respond to me within 1 week, otherwise I will choose another winner. Cheers and congrats! :)

Janth Avenue and Joyce Jewelry Goodies!

Hey everyone! Things have been super crazy on my end lately. Sometimes I feel like being busy never, never ends but at the end of the day it's better to be too busy than not busy enough, right?

If you follow my Twitter, you may have heard some murmurings about the New York Times contacting me for an article. I promise I'm not trying to be too mysterious about it, I just don't want to jinx myself before it comes out! I have my fingers crossed that it will promote my opinions and myself in a positive manner. If not, there is always the saying that there's "no such thing as bad publicity". No worries, the article isn't about me, it's just about circle lenses. ;) I'll definitely link it or scan it or whatever once it comes out but I don't actually know when that will be!

Anyway, on to the main topic of this post, here is a truly belated review I did on Janth Avenue jewelry and Joyce Jewelry. Both sweet ladies had sent me some wonderful items and I wanted to share them with you. (By the way, I didn't choose this screencap. It was youtube's HAPPY default! lol) This was recorded a couple months ago so forgive my Spring/Summer reference!

And here are some shots of my favorite pieces:

From Janth Avenue

And Joyce Jewelry

I forgot to add this in the video, but she also sent me this lovely scarf! I love the lightweight, soft texture and I've been mad about florals all spring and summer so I definitely wanted to show this off. I've been wearing it with EVERYTHING.

And just for kicks, I wanted to show off the back of this awesome t-shirt dress I found at Forever 21. Love the little bows and the open sections in the back! This was my setup for videos before I moved my vanity back to my 2nd bathroom, aka the "girl room." When everything is set up and organized I'll have to show you guys how I've set things up, and maybe also show a peek at my makeup collection. At least, how I have things organized. :)

It's been a long day so I'm about to go pass out. Love you guys and thanks again Janth Avenue and Joyce Jewelry! I'm always so humbled that you'd think of me to send items to. <3

Behind the Scenes: Photoshoot with Kelley, Kassia, and Me! (pic heavy)

Hey everyone! As you may have picked up from reading my blog, I really love to share my love for makeup and beauty. This can only mean that one of my favorite things to do is express, express, express myself in multiple facets! I'm so blessed to have some amazingly talented friends to have fun together with, so I wanted to share some of those moments with you. ^.^

A couple of months ago my good friend Kassia, who happens to be an incredible photographer, invited me to come along to her photographer friend Kelley's house to have a just-for-fun shoot. I brought some of my kit and the two talented women brought their weapons of choice (camera, a balloon, jewelry, etc.)

Here's some behind the scenes video that Kassia caught of me applying makeup on Kelley and some of Kelley's gorgeous shots:

And I did my own makeup of course too! It was a pinky-brown look with extra-long winged liner, one of my favorite "natural but popping" looks. The weather was just ridiculously nice and Kelley lives out in the country with acres of land so they caught an incredible sunset that gave everything this heavenly warmth.

Here are a few shots that Kassia took of me.

And some that Kelley took. Can you see a difference in their styles? I think it's fascinating! Love it! :)

And one of the incomparably beautiful Kelley. She's actually currently offering a special deal on mini-shoots for $250/30 minutes of shooting and 15 edited images on a cd for you to print. Contact kelley@kelley-photo.com for more details. :)

For kicks, they also took some old school polaroids. I just adore how authentic these look. Somehow they seem more like you are actually catching reality off guard. Its innate imperfections make it that much more beautiful.

I know it was SO many photos but with these two amazing, friendly, professional photographer friends, everything was just a blast and I am constantly reminiscing about the experience. ^.^ Nothing like good memories caught on film to brighten your day. Thank you so much Kassia and Kelley! You two shine like bright beacons in a world where everyone with a camera thinks they are a master photographer. You don't take pictures, you create art and I will always be in awe of your talent and inner beauty as well.

Hope you could feel transported along with me to our vision of sunshine, giant balloons, yellow grass, brown boots, and smiles. :)

Adore Bi-Tone Grey Colored Contact Lens Review

Today's review is on some lenses that I've really been adoring (no pun intended... or is it?). Adore is a European brand of colored contacts that curiously reminds me a lot of Solotica lenses which I've posted about in the past a few times before. The thing that really makes both Adore Bi-tones and Soloticas stand out from the rest is the faded pupil hole which gives a very natural appearance to the eyes since the color blends in with your natural eye color.

First off, here is my video review of Adore Bi-Tone Grey lenses.

One thing I was really happy about was the fact that the color of these lenses is what I consider to be a true grey. On very dark eyes, all grey-toned or other white-based lenses seem to pull very blue or violet. Although Adore Bi-Tone Grey still does look slightly blue it is still much more neutral than other grey lenses I've tried. 

Also, compared to my Solotica Hidrocharme Ice they are a bit less opaque but are also thinner and more comfortable. I know many people, myself included, had difficulties with Soloticas since they are quite thick and didn't allow as much oxygen to the eye as other colored lenses so this may be a good alternative. Actually the pattern of Bi-tones is VERY similar to Solotica Natural Colors since they both have the dashed-line limbal ring. 

These are 3 month replacement lenses which is both a pro and con since they are probably going to be more healthy for your eyes but also can be pretty pricey compared to buying 1 set of annual lenses. Most circle lenses are around $15-$30 for 1 pair of annual lenses while Soloticas are around $75 after shipping from Brazil for a pair of annual lenses. Adore Bi-Tone lenses are currently €27.15 at lensmarketplace.com which is about $32.50 in USD. After the €5.95 ($8.27) shipping charge, they are around $40 for a pair of 3-month lenses. BUT if you are a frequent lens buyer then you are probably like me and get bored of 1 style of lenses quickly anyway. ^.^

Here are my pics:

In cooler light

And warmer light

Here are close-ups in slightly different lighting. First is natural light indoors, then more direct sunlight, and finally full-face sunlight. You can click to see the enlarged photos.

Face-punch photo. Gotta have at least one obligatory Asian pose in there, right? XD

The packaging. They come in a really adorable prism-shaped container with two slots for blister packs.

Packaging is yummy!

Here's a close-up of the lenses themselves. Notice the dashed limbal ring and faded pupil hole.

Aaaand one last one with messy hair just because I thought it looked awesome. Haha. Gotta love good hair days!

So tell me what you think about these lenses in the comments. I personally think they are wicked and I'm happy to have found a more eye-friendly alternative to my beloved Soloticas that I can't even seem to wear anymore for how dry and tired they make my eyes. The grey color is natural and a great shade for both regular days and going out and it doesn't wash me out like bluer grey lenses do. I love them!

Disclaimer: These lenses were sent to me for review from lensmarketplace.com. I have no affiliation with them and am in no way paid for this review. My reviews, as always, are my 100% honest opinion. :)

Peaches & Green FOTD

So, this look may or may not have been from St. Patrick's Day. We are just going to pretend that I regularly match all-green on any ordinary day because that's what reasonable, ordinary people do and obviously I am a reasonable and ordinary person. Ahem.

Green is one of those colors that I think everyone can pull off. It's especially nice on those with green, hazel, or brown eyes and it's much easier to have it not clash with Asian skin than, say, blue or other cooler colors. If you think about nature and how nice trees look then it's not so hard to imagine the same colors working well for makeup, right? ^.^

One of my favorite ways to wear bright colors is using it as a "pop" of color on a more neutral lid which is exactly what I've done here.

Here's a close-up of my eye. I did a basic neutral lid, MAC Fluidline for the eyeliner, Sugar criss-cross lashes, and a nice dose of Urban Decay's green 24/7 liners with Graffiti on the waterline and Covet smudged underneath. I skipped any black liner on the bottom lashes and instead had a nice long coat of mascara to open up the eyes.

For base makeup, I used Lioele's Beyond the Solution BB Cream which has great coverage but I have since stopped using since Skin 79's Super Functions (hot pink) BB matches my skintone better. One effect that I do find interesting looking at the photos where I used the Lioele is that it gives that really flat, almost mannequin-like perfect look to the face. Maybe it's just how it reacts to my skin but this is definitely something to keep in mind for those interested in purchasing. This is high on the coverage-scale and low on the glowy-scale. I'll have to do a review and comparison soon on the BB's that I currently own which are only Lioele Beyond the Solution, Skin79 hot pink, and Skin79 DermaRX.

I'm also using Lioele's Cushion Touch Blusher which I still love. The matte baby pink looks more peachy here since I'm wearing the Canmake Maxi Volume Rouge in 22 Peach Beige that I got as a gift from Eki. Thank you for the lippy babe I love the color sooo much! I'm very much obsessed with peach shades lately. ^.^

I know this is terribly late and I had already posted this color in my last nail post but I wanted to show how my NYX Las Vegas polish matched the eye color and also my shirt. I LOVE MATCHING OKAY? We should all have our own club called "matchers anonymous" where we can commiserate about how our lives aren't color-coordinated enough.

And this shot I think came out a bit artistically so I just wanted to share. My lovely Lioele Princess Mirror which I <3 a little too much. Speaking of which, yes, the coupon code frmheadtotoe still works at prettyandcute.com for a free princess mirror for orders over $30. You can choose baby pink or hot pink, just write frmheadtotoe in the comments at checkout. I was getting a lot of questions about it. :)

Time for dinner and editing more videos! Love you guys and hope you have a fun, fantastic, amazing weekend! I'll just leave you with one question to answer in the comments: If you color-coordinated an entire outfit from head to toe (har har) what color would you choose?

xoxo

Disclaimer: Lioele products provided by Pretty and Cute, and the pegasus necklace is mix-matched DSK Jewelry.