Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My Russian Christmas

Hello from Minnesota!!  It's super cold over here but the snow is really pretty.  I can actually say I had a "White Christmas".  I hope everyone had a really good Christmas with lots of gifts and good food.  


There's so many good after Christmas sale going on right now!  I went to the Mall of America yesterday for the first time and did some major damage :)


Today's post is not really beauty related but consist of mostly snow and food!




snow!




and more snow!




snow is so pretty to look at but really a pain to drive in



that's me trying to keep warm with my scoodie (hoodie scarf hehe)


Russian Christmas Dinner



the appetizers




pies stuffed with meat and mushrooms




pickled vegetables (they are so good!)









stewed tongue with horse radish 




some sort of spread




I forgot the name of this dish but it's basically a beef,garlic,gelatin mold and you eat it cold








main course: beef stroganoff with buckwheat and mash potatoes












dessert! cake and creampuffs




everything was super delicious, my stomach was so round and big after this dinner


I'm on a pretty tight schedule over here so barely have any chance to hop on the computer!  I wanted to blog about this a few days ago but didn't get a chance to.  Right now my bf's in the shower so it was my golden opportunity to blog real quick!


I'm definitely going to look for another opening so I can finally catch up on everyone's blog as well!  Until then...take care everyone.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Last hauls of 2009 then off to see some snow!

Happy Holidays Everyone!  I just wanted to wish everyone love, happiness, and lots of good food.  I'm flying to Minnesota (bf's family lives there) on Christmas morning and will be staying there for a week.  I will have access to the internet over there and will be reading and catching up to everyone's blog regularly.  I'm also going to try to do some posts while I'm there but they will mostly be about food and probably my snow adventure (since I grew up in LA seeing snow everywhere is pretty exciting for me).

Here are some of my recent and probably last hauls for 2009! 

H&M


Went to H&M the other day and they had a really good sale going on so picked up a few items.



Cardigan Tunic - Super comfy and great with leggings or skinny jeans




Shirt dress tunic - I thought this was really cute





Doesn't look bad with a cardigan over it either..




Also picked up these pumps because they were only $12.95!  I'm a sucker for a good deal.




I probably won't be wearing these anytime soon because I'm more of a flats kind of girl but they are pretty to look at and play dress up with!

Walgreens





I was always curious about Bumpits so had to get this to try, hopefully they work well.

Sephora, Blog Sale, Swap




Lunasol Black Tea Palette - Blog Sale
MUFE Aqua Eyes - Sephora VIB discount
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows - Swap

Preparing for the cold...



It's so hard to pack for a trip sometimes because I always want to bring my whole closet!  Since it's really cold up there I'm already planning on bringing all the warm gear that I have.





Hope everyone get's what they wished for this year!


Love,


Amy

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Holiday Lip Picks - Secret Santa - Award


Hello...hello!  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  I actually did a little bit of shopping and wow the malls and shops are so packed at the moment because of people doing some last minute Christmas shopping! I am actually guilty of being a last minute gift shopper because there are still a few people that I have not yet shopped for so gotta do that soon!


Since Christmas is getting closer and closer I thought it would be fun to do a post about my favorite lip colors for the Holidays.  This year I find myself really loving deep vibrant colors with a little bit of glam. 


My lipstick/lipgloss collection is not that impressive so I really don't own too many.  These picks are from stuff in my collection, so I'm not picking out my favorites from all the products that are available out there.


Glossin' It


MAC Dazzleglass Creme - Amorous


I think MAC Dazzleglass and Dazzleglass Creme (favorite formula) are great lip glosses for the Holidays.  I never really used them before because I thought they were a bit too glittery for every day wear but I just recently discovered how amazing they are.  They really can instantly add that touch of glam that you need for any occasion!





Amorous -  Deep red/burgundy wine color


This color is so gorgeous and sexy!  It might be too much for day time wear for some people but it will definitely get you notice at any party.  I actually like to wear this gloss alone since it's so pigmented but you can also pair it with something.




MAC Dazzleglass - Extra Amps



Extra Amps - Sheer hot pink/fuschia color 


This color is really cute and is perfect if you just want a little glitz but don't want to over do it.  Since this is on the sheer side it works best if you pair it with something.  I like this over a baby pink lipstick.



MAC Dazzleglass Creme - Luscious Spark



Luscious Spark (the one on the left/bottom) - Red coral color


This is my absolute favorite!  It's when you kind of want red lips but you don't want to go all red.  The color is just so festive and fun.  I usually wear this gloss by itself, it gives me the perfect bright coral lips.



Nars Lipgloss - Dolce Vita



Dolce Vita - Plum rose color (glossy with no shimmers)


I got this sample from Sephora and absolutely went gaga over it (swatch in the photo with luscious spark).  I didn't care too much for Striptease but I love Dolce Vita so much I actually already ordered a full size. It has just the right pigmentation and covers up my lips perfectly. The formula is super creamy with a glossy finish.  Since it has no shimmers it is perfect for day or night.  It gives my lips the perfect berry stained look.


Lipsticks


Clinique - Pink Chocolate




Pink Chocolate - Berry Mauve color

This color is berry-licious!  It's like you've been eating berries all day..yum  I never really cared for Clinique lipsticks but their formula is actually really nice.  It's not too drying and the staying power is decent.



Revlon Colorstay Sheer - Sheer Coral



Sheer Coral- Red/Orange color


Revlon Colorstay lipsticks are super buttery!  I was so amazed when I applied it because of how smooth it felt on my lips.  This is a sheer color so it's perfect to add just a nice tint of color to your lips.



Jill Stuart Lipstick - Rosy Coral



Rosy Coral - Rosy Pink color


This is a really cute color and goes on sheer as well.  It gives your lips a nice flush (just like how a blush would give cheeks that flush look), and you can never go wrong with little hints of shimmers.




This is an example of how the perfect lip product can turn a sad party into a rad party? lol



Sad party.....until



 MAC Amorous saved the day!




now it's a rad party..woohoo!




So what are your favorite lip products this season?



*Secret Santa Package*


I participated in Secret Santa this year that was hosted by Kay (http://bihadadiaries.blogspot.com/).  It was so much fun and I was very excited when my secret santa package came!


My secret santa this year was Aichaku (http://aichakubeautification.blogspot.com/), she really surprised me with some goodies.  Thanks Karen and Kay :)





L'oreal Color Appeal e/s Palette, L'oreal Color Riche Lipstick, Paul & Joe Powder Refill


Everything was nicely wrapped but I got so excited that I tore everything up before taking pictures :/


In her note she stated that she tried to get me stuff that wasn't available in the US.







The colors in this palette look so pretty, can't wait to try.


She also included some of her handmade jewelry.





These earrings are way too adorable!





This is a little charm that you can clip on to your bag, cell phone, keys etc.  





last but not least, she included this gorgeous bracelet!  I love everything..thank you..thank you ...thank you!


It would be so nice if I had a year round Secret Santa that sent me gifts every month haha (wishful thinking)


Awards


I love getting blog awards, it just really does make you feel special and all tingly inside.


I Frequently Read Your Award 



This was given to me by Cynthia (http://delhisbeautyaddict.blogspot.com/) one of my favorite blogger girls.  She is super gorgeous and has an amazing beauty blog.  Please go check her out if you already haven't done so. 


Thank you so much for this award!


Rules:  You have to tag 10 blogs that you read frequently


I think I read way more than 10 blogs frequently but since I have to pick just 10 I'm going to randomly name the first ones that pop up in my head.


1. Lisa - Shopnchomp
2.Julie - Pop Champagne
3.Lindah - OnlyxLindah
4.Nee - Kitty Loves Makeup
5.Blair -Bijin Blair
6.Daituf
7.Lane - Blovet Beauty
8.Dina - Voyageur
9.Verina - Vanilla
10.Cat - Pretty Shiny Things


...ahhh there's so many more, I seriously have like 40+ blogs that I love!


That's it for today gals, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Review: Shiseido Integrate Palette BE300

Hi beauties!  I finally got around to playing with make up again after being lazy for the past few weeks.  They were all screaming "use me, use me" every time I opened my make up drawer.

Since I was so in love with the Shiseido Integrate Lip Gloss I figured I give their Eyeshadow Palette a try.  Karen was kind enough to include one in our last swap package.

 

Shiseido Integrate Palette in BE300.  This has a mix of neutral colors with a pop of olive/khaki green.

Top Color - Sheer canary yellow with hints of shimmer
Left Middle - Sheer White with hints of shimmer
Right Middle - Matte Olive/Khaki green
Bottom Color - Sheer Nude/Champagne with hints of shimmer

 

All the colors are pretty simple and sheer besides the green (which is the liner color).  I am very impressed with the quality of the shadows, they are super smooth, isn't overly shimmery, and blends really well.

This palette is really work friendly and is perfect for every day use.

 

I followed the directions on the back of the box:

Bottom Color - All over base
Top Color - Above crease
Green color - To line top lid area
White color -Inner corners of the eyes

 

I love the final look.  It's very cute and simple with a little edge!

 

 

  

I tried taking pics but it was so hard to get the colors to show up on camera!  (just imagine they are there)


 

Overall 5/5!  These are great palettes for the price and quality.  I actually think they are way better quality than MM palettes.

I think this is one of my new favorite brand now :)


Here's a peek at the other colors availabe!  All the colors look so pretty I really want BR780 and VI350.

(image taken from www.ichibankao.com)